It's time for Make the Call, a weekly discussion on the top Wisconsin sports stories of the week.
You can listen to the show anytime on the free Civic Media app.
Download it now on your device's app store or at civicmedia.us slash app.
Now, it's time for Make the Call, a Civic Media sports production.
Welcome in on the civic media radio network indeed as you heard the big voiceover guys say it is make the call as we are Broadcasting all over the civic media app which you can download for free at civicmedia.us slash app or find it in your Your devices app store wherever you can find anything with civic media We are everywhere and we are happy to have you along for this Memorial Day weekend
here on the network.
I'm Jimmy Cuskas, sports director here at Civic Media and we are getting set for a big weekend in sports.
It's the unofficial kickoff to summer and we have a lot of cool things we want to talk about today and I'll welcome aboard my co-host here in just a second.
But first, just want to say with it being Memorial Day, just want to make sure that we all take a moment and remember the sacrifices of everybody who's come before and served in our arm services and gave the ultimate sacrifice for
So I just want to make sure we note that here on this Memorial Day our thoughts with everyone here on this Memorial Day But it is a sports show and we do have some fun here And that is what we're here to do for the next hour or so and with that I welcome in from our headquarters in Madison Parker vertical Olson Parker.
What's up, man?
Oh, not too much.
I'm trying to remember how I got the nickname vertical Olson to be honest with you I do not remember at all
back to the NFL draft and we were talking about what
Combine event you would be best in and you picked vertical jumps.
So that's where that was not that's all right
We know where Greg Gunterson gets his InsideJip name from.
Great upper management.
He makes more than I do, I'm sure.
Look at that.
He's not even on the video today because he is just straight up audio calling us, which that's a boss move.
And that's Greg up in the Northwoods.
Greg, welcome aboard, man.
The assistant to the manager.
Thank you so much, Jimmy.
I appreciate the extended intro.
We'll find out the answer to the questions we have one day.
We had Parker's answer ready, but yeah, where my name comes from, I'm not ready to talk about it.
Well, your name comes from a job promotion announcement at the beginning of the year.
So
not very creative
for very inside, but
you're
ready to talk about it.
All right.
The illusion
is shared.
I'm
not ready to talk about anything.
It's Memorial Day weekend.
I'm chill.
We got, we got representatives from the North woods, from the headquarters of the capital city and myself from the driftless area of Wisconsin and Western Wisconsin.
So we've got all parts of the state covered and we've got a lot to talk about today.
I'm going to dive right in.
So if you're listening to the show for the first time, we do a segment called the
8-8.
That's because the show airs at 8 in the morning in its live version on Saturday.
And what we do in the top 8-8 is we take the eight top sports or not sports stories from the week and we recap it in a very exciting, thrilling, in-depth, all that.
What else we got to sell the show as?
It's insightful, analytical, all these cool things we can take to the show.
But we do it in a fun way.
And what we do is we do the top 8-8.
We start with number eight and we caught our way to number one.
Before we get to it, just reminder, Mike Clemens will join us later in the show.
He'll get us back on track with the actual sports knowledge that you're all tuning in for today.
But number eight.
in the top eight and eight.
And I had to ask this because earlier this week in a Brewers game, they scored on a little league home run, which I thought was amazing.
All right.
Cause I see this all the time on my kids little league.
They, it's the only way they can, they can't hit the ball with the fence.
This is how they score home runs.
But I thought about what's the, what's the most odd or maybe the most fun way that you could score points in, in a contest.
So I thought little league home run was pretty fun.
What about you guys?
I've got one ready immediately with the.
one point safety.
It's actually only theoretically possible.
It's part of the NFL rulebook, but it's actually only occurred in college football up till now.
So basically, a team scores a touchdown.
Doesn't matter how offense, special teams return, whatever.
Say the Packers score a touchdown, for example, the Packers go for an extra point conversion.
But oh, no, it goes wrong.
And the defense winds up with the ball.
But the defense brings the ball out of the end zone and then is tackled back in the end zone.
The Packers get one point as a
Safety a one-point say it's why I think it's like the appendix of the rule books at this point You could get rid of it.
No one would even know I
dream of the day I get to see that happen.
I want to see a one-point safety live so badly I'm gonna go fellas, you know, I played tennis away to score a point in tennis Just a regular point if you happen to be up at the net you get lobbed you have to run backwards away from the net Hit the ball between your legs that is called a tweener
And I would love to do that someday, although my playing career is done.
So I think I'm done.
We
go from tennis to pickleball, right?
So you're at pickleball age, right?
Is that what the transition is for you?
You know, one of our other producers here in Madison Dom does play pickleball, actually.
So I think he might have a spot for me on his team.
There you go.
Well, mine obviously is a special teams coordinator in football.
I have a big fan of the fair catch free kick.
So that to me is something we actually have in our playbook.
We also, we actually converted a drop kick a few years ago.
