I Love Mondays-Ep51, May 11, 2026

Talking about the Brewers 3g sweep of the New York Yankees...including two walk-off wins.  Brewers TV Analyst Vinny Rottino how the belief in the clubhouse is a real benefit of the weekend sweep.  We also discussed the extraordinary talents of Aaron Ashby and "The Miz"

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:04

I love Mondays with my help.

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Broadcasting line from an undisclosed bunker in the Badger State. This is I Love Mondays with Mike Heller. Powered by determination and a little bit of duct tape.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Here's your host, Mike Heller. So a little fired up on a Monday. I'm always fired up on Mondays. Thus the name of the show, I Love Mondays. Even though I did have to remind somebody again over the weekend, we do this every day. Well, the weekdays. We do it every day, Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. Show is called I Love Mondays, because in sports talk every day seems like a Monday, but there's no better day to talk about sports than on a Monday. Case in point, we get to talk about Miz and how amazing what Miz did on Friday night in that first inning in particular, but throughout, is extraordinary and special. He threw 10 pitches in the first inning. I think they were all above 102 and topped out at 104. The highest MPH, the highest velocity pitch in the stat cast era. And he did it as a starter, and he was still throwing the juice, the BBs, the aspirins in the sixth inning. Just little baby pills that you can't see. I mean, he was just dealing. That was Friday night, and the Brewers won in pretty handy fashion, six-nothing. On Saturday, they win in a walk-off with a sack fly. And, you know, people are gonna forget, don't. People are gonna forget how they tied it up. Two outs and nobody on, and Tarang singles to right, then steals second on the first pitch, and then Contreras delivers a single through the hole. Now, Tarang doesn't steal second base. That single has runners at first and second and two outs. It's the little things that aren't little that the Brewers do that continues to put pressure on opposing teams. And that little two out, barreled up single to right by Tarang, followed by stealing second base on the first pitch, and it wasn't close. And then Contreras delivers your tied, and then Contreras delivered after the Yankees screwed up defensively. Uh Contreras delivered the sack fly to walk it off on Saturday. And then Sunday, you know, you run into you can't get a whole lot of offense going, but you find enough, and then you get into uh really good bullpen pitching from the Brewers all weekend long. It was brilliant again on Sunday, and Bryce Tarang delivers with a walk-off 20 years from the time that Bill Hall did it on Mother's Day with a pink bat. 20 years later, wearing number two, Bryce Tarang, wearing number two, delivers with the pink bat. There are so many layers to this. I tweeted out before Sunday's game about uh it's it is amazing what the Brewers do. It's kind of head scratching what they do. So let me give you a little rundown of who they are from a standpoint of what why it's surprising. Surprising is not the right word. So let me correct that. Why it is a little head scratching. It's it's a little head shaking going, you know, the rest of the league kind of looks at this and goes, How are they doing this? The Brewers are 22 and 16, three and a half games back. That is the uh their fourth best in baseball in run differential. They take on the Padres beginning tomorrow. Today is an off day. All right, so the Brewers in a really good spot. But let me give you why it's uh it's a little head shaking for the rest of the league. If you follow them like we do, you you more than kind of get it. This is how they are wired, who they are, who Pat Murphy is, who Matt Arnold is, who their player personnel department puts together, what Chris Hook does, what Jim Henderson does from a pitching standpoint, what Matt Erickson does from teaching defense and base running and the things that they do. But the Brewers are eighth in Major League Baseball in runs scored. They are fourth best in Major League Baseball in walks. They are have the third fewest strikeouts, they are fourth in Major League Baseball in stolen bases, they are seventh in Major League Baseball in on base percentage. Those are all of the plus stats. Now let me give you these. I'll give you these three. And if I gave you these three and then said, give me a sense of how good this team is. If I told you that they're tied for last in Major League Baseball and home runs with 26, San Francisco is the other team that has 26. Let me just give you a little quick update on uh what that looks like from a standing standpoint, because the Brew are three and a half games out and among the the leaders in in baseball from a standing standpoint. The San Francisco Giants, who are tied with the Brewers at 26 home runs, they're eight games out of first place and eight games under 500. So the Brewers are tied for last in baseball with 26 home runs. They're 24th in OPS. That's the combination of uh on base and slugging. 24th in OPS. They're 28th in slugging. If I gave you those three numbers, you go, well, they're bottom half of the league then and run scored, and they're probably a below 500 team. And as I just told you, they're eighth in Major League Baseball in all of the league and run scored, fourth in walks, third fewest strikeouts, fourth in stolen bases, and seventh in on base percentage. And as it sits right now, everybody in the division has the day off. The uh the Cubs lost two out of three over the weekend. They're 27 and 14. They lead the division by three and a half over Milwaukee, and they will play at Atlanta. The best record in Major League Baseball belongs to the Braves. So they are 28 and 13, and the Cubs will be there Tuesday through Thursday. The Brewers are in second place, tied with St. Louis, but they're in second place at 22 and 16. They are plus 54 in run differential in all of baseball. That's the best in the division, fourth best in Major League Baseball. The Brewers take on the Padres uh beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Padres are 24 and 16, so the Padres are very good. Fifth best record in baseball. St. Louis is essentially three and a half. They're tied with the Brewers. They're three and a half games back. Also, they're at the A's coming up uh on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. The A's are in first place in the AL West, but to give you a sense of that division, they're 21 and 19 and in first place at two games over 500. The Pirates are 22 and 19. So are the Reds, both five games back. Pirates home with Colorado, and the Reds are uh home with Washington. Vinny Rettino will join us in a little bit. Let me give you a little sense of uh who's jumping in to say, hey. So uh I begin as I do like to with uh Mike. Mike says, good morning all. What a great brewer weekend. Yes, it was. Uh James, I'll get to this. He says he's back. Why does Iowa State have such a pipeline to Wisconsin for high school players? Some of that is priority, some of that is uh money and where Iowa State invests. So Iowa State is a program that invests in their high school recruits. If I told you that uh Donovan Davis was getting $750,000 to $800,000 to go to Iowa State as a true freshman, and then I told you that if you're Marquette or Wisconsin, you're in on that for a third of that money. Donovan Davis is saying a best relationship was with TJ Otzelberger at Iowa State. It's also their philosophy to uh recruit at the high school level when possible. And Wisconsin uh was with Greg Gard last Thursday night, and their philosophy for a long time has been to get old and stay old. That is not necessarily in line with recruiting at the high level of a high school, even a four-star. They wanted him, but Iowa State wanted him more, I think, from a financial standpoint. So I don't know all the details, but I think that's uh certainly part of it. Um, let's see, Mike, 103.6, actually, Sophia said. I don't know what 103.6 is. I missed your first message on whatever that might have been. Uh James said, did the Yankees look a bit listless in not playing sound baseball? Well, they didn't play sound baseball. Yeah, that's true. And part of that is because the Brewers do put pressure. That