Dear Ryan Braun...

I defended you. When the accusations poured in, I said I would wait for the courts to decide. When they decided in your favour and believed your story, I thought things would be alright. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

You lied to them, your fans, your critics, the Milwaukee Brewers, the baseball world, and to me. Your sentence should begin at the start of the 2014 season, when the punishment will be a chorus of boos that follow you wherever you go.

May God have mercy on your soul.

A former follower,
Phil Wood

Are You Serious?

Brewers infielder Jean Segura (left) makes a stolen base attempt
against the Cubs.

Help me out...

What is worse: The Chicago Cubs fielding or the Milwaukee Brewers coaching?

Brewers speedster Jean Segura stole second base against the Cubs during his Brewers' regular season tilt on April 19th. After Ryan Braun drew a walk, you would think that was the end of it. Alas, no... I wasn't a big supporter of Brewers manager Ron Roenicke to begin with, but with Milwaukee languishing in last place in the National League Central Division, baserunning and managing errors like these will have Wisconsin baseball fans second guessing the man in charge.

Quick Pitch!

Greinke Tossed

Y U NO LET ME PLAY? Zac Greinke (right) pleads his case for umpire Sam Holbrook
moments after being ejected for dissent.

Milwaukee starting pitcher Zac Greinke lost his cool, and then his place on the mound after being ejected in the first inning against the Houston Astros. On the play in question, Astros second baseman hit a grounder to Brewers first baseman Corey Hart, and Greinke ran over to first base to field the subsequent throw from Hart. Altuve reached safely, however, and that allowed teammate Jordan Schafer to score from third base for the game's first run. Umpire Sam Holbrook called Altuve safe, and in frustration Greinke fired the baseball into the ground; Holbrook saw Greinke's reaction as dissent, and ejected the pitcher from the game. Greinke was apologetic, but the damage was done. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke argued the call, and threw in some choice words for Holbrook, who proceeded to eject Roenicke as well (I never liked him anyway).

Both of the Milwaukee Brewers' broadcasters sided with Greinke and Roenicke, but under the rules open dissent is grounds for ejection (See Brett Lawrie from 2012, Yadier Molina from 2011). Both broadcasters agreed the umpire made the right call, but to lambaste him for ejecting Greinke is cynical. I expect MLB to come down on them like they did White Sox fan/broadcaster Ken Harrelson earlier this season. Taking your frustration out on a baseball isn't the smartest thing to do either. Milwaukee went on to lose to Houston 6-3, yet the difference in the game was losing Greinke, who the scorers credited with the loss, in the first inning after throwing only four pitches. What are your thoughts?

GET ALL OF IT! Yankees left fielder Andruw Jones circles the bases
for one of his two homeruns in the first game of the double bill against
the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, which they won 6-1.

Double Sized Treat ^_^

The hometown Boston Red Sox and their rivals, the visiting New York Yankees, treated both sets of fans to a rare double bill at Fenway Park this afternoon. The Yankees won the first game 6-1 thanks to a stand-out performance from Andruw Jones. After belting two homeruns on consecutive pitches, Jones assisted on a double play by snaring a fly ball from left field and doubling up Bosox baserunner David Ortiz at first base, with Yankee first baseman Mike Teixeira making a key, yet artsy, grab on the relay.

Pedro Ciriaco (right) receives congratulations after
plating another run during Boston's 9-5 comeback victory against
the New York Yankees.

Fans of the Rebel Alliance, er, Red Sox can take heart as Boston won the second game of the double header thanks to a pair of minor league call ups from Pawtucket ^_^ Mauro Gomez and Pedro Ciriaco combined for seven hits, four runs, and five RBIs in front of a less than stellar Yankee defense, which gave up four errors in the . Ciriaco also flashed the leather from shortstop (not too shabby); if we see more of those kinds of plays from him, we might see more of Pedro in the big leagues.

Jury on Jays: Midseason Analysis

Ricky Romero pitched a stellar six innings ^_^ Yet, Jays lose 2-0 T_T

My Toronto Blue Jays lost to White Sox 2-0 in Chicago, and spoiled a rare gem from lefty Ricky Romero. With one game left in the series before the All-Star Break, the Jays look to finish the first half of the season with an even .500 record with 43 wins. This is shades below what most fans in Toronto expected from their ball club; slugger Jose Bautista is returning to form, after his slow start, and hit a league-leading twenty-seven homeruns. One of the major disappointments about the 2012 campaign is decline and fall of Adam Lind in the No.4 spot; he returned from triple-A Las Vegas to find his form that was good to him in 2009, the year in which he won the Silver Slugger Award. We'll see if it did any good after the Break.

Blue Jays pitching is also in dire straits. Rife with injuries, what is left of the starting rotation reminds me of the  infamous story of the Oakland Athletics of early 1980s (See Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders). Pitchers like Ricky Romero, Brendan Morrow, and Brett Cecil has stellar campaigns, yet suffered from an inconsistent bullpen that could not close the door (namely Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch, both are now toiling with the New York Mets).

The All-Star Break will signal the beginning and ending of winning and losing streaks with the inactivity of regular season play, and this could the change of fortune Toronto needs to get back to winning ways in time for the pennant, er, playoff race.