08-07-25 Thunder At Fair

08-07-25 Thunder At Fair

12 minutes or so. I don’t know, 20 years. What? I don’t know what it’s been. Um I don’t know that I’ve ever worked anywhere where we haven’t gotten cream puffs delivered to the station before the fair. Um and I wonder like I can’t imagine we got like I’m assuming the fair just didn’t do it this year, which is fine. That’s that’s okay. Uh do you are you getting here at all? Do I need to pick you up a three-pack and like get it to you somehow? Like I mean what needs to happen here? I also feel like if you want me to be in this competition next year, I would love to just enjoy them for the first time in that. Have never eaten a cream puff. Have no idea what the texture or the flavor or anything is. Just come in totally naked. Yeah. Yeah. I think that would be the best strategy for it. Honestly, not actually naked. People relax. I meant naked as like never having had a cream puff. No. In inexperienced cream puff eating and then go win the competition. Like how baller would that be? that um I mean 100% baller, right? So no cap. That’s Yep. Exactly. That would be that would be IY Ky I’m already Yes. Exactly. I’m already envisioning like the victory lap and like remember on the softball field when you made that catch and I kind of tried to pick you up like you went for the chest pump and I went for the pickup. I feel like if that happens next year and you win there will be like I’m going to pick you up and like we’re going to run around the entire stage. It’ll be It’ll be like And you’re just going to be like, “Yeah.” Is it Dirty Dancing, right? Or a Foot Loose, whatever it is, right? Dirty Dancing. Yeah. Same same deal right there, you and me. Yeah. Look at you ‘8s movies. This is Thunder at the Fair. My name is Mitch Nel aka Thunder. We are right across from the Milk House outside of the Expo Center. Tons and tons of Brewers gear uh here at the fair today. As you would expect. Brewers off today. Uh no leadoff show. Brewers back in town. Uh tomorrow night. Uh Brewers will be taking on the uh New York Mets. Um who I don’t know what they did last night, but I know they’ve been struggling. They were uh remember wasn’t that the Gavin Williams no hitter bid yesterday and then Juan Sodto homered to end the no hitter yesterday? I did not see that actually. Yeah. So Cleveland Gavin Williams uh was thrown a no hitter and then with one out in the ninth inning, Sodto homerred. I mean so they still lost but they still lost. Yeah, they had no hits going into the ninth inning yesterday. Uh, so I know we want to talk some Packers, but real quick, like I’m I’m not just watching the Cubs, I’m also watching the Dodgers, Mets, Phillies. Like, and I’m cheering when they lose, too. Is that is that too soon? Is that weird? Like, and maybe I’m doing it like I’m not doing it with the expectation that like, oh, a win here and a loss here is going to make everything okay or solve the standings for late September, but I just think like, listen, every game counts and like now we’re in August and every game counts just a little bit more. Am I wrong? No, I think that it’s fair to look around Major League Baseball and especially I have some PTSD that comes with the Brewers in playing in that wildard round. I would love to not play in that wild card round if I’m the Milwaukee Brewers. Thank you. That’s exactly correct. Also, Mitch, like Kyle Schwarber seems like he’d be the coolest player in the world to have on your favorite team. Uh, and I know you had that experience for a little bit. I did for a little just there was a little window there when Schwarber was on the Red Sox. But yeah, he’s the first player ever to hit 38 homers in his first four years uh with a team, which seems like a crazy stat as well. Um but he hit number 40 on a grand slam while MVP chance were going off in Philadelphia. Uh so I like watching Kyle Schwarber play baseball as well. And that’s why I keep an eye on the Phillies. Yeah, he is he is nasty. He’s second in Major League Baseball in home runs. Cal Raleigh, of course, from Seattle at 42. Schwarber’s at 40, Otani at 39, Suarez and Judge tied at 37. Um, amazing that Judge is still tied for fourth even with the time he spent on the disabled list. Like, he’s just he he is nasty. Oh, thousandth career hit being a homer, too, yesterday. Oh, I missed that. Really? Jeez, man. I I I like I feel like I was What was I doing? I I mean, I think the Brewers game ended and I just kind of shut down. I missed all these after that. