I Love Mondays-Ep90, July 6, 2026

Enjoying the weekend series win for the Brewers in Arizona... along with trying to understand what will be next for Brandon Woodruff.  We welcome in Lane Grindle from the Brewers Radio Network.  Plus the USMNT caught a break with FIFA overturning the Red Card on Balogun...the right decision but done the wrong way?

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:09

I love Mondays with my family.

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Podcasting 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. Here's your host, Mike Heller.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Hey, how about this for an I Love Mondays? We get underway. It is a significant day and a significant week, depending on what you pay attention to. Right? So the Brew are going to play their last eight games over the next seven days before the All-Star break, the first five of which will be in St. Louis coming off of a really good weekend run. And we'll have a great guest, Lane Grindel, to visit on this. He'll join us in about 15 minutes from St. Louis. We'll spend time certainly on the Brewers, uh, both good news and some very unsettling news over the weekend. And then we'll also talk to him about his experience with Sean Eichorst. Sean Eichhorst, the new UW Athletics Director, officially introduced tomorrow at a reception and a press conference. But Lane was there in Lincoln, Nebraska when Sean Eichhorst were there, was there. And if there are negatives for the fan base, it likes to be negative, and I get it. Pitching and complaining is a national pastime, and it's no different here than it is anywhere else. Lane was in Lincoln. If you want to complain about Sean Eichhorst, the complaint is what they didn't do at Nebraska with football while he was there. That he fired Bo Pollini and then hired Mike Riley, and Mike Riley was uh not successful there. And I get it. Uh ADs, the view of an AD is typically tied absolutely to the uh head football coach and the success of a football program. If you're in a power for conference school and football is on your plate, it has to win. And if it doesn't, you're judged primarily and many times on that. So we we put that into play. Uh I do want to, as always, uh mention our sponsors as we get underway on this Monday, one Community Bank, M3 Insurance, uh Pottawatomi Sports Book and Casino, Habish, uh, Neuroscience Group, Traditions Lighting, all of them part and parcel. And by the way, I always say, I don't always say this, I should always say this. If you're interested in partnering with us and being a part of what we are doing with I Love Mondays or with Brood Daily, which I think we're gonna rebrand anyway, because I'm gonna do that same concept that I do with Brood Daily after a game, daily, every day. We're gonna do that with uh the Green Bay Packers game days and with Badger Football game days, not a daily, but when they play a game, and uh and we'll run that through. So probably rebrand that so it can be under one title. Probably too much information, but you you get where I'm going on this. Um, if you'd like to be a part of what we do as a business, as a partner in sponsorship, you can email me Hellerpods2, the number, Hellerpods2 at gmail.com. Hellerpods2 at gmail.com. I think we have some great things going on. We have fantastic partners in one community bank and M3 Insurance and Neuroscience Group, along with Habish, Habish, and Rotier and Pottawatomi Sportsbook and Traditions Lighting. We have a fantastic partner sponsor with uh Lombardi Lemonata on our Brood Daily. I'm I'm looking to grow this. You know, I see this I saw the news certainly and listened for a while today on Steve Zabin's return to the Milwaukee radio airwaves with Josh Albrecht from 8 to 9 daily. Josh is doing a six to nine morning show, but uh Zabe added in. I'm not, I'm I should never say never, but I'm not going back to radio. This is this is my home. So my charge is to deliver the best information I can from commentary and a fan media person's point of view. I've been doing this a long time, but I've never lost my fandom. So my goal is to bring you my view of the game and the people and the storylines on a daily basis here for an hour, but also on a nightly basis with the Brewers and a once-a-week basis with Badgers and Packers after they play their game. And to give you my view of what just happened and some commentary in it. And I am that's that's my draw. That's what I'm gonna do. So the the numbers with Brew Daily have been fantastic. The numbers here have been great. So if you're interested in finding out more information and potentially being a sponsor partner, uh throw me an email. Hellerpods2, the number, Hellerpods2 at gmail.com. All right, uh, morning wishes on this Monday. You know, I love Mondays. I had this conversation with Zabin, and I think it was tongue in cheek, although I'm sometimes I'm not sure with Zabe. On Friday, when he said, Yeah, I love Mondays, and you're recording this for Monday on Friday. No, this is every day, Monday through Friday. Uh Mark says, Good morning. Could the crew have swept without uh that goofy center field configuration uh and the great play in left? Yeah, maybe. I mean, I I don't I don't like bitching about stadium configurations uh because they're both playing in the same. You know, the the play made in left field was significant by Lourdes Gurial on Friday night. I mean, that's a three-run homer that Mitchell hits. It's a three-run homer, and he brings it back on a great catch. He also had a 423-foot drive off the top of the center field wall that didn't clear. Uh that was a two-run homer. Yeah, uh, but I'm I'm stop me from bitching about configurations because I like that they vary from ballpark to ballpark. Some people believe that they should be standard. I'm not in that uh group. Um, yeah, uh my buddy uh CJ goes, yes, my players make pods. Uh, and five is a five-tool guy. Yeah, he's talking about Garrett Mitchell, and I've been on Garrett Mitchell's bandwagon from the beginning. The issue has been obviously health, and he is healthy and playing on a regular basis right now. You see the upside, the top side for him, the ceiling is is way up there. He's really good. We're gonna talk uh about that with Lane Grindle as well. James says, good morning, Mike, and good morning to you, James. Uh, my guy Mike and Merrill. Good morning to all. Hope everyone had a safe fourth. On a side note, Cardinals are a blank organization and just again shows for making the DH and getaway uh doubleheader and getaway night game. Yeah, the doubleheader is a rain out. I don't know that they could have played that day. Remember the the Cubs had a rain out a couple of years against the Brewers a couple of years ago that really pissed off Pat Murphy because he didn't think it needed to be rained out. Uh boy, that got under Murphy. Uh, he he was hot about that for a while. And you saw it the next time the Brewers played in Chicago, you could see that it meant a little bit more. He was he was fired up. Uh, I don't know that that's the case here. Um, yeah, getaway game as a night game on Thursday, not ideal. Uh going to Pittsburgh on Friday. There is the potential of some weather this week in St. Louis, but it doesn't ever look bad right now on the forecast, so I think they'll be okay. And Brian says, uh, good morning, and you're the best. Well, I appreciate appreciate that, Brian. Uh, it listen, I I I'm so lucky this is a get-to-do thing. And when it was taken away from me last September by iHeart when I wasn't on the radio anymore after 23 plus years, almost 25 years total. Um, that sucked. That's that's a long, that was a shitty six months. Uh Kari was fantastic. I tried to make the best of it, but I'm not gonna lie