mistake made out of the bullpen by their uh by their left-handed uh side armor in going to third base is just silly. There was no advantage. He must have lost track of where they were in the inning. To go to third base was a significant mistake. It was a it was a brain fart. He screwed up. Going to third base is was that was the wrong decision from the beginning. Uh Mark says, good morning, Mike, and all James, in regards to ISU, their coaches in Wisconsin, yeah, uh TJ is. They may or may not have more NIL, as Butchie noted. There may be less pressure on Wisconsin kids staying at home. Yeah, Butchie put that out saying, you know, from a Wisconsin kids' standpoint, it is hard to go to your homeschool because of the pressure that uh that is involved in that. James, you're you're welcome, I think. Um let me let me fill you in on a couple of weekend things before I bring uh and talk about my sponsors and um and then bring in Vinny. So yesterday I got to spend um most of the afternoon with uh a couple of my sisters and their significant others, and uh I love my family and my dad. So yesterday was my dad's 90th birthday, and how cool is that! I get to hang with my dad and fight a little bit about baseball because he doesn't watch it, and he was a lifer, but he is um he's tuned out the game, he doesn't like ABS, he doesn't like run around second in extra innings, he doesn't like the strikeouts, he doesn't like the league low, you know, average batting average is 243. He's just out on the game. So I argue a little bit with him on that, but I don't take it as far as I might have when he was 80. Um but I got to spend the day with Pops. I'm also for our grandkids, I'm Pops. Uh my dad growing up, like he would call me, like we go to the grocery store and at the checkout aisle, he'd call me boy. So he it was his way of being funny. Uh so I got to spend the day with Pops on his 90th birthday. And it's uh it fills the heart a little bit for a he's an old man who's pretty stoic. He doesn't share a whole lot of emotion, never has. But so I'm my mom in that regard, who we lost seven years ago, seven or eight years ago now. Um, but really cool, and uh I count myself as incredibly blessed to still have my dad. Uh and he uh he turned 90 years old yesterday. That was very cool. On Saturday, I got to be part of uh uh Mad Dog and Meryl's Midwest Grillin. They did a uh they recorded their Midwest Grillin TV show at uh uh experience Wanuke, uh a little day-long festival, first time that they've had it in Wanekee, right at the old train depot, downtown Wanaki. So I was on um the first segment of their show. I think that'll air uh beginning on the Sunday of Memorial Day, May 24th. So if you ever watch Midwest Grillin, I think it's on the CW in the Wisconsin television markets. Uh got a chance to be there. They uh they made a cocktail for us that will now serve at Red and White that's called a Midwest Cherry Blossom. Pretty simple cocktail of Door County Cherry vodka, uh, a little seven, a little seven up, and then a little grenadine. That's it. Simple. But we don't make cocktails, but we'll make that one uh at red and white. So uh really enjoyed it. Uh Mad Dog and Merrill and Fast Freddy on the piano and organ, just fantastic. These guys know what they're doing, they know how to entertain a crowd. And uh I got to be part of that mix on Saturday. And then hung out with uh with the Vilkers, treadmill and family, his wife Lynn and his mom and dad, they were uh hanging out there, and then they came over to Red and White. We sat on the patio. Um uh a couple of my bourbon buddies showed up. I broke a little bottle of bourbon. I feel terrible about it. Uh it was given to me, um, and I set it down on my jacket sitting next to us out on the patio, and then it started to get clouds came over and started to get a little chilly. I reached and grabbed my jacket, forgot I put that little two-ounce bottle, glass bottle there from the hard truth and uh busted it. So I feel terrible about that. Um but I still drank bourbon that day, just not that bourbon. Um, anyway, so there's a little bit of uh of the weekend in a nutshell. But the grand scheme of things, and this is a fair question to ask, does did the weekend bring you joy? Or are you, you know, kind of that curmudgeon that looks at this and goes, yeah, well, they swept the Dodgers in six games a year ago. What did that matter when they played them in the postseason? Okay. If you can't take joy in a three-game weekend sweep of the team that came in with the best record in all of baseball, the New York Yankees, and the highest payroll, if that doesn't bring you joy, then I don't want to sit next to you at the game. I don't want to, if you want to talk to us, I get that. But we're not like-minded. If the only joy you get in baseball comes in October, joy or pain, if that's the only thing you get, then we can't be friends when it comes to sports. If the only joy you get is if Wisconsin wins or Marquette wins into the NCAA tournament. If you can't take joy when Wisconsin won on the road and undefeated and uh undefeated in the Big Ten and number one ranked Michigan, if that doesn't bring you joy, if you don't take any joy when they win at Illinois, if you don't get any joy when they beat Michigan State, three top ten teams, if you don't get joy from any of those because you're just only inclined to be joyful or sorrowful after selection Sunday, then you and I aren't sports friends. If you only get joy if the Packers play in the NFC Championship and win and go to the Super Bowl, and you can't take joy in a come from behind fourth quarter win wherever in October, then we're not wired exactly the same way. I get it. In January, it means more in football. In basketball, it means more after a selection Sunday. In baseball, it means more in October. But if you if you're not joyful after a weekend sweep of the New York Yankees and two of them in walk-off fashion, and one of them replicating Bill Hall and his Mother's Day home run with a pink bat 20 years ago as a walk-off homer, if you can't take joy that Bryce Tarang, wearing the same jersey number, did the same thing yesterday, wearing number two against the Yankees. I don't know, I don't know what to do with you then. Anyway, all right, let's uh let's jump into thanking our sponsors. Then I'll bring in Vinny and he'll I think Vinny and I are gonna be on uh the same page when it comes to this concept. Uh, we are presented by one community bank. You can go to onecommunity.bank to do your banking, and we hope that you do. Uh we hope that you support our sponsors the way you support the show, and I appreciate that. And by the way, let me do this. By the way, our YouTube subscription numbers have jumped tremendously in the last couple of weeks. So keep sharing with your like-minded sports friends our YouTube channel on I Love Mondays, uh, so we can continue to jump with subscriptions and viewers so we can kind of spread the word of what it is we're doing. I appreciate when you do share it. And obviously, you're doing some of that because the numbers reflect it and we appreciate it. I Love Mondays is also presented by M3 Insurance Helping Businesses and Individuals manage risk, purchase insurance, and provide the right benefits to their employees. M3INS.com. That's the website, M3INS.com. I Love Mondays is presented by Neuroscience Group from Diagnosis to Recovery. Neuroscience Group brings together neurology, neurosurgery, pain management, and therapy, all under one roof, advanced care, close to home, neuroscience group. Go to neurosciencegroup.com and also presented, and Vinny, uh who joins us in a moment, presented by Pottawatomies Sportsbook and Casino. For all you sports better, head to Pottawatomy in Milwaukee for unmatched sports betting and that experience. It's got everything you need all day, every day to bet above the rest. And brought to you by Habish, Habish, and Rotier, 13 locations to ensure you get a hometown attorney who understands your life and the impacts of your injury and is personally committed to your recovery. We welcome you back in, and I bring in uh I bring in my guy, and that is uh Vinny Rettino as from the Brewers Television Network joins us. And Vinny, you're gonna have busy work. You're gonna be in the booth. That's why we've moved up um today. Uh or you're gonna be working. Uh why we've moved up today from Thursday. So welcome in. How are you, man?