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it’s just like I was in such a state of euphoria that I just like I lost. Well, all the games were earlier yesterday, too. The Brewers played the night, right? And the Brewers weren’t. Oh, yeah. It was Any idea why they why the Braves don’t do the getaway thing? Don’t I don’t know. No. Yeah, I have no idea why they did that. But, I mean, worked out all right. We got to get another show down at the fair. Sparky hung out for the leadoff show, so that was cool. And the Brewers, it obviously didn’t bother them. So, they get the night game. They get the night game, then they get a travel day. uh right after that and they get the day off till they have to go play the Mets tomorrow. Yep. All right. This is Thunder at the Fair. My name’s Mitch Nel aka Thunder. We are at the Wisconsin State Fair. Uh Andy Herman, a great job on Packad Day Radio and I know you guys uh on the Mason Crosby Show talked a bit of Packers as well. Yesterday, our main focus was kind of that whole, you know, do you play them or do you not play them in exhibition? Um, as the Packers hosting the New York Jets Saturday night at 7:00 at Lambeau Field. Uh, and uh, the the um the thought is that Justin Fields is going to play at least a bit for the New York Jets. They’ve got a new head coach. They’ve got new coordinators. It’s a new quarterback in the system. Um, and my argument for Jordan Love not playing was that he’s got one new guy. like there’s Matthew Golden, but Wixs, Dobs, and Reed, Craft, and Musgrave. Uh, and then of course, uh, the running backs, it’s it’s all the same guys. It’s all guys he has he has a relationship with. He has chemistry with. Um, and so I I’m like I’m I don’t want to be a bubble wrap guy, but I kind of am a bubble wrap guy. I I I’m okay. I Here’s what I predicted uh will happen. There’ll be a handoff. There’ll be a quick out and they’ll be a bomb. And that’s and that’s your three plays from Jordan Love on and if if they end up if the if the series continues, it continues. If it’s three and out, it’s three and out. But that is those are the first three plays for Jordan Love regardless of what happens. And that’s it. Um so I just I I I I don’t think they’re going to put him in any position where he could even come close to getting hit Saturday night by the New York Jets. Just not worth it at all. I completely agree. I I do I did however hear uh and we have some sound from Matt Laflur as well. We can play that eventually here, but pretty much saying that all four quarterbacks going to get some sort of action uh during this time. I have the full presser here. We can react to it as we go if you’d like, Mitch. Sure. Yeah, that’d be great. Here is Matt Laflur speaking to the media earlier today. with uh yesterday like one of the first passes of the day Malik faked Bretton up in the air and then kind of threw it sidearm underneath him. Is that something that you guys teach or is that more of a instinct slashnatural thing for him or how does that work? I mean if somebody’s running at you and it’s a pass play, you’re going to try to do something to get them to react. Now what we teach our defenders is you can never leave your feet. You run right through that quarterback. And obviously we’re not in a tackle situation and even if we were the quarterbacks aren’t live so it’s not really realistic but yeah don’t want the our it was Cox don’t want him to leave his feet and then as a quarterback you got to do whatever you got to do to try to manipulate a defender. I mean, he does it pretty frequently, I realize. I mean, even he told us that some of that’s kind of size related, but is that something that you guys drill a lot with the quarterbacks to? No, not necessarily. I think it’s just it’s kind of innate for a lot of quarterbacks, especially guys that are used to making off schedule plays, um, that find themselves in that situation. I mean, you see it all the time. One thing we do stress is when a guy is out of the pocket and you’re behind the line of scrimmage, we want you to if you can, if there’s no traffic around you, we want you to keep the ball up as long as possible to, you know, remain a threat as a quarterback. The last thing I want a guy to do is if he’s escaped the pocket is tuck the ball right away because now you’re signaling to the whole defense and everybody just by your body language that you’re a runner. All right, Mitch, real quick here before we continue. Yeah. Um, this is now a mediadriven Malik Willis hype, right? Because this is the first question he gets asked. And we had this whole discussion this week how it’s like there’s a contingent of fans who want Malik