about it. That that that this this is worth the camera too. That sucked. From last September until March 2nd. That was that was tough. I don't like winter anyway. Uh can be depressing. But that was not having a forum to talk about the Packers and the Badgers every day from September 2nd on. And Zay brought this up this morning when he uh when he joined uh the show with Josh in Milwaukee that I listened to for a while. He brings up a good point, and I didn't really share this, but it's true. Every time I asked to do something as a guest, as a uh a podcast that I was gonna do for a foundation that was uh privately um operated for a 501c3, at every turn, being a guest on a Texas podcast in advance of Packers Cowboys a year ago, everything iHeart said no to. Every time that I I reached out, tried to go through proper channels because I wasn't going to do something and ask for forgiveness, because forgiveness could could have meant that they're not gonna forgive, they're gonna take you to court on it and back sue for uh severance or anything else. So I I I asked for permission across the board on anything I wanted to try to do and was denied at every turn. And Zay brought that up today as well. So yeah, that run of time that was super shitty. Uh and I'm so lucky and happy to be doing what I'm doing now and love it, and have good people around me from Ben Bano, who really he was my legs to start. And and and I will I have incredible gratitude to Ben Bano, somebody that you may or may not know, for opening the door and being a positive influence and somebody that was fired up to do stuff with me from the beginning, which is it was so cool. I needed it, and and he kind of carried me to the start line. And he's he's still a part of what I do, and I reach out to him probably too often. Uh, but but he's it's been tremendous. Agency next and and my guy Kobe, um, what what they have done and their willingness to help me get from where I am to where I want to be uh is fantastic, and we're gonna continue to grow. Like it we we have ideas, so and and I and I am inspired by others. David Kaplan out of Chicago. Now he and I are not wired the same way, but man, I love what he does. So um we're gonna continue to to kind of grow what we do, and and I'd love to bring you in as as part of that. But a big thank you to you know, Kaplan doesn't even know it, but a big thank you to him. He he's been a little bit of an inspiration on what I'm doing. Uh Treadmill and Courtney Corning and what they have brought to what I do. Vinny Rettino every Thursday. Now, Vinny, when we talked about that at Fantasy Camp, he didn't have to say yeah, but he was all in. He was all in it, like he was juiced. You know, all of the guests, including Lane Grindel today, who say yes when I ask, it's fantastic. You know, having Rick Sweet on a week ago, doing an interview with Matt Arnold on here, having you know, Luke Fickle and Greg Gard, and having these people say yes when Jeff Levering says yes, Rock says yes, the I mean it it's Tim Dillard, it's all I'm I'm very lucky. Lucky to do what I do, and Mondays are my favorite. That's why I called the show what I did. Um I I I like all of it. A couple of more notes as we uh get going. Bradley says, good morning, Mike. Go Brewers. Yeah, let's go. Uh a camber two switch, bingo. Happy Monday. Jason likes the camber two uh switches. Uh Nick, really glad you're back. Local sports, you're the best in Madison. Thank you, Nick. Appreciate it. Um, this this is fun. The the Brewers, let me give you an update and then Lane Grindle's gonna join us, what, in about uh two or three minutes. At least I hope he is. Uh, he's in St. Louis. Sent him uh the information to uh to jump in here. Uh, I assume that he'll be on here momentarily, and we have some ground to cover. Brewers are 55 and 33, 22 games over 500. Their lead in the division over the Chicago Cubs is six. The St. Louis Cardinals are seven and a half back. The Brewers will play the next five games in St. Louis. Game tonight, doubleheader, day night tomorrow. So the day night doubleheader becomes significant for lots of reasons. You'll be able to expand the roster by a player tomorrow on the doubleheader, so that matters. And then as we sit on this, this is this is how it stacks up from a pitching standpoint. What is scheduled to go in this series? So Shane Drone and Dustin May tonight. May has been really good, specifically against the Brewers. Mizarowski in the day game tomorrow at 115 against Michael McGreevy or a TBA. The second game of the doubleheader is uh TBA essentially both ways, with Michael McGreevy being listed as a TBA for both the day portion of the doubleheader and the night game. The Brewers then play 645 on Wednesday, Kyle Harrison, and then 645 on Thursday with TBAs on that. So we'll see how that plays itself rolling forward, but that's where we sit uh at at the moment right now. Let me uh let me thank our sponsors as we uh as we roll through and we'll see if uh we indeed bring in Lane Grindel on the show. Sponsors uh are a big part of what we do. I was just talking about, you know, if anybody's knows somebody or has uh some interest in getting more information and being part of this. One community bank is a big part of what we do. Summer fund starts with feel good banking and wonderful checking. See whether that they did that, they wrote that copy. One, the the the word wonderful, wonderful checking account options from one community bank. Explore their no-fee checking accounts today and enjoy simple, everyday banking designed to help you spend less time worrying, more time to doing what you love. The next time you're making a banking decision, this requires this. Next time you're making a banking decision, the option, give, give them, bring them in the loop and see if they don't indeed earn your business, like they have with us, both at Red and White Wine Bar and for Mike and Cari, our life, and for our podcast, HellerPods, because they earned that business from us. So if you have a chance, give them a chance to do that. We're also presented by M3 Insurance. And what I like about what I love about M3 is their commitment to the businesses that they represent. And everybody that I know there is headfirst into the commitment to the companies that they are representing. Uh, M3, your independent privately held insurance broker and risk management firm leveraging world-class resources and a specialized team to protect and grow your business, M3INS.com. We are also presented by the neuroscience group. Be up there later uh this month, I believe, for a uh Timber Rattlers game. And you know, with neuroscience, after a car accident, workplace injury, or sports concussion, getting the right care matters. Comprehensive concussion program brings together specialists focused on helping you heal and getting back to what you love. Neuroscience Group, Wisconsin's leader in concussion care, neurosciencegroup.com. We're also brought to you by Pottawatomi Sportsbook and Casino. There's a big food menu there and a great hotel and shuttles running you to and from Brewers Games. Oh, yeah, and a hell of a sports book. Well, it is Pottawatomi Sportsbook and Casino Bed Above the Res. Also brought to you by Habish, Habish and Rotier, 13 locations to ensure you get a hometown attorney. And that matters when your life is impacted by an injury. It matters to Habish, and they want to get you back fully committed into where you are in life, personally committed to your recovery, Habish, Habish and Rotier. All right, I'm gonna uh I'm gonna on the side here throw a text message to my guy Lane Grindle. Uh well, okay. So um I think I sent it to the wrong email address. So hold please while while I do this. I'm gonna take my microphone down. Hold momentarily, please.

