May 2010
Loe on his way up
Capuano to start Thursday
Braun hitting cleanup for Marlins opener
Macha not naming Axford as closer, yet
MILWAUKEE — With John Axford getting the call in the ninth inning of the Brewers’ 8-6 victory on Saturday, many began to assume it meant he was the team’s closer.
Not so fast, manager Ken Macha said in his postgame press conference.
“I’m not eliminating Trevor,” said Macha, referring to all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman. “I want to give [Hoffman] a few more innings. But it’s going to be nice if we have coverage like that.”
Axford, a flame-throwing 27-year-old right-hander, is 2-for-2 in save opportunities on the season. Along with his save at the end of the 2009 season, Axford is a perfect 3-for-3 in his short big league career as a closer.
Though his career total is still 593 less than that of Hoffman, Axford doesn’t let the pressure of the situation get to him.
“It’s a tough situation to be in, I guess,” Axford said. “I don’t hold a flame to Trevor Hoffman. So I’m not thinking about that really. I’m just trying to get my job done.”
While Macha has been impressed by Axford’s recent performance out of the bullpen, he sees greater value in having several pitchers comfortable with pressure situations in the late innings.
“There’s no problem having a couple,” Macha said. “My last year in Oakland, we had six guys with saves. I’d like to get Trevor back. … The more guys you’re can bring in pressure situations and they’re able to get outs, that makes your bullpen that much stronger.
“I’d like to get [LaTroy] Hawkins back too. When all those pieces get back together, it starts to give you a lot of options. … I’m not selling any of those guys short.”
When asked about his bullpen in his morning session with the media, Macha said he hoped to get Hoffman in the game on Sunday. He did not, however, specify an inning in which that might happen.
But with the way Axford has pitched lately, Macha admitted after Saturday’s game that “it’s hard not to bring him in.”
“He has the stuff,” Macha said. “There’s no doubt about that.”
– Jordan Schelling, Associate Reporter
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Kottaras batting 2nd, Gomez 7th
One night removed from their second consecutive walk-off win, the Brewers lineup features just one change, but it is a surprising one.
Capuano's called up, to join Brewers Saturday
MILWAUKEE — Nearly 30 months since his last Major League appearance, lefty Chris Capuano will rejoin the Brewers on Saturday at Miller Park.
Capuano — whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Nashville — hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since his last start of the 2007 season and has been rehabbing the second Tommy John surgery of his career. After seven Minor League starts, Capuano has finally made it back to the Majors.
Brewers officials announced the move after Friday’s 2-0 victory over the Mets. However, a corresponding roster move was not announced at the time.
With Capuano not being on the Brewers’ 40-man roster, the move will mean more than simply sending someone from the 25-man roster down to the Minors.
– Jordan Schelling, MLB.com
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Brewers players, staff S.C.O.R.E. at local schools
MILWAUKEE — Brewers players, coaches and front office staff visited 26 schools in the five-county area on Friday to talk to students about their community outreach program on S.C.O.R.E. for Excellence Day.
The S.C.O.R.E. (School, Community, Opportunities, Role Models, and Excellence) program is in its fifth season, and it provides messages about character education through each of the five elements of the initiative.
As part of the program, left fielder Ryan Braun, broadcaster Brian Anderson, former All-Star Larry Hisle and the Brewers racing sausages visited Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts in Milwaukee.
“It’s important to have good life skills,” Anderson told the students. “We want to encourage you to learn that, take it home to your brothers and sisters, your parents, reach out into your community and take this S.C.O.R.E. program and keep it with you. We come out and we want to give you the message, but really the message dies unless you take it out there with you.”
Hisle, who played for the Brewers from 1978-82, talked about how much his community meant to him when growing up.
“I credit that city for as much of my success as I do myself,” Hisle said, referring to his hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio. “It afforded me every opportunity and all the resources necessary for success. The only thing missing was how badly I wanted to play baseball.”
During the presentation, Anderson and Braun presented five baseballs — one with each of the letters of the acronym on it — to five students that participated and talked about why each one of the elements of the program is important.
Braun, who attended the University of Miami on an academic scholarship, told the students that while he always hoped to play baseball professionally, his academics still came first.
The program finished with a question and answer session between the students and Braun, who was noticeably impressed by the students.
“Really impressive,” said Braun of the questions. “I think they really paid attention and they really believe in this program and I think the Brewers do too. So it was a good day all around, I had a good time and I was thoroughly impressed.”
– Jordan Schelling, Associate Reporter
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Stern recalled for 3rd time in less than 3 weeks
MILWAUKEE — As the Brewers injuries continue to pile up, so too do the frequent flyer miles for outfielder Adam Stern, who was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Friday.
Stern received a phone call from Nashville manager Don Money, who gave him the news Thursday morning. With that, Stern headed to the ballpark to pack up his things and caught a flight from Sacramento to Milwaukee by way of Minneapolis.
It was the third time in less than three weeks that Stern has been called up from the Minors. As a result, he’s only spent two days at home in Nashville this month: May 1-2.
“I haven’t started my car in about three weeks,” Stern said. “So who knows if that’ll start.”
Stern’s journey began with an eight-day Minor League road trip, which included stops in Round Rock and Albuquerque. The series in Albuquerque wrapped up on May 10, and the next day Stern was recalled in place of center fielder Carlos Gomez.
He joined the Brewers in Milwaukee for a few days, but with the bullpen needing another arm, Stern was optioned May 15 in favor of right-handed reliever John Axford. Stern never left, however, and was recalled the next day as lefty Doug Davis went on the disabled list.
Stern made the trip with the club to Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis, but was optioned before the first game against the Twins.
With that, Stern flew to Sacramento, meeting the Sounds there and playing the team’s first three games against the River Cats. But with outfielder Jody Gerut going on the disabled list on Thursday, Stern was on the move again.
All told, Stern has traveled more than 8,000 miles in the month of May.
“Flying doesn’t bother me,” Stern said. “I’m getting to check out the country I guess. Plus, I’m racking some good frequent flyer miles.”
Stern did admit, though, that some flights are more enjoyable than others.
“The flights are a lot better coming here than they are going away from here,” he said. “It’s a lot better when you’re coming up to the big leagues. On the way out it’s a little bit worse.”
While he’s happy to be back, Stern knows he shouldn’t settle in or get too comfortable in Milwaukee.
With center fielder Jim Edmonds set to return on Monday from the DL, Stern is the most likely candidate to be sent down to the Minors.
“They’ll keep me posted when they need to make another move,” Stern said. “That’s fine. You just do whatever they ask you to do and go with the flow.”
– Jordan Schelling, Associate Reporter
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Adam McCalvy
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