Willis and then, okay, Tommy, you’re an idiot. You look wrong for this. And then the first question of the presser today is about Malik Willis. Yeah. Um, yeah. Like I I I it it there and and I guess I’d ask like I’d ask Andy Herman or I’d ask Andy Nagler or Aaron Nagler or I’d ask like or Dowski or like any of the reporters in that room like what why is the first question about Malik Willis like what like like what who are you serving there? Unless you’re writing a story about Malik Willis where you’re being completely selfish by taking time in the press conference. And I spent a couple days ago, I don’t know if you heard my rant about Matt Laflur and how like I thought he was a little bit disrespectful in his press conferences about one-word answers and just like he know, you know, you don’t have to be confrontational. Sure. like you can be you can be friendly and he doesn’t sound happy but he’s but he actually in these answers like is giving thoughtful present answers where he’s not blowing off the question but I guess my c again like you said like why are we why aren’t we asking about um Jordan Love even right Jordan Love why aren’t we you know I’d say why aren’t we asking about like Carrington Valentine and Bo Melton and um and Valentine and and and the secondary why aren’t we asking about the any other I mean literally anyone else other than the backup quarterback why you got you know you guys talked about on on packet day radio today how this might be the fastest linebacking core in the history of earth like how about ask about the linebackers and their speed how about ask about the O line how about ask about the white you know any other position besides backup quarterback it’s it’s true like Jordan Love is the starting quarterback on this team Malik Willis is the backup quarterback on this team none of the none of the rest of it matters like whatever for uh Al Algar. What’s his name? Al Gersma. Al Gersma. Uh and and the other kid uh whose name I also Sean Clifford. But I don’t like I don’t need to know their names. Yeah. All right. I don’t I don’t really need to know their name. So like So So why are we why are we like listening to, you know, unless you’re writing a story about Malik Willis, why are we asking questions? Like it’s great that he did this thing in practice where he held the button like he pump faked a guy out of his shoes. quarterback, by the way. Right. Right. Exactly. Um but but what like what I I I agree with you, Tony. Like that that’s a weird that’s a weird um narrative to start the press conference. We can we can continue with Matt Laflur here now. Here he is. Did you feel like Glover was competing pretty well? Yeah, he he’s I mean he’s he was ascending. He’s an ascending player. So that’s very disappointing that um you know we won’t have him. Brenson dropped out yesterday. Is that anything uh long term? He should be back today. Speaking of injuries, given Rasheed been on the sideline now for a number of practices. How do you think Jordan Morgan’s kind of taking this opportunity? Uh some good and then some he’s got to get better and I think you can say that about everybody. So, um, again, he’s a young player, but he’s getting a lot of exposure at that spot. So, with that comes a lot of opportunity. What have you seen at backup running back this week? And I think of Emanuel Wilson and how he made a name for himself in the preseason. That’s a big night Saturday night for those guys, right? Yeah, I think it’s for really every one of our players um to to get out there and I mean there’s a lot of uh there’s a lot that goes into those preseason games in regards to the evaluation process. It’s it’s live football, unscripted looks, unscouted looks, and you want to see how these guys react, you know, trusting their rules, trusting everything that they’ve trained, how they react. I thought one of the things that was good with like family night, first time being in front of that many people and it’s interesting to see how people uh don’t always take what they’ve been training across the street into Lambo and so it’s just another opportunity for these guys. Nice. Let’s stop it there. Obviously, you’re not um you know, I know the question was about backup running back specifically and Matt Lafleur made it a little more general about how everybody has their opportunity and I think and I do think he makes a point about family night. Like family night’s still just a glorified practice, but it is like in front of 60,000 people. It is at Lambo Field, which is a different environment than when you just go out at 10:30 every