SPEAKER_05 18:21

I love Mondays with my helmet.

SPEAKER_01 19:00

Okay, sometimes it just takes um it takes me doing things right the first time that would uh probably help the overall scenario play out a little bit cleaner. Uh in this case, um I put Lane Grindle in a tough spot because I didn't send it to the right email address. So then I'm sure he scrambled around texting me, but it's a one-man band here, so I can't see it and do this at the same time and then make the uh appropriate adjustments. So uh now that that's figured out, we bring Lane Grindel to the program. Hey, uh, that's on me, but look at you uh troubleshooting on your end to figure out hey, Heller sent it to the wrong email address, but here you are.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

You well, you set it to an email address that works. It's it went to my promotions box, uh, which I don't normally look at. So then it took me, it's it's kind of it took me a little bit. I'm 45, I'm slowing down a little bit to go. Wait, what if it's in that folder? And then I found it. So we're good. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:06

Well, thank you for saying yes from St. Louis. Gonna be a busy uh four days in St. Louis, five games in four days, and then on to Pittsburgh on this 11-game roadie to take uh the Brewers into the All-Star break. Obviously, it was supposed to be a 10-game road trip, but it rain out earlier in St. Louis. What's the biggest challenge lane from the the roster standpoint? You guys have your own set of challenges, but you know, ultimately we it's from a broadcast standpoint, nobody cares how difficult it might be for you guys, but it cares. Yeah, right. Well, what does this team have to figure out this week, especially pitching?

SPEAKER_02 20:46

Uh, it's yeah, it's it's that it's managing the 27 outs uh over these next eight games, essentially, in seven days. I mean, they got a short start yesterday from Brandon Sproat, obviously a short start the day before from from Woody as well. So, you know, guys like Grant Anderson have had to really step up and and throw some some innings that maybe the Brewers wouldn't have anticipated this weekend coming into this five-game set in St. Louis. So, yeah, this is where actually I think even though there's going to be a lot of attention paid on how do you look ahead and make sure you're good for this game or that game, I actually think the win tonight mantra kind of helps you. It's like, hey, we'll worry about that tomorrow, but let's just go all hands on deck and and do what's in front of us right now. I think it it simplifies it a little bit where it's it's that win the next pitch, win this inning, uh, find a way to get through this one, and then we'll we'll figure it out from there. You know, the Brewers have um, you know, Craig Yoho up here. He was big for them in Arizona. They're just gonna need guys like that to step forward and get big outs. Garrett Stalling's probably gonna have to get some big outs for this team at some point over these five games.

SPEAKER_01 22:01

Lane, uh, lost you just a little bit there at the end, but we'll we'll I think we'll be all right. I think uh I look at what happened the last two days. We'll get to Brandon Woodruff, bigger picture here in a moment. But both starts on Saturday and Sunday did not get through five innings. Uh Woody, I think, four and a third, and then and yesterday Sprout doesn't get there either. So you have to go Grant Anderson, Drew Rom, Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, and Trevor McGill, six pitchers in yesterday's game. That is the win today, take care of tomorrow, tomorrow concept. But the Brewers have employed that, you know, uh from a full-time standpoint. I think they did it with counts. I think it's even taken on a different mantra under Pat Murphy, and and it it's worked really well, but it does create a dilemma for tomorrow. When you cross that bridge, when you get to it, you're gonna get to it, and now the Brewers have to cross that bridge daily.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the first thing it it begins with is you're gonna need six innings out of Shane Drowing tonight. I mean, it at least out and uh now. Hey, maybe it doesn't happen because at the same time you can't be irresponsible about that, but that would be the best foot forward for this team for this five-game series is if you can get length out of Shane Drowing tonight. You're gonna have a doubleheader tomorrow, you're gonna have Miz in one. I think I would anticipate Robert Gasser being probably the other guy uh that gets the ball tomorrow. The Brewers will get a 27th man for one of those games, and and so that's how that would work. But uh, you know, you need length out of your starting rotation. They they manage this weekend really well because so many guys step forward, but that's not gonna be the end of it. They're gonna need Drew Rom to get more big innings for them. Garrett Stallings will probably have to get some big outs for them at some point. It I don't know that you can navigate a series like this and a week like this without the seventh and eighth guys in your bullpen playing an important role at some point.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

