Results tagged ‘ Ryan Braun ’

Braun restaurant opens tonight

Ryan Braun’s Waterfront Grill will open its doors to the public for the first time on Monday night, just in time to feed hungry fans following the Brewers’ season opener against the Rockies. 

For the first week, the restaurant will  be open for dinner only beginning at 4:30 p.m. CT. A full dinner menu will be available until 10:30 p.m., and from 10:30-1:30 a.m. a limited bar menu will be available. 
Beginning Monday, April 12, the Grill will be open for lunch at 11 a.m. CT. 
For reservations, call (414) 727-2888. Ryan Braun’s Waterfront Grill is at 102 N. Water St., in Milwaukee’s historic Third Ward, the space formerly occupied by Fratellos Waterfront Restaurant. 
This is not a brat and burger joint. Situated along the Milwaukee River, the upscale space has seating for 275 including a large outdoor patio with room for about 110 diners. The menu features fresh seafood in addition to steaks and chops, chicken, pastas, individual pizzas, sandwiches and hamburgers and kids fare, and the wine list includes private-label, Italian-style wines licensed to Braun. Valet parking is available.
*
Follow Brew Beat on Twitter. 

Edmonds could be Opening Day right fielder

Brewers manager Ken Macha confirmed what general manager Doug Melvin hinted on Tuesday: That Jim Edmonds, and not Corey Hart, could very well be the team’s Opening Day right fielder.  
The choice will depend partly on whether Hart shows any signs of life at the plate in the Brewers’ final four Spring Training games and partly on when Edmonds re-joins the team. He traveled home on Monday night to tend to an urgent family matter and, as of Wednesday morning, Macha wasn’t sure when Edmonds would be able to return.  
It helps Edmonds’ case that he is a left-handed hitter. Hart bats right-handed, and the Rockies’ Opening Day starter is righty Ubaldo Jimenez. 
Hart has been working his way through a dismal spring. He went 0-for-3 against the Angels on Tuesday and entered Wednesday’s game against the Cubs with a .135 batting average (7-for-52) a .167 on-base percentage and 16 strikeouts versus only two walks. It’s not for a lack of playing time; only three teammates entered play Wednesday with more at-bats than Hart.  
“He really hasn’t put together a game or two where he’s had quality at-bats,” Macha said.  
Hart won his arbitration case with the Brewers over the winter and will draw a $4.8 million salary in 2010. 
The other position in flux is catcher, where Gregg Zaun missed another game Wednesday with a left quadriceps strain. If he cannot amass some at-bats before Opening Day, the backup option is George Kottaras. Left fielder Ryan Braun, who had missed the team’s last four games because of a stiff back, returned to the lineup against the Cubs.
*
Follow Brew Beat on Twitter. 

Braun stays home

Ryan Braun didn’t head out on the road Thursday, after all. Instead of traveling to Goodyear, Ariz. to play the Reds, Braun stayed home and was in the starting lineup for the Brewers’ other split-squad game, against the A’s. 

Chalk it up to Brewers manager Ken Macha being ultra-cautious with his start left fielder. 
“That was a ‘this morning’ decision. Not that this has been a problem, but he said his hamstrings have been a little tight,” Macha said. “Not that it’s going to keep him out of the game, but [by staying at Maryvale Baseball Park] as soon as he gets out of the game he can go get his treatment.” 
______________
Jody Gerut swapped with Braun and took the trip to Goodyear. So did I, because it will be my first opportunity to see Chris Narveson pitch. Look for a story about Narveson — and his Wisconsin connection that I didn’t know about — later on Brewers.com. 
Here is the lineup for the game against the Reds:
Jody Gerut  LF
Joe Inglett  2B
Corey Hart  RF
Jim Edmonds  CF
Casey McGehee  3B
Steffan Wilson  1B
Matt Treanor  C
Luis Cruz  SS
Chris Narveson  LHP
Carlos Villanueva, Chris Capuano and Mark Rogers are also on the travel roster for the game.
_______________
Meanwhile, this is the lineup that will face the A’s at Maryvale:
Rickie Weeks  2B
Alcides Escobar  SS
Ryan Braun  LF
Prince Fielder  1B
Carlos Gomez  CF
George Kottaras  C
Adam Heether  3B
Adam Stern  RF
Randy Wolf  LHP
LaTroy Hawkins, Mitch Stetter, Chris Smith and Kameron Loe are on the list to pitch in that game. 
*
Follow Brew Beat on Twitter. 