SPEAKER_02 19:21

I appreciate it. Yeah, I'm great. I'm doing great, especially with that last series against the Yankees, and that does bring me a lot of joy, Mike. So I've got it with you with that. But um, yeah, I'm doing great and um looking forward to this next series with the Padgers. I will be in the booth. Jeff Levering and I will be in the booth. I'll probably beat him a few times in cribbage and then hopefully another brewer sweep. We'll see.

SPEAKER_00 19:43

Yeah, I was listening I was talking to to Rock post-game yesterday. He's gonna jump in and join me on Wednesday uh this week on the program. And the first thing I said to him is uh, how about the relief pitching all weekend long? And you can't I I get it. Starting pitching because of what Ms. Did on Friday. We'll we'll get there. But the relief pitching, Vinny, has just been incredible. And I can't help but just be awed by what Ashby has done because he just looks unhittable.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

He really does. He's got one of the most electric arms in all of baseball from the left side. Don't forget how important that is. So he's a lefty that throws bowling ball sinkers at 99 miles per hour, and he's got a couple different breaking balls to go with it and a changeup that's also nasty. So, I mean, he's got all the weapons. The the what's I mean, yes, that's all impressive to me, Mike, but what's most impressive is that he he takes the ball every day. He wants the ball every single day. I watch him throw a multi-inning outing, and then he's playing long toss with Charlie Green the next day. He's getting his arm, um, kind of staying, keeping his arm in shape, and it's only May. Uh, he did this last year as well, and and it wouldn't surprise me if he gets to close to a hundred innings out of the bullpen. And I am with Rock 100% in terms of how impressive, and with you, with how impressive that the relievers were this weekend. And remember, so you had you had Jacob Mizerowski, Logan Henderson, and Kyle Harrison go as starters. And then against the New York Yankees, Shane Drowen, Aaron Ashby, Chad Patrick, Deal Hall, Abner Rebate, and Trevor McGill, they all threw and they gave up one earned run. It was D. Hall Hall's run that he gave up in yesterday's game. And that's it. I mean, they were absolutely shut down.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

It's not like they're not like they're pitching against the the Nats, uh which is a pretty good lineup, too, not a good example. But it's the Yankees.

SPEAKER_02 21:45

Right. Second and all baseball run scored per game. And then you look at some of those names. How do you navigate that lineup if you're a reliever core, if you're a reliever group, and says, How do I get through uh Aaron Judge if Ben Rice is always On base. I mean, he's got Ben Rice, by the way, is leading baseball and on base percentage. Yeah. And they shut him down. Shut him down.

SPEAKER_04 22:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:06

Shut him down completely. Shut down Judge. I mean, they didn't really shut down Judge because he did get a hit in every game and he hit a home run yesterday. But at the same time, they shut him down in the sense that they were able to pitch around him enough and then just gave up the one solo home run against him. So it was just a phenomenal job. And and the job that Shane Drowin did covered three innings, Ashby covered three innings, and Chad Patrick covered three innings. How valuable, Mike, is this bullpen going to be for the rest of the season from the standpoint that you, if if let's say Chad Patrick does spend a lot of time in the bullpen, he's going to be able to go three innings a stint. You have Shane Drowin. Let's see where they he ends up, but he can go three three innings in a stint or four. We've seen him go go four in the past. And then again, Ashby able to go multiples in almost every single day. Deal Hall's another guy. So I don't think every team, and I know every team doesn't have that kind of luxury where they can have not just guys that can go long. Usually those are the guys I got hit against. I got hits against and bats against. So those are the only guys that I could, right? With not great stuff, but these guys have great stuff and they're able to go multiple innings. That's that's uh a luxury not every team has.