Yeah. You know, uh the let me hit on the biggest story from the weekend. I don't think there's any doubt about this. And we don't know how it plays itself forward, but Random Woodruff is on the 15-day IL. Um, it is the same issue, assist, that has caused him problems when he left for six weeks, came back, and that was his third start. And now he's likely gonna do something similar. They're gonna try and change how how they do this. It's a significant storyline, Lane, that we don't know how it plays, but uh you can't underplay how important his role has been and how significant this loss might be.

SPEAKER_02 24:43

Think about this era of Brewers baseball, um, this past decade of postseason and success, and the faces are Christian Yelich and Brandon Woodruff, really, from a player standpoint. I mean, these are the two guys that have been here through this entire time. They are spokespeople for this organization in many ways, and they both do such a great job with it. Um, Woody is a guy that when he's been healthy and available, you can visibly see how it impacts everybody else. Like there's always a lift when Woody's available and out there with this team. We saw it last year on July 6th when he came back against the Marlins and the run the team immediately went on. We saw how the team responded this year when he got back. So it's super disappointing. Um, and it's easy to look at it through the Brewers lens and be disappointed for the Brewers and the team and the fans. And and I get that. Uh, I'm looking at it more through Brandon's lens because of what this guy has done for the organization, what he's been through. And frankly, the uh way he's done it, um, the way he's gone about his business and tried to keep himself positive and upbeat throughout all of it, and still been a great teammate and a great guy to be around. That's so much harder to do than I think we understand, and I think we take for granted just how important his leadership has been with this group. So uh all of those things, I think it's it's just natural. Those are all things we're running through our minds the last couple of days thinking about Woody. But uh, I just saw him this morning. I mean, he's in good spirits. He's he he's been through this before. This is the struggle he's been going through. And and and not Brandon specific, but I think it's just a great reminder, too, just how complicated shoulders are in this sport. Um we talked so much about Tommy John, and not that that isn't uh a problem and a challenge in this sport. It is, but there's a template. There, there's a proven way that if you put in the work and you do it the right way, you can get back and you can get back to being who you were before. Shoulders are no sure thing. And I think it's the part of the pitching injury machine that we talk about so often that maybe we talk too little about because yeah, it's the shoulders that when a guy has a bad shoulder injury, you don't know what's on the other end of the rainbow for that that player. And I think the fact that Brandon has come back and not had the same stuff, but figured it out anyway and reinvented himself is just a testament to the guy.

SPEAKER_01 27:24

I think of Jimmy Nelson, uh in the same way. You know, his bad back into first base at Wrigley. Jimmy Nelson was at the top of his game, and he was really good. And and he worked hard, but he was never the same guy. It never got back to what he was. And Woody is not the same guy, but he is equally as effective. You know, he even healthy off of this, he's three to four, maybe even five clicks down on when he goes to the reserve on his two-seamer. You know, five miles an hour is a huge gap um in major league baseball, especially when it happens now, not progressively over seven or eight years. And even even Saturday game, he uh he had the walk in the first and then one pitch, but after that, nobody reaches base on him before he comes out of the game.

SPEAKER_02 28:21

Yeah, yeah, the fact that he struck out the last three batters that he faced with his V Lo down like that, yeah, and he's just kind of throwing in there change ups at 74 miles an hour at the end. He's still getting swinging mass. It it's it's incredible. Uh it I said this on the air the other day at the conclusion of all of that, and that was you just wish so badly for Woody that he would come back and get it all back at some point to see this guy that's turned into the pitcher, the all-around pitcher that he is now with the stuff he used to have, that would be scary. Uh, that would be some of the best stuff in the game of baseball. And so you pull for him. This is one of the easiest guys to root for that you'll ever be around in a major league clubhouse. So I just I hope for Brandon's sake that he's able to get himself back and and and hopefully for the Brewers' sake and Brandon's sake, it's this year.

SPEAKER_01 29:12

Yeah. And and if it's not, um, and if it starts to trend that way, if the organization feels like, okay, this isn't gonna be a now thing, uh, the trade deadline, which is less than four weeks away, is gonna be a very interesting one for the brewers because you could have seen a pathway that they don't do anything if Woodruff is a healthy third. Uh, because you you might not need to. However, if they sense that Woodruff that the Woody component might not be there, uh, it will be very interesting to see how Matt Arnold and the Brewers Brain Trust deal with this on a team that has been fantastic and as two great pitchers if they go out and get a third, but uh it'll be a storyline as we roll forward. But something you guys are gonna end up talking about on a pretty regular basis, all of us will over the next four weeks.