But we do, I think the fair catch free kick was just done by the Chargers a year or two ago in the NFL by Cameron Dicker from the Chargers.
I think that's one of my favorite things.
It's just anything you can do to kick for points is great.
That's why the Rouge in Canadian football is so awesome to me.
way to kick and get points.
I'm all for it in a game that has literally foot in the name of the sport.
So I'm good, good, good with that.
Number seven at the top eight and eight.
I'm asking this because it's a big motor sports weekend, the Indy 500 is coming up.
And I have to ask, if you want the Indy 500, what beverage would you chug after winning the race?
Give me one of those Trader Joe's coconuts that has like the conical cut on top and a plastic tap that you have to hammer in and just and
Yeah, a little trickle of coconut water, anticlimactic as it gets.
Parker, you can't help but one-up me with that one.
What do you got?
I was gonna go with chocolate milk.
I like chocolate
milk.
I could put a
little umbrella in there if you want.
Jimmy please class us up at all.
Please.
I'm not classing us up at all I would just totally go the opposite direction those little plastic little barrels little juice barrels with the foil lids That's
what
I'd slam it after a minute.
They're
called
hugs.
Yeah
Love him like grenades and like like you know like the baseball celebration at home plate already just falls No, they all fall to the side when you love it That's why I dream if I ever win anything beyond a go kart race That would be my dream my dream beverage.
Although as a Wisconsin guy I think politically I have to go with milk right because you know They'd expect a guy from Wisconsin to go with milk and that's one of the only things I'm known for is drinking milk So, you know, so yeah, it probably be chocolate milk for me too to be honest But I would want to have some fun with it for sure.
All right.
Well speaking of that
It's the start of summer.
It's the big weekend for sports as we get going where we've gone through two months of the baseball season.
We are into NBA NHL finals.
You've got golf.
You've got everything going on right now.
I have to ask you guys, what are you watching or listening to this weekend in terms of sports?
What is it when you're not out?
You know, grilling out when you're not out doing whatever, what is on your TV or radio this week?
You better believe, boys,
that I am tuning in for the Weenie 500.
I want to watch those Oscar Meyer Weenomobiles go around the Indy 500 track.
It is one of the best spectacles there is, and I am ecstatic.
I firmly believe if what you want from this life doesn't hurt anybody, you should be able to enjoy it.
And so Parker, you do that.
That's
a very
nice way of saying you're crazy, Parker.
You're crazy,
man.
With all the bless your heart energy I can buster, please enjoy the Winnie 500.
I will.
We'll be on the road this weekend.
We're actually helping a family member move.
So for me, it's Brewer Radio all the way.
It's going to be a great weekend listening to the Brewer's take on the Dodgers, no matter what happens, just trying to travel safe and getting a little bit of work done on a holiday weekend.
Jimmy, how about you?
This is the one weekend where I actually will put on motorsports.
I'm not a big motorsports guy myself.
I grew up around a lot of dirt tracks in northern Wisconsin.
So I was I've been on a lot of demos.
There we have race go-karts in my life.
But this is like one of those weekends where I
I feel like just chilling out and watching in our two of races is so fun because motor sports in person is a blast.
But just a weekend where if there's nothing else going on, you have a minute to yourself between everything you're doing.
Yeah, the Coca-Cola 600, the 8500, it's definitely something I'll flip on if I happen to be near a TB.
But like everybody in Wisconsin, yeah, when we get to summer, it's all about the Brewers and baseball and the radio.
Without any local interest in the NIHL or NBA playoffs,
I'm definitely on the side of baseball this time of year, much like you guys.
Let's move to number five in the top eight and eight.
I keep saying it's summer beginning this week, right?
So I
got to
ask now, what's the sporting event you're looking forward to this summer the most
that I'm going to?
I'm going to be going.
You're looking
forward to the most.
It doesn't have to be when you're going to
looking forward to
it.
You know what?
I'm going to go.
Little League World Series.
Little League World Series is one of my favorite sporting.
I guess it's an event, but it's a couple of weeks, I think two weeks long thing.
I think it's just baseball in its purest form.
Those get their kids.
They're like nine to 12 year olds, if I remember right.
They've got no money in the game.
They're just doing it because they're having a good time and it shows.
They have a lot of fun.
It's always a good couple of weeks of ESPN stuff there.
for me quite predictably it's it's the the nfl calendar coming up here in early summer for me it's going to be otas and try out results and all the all the speculation and then i'll get sick of it probably about july right before preseason actually starts in august and we get some meat and potatoes there to to add to the plate so again predictable but where else was i gonna go.
Yeah, I think for me, I think the obvious answer is I'm going to be at a billion baseball games this summer, right?
But I want to go off the grid a little bit.
I'll just say I'm just looking forward to be able to play games in my lawn without it being like, you know, frost, you know, like if I put down a coopset, I'm not going to have to battle, you know, being it being 38 degrees outside and freezing or, you know, cornhole or whatever.