SPEAKER_00 23:17

I want to further the Ashby conversation for just a second. Um if you're taking a bat and walking to the plate on like this a real question: what would the approach have to be to have a shot to be successful against him on the mound?

SPEAKER_02 23:36

You would take, I personally would take until I got a strike. Well, you take until you got a strike because in the past he's had he's had control issues, right? And now this year we're not seeing that, and we're not seeing that at all from Aaron Ashby. And so that's what makes him so dangerous for opposing batters, is because like if you key on the fastball, let's say you get that fastball down the middle, what's gonna end up it's gonna start down the middle and end up away, even off the plate sometimes because it moves that much, and then you're gonna hit it into the ground. He's near the league lead and ground ball percentage, let alone near the league lead and strikeout percentage. That just doesn't happen for anybody. I mean, to it's we're talking uh a very short list of guys that can get ground balls and strikeouts, and they're worth a lot of money. And they have Aaron Ashby, I think, for another four years. So um, yeah, it it's it's a really tough at bat when he's throwing strikes, Mike.

SPEAKER_00 24:30

Vinny, he threw a two-seamer, I don't even know who the hitter was, that ran up and in on a left-handed hitter that isn't even close to being a strike. But because he has such great velocity and because there is so much movement, um, it looks like a strike, you know, a third of the way from to home after it leaves his hand. And then he threw a slider on a strike three that bounced in front of the plate that the hitter missed by three and a half feet on the swing. These are major league hitters, these guys are the best of the best on a great hitting roster, and he made him look silly. That's how that's how impressive his stuff is.

SPEAKER_02 25:11

Without a doubt, it was that was Ryan McMahon. That that ball bounced like well in front of home play. Ryan McMahon, uh, you know, it unbelievable. Like it's so late, it's so nasty. You know, when you say, like, how do how do major league hitters, like you said, some of the best of the best swing at a pitch like that? It's because it looks there's so much tight spin on Aaron Ashby's breaking ball. Look, and I I I saw Aaron Ashby in A-ball in Appleton. I scouted him, it was 2018. Forget the year, but and I was like, dude, this guy, and and it's it's ugly, right? Like, there's a big head duck, there's a big head pull, the arm's late sometimes, it's not late very often anymore, right? So there was there were boxes that that you checked off that you were concerned about with Aaron Ashby, but the stuff has always been incredible. It's amazing too, and people forget that he was throwing 89 miles per hour a couple of years ago after he hurt his shoulder. Yeah, he needed to get that, he needed to get that scar tissue released, uh, and did one day in the bullpen, all of a sudden he went from you know low 90s, upper 80s, and then back to throwing mid 90s, upper 90s. And that's a testament to how hard he's worked. It's also a testament to um, you know, the fact that he just really believed that you know he was gonna make it back. Not every guy take a look at Brandon Woodruff, and I do think Brandon Woodruff is gonna make it back, but he's had issues with that shoulder. Shoulder issues are very difficult to come back from, and and he's not only come back from them, but he is he's proving to be one of the most valuable players, not just on the pitching staff, one of the most valuable players on the Brewers this season on the whole Brewers roster. So hopefully he can continue this. I think he will, um, you know, knock on wood as long as he can stay healthy, Mike.

SPEAKER_00 26:57

Uh, this is not a silly question, uh, but it but I'm just curious as your thoughts. Have they found the perfect role for Ashby? Because many times they had talked about him stretching him out and he could be a starter. Are we done with that? Like, is this the role that is best suited for his skill set?

SPEAKER_02 27:16

I think so. I I think so. Back back when Council was the manager, I you know, I know Counts had concerns around whether or not Ashby was gonna be able to be a starter. You have to you have to be able to do certain things really well, like hold runners. You have to be able to field your position really well. We've seen Ashby kind of not be able to do that very often. Um, I think that's the last piece of development for him. But even if he even if he figures that out, I think he's gonna continue to stay in this bullpen role just because again, it is one of the reasons is because the Brewers have just uh a pipeline of starting pitchers on their way, a bunch of them in triple A, Coleman Crowe, the kid named Tate Keener is in triple A. He's throwing the ball really well. Even have a Carlos Rodriguez, uh probably a probably a bulk reliever as well. But you know, so the fact that you can get you know these outings out of these guys from you know the in your depth in triple A, if you need be. I don't think that I for that reason, I don't think you need to bring and convert a weapon like Aaron Ashby, who can go multiples out of the pen and convert him to a starter, just because yes, those middle bridge innings are so important, especially the brand of baseball that the Brewers play, those close games, um, you know, scrap and fight and claw for every run that they can get, and then and then bring in that shutdown bullpen. We didn't see that shutdown bullpen consistently early on this season, but I think, and I said this on the postgame show yesterday after the game, I think that what we're seeing now from this group, from this reliever group, is is more of what we have been seeing from the relievers from the Milwaukee Brewers. And I think guys are finding their roles, they're finding where they fit, and then also they're through they're just throwing the ball really well. So, like you get that timing down a little bit better in your delivery, you get the feel for your breaking ball a little bit better. And so now that guys are throwing more consistently and more regularly, I think you're gonna get these as a group. I think you're gonna find that shutdown pen from the Milwaukee Brewers again. Again, we just talked about it. They just shut down the New York Yankees, not an easy task.