SPEAKER_02 30:07

Yeah, this is the benefit of being one of the best teams in baseball, that you're in a position where people want to know, hey, what are you gonna do at the deadline? What might you add? And we all have followed this long enough now and seen what the approach has looked like in years past to probably understand that we should temper our expectations in terms of what the Brewers will go out and acquire. That doesn't mean they wouldn't. And I think that's an important distinction to make. Just because they haven't doesn't necessarily mean they wouldn't, but it's got to line up. And I think, you know, you hear Matt Arnold say this a lot that like it takes two sides to get a deal done. And so if they don't feel like the other side is being reasonable in what they're asking for, the Brewers have been very, very disciplined in not doing that deal. Again, that doesn't mean something can't come down the line and and work out for the brewers. Uh, I I do anticipate they'll do something. I think for sure they'll do something. I could not even begin to predict what that might be. Sure. But I think they'll kick the tires on relief pitching, they'll kick the tires on starting pitching, and I think they'll kick the tires on a bat too. I think you would, I think everybody would in the brewers' position and see if there's something that lines up that can help improve them. And I think the one thing for the brewers, too, a lot of front offices probably look at the deadline of how can this get us over the hump to get into the postseason? And and not that the brewers should take anything for granted, but they've been to the postseason so much, they're in a great position to get back to the postseason. You might have a little bit of a luxury. I don't think they would ever say this, and they would probably cringe at hearing me say this, but you might have a little bit of a luxury as a front office to go, all right, let's look at this from the standpoint, how can this help us win a series? How can this help us win in the postseason? Um, not every team has the benefit of that. They're talking about trying to get the second wild card, or they're talking about trying to catch somebody in their division. Um, you might be able to look at it through two different lenses at the same time.

SPEAKER_01 32:06

Let me ask you about Jake Bowers. Uh, to me, uh, yesterday on my Brood Daily, he was the the play of the game and essentially the player of the game as well. Give me a couple of notes. You you know these things. His average exit velocity at 92.6 miles per hour this year is in the 92nd percentile. His hard hit rate, 95 miles an hour exit velocity or more, 53.4 percent. That's the 96th percentile. His chase percentage at 20.8 out of the zone, 94th percentile. His OPS, more traditional number for people, it's 110 points higher than a year ago and 200 points higher than two years ago. If you're picking a team MVP right now, not that we would necessarily have to do that, he'd be very high on the list, if not the highest. He's been tremendous, and you get to see it every day. What do you see? Like, what why has this happened?

SPEAKER_02 33:04

Well, and let's add on to all those things you just mentioned that maybe aren't measurable in the same way, but are important. He's been able to play a good first base defensively. He's been able to go out and play right and left field for this team. He's a very undervalued base runner as well. I mean, he does a lot of things at a high level. And and and by the way, you know, you put him out in the corner and you think, okay, we're giving up a little bit of defense. He's been okay out there. Uh, he's not been a liability for the Brewers defensively in the corners. And so uh, I just think this guy is is is just a ball player in in so many senses of the word. And I've heard Pat Murphy say this that this year he's decided to be just a complete hitter. You know, he's using all fields. He'll he'll pull off a baseball and clip one out front when he needs to and and and and leave the yard like he did yesterday, but um he's not afraid to to to punch one through the left side and go the opposite field either. I if we took all those numbers you gave us and just back up 20, 30 years ago when we weren't looking at those numbers and we looked at swings and we would be talking about how he has one of the prettiest swings on the team. Yeah, and I know maybe maybe part of that's because he's got a left-handed swing and always biased towards a great left-handed swing, but it is one of the best swings on the team. And if you watched him the last couple of years when he wasn't putting up these numbers, you still notice that part. It's like, man, that swing, there's something in there. And I think for him, he just needed the runway. Pat Murphy always says this is a land of opportunity. Jake Bowers probably doesn't get this runway to play and play every day and play against left-handed pitching like he has with the Brewers with probably most of the other organizations around baseball. And it's benefited the Brewers as a result of it, and Jake's become a better player as a result of it, too.

SPEAKER_01 34:49

Yeah, and they we have found other, you know, there are always stories when you begin a regular season, you you typically look at what players have done in recent years, and that's kind of your expectation. We were waiting for Garrett Mitchell just to be healthy and to be able to play every day and to get consistent at bats, because I think some of us thought that this guy that we're seeing right now would be that guy if he could stay healthy. He is such a great hitter and defender, all five tools. And right now, I would uh think you'll agree with this because he's getting consistent at bats and playing every day and seeing pitchers on a regular basis without going to the IL, you're seeing where his talent level is and how great of a baseball player he is and can be as he continues to stay healthy. Is that fair?

SPEAKER_02 35:41

Yeah, I think it's very fair. I think you've seen the confidence take a huge leap because he's been able to be healthy. You see him trust things more. He made a play up against the wall in Arizona. That's been a bit of a challenge for him, has been navigating the wall defensively. So that's another cue that, like, hey, this guy is starting to let it all go and he's confident and he's trusting everything. And what he's doing at the plate, specifically the last week. I mean, he's been in a good place for the last 40 games. I think he's hitting like 322 over his last 41 or it the numbers somewhere in that range. But the last week, the damage he's done against left-handed pitching, that's another sign for me that this guy's taking another step. And with Garrett, it's always been when he makes contact, there's a lot of damage in there. When he makes contact, the ball's hit hard. And he's always been pretty good for the most part at ball strike because he'll get his walks. So that's a good thing, too. But can he make more contact in the zone? I think that's always been the thought process of can we move that part of his game forward and specifically the fastball at the top rail, at the very top of the strike zone. That's been a pitch that's given him problems. He's worked hard at it. He's gotten better at it. He's able to foul that pitch off a little bit more than he did previously. He can put that ball in play a little bit more than he did, maybe in April. And as a result of it, everything else has taken a huge step forward for him.

SPEAKER_01 37:06

Uh one more question on the Brewers, and then I want to flip over to spend a little time on Sean Ike Sean Ikehorse, the UW's new athletic director. Um, a week from now is the all-star break. Miz is gonna, he's on the all-star team. We think he's gonna pitch Sunday in Pittsburgh unless there is rain somewhere along the lines, which would take him out of the pitching at the all-star game. Um Jake Bowers belongs in the all-star game. Maybe somebody cancels and he goes. Bryce Tarang belongs, maybe somebody cancels and he goes. Contreras is going. I would think the organization wouldn't mind if they didn't go, you know, to actually get him some downtime. But boy, how great would it be for Jake Bowers and and Bryce Tarang to be there? I think it's one of the more ridiculous experiences in a pro player's life to be there and to be recognized in that way. And it's a it's a bucketless career type accomplishment moment. You think we're gonna add in this week as players opt out?