I just want to get outside and just be outside and enjoy it.
So not really sports, but just stuff I can do.
But yeah, baseball is probably up there for me, giving them both my kids are playing it.
that we're going to be in the Northwoods League for both baseball and softball quite a bit this summer as well.
So I'm going to come visit Parker at Madison Mallards Games this year.
We got one booked already.
That's the big Lebowski night.
So can't wait to be there for that.
That's going to be a big one in July for me.
All right.
Well, let's talk some actual sports on a sports show here in the next few minutes.
We'll talk a little bit more about the Brewers coming up in a half an hour, but I got to ask here in the number four at the top eight and eight.
The Brewers have two really awesome pitchers right now.
Their ERAs are both under
And I have to ask is this what's this is a great pitching duel Who's who'd you think you know before this was the best pitching to where the Brewers have had?
I don't I'm not certain but I think probably Woodruff and Burns right they were together I think for a year or two maybe two years.
I don't remember exactly But yeah that that tandem was just incredible.
I think Burns ended up winning a Cy Young at some point right Woodruff
Injury riddled as he may have been for his last couple of years.
He was hot stuff for a good while there and he still is.
So I don't think that you can beat that duo and what we've got right here with this current, I mean, Mizz leading the way.
He's going to get a ton of attention, but the Brewers have got a lot of arms.
I'm not even positive.
I know which the second one is that Jimmy is referring to because so many of them are so good, right?
Yeah, well the Brewers have had just just incredible luck and I don't say luck I mean development in the pitching department They've done such a good job with you know, just just having
you know, they seem like they find these pitchers out of nowhere and you always wonder before the year we were asking before the year like, you know, where are these guys going to come from?
Like, how are they going to fill out the pitching rotation?
But then you get Kyle Harris and you get Jacob Mizorowski, you know, Brandon Sprote out of nowhere, you know, just guys that are coming in and they're eating innings and they're, and they're doing well.
You know, again, a couple of guys that are throwing strikeouts, sub two ERAs.
It's really exciting times right now for the brewers because and we'll talk a lot more about this in a half an hour, but
The fact that we're in this week, and I'll mention this later, we're in this week where they're taking on, at the start of the week two NL division leaders, they've already swept one, they're already 500 on this swing.
Now they get the Dodgers through this weekend.
I just think.
What a great time it is to be a Brewers fan and go into all this.
It's just exciting times right now, especially the pitching doing so well.
But we do got to change gears just for a bit.
We're out of time in this first segment.
In the next segment, we're going to talk a little football.
We're going to give Grace something to talk about for a little bit here since I talked to all this last segment here.
We're going to talk football in the next segment, talk a little bit more Brewers coming up here in about 20 minutes or so.
This is Make the Call, the Civic Media radio network.
you
Welcome back to make the call on civic media.
Welcome back.
Make the call.
As you heard, it is the Civic Media Radio Network to meet Ray Parker here with you.
We are counting down at our top eight and eight.
We're at number three and number three in the top eight and eight.
Aaron Rogers says he's done after this year.
It's his final season.
So guys, we have to do the token Wisconsin sports radio thing and ask, what is your favorite Aaron Rogers memory?
Pretty simple.
There are so many.
There really are.
But I had one that, you know what?
What phrase rings through my mind?
He turned 32 yesterday.
Does he have a vintage moment in him?
And my, my, he did Richard Rogers touchdown.
Now, should that play have been possible?
I'll understand that the Lions fans would say no.
But thank goodness it happened.
And thank goodness it happened the way it did.
But yeah, Parker, you're right.
I thought I've run the table.
Relax.
I mean, there's moments that aren't even in games.
What what did what comes to mind?
Run the table and R E L A X relax.
I do believe that is exactly how he put it Yeah, those those ones stand out so much to me for whatever reason.
I don't really know why but the Kind of piggybacking off of that.
I believe this was in the same year as some relax The touchdown or not the touchdown pass the first down pass to Jared cook against the Cowboys and the playoffs
I hate to say that beating the Cowboys in the playoffs is that much of a highlight, because I feel like that's an expectation, frankly, for the Packers.
But it really was one of the, I believe it was third down in 20, and it set up a field goal, I think, for Mason Crosby at the time still.
It
did,
yep.
That one stands out as one of the more special catches that I can remember ever coming off of a pack.
Oh, Roger's throw, Jimmy, what about you?
Well, as a 90s kid, I would say that the Packers meeting the Cowboys wasn't a given considering they spent so much time to get over that.
I'm not a win that first Super Bowl with Brett Farve.
So for me, as someone who grew up in the 90s, like I hear you say that I'm like, well, there's there's the millennial millennial in you or the whatever generation, whatever, whatever is the next after a millennial.
There's the younger person after that.