Emptying Thursday's notebook

Some final notes after a 5-3 loss to the Giants in Scottsdale…

Jeff Suppan threw fastballs and changeups in an uneventful six-up, six-down spring debut and was happy with his afternoon. He focused on spotting his fastball and keeping his change-up low in the strike zone. 
“I felt good,” he said. “My goal was to go out and get ahead. That was No. 1. No. 2, I wanted to have a good downhill plane. I felt like I accomplished that.”
Suppan had to do a double-take when Giants starter Barry Zito drilled Prince Fielder with a pitch. (You can read some more about that later on Brewers.com.) 
“I was like, ‘What?’ I had to think what happened,” Suppan said. “Then, I remembered.”
Macha called the Zito-Fielder incident a, “non-issue.”
_______________
Macha found a number of silver linings to the afternoon, and one of them didn’t show up in the box score. In Weeks’ second at-bat, he checked his swing on a Todd Wellemeyer pitch in the dirt without any complications. That was something of a big deal to Macha considering that Weeks is returning from a 2009 season mostly lost to wrist surgery. Weeks was injured on a check swing last year, Macha said. 
______________
Ryan Braun should make his spring debut on Friday after getting Thursday afternoon off but Macha couldn’t say for sure whether shortstop Alcides Escobar would start. Escobar had two root canals on Thursday (ouch) and has another dentist appointment scheduled for next week. 
On Friday, we should be able to provide more of an injury report on third baseman Mat Gamel, who was scratched Thursday because of a sore right shoulder, and pitcher Josh Butler, who has been bumped back a bit because of his own sore right arm. 
______________
Macha cautioned against reading too much into center fielder Carlos Gomez hitting second on Thursday. “We had problems with our two- and our five-hole last year, so we’ll give some [different] guys a chance to go out there,” Macha said. 
Speaking of the outfield, look for Jim Edmonds to get the start in center field or right field on Friday against the A’s. It’s Ben Sheets against Yovani Gallardo, whose contract was renewed Thursday, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. If you have MLB.com’s gameday audio package, you can listen to the exclusive webcast at Brewers.com. Brian Anderson and Bill Schroeder will step behind the mic for the first time this year. 
*
Followed Brew Beat on Twitter. 

Braun working on Milwaukee restaurant deal

Looking for a bite to eat after the Brewers’ Opening Day game against the Colorado Rockies? Ryan Braun might have just the place. 
According to an investor working with Braun on the project, Ryan Braun’s Waterfront Grill will soon take over the space currently occupied by Fratellos Waterfront Restaurant, 102 N. Water St. in Milwaukee’s historic Third Ward. Madison-based lawyer Patrick Sweeney said he finalized a lease on Monday, and the aggressive plan is to open to the public by Monday, April 5. 
But Braun’s agent, Nez Balelo of Creative Artists Agency, cautioned that the deal was not quite final. 
Situated along the Milwaukee River, the space in question has seating for 275 including a huge outdoor patio with room for about 110 diners. The menu will feature fresh seafood in addition to steaks and chops, chicken, pastas, individual pizzas, sandwiches and hamburgers and kids fare. The wine list includes private-label, Italian-style wines licensed to Braun. Valet parking would be available. 
Braun has been dipping his toes into the restaurant business since last summer, when he signed on with Sweeney’s group to open Ryan Braun’s Tavern and Grill in Lake Geneva, Wis. Progress is continuing slowly at that location, Sweeney said, though it will not be ready to open by the start of the baseball season. 
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee opportunity presented itself within the last month. It requires less build-out, though Sweeney conceded that the proposed schedule is aggressive.
“Very,” Sweeney said. “But these things have been in the works for almost a year, so we can pull it off.” 
Braun has been personally involved in both projects. Assuming the deal goes through, he plans to spend some time at the restaurant this summer. 
“I think I’ll be there all the time,” Braun said. “I’m really excited about it. I think we’ll get some good buzz at the beginning, but then it becomes about great service and quality food. That has to be what it is all about, and that’s why I associated myself with people with experience who know what they’re doing.” 
Sweeney has been equally impressed with the young entrepreneur.
“Any time you have a deal like this where you license someone’s name and likeness, they get to sign off on various things, and what has impressed me is the way his input has gone from, ‘OK, that’s fine,’ to, ‘I think we should do it like this instead,’” Sweeney said. “His intelligence sort of caught me off-guard. This is an impressive kid.” 
And a busy one. Braun is involved in a number of off-field ventures including a clothing company, Remetee, and a line of baseball bats from Sam Bat that bear his initials and uniform number. 
*
Follow Brew Beat on Twitter. 