SPEAKER_02 38:09

Yeah, I think there's probably Kyle Harrison is a candidate too. I would think, because it feels like a lot of the arms, you know, drop off over the next few days, and and he would be lined up right now in a way where he would be eligible to pitch. And it's that first all-star game, you know, opportunity too, which is, I think, a special thing. Of all those guys you mentioned, to go back to who we were just talking about, I want it for Jake, right? Like Bryce, Bryce is gonna get to the all-star game. Uh, if it's not this year, it's gonna happen. And he's gonna go to multiple all-star games. This is one of the best second basemen in baseball. And I when I say one of the best, I'm talking two or three. So he's going to be in multiple all-star games moving forward. Jake is this kind of journeyman, great story. Like, man, I want it for him, right? I mean, he has earned this and then some. And so I hope it happens for Jake in a big, big way. But all those guys deserve it. I think Bryce was the biggest snub, in my opinion, but that's how this goes. I mean, we all know, we've seen this before. There's big snubs every year with the All-Star Game. And um, so both those guys are deserving. I'm pulling for both of them. I I really would be surprised if Kyle Harrison's not added at some point this week, just because it feels like there's always a lot of turnover with the arms with the all-star game.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

Yeah, and anybody on the back end of that bullpen, too. I mean, I think you know, from whether it's McGills, they all belong.

SPEAKER_02 39:34

Yeah, the overall numbers for Uribe and McGill aren't all-star-like numbers, but that's because it's they're relievers, and there's a a week for both of them where they had some bumps. But go look at what they've done and and how important they've been to helping the Brewers have the second best record in baseball. I mean, they are key and central to that story for the Brewers.

SPEAKER_01 39:56

Well, one one final note on that. Ashby's 42nd game yesterday. That that's uh that's an amazing number. Is uh does it mat I think it matters. Fans certainly think it matters. Is there an overuse question? Is does that become a storyline in the second half for Aaron Ashby?

SPEAKER_02 40:18

I think you have to know the player. And we were talking about shoulder injuries. He's a guy that's been through it and come to the other side of it where his stuff is back. It's maybe even up from what it was when he first came up in the big leagues. And uh this weird phenomenon of his arm bounces back so quickly. I had a conversation with him at Wrigley last year when the Brewers played a, I think it was a five-game series at Wrigley in August of last year. And he pitched the, I think it was the I don't, it might have been the Sunday game in Cincinnati, and he threw quite a few pitches, if I remember correctly. And I talked to him on Monday, and he's like, I'm like, well, you're down today. He's like, yeah, but I'll be ready to go tomorrow. And I'm like, he's like, honestly, it feels good enough to go today. He's like, I can't explain it. He's like, but these last couple of years, like my arm bounces back so fast, and it feels so good. And I want to be available to the team. If I feel good, I want to be out there. So I think he's a different animal. Some guys can't do that, right? And and I think it's important that guys are able to communicate that and that they talk and they're honest about it with their coaches and with the staff. But uh, that's who Aaron is, man. He he he bounces back fast and he's available a lot because of that.

SPEAKER_01 41:34

Lane, let me ask you about Sean Ikors. And let me give the background for those who aren't familiar. Sean Icorsh uh was at one point after he left Wisconsin and then Miami, was the athletic director at Nebraska. You're working at Nebraska at the time, so you have uh uh direct working knowledge. Now, if there's a criticism of the fan base that likes to criticize, and and every fan base has uh that group, that percentage of people that look at things somewhat negatively. The negative on Sean Ikhorst is his time at Nebraska as it relates to football. On the Bo Polini decision, which I from the outside looking in, to me was the right decision. The hiring after of Mike Riley didn't end up working out, and that's the criticism. You're there, you're living the life there. Give me your sense of Sean Ihorst, the athletic director who is now being formally introduced tomorrow at Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_02 42:32