But anyway, for me, I love all the offensive field stuff.
I'm a big fan of the Pettiness.
I'm a big fan of the ayahuasca, the purple crush in the press conference.
I love that stuff.
Believe me, I love it.
It's so much fun.
But just the stuff with the bears where he's like, I own you and all that stuff, that to me is...
That's fun.
But obviously, for anybody that is, you know, Packard's affiliated, a whole thing of Super Bowl trophies got to be number one.
I mean, championship is a goal and he got it.
There's a lot of fun moments with Aaron Rodgers.
There's things he does.
Just amazing.
And I always tell people, like, when we've got, you know, when you've got someone transcendent, you know, when it was Brett Farr, when it was Aaron Rodgers, when it's Giannis and basketball, whatever it is, you got to enjoy it.
People get so miserable and they expect so much and they get so bitter about their team.
I remember hosting
sports talk radio in that era and people like, well, we're never going to win a Super Bowl there in Rogers.
We're never going to win a championship with Yanis.
Well, you know, it happens and you just got to kind of enjoy the ride.
So when you get those transcendent talents, you know, shut up, enjoy it and just see where it goes.
But I think Rogers wanted the championship.
Probably the highlight for me.
Really cool.
I love the off the field stuff though, for sure.
Speaking of off the field, let's talk about a little bit on the field here.
And this is a Greg Gunderson special.
I think you I'm pretty sure he put this one in here at number two at our top eight and eight Packers OTAs are beginning this week, which means it's gonna be kind of our first look at at some of the Packers.
So we already saw a rookie mini camp, but we get our first look at a few more of the Packers and kind of see where this is all kind of going.
I got to I guess I'll just ask you right out great.
What are you looking for?
forward to.
Any positions that you're focused in on?
Yes, absolutely.
More position groups than positions, but if you want a specific group of guys, it's the new cornerbacks.
We've got two that came in by draft and a couple UDF phase.
We traded, brought in St.
Juiced over from the Chargers, and I'm really excited to see what he's going to do out there in a Packers uniform because
He's huge.
We don't do big corners and St.
Joust is six foot four.
Like he's going to stand out literally out there and I'm excited to see some tight ends get nothing done.
I'm so tired of seeing tight ends shred the Packers defense.
But also, like I said, it's really the whole defense because 4-3 versus 3-4.
What's an NFL style defense?
New defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is a big question mark to us for now.
Bonus position.
running back.
Who's going to be up behind Josh Jacobs?
Because Emanuel Wilson is gone.
I believe Chris Brooks is still in the room, but does Marshawn Lloyd still exist?
There are late
UDFA is there too.
So kind of a question mark might turn into a nothing burger and Josh Jacobs just has another great season.
I pray that's that's what happens.
I pray that's the most boring option on the table.
But yeah, I think the big question is just defense in general.
And I'm not even going to look at wide receiver.
Don't talk to me about that.
Parker, that's where you're going to go, isn't it?
You're going to bring up Matthew Golden.
No, I want to say real quick, when you mentioned a 6-4 defensive back, that's like a creative player in Madden.
It
is.
It is.
It's like a joke.
It just, it shouldn't be allowed.
So if he can use that body in a way that is advantageous to the team, it's tight ends all the way and big-bodied receivers.
Okay.
I'm not going receivers actually, believe it or not.
I was going to, as for a specific person, I want to see how Zaire Franklin kind of meshes with this team, noon linebacker that they just brought in and believed from the Colts.
That was a big pickup that I think that we all kind of got a little bit excited about.
I think that's going to be something that.
I don't know about turn heads, but it could definitely be a move that maybe at the end of the year you go, that was something that they really needed to do.
Um, I do want to say really for position group, there's a lot of ifs within this offensive line, right?
There's a lot of things going on.
You're not sure about, um, some of the specific positions.
Um, you need Sean Ryan to be doing well.
Um, and now that he's going to be what is in second year at center, I believe.
So a lot of stuff that there is to watch on that offensive line, Jimmy.
I would say for me, it's going to be the defensive front.
So interior linemen and edge rushers, it's been a makeover in this whole unit, right?
And Gray, back me up a little bit or tell me I'm wrong, but it feels like with Mike and Parsons there, it's really changed how they've thought about this unit and, you know, seeing the people that have left and the people they brought in, it really feels like they've remade this front line and we only have about a minute here.
But that to me is the position group of most of Drake, obviously outside of kicker, which as a special teams guy, I'm all very excited about.
I think defense
at front group is going to be really important
this year.
I completely agree, Jimmy.
And it was one of the things that really confirmed for people that things would be different in some way, obviously with Gannon coming in, things are going to change.
But one of the only defensive staffers to stay from last year as Jeff Haffley left was DeMarcus Covington, but his position title changed.
He went from defensive line coach to outside linebackers coach, which was not a position the Packers have had on staff since they last ran.