SPEAKER_00 29:21

Yeah, and Aspie's at $5.7 million. He signed that deal a few years ago. So you just let me just play devil's advocate on the other side on the Aspie conversation. What about the business side for the player? Because he could make more money, right? I mean, his agent probably they probably have this conversation. We make you a starter and you have success in this with what you're doing as a starter, is more money in a next contract than being a middle inning or a late game high-leverager reliever, correct? I mean, that's how the game works from a player business standpoint.

SPEAKER_02 29:56

Mike, you know how small this baseball world is. Rex Gary is his agent, he was my agent. So Rex Rex and I connect um quite often. Um and and Rex and I kind of you know exchange text messages about Aaron Ashby from time to time. And um, I think here's here's the deal with what you're talking about. So if he continues in and performs in this role and he gets close to a hundred innings, let's say that's a lot of innings for a reliever, but let's just say he gets close to a hundred, I think that and and he and he goes multiple innings and he can go back to back to back days and he can you know do all these things that other relievers can't do. I think he's gonna get paid. Will he get paid like a starter? No, right? But will he have as much success as a starter? That's the thing that you have to kind of weigh and balance. I actually don't think so. I actually think he loves being in this role. I think taking Aaron Ashby and pitching him every five, four or five days, and sometimes, especially with all these days off, we've seen our starters, the Brewer starters, go, you know, six days of rest. I don't actually think that suits Aaron Ashby and how he throws the baseball real well. I mean, again, you look at his delivery and then you look at someone else's delivery that has this clean, pretty, beautiful delivery. It's not that, and that's why um I think that Aaron Ashby has to throw more often and more innings more often. And then I just think that he he just gets the feel for what he's doing out there on the mound more consistently when he's doing that.

SPEAKER_00 31:25

Yeah, he's I mean, he's due to make some pretty significant money uh still under this deal. I think he tops out at about 13. Well, we do we won't forget the top end starters um, you know, are in the 35 plus it is uh so there is a conversation to be had there. Let me take you back to Friday. And the we're talking about we're going from one ridiculous end of the spectrum on what Ashby does to a different one on Ms. And that first inning might be the most electric single inning of a starting pitcher in major league history. It certainly is in the stat cast era of measuring velocity. It was extraordinary.

SPEAKER_02 32:06

Um, yeah, so he had 10 pitches over 103. The first 10 pitches, the first 10 pitches of the game um were all fastballs, they're all over 100 miles per hour, all a bunch of them over 102. So he almost had an immaculate inning. What's an immaculate inning? It's nine pitches, nine strikeouts, or nine nine strikes, three strikeouts. Um almost had that. So uh he threw 10. So he threw one ball and is arguably a strike, but you're not going to challenge that just for an immaculate inning. But just a phenomenal arm. Um, so I talked to Chris Hook about what Jacob Mizrowski's doing. It's um it's he said there's about there's a team of about 20 people to kind of uh ever since he got drafted, basically, who have had a hand in his development. It's been remarkable. He's had to increase his lower half body strength. And now that we're seeing that, actually went up two pant sizes. If you notice, take a look at video from Jacob Mizorowski last year to this year, his lower half looks looks built. He he he does not look like a string bean out there anymore. And what you're gonna see from Jacob Mizorowski is a more consistent ability to again repeat. I talk about repeating your delivery all the time and how important that is. We never saw that from Jacob Mizerowski. Even the game against the Minnesota Twins last year when he looked absolutely electric, looked like he was unhittable. It it was it was big misses at times. It was pulling off, and it he almost not that he got lucky in that start, yeah, but everything was going well and and everything just was kind of like perfectly timed up at the right time without having a good base. Now he's got that good base, yeah, with that lower half. He's got that strong base. Look, talk about a pretty delivery. I mean, I I don't think you could ever say that about Jacob Mizarowski in the past with that big pull off. They're like the thing looks pretty fluid and and delivery uh and and uh pretty fluid and and pretty now. Like he's down the mound, he's finishing, he's balanced. Never saw that before from him.

SPEAKER_00 34:06

Again, you look at some of the amateur video, and and I know earlier this year, Benny, even a few times, and maybe it's different uh on road mounds because they're all gonna be uh subtly different. Uh, but he's been out of balance, like you know, tripping a little bit or being out of balance after the release, not on Friday.

SPEAKER_02 34:25

Yeah, in fact, you saw that in Boston, right? So he got he hit a wall right right at the a certain pitch mark, 90 pitches or so, or 80, 80 something, and then all of a sudden you hit a wall and then he he lost his legs, he said. So now he's gaining that that conditioning, and it takes condition. Not only does it take the the strength and the buildup of the muscle around your body to to be a starter, right? And to to be able to post 30 times. That's what was so impressive about what Freddie Peralta did. Three years in a row of over 30 starts. That's not easy to do because it takes so much strength, stamina, that buildup, not only the strength in the offseason, but the buildup during the season that you're conditioned enough to do so. And I think we're we're gonna see, and that's why Pat Murphy doesn't say stuff like that very often in the media. He's understanding that he needs or he's understanding that he wants to be great or how to be great. Yeah, Pat Murphy doesn't just throw that stuff around unless he's like, Whoa, this is this is a new version of Ms. This is who I think he's gonna be growing into here um for the rest of the year, and I do too. I do too. It's yeah, it's hard to um it's hard to deny at this point, just because again, these last two starts and the velocity numbers is not just the velocity, but it kind of is Mike. It's 104 miles per hour. Um, it's just been so impressive to watch.

SPEAKER_00 35:46

Well, is there a reciprocal, is there a emotional advantage to what just happened this weekend? Is there a I don't know if it'll carry over into the pod race season, but you know what I'm talking about. In a bigger picture in that clubhouse, is there greater meaning to what just happened from a belief standpoint? Well, however, you might measure that.