Yeah, so I got to know Sean really well in my time in Nebraska. He was actually the the director of athletics at Nebraska when I left to come work for the Brewers. So he was still at Nebraska for the next couple of years after I left. And we we stayed in in contact with each other. He's a big Brewers fan. Uh so when I left, he was excited about that. That if if I was gonna leave Nebraska, I was going somewhere that that he was pretty invested in. But his time at Nebraska, and and I and I talked about this last week in a different interview. You know, Sean is a very, very bright guy, and he understands college athletics at a very high level. But as we all know, in college athletics, as the AD, you can have everything right, but if you don't have football right, you're gonna be considered uh a failure, right? And so he had a really tough situation he came into where he's replacing Tom Osbourne, and I he would never confirm this, and I can't confirm this for sure, but I think the chancellor that hired him probably wanted the football coach to eventually be removed from his position. Um and you had this coach that was winning, and he was winning at a pretty good clip, maybe hadn't gotten totally over the hump to the fan base's liking, where there was this united uh opinion on. Coach and he was a bit mercurial on the sideline. I got to know Bo on a on a really good level too. And Bo and I were were close. And Bo was really good to me. And behind the scenes, Bo was not who a lot of people thought he was on the sideline. But that that created a lot of very, very opinion, uh, you know, heavy opinions on Bo Pellini from the outside, from the fan base, from whoever, because of just who he was and how competitive he was and and the temper at times. And so Sean had a tough call. And he he decided to bring Bo back after his first year as the AD, when I think a lot of people thought he might not. And then Bo wins nine games in his second year, wins this overtime game at Iowa. And two year two days later, he's relieved. And and that was that was a mixed thing, right? There's people that were loyalists to Bo. There are people that wanted to see Bo gone. And so there was a very divided fan base at that point in time. I think where Sean probably made his mistake was the hire. And you just alluded to it. And I I I would tell I would tell Sean this to his face that it was not the firing of Bo as much as it was that he just hired the wrong guy. And by the way, that can happen. You know, you hope it doesn't, but uh a lot of ADs have hired the wrong guy that was just the wrong fit. Mike Bradley's a wonderful man. Yeah, I'm sure he's a very knowledgeable football coach. He's been a lot of different places and coached in the NFL. It was not the right fit at Nebraska, and it didn't work out. By the way, a lot of other coaches have not worked out at Nebraska over the last 20 years. Right. And so I I just think for Sean, when I look at his situation at Wisconsin, I had so many conversations with him about Wisconsin, about his love for the place, about his love for the state, about his love for the athletic department, about his understanding of the culture and the history and the tradition. I'm so excited for him because he is a good fit, I think, in Madison. I think that he will be so passionate about trying to get this thing right. And he will try to create the best possible systems for the employees there to flourish and do their best. And he's a very pragmatic guy. I think he's learned a lot in the last 10 years at Texas in that big athletic department that's been an NIL machine. So he's going to bring a whole wealth of knowledge to Madison that he didn't probably have yet when he was in Lincoln. So I'm I'm excited to see what he can do.

SPEAKER_01 46:38

Yeah, and and I've uh said this before I'll say it uh again here because he was most recently at Texas, uh, which is one of the bigger NIL machines, maybe the biggest in all of college athletics, uh, but to come to Wisconsin at a time when that is at the forefront of what you need to do is funding, finding financing for NIL dollars uh for player retention and player transfer portal reception to get them in and get them paid. And the high school, I mean, he's he's incredibly well equipped, and his time at Nebraska was way before NIL. So, anyways, there's that part of it. And then I want to finish on your broadcast partner, uh Josh Maurer, over the weekend. Did uh two things on the foul ball that went off his hand, did he actually fall? I mean, he was kind of leaning backwards, and it appeared, at least in the brief camera shot, that he was that he fell. Did he fall? Is is everything okay with Josh?

SPEAKER_02 47:40

Uh yes, he fell. He he rolled his chair, so it was between us, and I I am I'm retired, man. I am not trying to catch bell balls in the booth anymore. No interest in it. What about the net?

SPEAKER_01 47:56

You know, you saw the net last week at at home in the broad in the in the press box. No, no net in the broadcast booth. No net.

SPEAKER_02 48:03

No net in the broadcast booth. It's it's bare hands, no gloves, it's bare hands, or get out of the way. I am in the I'm getting out of the way camp at this point in my career. Uh, but Josh, it's like a goal for him. He wants to catch a foul ball in the booth so bad. And we all we almost had one for him like two years ago in Arizona, too. Mark Grace was actually sitting in the booth next to us, and it went in. And and Mark Grace, uh, you know, pretty good major league baseball player, got got out of the way too. Like I would. Yeah. So this ball's hit between us. I'm not even, and I know he's gonna go for it. So I think I said on the air, get it, Josh. And he rolled his chair towards the middle of the booth and then started to get up and out of his chair to catch it. And it was coming in hot, and it kind of just destroyed his hands and just blew up his hands, and he went down. And I just remember being like, Oh, and he he immediately immediately popped up and he looks at me on the air and he says, Boy, that's gonna be a blooper. And I was like, Yeah, it might be. And they didn't catch all of it, thankfully, for his sake on camera, but uh it was, you know, I wish so. Then he had the baseball, and I and I wish I would have snuck the baseball from him without him knowing because I was with Freelick in the morning yesterday and I was telling him about it because Sal hit the foul ball. And I said, I wish I had the ball because I would have you sign thumbs down, Sal Freelick, because Josh's thumb was hurt. I had to go get him ice and he had to call part of the game with his thumb and ice. So yeah, poor, poor guy. He's the best. I love working with Josh, and I want him to, I hope he gets a chance at redemption soon.

SPEAKER_01 49:48

Yeah, and and at least the brief camera shot, Kent Sommerfeld has no reaction at all uh in the back row. Like he at least what we saw, he didn't react at all.

SPEAKER_02 50:00

Kent was reading articles about investment strategies and things and didn't even know what happened. I think Levering said something along those lines on the TV broadcast that Kent's looking at his stock portfolio portfolio, and that's about right. Levering's spot on with that.