Well, a defense different than they've been running for the last decade.
So it's all about defense for me.
And I think a lot of people were scared.
Is Micah Parsons going to be covering passes?
OK, yes, occasionally.
But it's not going to be like Preston Smith out there way too often.
You're going to send Micah after the passer.
And he's a good run stopper, too.
They're going to use him for what he's good at.
We don't need to be afraid.
But we do need to be looking.
Let's talk some brewers to wrap up our top edit.
We'll do that next year.
I'll make the call for the Deciviteria radio network.
Welcome back to Make the Call on Civic Media.
Halfway through Make the Call here on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Welcome back.
Chibi Kuska, Greg Anderson, Parker Olson.
We are hanging out here on a weekend getting ready to take in a summer full of sports and all the fun that comes with that.
Before we dive in here, I just want to mention coming up in about 20 minutes We'll hear from Mike Clements will give you a full recap of the weekend sports here in Wisconsin Mike Clements will be on the program here in about 20 minutes or so right now though guys It's a great opportunity for us to take a look at the first place Milwaukee Brewers now coming into this week.
We talked about it last week They had a really interesting set of like rivalry type games coming up.
They had the twins and the Cubs now it's the Dodgers and
and they're in a really interesting spot in the schedule and
You know, we've joked about it at earlier points of the year like all the Brewers are in last place, but you know, I wrote in the divisions like five games over 500 Now they find themselves in first place and again in a very interesting spot of the schedule coming off series wins over Padres twins sweep over the Cubs and now in the middle of the series against the Dodgers the Cardinals coming up Starting on Memorial Day.
So I want to start the conversation on this I am
I'm curious whether you guys think that there's any moves to be made for the brewers to kind of lock in this top spot Or if you think the moves have already sort of been made Based on who's come back from injury or or just how the rotation has settled a bit I realized we're only about a third of the way into the season What the trade deadline is two months from now never too early to start speculating on what they might do Just curious on your thoughts about where things are for the brewers and where they might go So let's start there or any moves for the brewers to make here in in the near term
to kind of keep their spot right now where they are on the standings.
I don't think that I would say that there are any trades that we're going to necessarily see.
I think that there might be some call-ups, right?
We've talked before about the pitching and how they kind of needed to stabilize a little bit.
I think it's found some stabilization and now they're getting, I believe the schedule has been kind of funky for the brewers because they've had an off day.
every week, or excuse me, yeah, every week, I think either every Thursday or every Monday so far.
One of those days during the week, there's been an off day for the Brewers.
So there's been a built-in extra little bit of rest for that starting rotation.
Now I think they're going to get out of that routine.
I believe either this week or coming up in very near future that we're going to start to see that.
So I'm not quite ready to walk back and saying that the starting rotation needs to stabilize just a little bit.
Starting rotations, and obviously, as we already talked about with the duo that they've got right now, how good these guys have been.
There's so much depth in this pitching rotation, and the bullpen has been so good.
I think that the moves that you might see are going to come from guys getting called up.
Jet Williams, somebody I'm looking at right now.
Jory Oteez, I absolutely love your glove.
But my goodness, I don't know if he would be hitting better if he brought a toothpick.
He's just not doing the job in the batter's box.
I would really appreciate some more offensive production.
Out of honestly the entire left side of the infield.
Luis Renjifo has had some flashes, but he has not been the greatest.
Something else that I would look out for is potentially, potentially, and I don't think that this could happen.
Maybe something at catcher, I'm not 100% sold on Gary Sanchez.
Just so you're pulling on the rest Not not this coming week with memorial year, but the week after they don't have a rest day built in then they get a few in the month of June But then June 26th They don't get a break until the all-star break and in that they have an 11-game road swing right before the all-star break I feel like that's where you're gonna see me tested they go to Arizona then they go to the Cardinals for a five-game series because of a rain out Earlier this month and then they have the pirates right before going into the all-star break.
I feel like that's gonna be a key stretch for them is that
that late June, early July, where they go from June 26th to July 12th, where they play a game every single day, except for one of the days where they play two, and MLB rules the maximum of 20-day games and a 20-day stretch or whatever.
So they're going to get all that, but that's going to be a key stretch for them.
You're right, though, about the weird schedule they've had early on.
They've had a ton of rest dates early on to the point that they played three or four fewer games than some of the other teams in the National League, yet they sit with the third best, by far, third best run differential.
in the National League.
So I feel like for them, you know, the rest has definitely been to their advantage as they've built that pitching rotation.
But I think things, as you said, Parker, are going to kind of turn around on them here real quick.
Gray, how about you?
I know you're going to be tuning in to things this weekend.
I know that these high leverage matchups early in the year are a lot of fun to follow along with.
Well, and that's something I actually meant to mention earlier, Jimmy, when we were talking about early summer and late summer, I'll be footballing.