Braun doesn't expect Fielder extension

fantasy_a_braun_fielder_300.jpg

Ryan Braun is rooting for Prince Fielder to sign a longterm extension with the Brewers. Braun, after all, is under contract through 2015 and has the luxury of hitting in front of Fielder in the lineup. 
But Braun is not holding his breath.
“He’s going to do whatever is in his best interests, whatever is best for his family,” Braun said. “He’s earned the opportunity to go out there and see what free agency is like, see who’s interested and how much they are willing to pay.
“Obviously, I want him here. But it’s a business and I just want what’s best for him. I think everybody recognizes the circumstances and the situation that he’s in and that the team is in. To me, it’s going to come down to what’s best for his family. He’s close enough to free agency that it doesn’t make a lot of sense for him to sign a deal at this point. You have to be [realistic].”
Fielder talked to reporters on Sunday for the first time since the end of the season and his contract was a major topic of discussion. You can read more about it here. 
*
Follow Brew Beat on Twitter. 

Braun, Fielder on list to attend "On Deck"

From the Brewers’ PR department: 

Twenty-nine current Milwaukee Brewers players plus a host of alumni, coaches, front office executives and broadcasters are scheduled to participate in Brewers On Deck, set to take place Sunday, January 31, 2010 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Midwest Airlines Center.
Brewers On Deck is the annual Fan Fest that bridges the gap between winter and Spring Training.
Players, coaches and alumni scheduled to attend include:
PLAYERS
John Axford                
Ryan Braun
Josh Butler
Dave Bush
Todd Coffey
Tim Dillard
Alcides Escobar
Prince Fielder
Yovani Gallardo
Mat Gamel
Jody Gerut
Carlos Gomez
Corey Hart
LaTroy Hawkins
Trevor Hoffman
Hernan Iribarren
George Kottaras
Casey McGehee
Chris Narveson
Manny Parra
David Riske
Chris Smith
Mitch Stetter
Jeff Suppan
Claudio Vargas
Carlos Villanueva
Rickie Weeks
Randy Wolf
Gregg Zaun
 
COACHES
Ken Macha
Brad Fischer
Stan Kyles
Rick Peterson
Willie Randolph
Ed Sedar
Dale Sveum
ALUMNI
Jeff Cirillo
Jim Gantner
Gorman Thomas
Greg Vaughn
Robin Yount
Tickets for Brewers On Deck are on sale now. Adult tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door while tickets for children ages 14 and under are $9 in advance and $15 at the door. Tickets may be purchased online at brewers.com/ondeck.
Brewers On Deck will feature a number of activities for the entire family.  Autographs and photos from Brewers players and coaches, “Game Shows” featuring Brewers players, interactive games, Q&A sessions with players and staff, vendor booths with baseball memorabilia, the Brewers Charities Rummage Sale and many other activities will all be a part of Brewers On Deck.
                                                                                              
Autograph sessions will be staggered during the event, and autograph tickets — ranging from free to $25 each — will be available on the day of the event only.  There will be 250 autograph coupons available for each player and coach at the event.  Cash will be the only form of payment accepted at the pay stations in the autograph area.  Additional details regarding the autograph schedules will be available at a later date.
*
Follow Brew Beat on Twitter. 

Macha says he'll let 'em run

After a season spent extolling the virtues of staying put, Brewers manager Ken Macha said he’ll embrace the running game in 2010. 

The philosophical shift is driven by personnel changes this winter, particularly a Nov. 6 trade that sent shortstop J.J. Hardy to the Twins for speedy center fielder Carlos Gomez, freeing shortstop for top prospect Alcides Escobar and closing the door on a pursuit of outgoing free agent Mike Cameron. 

Hardy had a down year in 2009 but he still averaged 20 homers over the past three seasons, and Cameron has topped 20 homers eight times in his career including both of his two years in Milwaukee. Gomez, meanwhile, stole 33 bases as the Twins’ regular starter in 2008, and Escobar swiped 42 bases in 109 games last season at Triple-A Nashville. 

The Brewers also expect speedy second baseman Rickie Weeks to return after a 2009 season lost to wrist surgery, and right fielder Corey Hart (assuming the trade rumors don’t turn into an actual trade) should “have his legs under him” after missing time last year following an appendectomy. There’s also left fielder Ryan Braun, who stole 20 bases in 2009 despite hitting in front of slugger Prince Fielder. 