SPEAKER_02 36:05

You just hit the you said the right word, hit the nail on the head there with the belief, 100%. You face Max Fried, who's been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, Cam Schlitzer, who is ERA-wise the best pitcher in all of baseball, and then Carlos Rodan, who is, you know, he he didn't have it yesterday. That was his first start of the year. But you're looking at the probables that you have to start or you have to play against if you're the Milwaukee Brewers going into that series, and you're like, whoa, uh, let's let's try and win one, maybe, maybe win the series. We'll see. I mean, you're not thinking that as a player, but you kind of you kind of know that okay, we got to come with it this weekend, boys, in order to even win a couple of you know, one game, you know, let alone two, let alone sweep. So, yes, the the belief from this group now, especially the way that Bryce Tarang walked it off yesterday, so much, so much fun, so much energy in the clubhouse. Um, and I actually like that there's a day off in between here so that they can kind of come down emotionally and then reset and get it and go at and and get it against the Padres, who are near the top of the league at the in terms of the NL West, maybe even tied with the Dodgers at this point. We'll uh to check on that. But uh they're yes, that they know that they have a tough road ahead and they just have to play their clean version of baseball. And I think this series is going to be telling how they do the rest of the month because they also have the Cubs, don't forget, Dodgers and Cardinals again here in this month of May. So they're they got a tough sled, tough sled going, and what a way to start by sweeping the Yankees. I do think this team is now starting to believe hey, this is this is what we did last year. Let's keep it going this year.

SPEAKER_00 37:42

Yeah, Padres tied with the Dodgers atop the NL West and the fifth best record in Major League Baseball. They're eight games over 500. I talked off the top about the little bit of the game behind the game that uh I think most baseball people would have recognized, but don't forget the weekend that Bryce Tarang has and uh Contreras as well, because it's Tarang's single with two outs in the eighth inning. And then the stolen base on the first pitch and it wasn't close, leads to the tying single by Contreras. You don't get a walk-off opportunity if Bryce Tarang doesn't deliver with two outs against the best of the Yankees bullpen. And then the the competitive savvy to know enough and to study enough to know how to get the jump and go on that first pitch. Contreras saw him go and he totally laid off. He wasn't gonna swing. But that's the how the game flips on Saturday that allowed them to go for the sweep and get it on Sunday.

SPEAKER_02 38:41

First walk for yeah, first walk off of the year on Saturday. And you felt like again that the Brewers were just gonna be totally shut down as an offense. Started scoring with the Jake Bowers home run, first swing, first pitch against the the Yankees bullpress and then yes, in the and then in the eighth. I think I'm breaking up a little bit, Mike. I'll try and keep going. I don't I don't know what's going on, but can you hear me good? Yep, you got me. Okay, okay. Yeah, and then Bryce, you know, coming up with that big hit, tough reliever, uh, just kind of battled in that at bat. You could sense that he was just kind of fouling pitches off and then waiting for that breaking ball. That that's that's the instincts that Bryce Tarang brings brings to this thing. Um, not only does he have the great uh ability to hit, which is again, it is it's so hard to do it to be productive consistently on a major league stage at the major league level. And so he's got that ability, but then it's also the ability to kind of look for pitches in certain spots, battle with two strikes, get a hanging breaking ball with two strikes, and then wrap it in the right field and get something going again. You you thought that the Brewers that was against Duvall, that's who that it was against Camilo Duvall. Nasty. That dude is nasty, and then he gets that breaking ball for a base hit. Next pitch, yes, and and then he just goes. He he knows I have to get in into scoring position, and he goes, he makes it. And and I love what you just kind of alluded to or pointed out. William Contreras also has tons of feel and instincts for the game that he knows okay, I gotta let him go. I cannot follow this pitch off right here. I gotta let him go, get into scoring position, and then I'll drive him in next couple pitches later. So um just so much fun when that that stuff happens for this team.

SPEAKER_00 40:27

Vinny, it's the little things because I I said this, and if I said this even to uh somebody savvy in baseball that might say, uh, well, give me a little bit more information. But if I told tell you that the Brewers are tied for last in all of baseball and home runs, and that they're 24th in OPS and 28th in slugging, you're gonna say, Yeah, they're not having a very good year, huh? They're they're below 500. And they do all those things yet. They're eighth in runs, fourth in walks, third in fewest strikeouts, fourth in stolen bases, and seventh in on base percentage, and they're where they are from a standings perspective. They're sitting at six games over 500. It's we get to see it daily and have seen it over the years now, so we understand how this team functions. But in other places, I would assume that the Yankees come in and go, How is this team doing what they're doing? And then they did it against them.

SPEAKER_02 41:17

And then they leave town and they say, Okay, I get it. That's exactly that's what happens. I mean, um, it's the it's the brand of baseball that they play, it's the ability to put the ball in play. Remember, against Max Fried, they scored four runs in that third inning, second inning, and and it was not a single ball hit over 90 miles per hour. So it's all the team speed. So I look this up because that's a really good uh job by you to notice, you know, that they're last in home runs or second to last, but also um top five in runs scored per game. Yeah, and you have to go back this deep into the season, you have to go back to the 1987 Cardinals to see a team. That is a long time ago, to see a team that in fact the Cardinals that year at that point in the season were number one in runs scored per game and actually last in home runs hit. So, what is the brand of baseball that you're playing in order to do that? You're getting on base via the walk, you're getting on base via the the error, right? By putting pressure on opposing pitchers, the single, okay, just again putting the ball and play, finding holes, but it's all the team speed. It's just it's it's so disruptive. I hated playing against guys that could run. I, you know, you have to you you feel like you have to get rid of the ball extremely, extremely quickly. It rushes you, it makes you bobble the ball, it makes you throw it a little bit off up the line. The first baseman comes off, he has to come back on the base, safe at first. Like it's it's all of that. The pitcher knows that okay, this guy's a threat to run. I have to quicken my pace a little bit in order to give my catcher a chance. You make more mistakes that way. Yeah, you call more fastballs that way as well. Um, and so you get a little predictable out there. It's all of that. It's uh and remember the 87 Cardinals had Vince Coleman and Ozzy Smith and all those burners.