But the Brewers are going to be a great part.
They're sitting in such a great place at the top of the conference right now.
So I'm really curious to see how that'll unfold.
But one name I'm curious if I'm going to hear to piggyback off what Parker mentioned there on the left side of the infield, Cooper Pratt.
I was talking to Mike Clemens recently, and he mentioned that it kind of it might he thinks it might depend on who gets demoted to see who gets called up.
So whether it's Jet Williams or Cooper Pratt, neither
name would be a surprise, but it all comes down.
If it's all about batting power, you might argue they demote or tease and then call up Pratt instead if you want to really optimize.
But hey, I'll trust whatever I see out of the crew right now.
They're in good shape.
And that's when I start trusting managers.
So if I see something I don't understand, great.
I believe in it still.
Alright, we've talked about some moves.
I want to ask you guys I want to ask guys a really hard question Who's who's been the biggest breakout for the Brewers this year?
Because you've got a couple of really strong options with this It can be Kyle Harrison the pitcher who's got a 1.7 and change era It can be self-freelick who's all of a sudden turned into the best second baseman in baseball Ms.
Rousey sort of broke out last year in a way I'm just curious who you think has been the biggest breakout or the biggest You know the biggest ascent that the Brewers have had here this season
I think Terang being the best second baseman in baseball.
I'm sorry.
I meant Terang not really
like
I'm sorry.
I had the wrong.
You're good.
I've looked at the wrong guy.
So my bad.
So I really listening is like throwing stuff for the radio right now in their car.
Like there's a, you know, there's a Stanley blog being whipped right now at the center console.
Like I know it right now somewhere in
Wisconsin, but.
I mean, both of those guys are fantastic options though, right?
Self-reliant.
He needed to settle in a little bit.
I kind of wonder if he wasn't 100% healthy at the beginning of this year.
I believe he tweaked a back or something and just kind of took a couple of days off and didn't quite settle in for a little while there.
But now he seems to be back to himself.
But Sal has been good.
Sal's been very good for the Brewers previously and Terang as well.
He's been very good as well.
But if you look at him now, I believe
If I'm not mistaken, I believe his on base percentage is like 400 or something like that.
So he's already been flashin' leather, right?
I believe two years ago, he won the Platinum Glove Bests Fielder in Major League Baseball.
But yeah, now that he's added a bat, I think he's bolted a little bit.
I think he's got a little bit more power in his bat.
He's been absolutely incredible for the Brewers, and I hate to...
I don't want to get into this conversation, but I'm gonna bring it up.
The brewers are gonna have to make a decision about another good player, and you can't afford them.
Do you try to sign them right now for a deal that might not be as expensive as it could be by the end of this year, an extension?
Or do you trade early, or do you ride out the whole way through?
I don't want to think about that, though.
Gray, who is somebody that has taken a leap this year for you?
For me it's terrain all the way because watching him feels different you can just sense from a distance that something is clicked and he seems to be in that kind of loop where when he plays well it does something to him that.
Kind of feeds back and it just gets better and better and it really depends for me how I feel in general it really depends on.
How the first bump goes, when something goes sideways, if we lose some momentum, how does he respond to that?
Pick it back up, kind of like Miz did after a few off days earlier in the season, like, hey, if you come back hot, oh.
then you've got me hooked.
I think that you guys are right on the right track and trying is what I meant earlier.
And I think I think what's what's important to note here is I know that every time the Brewers have, especially a position player break out, you wonder, well, is this a future Dodger?
Is it a future Yankee?
And the answer is probably the Brewers aren't going to break the bank for any one position player.
They did that with Kristen Yelich.
And, you know, I think there's probably some regret in that.
Granted, he's a
Franchise icon right and they can hang his banner in the stadium people generally like him But I think that the Brewers have done in order to keep the top players has been much more shrewd and that is they're signing guys before they even get to the majors They're signing these mega eight-year deals to keep guys and a Brewers, you know, I think Jackson Churio You know the other guys that they've done this with where they get them locked in early They they skip arbitration and they go right into a long-term deal and and I think that's where the Brewers have been you know kind of
I dare to say a little bit of pioneers in this because they recognize where they are as a small market franchise Recognizing that the orders probably not gonna break the bank again per guy I mean Terang is gonna be a guy who's in it.
He's gonna get at this point You're talking a nine-figure contract brewers aren't shelling that out.
I just don't see it
No, absolutely not especially wall.
Like you said, they're they're signing guys early.
They've got yelch's contract which
Maybe he would be good enough about it to restructure a little bit to maybe free up a little bit of space.
I don't know that that's really an option though.
Um, Jackson, you're obviously paying a lot for and you're going to be paying a lot for for a long time.
I believe he signed an eight year deal, I think, and I believe those two years ago.
So I think he's got another six years or so with the brew crew.
Um, I don't remember if it's Cooper Pratt or Jet Williams or both who are currently in the farm that have got big signings.