morning and practice in front of a couple hundred fans. I think it is different and I think that you know yes you’re you’re going to learn more when there’s another team on the other side you’re going to learn more in the controlled practices but it is a good first learning uh um opportunity for some of these uh kids who’ve never been there before. Sure. Yeah. Just to feel some of that juice, right? That NFL juice you you know and no one else can do it like the Packers like that a family night where you can get 59,000 or whatever it was in a stadium uh for a practice. So, I think that even just to get that sort of that vibe around you of playing in front of that many people can only be helpful to the young talent on the Green Bay team. Exactly. Let’s listen to Malfor a little bit coming up. U but right now we’re going to take a break because um you know we talked to Radar and that was great and he is the 2025 celebrity cream puff champion. Um, but we’re going to talk next to a multiple time cream puff eating champion and the current the current champion of champions of the cream puff eating contest, our good friend Dario Melendez from WISN channel 12. Uh, going to join us coming up next right here on Thunder at the Fair on the Fan. This is Thunder at the Fair. 12:50 a.m. 10157 FM. The fan free on the Odyssey app, free on the iHeart app, and free on YouTube at the Fan Milwaukee. You we already heard from Radar who won the 2025 celebrity cream puff eating contest. Well, joining us now is the champion of the championship round of this cream puff eating contest 2025, the one, the only sports director from channel 12 here in Milwaukee, Dario Melendez. I don’t think there was ever really a doubt, right? I never had a doubt when like I the crowd was definitely I was just wondering who’s going for second place. Yeah, I mean it was always going to be for second place. Like Diana Gutierrez, the reigning champ. Well, I guess Radar is now. And then Molly Snyder, who had won it in 2017. There’s some controversy. Did she only win in 17 or she only won in 17? And then I beat her in 19. Yes. So, I mean, so a good little rivalry. So, look, the reason this champions round started was because I was going to compete last year and that was going to be my final year cuz technically I should have won three years in a row, but I had to go on my revenge tour the year before. I was going to win my third and then ride off into the sunset. And the state fair came up to me and they’re like, “Look, we love having you in the celebrity cream puff eating contest, but it goes too fast, so you’re not allowed to be in it anymore.” Like, you’re too good. Like, you’re I’m too good. I’m the goat of cream puff eating. The goat. Nice. Nicely done. So, I hosted it last year and I hosted it this year, but they’re like, “Look, we still want to get you back because you put butts in the stands, sell tickets.” Yeah, absolutely. So, this was the inaugural champions round where past champions competed against each other. And they all heard I was going to be in this year because, you know, I wanted to win my third and then ride off from the sunset and only two only two past champions were had the had the coonies were worthy enough to try to accept the challenge. And look, Diana and and Molly did a great job. I was surprised how clear worthy competition, right? Yeah. And look, I mean, I don’t know if you can tell by my voice, these Canadian wildfires are messing with my allergies. Wow. So, I mean, this performance, this this three peaks, this champions of champions win, it’s right up there with Jordan Flu game. It’s right up there with shilling bloody sock. And now you’re gonna hear Daario Canadian wildfire allergies. Are you um are you are you now done? Are you are you I’m done. I don’t want to do this anymore. Here’s the thing. I think you’ll host it still, right? Like you’ll be I love doing it. It’s so much fun. I am uber competitive about the dumbest stuff. So like I lose sleep over stuff like this. Yes. Cuz like if I’m going to do something, I don’t want to lose. Even if I do lose, like it’s really not a big deal. It’s it’s a celebrity cream puffy contest. Like who gives a rip? I care. Yeah, we all, you know, that’s the thing. Like, it’s so stupid. There’s no reason to take it that serious, but I would have been very upset today if I lost. So, I know you’ve talked to Tommy on the phone, but I don’t know if you guys have met in real life. We already I already got Tommy I I maybe I I don’t know, Tommy, if I pressured you into it. I already got Tommy to challenge Radar for next