SPEAKER_00 43:08

So and I'm glad you point out it's a runs per game. I I just did runs, and the Brewers have played three, sometimes four fewer games than some of the other teams in baseball. So runs per game. I said they're eighth in runs, but in runs per game, they're top five. They're tied with the Giants in for the fewest home runs at uh 26, but the Giants are in last place in eight games under 500. So yeah, you know, you have to do it in in other ways. So uh uh one more thought as we transition out of the weekend. And I I talked about it off the front end. You're also a fan. So I just I I I I bristol, people get to do people get to fan however they want. But if you can't take joy in this, if your first reaction is, yeah, they swept the Dodgers in six games last year, how'd that work out? If that's the way you view it, gosh, can't you? You got there's a journey here. And in the journey, I think you need to take time to enjoy the sights. If you're if your journey is driving you from coast to coast, but you don't enjoy the beauty when you go through the Rocky Mountains or the Appalachians, then that's on you. There's beauty in what we got this weekend with the Yankees. And you have to, you don't have to, I do, enjoy what that was.

SPEAKER_02 44:28

You have to. I the in um the way, and I get it. Look, there's fans out there that I and I get it, and that's okay. And you know what? We're we all come in different shapes and sizes and and experiences from our fandom. And you know what? I actually I like interacting every once in a while with fans that that are that think that way about the team. And because because it it it further it further allows me to be more convicted in how I feel about this game. I think it's so poetic. I think it's I think it's it reflects life. It's an everyday journey, right? You if you don't have a good game, you you get back on the horse tomorrow. If you make mistakes today, or even in this at-bat, you have another opportunity in the next at-bat. And the everydayness of baseball and the struggle and the grind is is so um poetic in terms of the metaphor of life, right? And and that's why I am such a fan of the game, and I'm such a fan of this team and the way they do it. That's why, that's why it's so um that's why I just love this this city, this the team and the in the in the you know, the city and the state that it it plays in, because this is how us Wisconsinites kind of operate, right? Especially through the doldrums of winter. And yeah, you know, just we're just kind of blue-collar grinder type people, and that's what this team has exemplified these last seven, eight years going to the playoffs last seven, eight years. So and it's not just about getting to the playoffs, and I get it. Like, okay, you drop, you, you know, you you take six from the Dodgers last year, you just swept the Yankees. Um, but what what's gonna happen in the playoffs? Well, you know what? They have a shot, they they have a shot, and um I I love that what you said in the before you brought me on. I I totally agree. Like, you don't have join it, yeah. We're probably not gonna sit next to each other at a game and enjoy a beer together. But you know what? It's okay. It's okay. I get it. Um, but I'm gonna take the I'm gonna take the view of how poetic and um just just the the best game that there is. Love it.

SPEAKER_00 46:38

I'll let you go after this. One thing I learned this weekend because I try to learn something. Uh I did not know that the crew chief had a buzzer on um the the replay review. And the Pat Murph said Murphy said post-game on Saturday night. He said, you know, he said that his buzzer had gone off and that I can't challenge after the buzzer. Murph kind of let it go. He was hot when he went out on the field, but I didn't even know there was a buzzer on the crew chief. But there is a specific absolute timing, and I I I think he probably made the right call.

SPEAKER_02 47:10

Yeah, he did. And Mike, I actually didn't even know that, and I don't know how I didn't know, but uh they actually the pitch clock timers actually counting down for for a review. So, you know, and and yes, the crew chief has the buzzer. Something I'll I also learned. I wonder if they should have an actual buzzer like to sound off, you know.

SPEAKER_00 47:32

Or was that on the clock? I mean, uh on the pitch clock that's visible to the fans and the players and umpires. I mean, they could they can run the clock anyway. Yeah, I mean, that was a that was a mistake call. Um, kind of hurt the brewers, but they did end up, you know, getting the run and and winning the game anyway. But I didn't even know that existed. And apparently you didn't either.

SPEAKER_02 47:52

So nope, nope, it's a fun thing. And the and so yeah, I I always thought it was just like, okay, this feels like 15 seconds we're gonna not let them challenge or whatever, kind of give them some leeway. But yeah, I think that's a fun part that I'll start to notice uh going forward.

SPEAKER_00 48:07

By the way, uh I'm gonna come over to the ballpark tomorrow night, but uh that finishing call by Lev and by BA yesterday, they're both spectacular. And it's uh how lucky are we to have these guys behind the microphones in moments like that?

SPEAKER_02 48:22

Two two of the best in the game, two of the absolute best in the game, right there. Brian Anderson, Jeff Levering, he's a rising star. He really is. Um I honestly hope that the Brewers can keep him here for the next 30 years. You know, I know, yeah. So um, so it in both of those guys, uh, how about and what just watch another broadcast? This is maybe like a couple innings and then turn it back to the Brewers. But the way that those two create drama and build the drama that is so good, it's so good, and it's so good for the game because it keeps the eyeballs on it, you know, and and two of the best also in a game that doesn't have a lot of drama of keeping eyeballs on the game, you know. Um, just they're the absolute best. I I wish, I personally wish um you know BA would be able to do the World Series, yeah um, but obviously a different network has it. I think Fox than what he who he works for, TB T uh Turner. So yeah, but two of the best. We are very, very lucky. Those guys are awesome.

SPEAKER_00 49:26

Well, you'll enjoy the next three uh days in the booth. Vinny, I always appreciate you doing this. We did this uh a few days early. Uh so I'll rock on uh on Wednesday and we'll we'll run somebody else in on Thursday because that's a day game and you're gonna be uh in the booth. So I appreciate you jumping in early. Have a great week. Love visiting with you, and we'll do it again. Likewise, Mike.

SPEAKER_02 49:45

We'll talk to you later.