Um,
But that too might be another, that might be another push to potentially pull up one of them for that left side of the infield.
Maybe because you're already spending so much money on them.
And I don't, I don't know what Ortiz's contract looks like.
Jimmy, I don't know if you do.
Well, we're not, I mean, just, just to, just to the point though, rather than diving into the minutiae of like what's in the contract, just to the point, I just, the way the brewers operate is it's not going to be something where
they're going to block into somebody $180 million over five years, whatever it is, and say, well, this is our star.
It's our homegrown prospect.
These are guys that they're going to flip, or they're going to bring in more prospects, and you're going to have the same conversation five years from now for the guys they trade for.
I think I said, they've done a really good job on this in sustaining the competitive
ability of the of the franchise and I think that that model probably can't change for someone For for an organization like the brewers in MLB aware, you know again There's famously not a salary cap or a salary floor.
So this is what they do to stay competitive and stay in this great I'm curious what your thoughts on this because I know for you roster building is
A passion, maybe a hobby, probably both for you.
Just what your thoughts are.
Yeah, I'm really thinking just about that interior left side of the infield, whether they make any moves at shortstop or third base.
Other than that, I'm comfortable with their methods.
I mean, you've got to play a certain amount of small ball when you don't have that kind of money.
So high success maneuvers and
low risk, you don't have, you just can't spend.
So it really kind of feels to me like they're in a straight jacket, their hands are tied, whatever, whatever lingo you want to use.
But what they're doing is working right now.
So it's tough for me to argue with anything when you've got results like this.
There is something to be said, too, though, about they have pushed the right buttons, right?
Like, I don't really know how many misses you can find.
It's not that too, it really aren't a lot.
I mean, and it feels like not only with
how they've acquired players, but also in how they've developed players and manage them once they get to the major league.
I feel like that there's a lot of credit in there with the coaching staff.
Well, and that's really what I meant, Jimmy.
Thank you for saying it much better than I meant.
With the limitations you've got as a small budget team, you've got a shorter list of
tools to try to deal with an opponent.
That's all there is to it.
You've got to find a way to succeed with smaller.
And I think the Brewers are kind of leading the league right now among small market teams in that exact category.
Tough to quantify, but am I crazy?
Am I out of left field on that one?
I don't think so and I think that least the brewers are leading the league in that and not you know, say the Chicago Cubs are leading the league and you know better luck next year, so Oh bad guy, sorry everybody now everybody south of the border throwing things that they're going to break all the car consoles
today
But as a brewers fan, I will say that if you want to find Chicago just like on a map you find Milwaukee then look down So there you go.
I'm gonna leave you with that.
How about that while we end the segment?
on a banger that I saw on a random viral Brewer's fan page on Facebook like three days ago.
I'm going to leave you with that.
We do have some seriousness in terms of sports and legitimacy.
And that is Mike Clemens who's going to join the program and share with us a recap of the weekend sports.
And he's going to do that coming up in our very next segment.
But for now, take a quick break and be right back.
It is make the call part of the Civic Media radio network.
Welcome back to Make the Call on Civic Media.
One final time to wrap up Make the Call here on the Civic Media radio network.
And we have a couple of minutes before we let my Clemens, we let him, we allow him to wrap up the week in sports because, you know, he's our, he's our legit sports guy.
We got to make room for him.
But we'll go to you guys first.
Any final thoughts here on this Memorial Day weekend in sports?
I'm really excited.
I'm going to be heading out to Miller Park.
Yes, that's what it's called.
I'm going to be heading out to Milwaukee on a Monday, a Memorial Day.
Going to be enjoying some dollar dogs.
Dollar dog day, get a lot of dollar dog day at the ballpark.
Really excited to see the Brewers taking on the Cardinals it is.
And I think I'm not positive.
I think I'm going to see Mizorowski pitching, which I think unintentionally I have done.
probably three times in the last five games I've been to.
So
looking forward to seeing the post about the 999 challenge you're about to complete.
So hey, man,
no problem.
I'll do it.
$9 for nine dogs.
Yeah.
Great.
Your turn.
For me, you know, without without personal experience in the military, but with immediate family there, of course, Memorial Day is heavy on my mind.
But
in a positive way, if you will, because it's an opportunity for me to reflect on the opportunities I've had because of what other people have done.
You know, it's okay to have an all right time on a somber weekend.
I just hope people are safe and thoughtful about it.
And those two things in combination, have a good time, do it safely, and keep in mind how it's possible, how it got this way.
That's incredibly well said and that for me will be what my my focus will be on monday Um, you know, I have a lot my I have three siblings that have been in the military both my grandparents Uh, uh, grandpa's I should say, um, you know uncle's aunts So big big military size of my family, but memorial day is one where I don't call them and say thanks It's about remembering the people who have given the ultimate sacrifice on the on the lighter note in terms of sports You'll find me probably with motor sports in the background
I'm boring the heck out of my kids and wife and dogs.