“We’ve got some guys that can run this year, so it’s going to be a little different,” Macha said on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings. “The games may be a little more exciting with the guys who do get on base. … We’ve got five guys in the lineup who are definite stolen base threats.” 

Macha conceded that he’s concerned about losing Cameron’s and Hardy’s power, but Weeks’ return should help in that area and the Brewers also picked up veteran catcher Gregg Zaun, who’s no Johnny Bench but should provide more homers than outgoing free agent Jason Kendall. 

In 2009, Macha’s first season at the helm, the Brewers swiped only 68 bases, third-fewest in the Majors ahead of the Braves (58) and Cubs (56). Macha said he discussed the topic with general manager Doug Melvin near the end of the regular season, when Macha was offered assurances that he would be back for the second year of his contract. 

Macha pushed back against the notion that he favored a station-to-station approach.

 ”I think you’re branding me as, ‘This is your type of baseball,’ but, no,” Macha said. “I try to do what’s best for the players that we have there. I think you look at the club we have [for 2010] and there’s going to be a little more activity on the bases this year.”

*

Follow Brew Beat on Twitter.

Fielder fourth in MVP vote

fantasy_a_braun_fielder_300.jpgAlbert Pujols was the unanimous winner of the National League MVP Award on Tuesday. The Brewers’ top contender was Prince Fielder, who finished fourth.

Pujols received all 32 first-place votes for 448 points. Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins was second with 233 points, Ryan Howard of the Phillies was third with 217 points and Fielder garnered 203 points. Fielder received five second-place votes, nine third place votes, seven fourth place votes, three fifth place votes, one sixth place vote, three eighth place votes, one ninth place vote and three 10th place votes.

Ryan Braun was 11th in the balloting, with 43 points.

*

Follow Brew Beat on Twitter.

Braun a Silver Slugger

For the second straight season, Ryan Braun will have some hardware to show for his efforts at the plate. 

After batting .320 with 32 home runs and 114 RBIs, Braun became the first Brewer since Paul Molitor more than two decades ago to win a Silver Slugger Award in consecutive years. Since 1980, the awards have been given annually to the best offensive player at each position as selected by the Major League Baseball managers and coaches, and Braun was honored alongside Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp of the Dodgers as the top offensive outfielders in the National League. 

The other NL Silver Sluggers were Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez and Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano. 

Braun is the third Brewer to take home the award in consecutive seasons. Molitor was the American League’s top designated hitter in 1987 and 1988, and Cecil Cooper won the award as the AL first baseman in three straight seasons from 1980-82.

The specially designed Silver Slugger will be presented to each player by a representative of the Hillerich & Bradsby Co., makers of Louisville Slugger, in a ceremony early in the 2010 season. The trophy is three feet tall and bears the engraved name of the winner and his Silver Slugger teammates in his respective league.

Before 2005, the Brewers had been shut out in Silver Slugger balloting since 1990, but now they have a winner in four of the past five seasons. Prince Fielder, who was edged at first base for the second straight year by Pujols, won in 2007. Then-Brewers outfielder Carlos Lee was a Silver Slugger in 2005. 

Braun’s numbers were certainly deserving in 2009. With 203 hits, he became the third Brewer ever to lead his league in that category and the first since Molitor led the AL in 1991. Braun also became the eighth player in Major League history with at least 100 runs, 100 RBIs, 200 hits, 30 homers, 20 stolen bases and a .300 average in the same season. 

The numbers keep on coming. Braun has 103 home runs in his first three Major League seasons, sixth-most in baseball history behind two active players — Pujols (114) and the Yankees’ Mark Texeira (107) — and three Hall of Famers — Ralph Kiner (114), Eddie Matthews (112), Joe DiMaggio (107). 

Brewers Silver Sluggers
Player                   Year            Position
Cecil Cooper          1980        First Base
Robin Yount           1980        Shortstop
Ben Oglivie            1980         Outfield
Cecil Cooper          1981         First Base
Cecil Cooper          1982         First Base
Robin Yount           1982         Shortstop
Paul Molitor           1987           DH
Paul Molitor           1988           DH
Robin Yount           1989         Outfield
Dave Parker           1990           DH
Carlos Lee              2005         Outfield
Prince Fielder         2007          First Base
Ryan Braun            2008          Outfield
Ryan Braun            2009          Outfield

*

Follow Brew Beat on Twitter.

« older posts | back to blog home | newer posts »
Theme: MLB “pro” | Get a free blog at WordPress.com
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 70 other followers