SPEAKER_00 49:46

Vinny Rutino is time here. Brought to you by Pottawatomi Sportsbook and Casino Bet above the rest. All right, so there were some uh comments there. I wanted to make sure I got to them. Um so uh Treadmill had sent this. I'd put it up on the screen, but Treadmill had sent, you know, he loves Aspie's current role, but he believes he and he adds that the most value right where he is. That said, if he wants in the rotation at some point, do you honor that? That was why a little bit of why I asked the follow-up question uh that uh Treadmill uh saw where I went with his uh little direction. So I'll give Tread a little credit on sending me in that direction as well. Uh the accolades, Mike sent this in, the the accolades from Judge about Ms. and Tarang and a team that uh as a whole is really refreshing. It's always fun to hear what a what another team has to say on a way out of town, and they were very complimentary, even though they're not very happy right now. And the the defense on the attempt and stolen base, yeah, the tag on that Tarang made uh going up in the air and bringing the the glove down to get a uh an out stealing on the Contreras throw, which was the pop time was probably really good, but the throw was high, and Tarang had to go up and then bring the glove down is just that kind of stuff is fantastic and sometimes it goes unnoticed. Um and then Mark said used to hire uh Iowa State University students as intern in the golf management days for a fun, uh, still as a bigger Hawkeye fan after the Badgers, the hospitality program at Iowa State. It's what I'm assuming he's talking about, it's top-notch. Man, what a heck of a weekend. You know, this is why I love Monday so much. Uh we're gonna get a an NFL schedule release on Thursday, and typically there are leaks that come out. To this point, we don't on Monday, I don't believe we know anything about the Packers schedule other than the 17 games they're going to play. They're opponents we've known since the season ended. But I always think that the exciting thing and the fun thing about the schedule release is you get to find out prime times and who you open and who you close with and and what's going to be that tough stretch. Are you gonna play three straight road games? Are you gonna play three straight home home games? Are you gonna play an international game? None of the there are some leaks that are starting to come about come out. Like I think it's the Cowboys and Giants on the opening Sunday night game. So we're getting, we'll get some leaks as the week goes on, but I hope we get some leaks in talking about the Packers. And I didn't get a whole lot of Bears fans left me alone this weekend when I spent part of Friday show talking about why I think Green Bay wins the NFC North in 2026, and in part in the combination of head coach ranking in the division and quarterback ranking in the division, if I just use those two metrics, I think Green Bay wins the division. Goff is the best quarterback statistically, but I think that love is second best. You could make an argument that Dan Campbell is the best coach in the division based on record. Some might want to make it that Ben Johnson is, it's one year. I think Matt LaFleur is based on overall track record. And some of you naysayers are going to say, yeah, but postseason, Mike. Okay. Okay. But if I combine the two together and meld them together, I think the best combo is in Green Bay. It's an oversimplification to just say quarterback coach wins wins the division. Because Michael Parsons plays on defense. And when he gets healthy, that that will matter. But right now, the only conversation about the NFL that it has some real juice is the schedule of release coming up on Thursday. And from that point on, it kind of goes. Because I think that the Packers are in OTAs. I think their next scheduled uh I think their next schedule is the week of May 26th. That's their OTAs. That's right after Memorial Day. And then June 1 and June 15th. So those are the uh the OTAs, the organized team activities that are required um to be at. So in in any case, that'll that'll wrap. Uh Brian White says, Great interview with Vinny. Uh Brian, Brian says, I'll see you tomorrow at the Brewer Game, Crutches and All. All right, Brian. Okay. Um yeah, I'm gonna head over to um to Milwaukee uh tomorrow night. It's been uh a bit because we've had some travel and stuff. So looking forward to being there. They have a day off. Uh tomorrow on the show, Tuesday is uh my super fan Tuesday. Treadmill will be in-house uh next week. I'm gonna be on the road heading out to Arizona for our daughter Ellen's wedding. She'll uh get married in 13 days. So next week I'll be doing the show from uh Parts Unknown. I think on Monday of next week, I'll be somewhere in far western Colorado uh doing that show that Monday morning there, the rest of the week from Scottsdale uh for with our daughter's wedding. But the that week also, treadmill's traveling. So next week, uh Super Fan Tuesday is with Cece, Courtney Corning, who's taking credit on uh he must have predicted that McManus wouldn't be on the roster and he wanted a little credit. Okay, we'll give you some credit. Um he'll be in next week, but treadmill tomorrow. Rock, Bill Schroeder will be with me on Wednesday on the program, figuring out Thursday. And then on Friday, among others, Joe Henry Jr. will be here. Uh we're gonna be tasting some bourbon. Tasting some bourbon. Uh, and then Mike reminds me, Glad you're not going to the game tonight. I did that once this year. I went uh to the ballpark, and when I got there at like 2:45 in the afternoon, I realized there's nobody here. Check my schedule again. Oh, shoot, it's an off day. No, I'm not going tonight. I'll go tomorrow. Uh what a great Monday. I love it. Uh, great visit with Vinny. We moved him up a few days this week to accommodate his in the booth schedule. He'll be on the call with Jeff Levering Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Thursdays matinee. So hard for him to do a 10 o'clock live when he's in the ballpark. Uh, so fun week ahead. A great Monday. I'm glad you're here with us. Please share the YouTube link for those of you watching on YouTube. Our numbers are growing rapidly. I want to keep that going. I want to thank our sponsors as always because they make this possible. So onecommunity.bank, m3ins.com with m3insurance. You can go to neurosciencegroup.com for brain, spine, and pain care. Our friends at Pottawatomi Sportsbook and Casino, Bet Above the Rest, and Habish, Habish, and Rotier, all of our sponsors, we thank them uh tremendously for their support of the program. With that, we step out. We'll be back in Tuesday. It's an I Love Mondays that starts in about 23 hours.

SPEAKER_03 57:06

I love Mondays with my hell.