But for me, it's just a way to kind of turn my brain off on a three-day weekend of joy.
But guys, we got to make way for Mike.
Appreciate your time this weekend.
And we'll do it again next week.
Thanks, Jimmy.
Thanks, Jimmy.
Have a good
weekend.
It is Make the Call Civic Media Radio Network.
Mike Clements now with a rundown of the weekend sports right here.
A big week for the Brewers.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with a look at this week in Wisconsin Sports.
Baseball, the Brewers wrapped up in Minnesota last weekend after a series win against the Twins and headed to Wrigley Field in Chicago where the Cubs had a 15 game winning streak going on at their home field.
Game one, the Brewers ended that streak with a 9-3 win over the Cubs, ending their second longest winning streak at home in 126 years, dating back to 1900.
Game two was a masterpiece for the Wiz.
of Mizorowski, who pitched six scoreless innings after his team's offense jumped out to an early lead.
I saw the guys on the other side doing their job.
So it was one of those things like I got to figure out my stuff and do my job on my side.
The
Brewers winning that one five to two the next night.
It was Milwaukee's new left-handed pitcher, Kyle Harrison, who said it was so windy that night, he and catcher William Contreras were convinced the Cubs would not be able to hit one out of the park.
So he threw 64 fastballs out of a possible 94 pitches to toss a five to nothing shutout to complete the three game sweep.
Harrison on the game plan.
Honestly, I was just like, you know, let's blow it in, let's attack these guys and get some flyouts.
And yeah, William was just on the same page and he's like, hey, the ball in the air is now today.
So just kept attacking the tiki eater and tried to stay ahead.
On offense, a crazy play as the Brewers speedy David Hamilton knocked one to center field.
The ball bobbled by the Cubs.
Pete Crowe Armstrong and Hamilton rounded the bases.
And a line drive back up the middle.
That'll work.
Freelick sets around throwing the ball.
David Hamilton hits a base
hit up the middle and gets by PCA and comes all the way around from Hol...
plate to score.
That was ruled a single by Fielder Erre, the Cubs PCA, on committing a costly error a second night in a row.
It's just up to me to turn that stuff around and you know.
I'm saving energy, not going in there and slamming a bunch of stuff and making a scene when I really don't feel like I got that right, too, right now.
Cubs manager Craig Council.
Look, he made a mistake.
He made a bad play.
And it was a costly play.
Ever hit one like that before, David Hamilton?
You know, I probably had one in college, high school, something like that.
But I was hoping it would get out of here.
But yeah, the win was pretty crazy today.
So the Cubs ended up losing three in a row to Milwaukee at the friendly confines and giving up first place
When you don't swing the bats and you don't score a run, a baseball game doesn't look good for your side.
We're in a funk right now and it's up to us to change it.
We're the ones who are going to change it.
This weekend, the Brewers are wrapping up at home against the World Series Champion, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
On Friday night, Brewers catcher William Contreras got the party started early with his first ad bat, Jeff Flavering.
Contreras now.
Fly ball, deep left.
It's going to be a go!
Out of the gate and swinging.
His fourth of the season and just the third allowed by Roblesque all year.
An absolute blast.
The first pitch was a slider.
After the game I asked Contreras, was that his best performance at the plate so far this year?
It's more a question
about just doing my
job.
You know, I went out there looking for a fastball and ready for the fastball and threw a slider there.
I was able to adjust and make good content.
A reporter from Los Angeles asks Pat Murphy after being eliminated in the playoffs by the Dodgers last year,
this Brewers Club hungry for revenge this weekend.
An American family field?
Yeah, I mean, they're hungry to win.
I promise you that.
You know, anytime you can beat the Dodgers.
You know, anytime you can beat the Dodgers, a team of that stature, that's got to build something inside of you about
our team.
NBA, the league, and the Bucks fans have been listening to an interview with Bucks center Miles Turner about players not showing up on time this season under head coach Doc Rivers.
Doc Rivers, he didn't find anybody.
Guys were late all the time.
Guys were, you know, showing up to film whatever they want to show up.
Guys were missing meetings.
Like, it was one of the craziest things I've personally ever experienced.
So
who's the teammate that's most likely
to
be
late?
Giannis, Giannis is going to show up whenever he wants.
So is Doc Rivers to blame for the losing season or Giannis not being ready?
Bucks reporter Jim Ozarski.
Doc clearly thought this was a team that could handle that.
And very clearly they couldn't.
I don't know if he tried as the year went on to bring Reina back in, but at that point you start losing the cat out of the bag.
Did Doc ever lose the team?
Did Doc lose the team?
And I always struggled with that answer because you kind of go with what you see, what you hear.
But clearly, Pete never had the team.
With sports, I'm Mike Clemens.