year. Um because Tommy is also a little bit unrealistically competitive at times. Nice. Like, look, I mean, Radar did a really good job and I was making fun of him the entire time. This was Radar’s 18th time. 18th time. He was a 17 time loser. A 17th. Look, normally when she says no the first time or the second time or the seventh time, you just stop. You It’s not meant to be. He went back 18 times. And it was close between him and Kristen Bry from um from 620. Show 620. She did a great job. She had it. I saw her before. I saw her before and she was like she was fired up and I said she had it and then at the end she laughed like she was almost done looked down and like laughed and did the whole triple H water out her mouth and while she’s laughing radar was slurping. He just kept going. He just kept going. I love it. It’s just like Dory just keep eating. Just keep eating. Um and you had some fans in the crowd. Uh what’s it like having a national ESPN personality cheering for you from the crowd? Oh it’s great. I mean look if I was a loser today I’m a winner when I go home because I have a really hot wife. Oh, can we cut that? Do we have to cut that and send that to her? I just hope she was listening. I’m pretty sure she was not. She’s in the expo. She’s doing pull tabs. She No. No. She She’s doing pull tabs and she’s buying knives and she’s buying a hot tub. Oh, she won $35. Unbeliev $35 of pull tabs. Lunch on wifey, I guess. Nice. Uh, this is Thunder at the Fair. We’ve got Dario Melendez with us. He is the champion of champions. Um, and not the champions of anything yet, but the best record in the history of Major League Baseball on August 7th, 2025. In all of baseball. In all of baseball. 70 and No. No. Today of 2025. Oh, okay. Yeah. Uh, the Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in Major League Baseball. Um, I mean, what what can you say about our Milwaukee Where did you get this picture from already? That’s already Yeah. I mean, oh, we got so we had a photographer there take, you know, taking pictures of Ali and Radar. So, we got a great picture up. If you are watching our our um our YouTube feed right now at the Van Milwaukee, there’s a great picture of Daario just getting after it. I think this is an old photo. Um, but I’m just judging off the form right here. Like this is Oh, this is a Sporkies photo. That’s a Sporkies photo. Do you get to do the Sporkies? Mhm. I host the Sporkies. Can I get in as a taster? I might be able to hook that up. So, I was a judge four years ago of the Sporkies. And if you don’t know what the Sporkies are, let’s just pretend you don’t, right? The Sporkies and Drinkies are a competition between vendors here at the Wisconsin State Fair. This year, 37 vendors submitted, eight got nominated to be finalists. Lubia is literally like you can see them. And like, no offense to Lubia, I’m not a big banana guy, so it was my least favorite thing. Yeah. Well, we all know about you and banana ice cream, but the banana French toast everybody loved. All the judges loved and it’s a huge deal. Like we always joke, a sporkies, it’s just it’s it’s a a fair tradition. It’s corny. Blah blah blah. The winner of the sporky generates $150 $200,000 more per fair. I believe it because people want to try it out. I mean, there’s been a line there. They had to bring out a rope. Yeah. Like cuz the first two days there was no rope and the line was out to here and so they had to bring out a rope so that people could snake in. So I was lucky enough to host But you didn’t love it. I didn’t love the Olympia. My favorite was probably the Mexican street corn pizza. I’ve heard great things about that. Really good. I only cuz I’ve heard who finished second was like the bron. I heard I heard it was not great. I loved it. I heard there wasn’t enough meat in it. It’s probably not. Um that’s that’s what I heard. Yeah, maybe. And you have to realize like it’s hard. You have to massproduce all these things, right? So, you have to you want to get it as consistent as possible, but but not everyone’s going to The preseron brought corn dog, whatever it was, which is right around the corner from here, was really good. Okay. Um the brought rangu the I got to try I got to try the elote pizza. The elote pizza was good. The churro s’more fries were excellent. Okay. Um the breakfast brought was solid. Um but I I All right, let’s get back to the brewers. Um so Brewers 70 and 44. I don’t know if you know this or not, but they’re in first place. Yes. Um best record of baseball. What What like what stands out to you as I mean there’s so many stories. Matt