This week there was so much news happening, I could add hundreds of things to the junk drawer.  So in honor of March Madness, these are things that I am putting in the junk drawer to forget.  Here are some things I am “Mad” about and deserve to be junked.

First Handful of Players Re-Assigned

This bugs me because I wanted to see more of a couple of these guys.  Primarily, I think it is madness that Brock Kjeldgaard did not get more time.  Brock was sent to Huntsville Alabama, along with pitcher Cody Scarpetta.  Then, it was Taylor Jungmann and Jed Bradley who were designated to minor league camp. That was not surprising beacuse those two have never even pitched in the system.   Anderson De La Rosa was the 5th player and he followed Jungmann and Bradley to minor league Summer camp.  We hardly had any time to see these guys, but clearly the organization does not think they are ready.  Therefore, I am forced to accept this, but it does not mean I have to like it.  This also sucks for Colin Bennett, who picked Kjeldgaard to follow this spring.  Sorry pal.  Better luck next season. 

Oct 4, 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Shaun Marcum against the Arizona Diamondbacks during game three of the 2011 NLDS at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Shaun Marcum Is Still Not Pitching

This is frustrating for a few reasons.  Part of me wants to believe that he is genuinely having issues, but the Satan part of me thinks that he is milking it a little bit.  Why would he do that?  Shaun was clearly bitter that he was open to a long-term extension and the Brewers apparently were not.  Now, I do not doubt that he has some tightness in his shoulder.  That does not mean that he is not milking this thing for all it is worth.  Why would you risk injury in Spring Training, when you need to be pitching for a contract?  Just think about it for me.  It makes sense.  But, Marcum has been working with Rick Kranitz and was scheduled to throw off of a mound today.  So maybe I am blowing this out of proportion.  It wouldn’t be the worst thing ever if he started the regular season healthy. 

Brandon Kintzler Needs Nerve Testing

Kintzler had X-rays on his forearm earlier this week.  His discomfort was initially self-diagnosed as a screw moving.  Last season Kintzler had surgery to repair a hairline fracture in his arm, which involved a screw.  It is possible that the screw is still the root of the problem however.  Brandon now believes that the screw could be “pinching a nerve”.  If you have never had a pinched nerve, it is terribly uncomfortable.  It does not hurt necessarily, but it certainly is not something you enjoy.  This is good news however.  Hopefully this is something he can recover from and we can get some innings out of him.  Guy has good stuff, it would be a shame to watch him sit on the shelf for another season. 

John Axford Gets Into Politics

This may sound absurd, but John Axford has publicly thrown his support behind the highly controversial Stache Act.  If you do not know what I am talking about, follow this link.  This glorious movement was sent to me by an old friend, Shawn Anderson of The Hall of Very Good.  For those of you who do not know, Shawn is an avid baseball fan and a member/writer for the American Mustache Institute.  The AMI is responsible for this glorious piece of legislation.  You should really educate yourself on this.  It is one of the more genius things ever and I am not surprised that John Axford is on board with this.  Thanks Shawn. Oh, and for the record…nothing about this makes me “Mad”.  I just felt like it deserved some love.

**Special Note** Shawn and I will be doing a pre-season chat soon, so be on the look-out.  It is gonna blow your mind. 

Not related to the Junk Drawer, but the Brewers won today over the Padres 6-4.  Taylor Green hit a 2-run homer, Chris Narveson looked pretty sweet, and Tyler Thornburg has now thrown 5 consecutive scoreless innings.  That win puts us at .500 on the Spring!!!   Whooeeeee!!!!

Go Brewers!!

Oct 5, 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez (right) celebrates with teammate George Kottaras after hitting a two run home run in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during game four of the 2011 NLDS at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

In 2011, the Brewers went to great lengths to fill their bench with aging veterans to help the team.  From what I saw this off-season, the team ran out of money, so they could only afford one or two old guys.  From my personal standpoint, this is excellent news.  Veterans should be starters, not bench warmers.  You need to have the young guys getting some opportunities to play in the big leagues, thus your bench should be littered with promising young talent. 

Over the past few seasons, the Brewers have gotten away from that.  Thanks to K-Rod and some well deserved raises, the team did not have the funds to add three to four players worthless players to fill the bench.  Since that is the case, lets meet the some potential bench candidates for the 2012 Crew.

So, here are our options and who I think will be on the opening day roster.

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