SPEAKER_01 50:15

Yeah, that's fantastic. Hey Lane, thanks for doing this uh from St. Louis. It'll be a fun week. Uh, this has been uh the this whole season has been such a joy to watch and to listen to. So I appreciate you jumping in here, sharing your thoughts on things that are going on, and we'll do it again uh if you're willing at some point coming up soon. You know I am. Appreciate it, Mike. Thank you, Lane. Lane Grindel joining us from St. Louis. Brewers and Cardinals, 6.45 is the scheduled start time tonight. Let me give you a few of the particulars because this is what we know right now. We don't know everything, but we this is what we know from a starting pitching standpoint in this series. Shane Drone, the left-hander for the Brewers tonight, 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA against right-handed pitcher Dustin May. Now, May has been the last time we saw him, he was really good. And he's had stretches of time where he's been brilliant. His overall numbers are not great at 5-6 with a 4.80 ERA. But that's the scheduled start tonight. All these games, by the way, you'll be happy to know on the Brewers Radio Network, always uninterrupted, but also on Brewers TV. No Peacock, no Apple games. Uh so you got that tonight, 6.45. Day night doubleheader tomorrow, 1.15 and 6.45. In the 115 game, daytime, Mizarowski goes for the Brewers with his 1.47 ERA against we think Michael McGreevy, but it's McGreevy or TBA in both ends of the doubleheader for St. Louis tomorrow. The night game tomorrow night, the Brewers haven't announced a starting pitcher, but Lane Grindel intimated that Robert Gasser could be the name on that start tomorrow night. On Wednesday, Kyle Harrison and Andre Pallante. And then on Thursday for the Brewers, it is also a TBA against Kyle Leahy for the Cardinals. All games other than the day portion of the doubleheader tomorrow are 645 starts. So 645 on the night games, 115 for the matinee portion of the day-night doubleheader tomorrow. So that that's where we stack up. Uh, all right, U.S. men's national team, uh, Falarin Bulligan. Here is my view on this: not a soccer guy. All right. The the smart people that are soccer people that I talk to, it should not have been a red card. Also, what I would consider the smart opinion on the back end of it, after it was initially reviewed for a red card and upheld to be a red card, I'm gonna be in the minority of American soccer fans, and I'm just a Johnny Cum lately on this, that it shouldn't have been overturned. When government gets involved to say, hey, you should look at this again. Uh, to me, it doesn't have its place here. Again, neophyte soccer, the call is wrong, but the appeal was initially upheld as a red card, which means he couldn't play tonight. And then you can't help but look to say that there is government involvement in this, and there probably shouldn't have been. If the roles are reversed, so this to me is like video replay, and and the part that I'm in favor of in video replay, I can't be pissed off on replay if you get it right. Okay, so camera change. In this case, they got it right because it shouldn't have been a red card. Smart people tell me. It shouldn't have been a red card to begin with. But once it's appealed and FIFA said we're upholding the red card, it shouldn't get a second appeal because of government involvement and then overturned. I think they got it right. I just don't like the means by with which they got it right. I would have preferred that FIFA on the initial appeal had overturned their original on-field ruling, which was wrong, and it would have been the right thing to do. That it happened after government involvement makes it feel wrong, a little dirty. That's uh this is my thoughts on it, and again, I say that, and I don't think I need to know the game to say that. Like I said, smart people said it's not a red card. FIFA called it a red card in real time and then upheld the red card on appeal, and it just feels dirty that it got turned over after that. Should not it will. It is part of the storyline tonight against Belgium. It it is without a question part of the storyline, and I think that sucks for this team that has been a tremendous story. But go out and win the damn game tonight and play it forward and let those who want to bitch about it, bitch about it. Do I think they have a bitch? Yeah, I do. I think they have something to be angry about, something to be bothered about. Not that FIFA didn't get it right because I think in the end they got it right. The means with which they got it right, I I think lead you to think that well, that's a little questionable. So I I think that's a part of it. Again, a big thank you to all of those who are involved in what we do from one community bank. I appreciate and love that partnership. And uh, we remind you to stop into any of their locations for feel good banking to M3 Insurance and our friends over there who do a great job in uh taking companies who want to avoid the risk issues in their business, but also provide for their employees from a benefit package standpoint and a risk management. M3ins.com, go to M3Insurance. Also from our friends at Neuroscience Group. If you've suffered from a car accident, a back injury, uh a brain injury, sports concussion, the experts at Neuroscience Group are your pathway to getting back to a normal life, neurosciencegroup.com. Also presented by our friends at Habish Habish and Rotier, 13 locations, and by Pottawatomies Sportsbook and Casino, one location, but centrally located in downtown Milwaukee, shuttle buses to and from Brewers Games, a great sports book, fantastic hotel and eatery, all involved in what they do there. And from our friends at Traditions Lighting, now's that time to go get Traditions Lighting in your corner for your holiday lighting packages, which I get it. It's forever from now. And I hate thinking about it, but now's a great time to get that set up and on the books and never have to worry about what they do because what they do is fantastic. Traditionslighting.com. Tomorrow on the show. Oh, I should set up the week. Tomorrow on the show, uh, Treadmill Boy, Superfan Tuesday. Now, I'm leaving on a bourbon trip early Wednesday morning. So what I'm thinking is laying out the week. I'm thinking there won't be a I Love Monday show on Wednesday. I will likely schedule a Badger Connect podcast to run in the time slot, one that has already aired at badgerconnect.com. Or I just won't do one on Wednesday. I haven't figured that part out yet. Uh Brew Daily. Good tomorrow. Well, tonight after the Brewers Cardinals, tomorrow after the day game, yes, and tomorrow night after the night game, yes. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, St. Louis, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh on Saturday, Pittsburgh on Sunday, uh hit and miss a little bit. It depends on how much bourbon I've had, to be honest and fair. You know, if if I've been into too many of these, um I don't know that that's good for anybody to have me uh put a camera on me and and try and work my way through. So I don't yeah. Game day decisions on each of the days coming up with uh not on I Love Mondays, because I'll do I Love Mondays uh on Thursday and Friday morning from Louisville. But brew daily, probably no Wednesday I Love Monday, and brewed daily uh game day decisions on many of those once we get to Wednesday. All fine for the first three games of the Cardinals series, but then we'll see what happens after that. Uh love and appreciate your support. Thanks for being here with us. Brood Daily after the Brewers and Cardinals goes final tonight. You'll see it right here where you're watching this. We'll be back. I'll be back to do that later tonight. And then Treadmill's in with me tomorrow. Uh Vinny on Thursday, and uh, we'll just go through the week, the rest of the week as normal as we can. Thanks for being here. We'll do it again uh late tonight, and uh thanks as always for being part of what we do on i Love.