Welcome to Saturday Scorecard, a weekly search for truth, justice and ice-cold beer at a reasonable price.
Keep your browser here for a few moments and we promise to return you to your State Fair cream puffs and Family Night scrimmage. Here we go:
Dog days: Roughly 2 ½ months ago, the red-hot Brewers traveled to Los Angeles and a bunch of their players took part in a soap opera. The visit created an avalanche of publicity and good will.
This week, the ice-cold Brewers staged an impromptu soap opera in the tunnel leading from the dugout to the clubhouse at Miller Park.
Once again, there was an avalanche of publicity.
Good will?
Not so much.
In case you missed it, the episode -- which could accurately be called an incident, fracas, brouhaha or dust-up-took place midway through the seventh inning of the Brewers' 12-4 loss to the Mets.
The Brewers were on their way to another in a string of frustrating losses on a sweltering afternoon when frustrated manager Ned Yost chose to vent anger. Yost jumped on one player (our sources tell us that it was shortstop J.J. Hardy, who had made an error in the field) and used that as a springboard to lambaste his entire team for its lackluster play.
Reports indicate that Tony Graffanino took offense to Yost's comments, particularly those directed toward Hardy. Graffanino and Yost exchanged words, then catcher Johnny Estrada stepped in and confronted Yost.
The conversations, conducted a high volume, were heated. The parties moved toward each other, but were separated before any physical confrontations took place.
Order was restored quickly, but the action was captured by TV cameras.
During a post-game press conference that lasted about 90 seconds, Yost said: "I think there was some frustration expressed on a number of different sides about our style of play and about the way we've been playing. We handled it and took care of it, like good teams do."
There were two problems with that statement. First, the Brewers haven't looked like a "good team" since the all-star break. Second, Yost's line about "frustration about our style of play," led some to believe that a mutiny had begun or that Estrada, who came to town with a reputation for being a divisive force in the clubhouse, was up to his old tricks.
Neither of the aforementioned theories sees true, but in the absence of concrete information (players circled the wagons and collectively clammed up after the game), fans and reporters are left to draw their own conclusions.
Yost wisely added some clarifying details in a subsequent interview with Journal Sentinel baseball writer Tom Haudricourt, who published them in the morning paper Friday morning.
What can we make of this entire episode? A few things:
Everybody connected with the Brewers, from Yost to the clubhouse attendants, is unhappy with the way the team has performed in recent weeks. While not shocking, that response seems appropriate.
When Yost vented his frustration, Graffanino and Estrada answered him. While some may view this as gross disrespect or insubordination, you could also call it "showing a backbone." Look at it this way: If Yost had lashed out at his team and been met with glazed-over stares, he likely would have concluded that the season is over. The fact that two older players stepped forward on a team that has been led primarily by younger players, means that all is not lost.
Dustups like this happen periodically throughout the baseball season, on good teams and bad. Whether it is in the weight room, the batting cage or at the card table, tempers often flare. Players and coaches live in close quarters for about eight months. (The dynamic that develops is not unlike a family. You may holler at and fight with your little brother one day, but you protect him from the neighborhood bully the next.)
The bottom line? If the Brewers rally and win the Central Division title, "Dugoutgate" will be regarded as a turning point in the season. If the team tanks, it could be viewed as the beginning of the end.
Right now, we're convinced that the season really starts Aug. 28, when the Brewers begin a three-game series with the Cubs at Wrigley Field. If the teams are close going into what is unfortunately their final head-to-head meeting of the regular season, the soap opera is only going to get more interesting.
New faces? Bucks general manager Larry Harris seems confident that the club will re-sign guard Charlie Bell and has dropped hints about other free agents. The names we're hearing include Corliss Williamson, Michael Ruffin and Scot Pollard. Stay tuned.
Incentive package: Six members of the Bucks Energee! Dance Team are visiting China as part of the NBA's Jam Van China program. Maybe they can perform a routine to impress Yi Jianlian while they are there. In the meantime, check out the blog from Lindsey, Jennifer, Kate, Sara, Sherika and Stephanie here.
Schedule update: The Bucks open their 40th anniversary season with a game Halloween night in Orlando. The home opener is against Chicago Nov. 3 at the Bradley Center. Five of the first seven games come against teams that were in the playoffs last season. If Yi signs, there will be a high demand for tickets when the Rockets and Yao Ming visit town Feb. 2.
Bonecrusher tryouts: The Bonecrushers, the new Continental Indoor Football League expansion team, will hold open tryouts from 1-5 p.m. today and Sunday at the Krauss-Miller-Lutz Athletic Complex at Wisconsin Lutheran College, 10200 W. Watertown Plank Rd.
Participants will be asked to perform several skill tests, including a 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle run, standing broad jump, agility drills, position-specific drills and 7-on-7 work. The team opens play in March and will play home games at U.S. Cellular Arena.
Waiting on the call: The Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr., last week in Cooperstown had to be encouraging for veterans like Goose Gossage and Jim Rice.
Gwynn and Ripken were "no-brainer" inductees on the first ballot. Next year's crop of first-time eligible players looks thin (Tim Raines?) and the class of 2009 will feature only Rickey Henderson as a lock. The class of 2010, which will feature Roberto Alomar, Barry Larkin, Fred McGriff and Edgar Martinez will spice things up again, but the next two seasons could bode well for people like Gossage, Rice, Bert Blyleven and Andre Dawson.
As for future elections, Milwaukee fans should be advised that Gary Sheffield recently notched his 2,500th hit and could receive consideration.
Lucky 7? The Badgers ranked seventh in the USA Today coaches' poll, which was released this week. The Associated Press poll will be released Aug. 18. By then, we may know the official word on running back John Clay, who reportedly will be academically ineligible to play his freshman season.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