Arnold. I mean that’s what like I got to know Matt Arnold really well when I was part of the Brewers broadcast. What’s up? Exactly. Uh, I remember I think the first time I truly met him, it would have been 2019. We were on the road in Anaheim because the Brewers were playing the Angels. Okay. And there was no, “Hey, Audrey, how’s it going, man?” There was no uh seating uh for the press for some reason. It’s a small stadium. Okay. So, Matt Arnold had his assistant GM suite. So, we’re like, “Hey, can we go sit in there with you?” Spoke for two, three, four hours just kicking it, shooting this stuff. And it was awesome. Like, he was just such a great guy. we’ve developed such a good friendship. I’ll text like I texted him the other day after that win um after the sweep of the Braves like I hope you’re giving yourself a pat on the back. He goes the only pat I have right now is Pat Murphy. So a long way to go. I’m like well played man and pocket pancakes and pocket pancakes. But look, Matt Arnold has done such a good job because yes, the Brewers have some financial restrictions. It is what it is. I understand fans don’t like it. Markazio has been very clear. We have a very certain stance for the way we’re going to do things and until that doesn’t work, we’re not going to waiver. Well, guess what? It’s been working for the last almost 10 years now. So why not keep doing what you’re doing? Matt Arnold’s done a good job selling high, getting out with like look look at the Luis Orias trade. Yeah. A couple years ago. Like this guy was supposed to be the next shortstop. It didn’t work for like a month and a half. We’re done. Get William in here. Move on. Devin Williams, we’re done. Let’s get Durban in here. Corbin Burns, we’re not going to be able to sign you. Let’s get someone else in here. Dale Hall’s been solid. He’s getting back to sure being a solid. And you get Jory Ortiz who’s your starting shortstop. Like every even the Josh hater I know that was David Sterns but Matt Arnold had a part of that like hater it’s taken three or four years for him to get back to that allstar form like he knows when to get out of something like he takes emotion out of it which is hard because that’s why to be honest I thought Freddy Peralta was gone like the and the only reason I say that is because there’s so much pitching depth and you could have got a hall for Freddy Peralta but I think Arnold learned from the hater debacle yeah about the effect in the clubhouse the clubhouse culture it’s just it is what it is because Freddy’s loved I mean Freddy’s a leader in there. Freddy, they all respect him and he’s and he’s and he’s there for the franchise. Like he is. And I always talk about this like and that doesn’t mean he’s going to be a brewer for life cuz he’s probably not. When I was when I was in New York, um the Mets went to the World Series in 15. The next year they had the five the five horsemen or the four whatever it was. Steven Matts, Jacob Deg Grom, Matt Harvey, Synergard, and Wheeler. Yep. Amazing. Like they were going to have an amazing starting staff World Series all the year. Every year, Bartolo Cologne was the odd man out. So, they let him walk. Bartolo Cologne was the glue of that Mets clubhouse. So, the reason the Mets were never able to really recapture what they were in my opinion was because Bartolo Cologne. Clubhouse culture is huge. Matt Arnold sees that it it didn’t go well with Josh her when he left. It’s all about pieces. And look, I mean, I I think Matt Arnold’s been the biggest piece. And obviously Pat Murphy pushing the right buttons, calling guys out when they need to be. um keeping things light while also um keeping guys focused. And Christian Yelich has changed his leadership style. Like Christian Yelich was always very much like a quiet leader. Do as I do, not as I say type thing, but he’s been a lot more vocal. Mhm. And he seems like he’s kind of getting his mojo back. Yeah. I mean, he’s hitting I know I saw some stats where like since May 14th or whatever is he’s fourth in batting average and his his on base percentage is way up there. Well, it’s like Bron. So, Ryan Bronn used to say this all the time. When I’m struggling, I try to go the opposite field. Opposite field. Like I try to go opposite way. Let the ball travel through the zone a little bit more. Put bat on ball. Drive it to right field. Yellow is doing that, but obviously the opposite. He’s a lefty. And you see that now like when Christian Yelich is doing well, he’s hitting the ball the opposite way. And that’s what he’s really covering the entire field. So, it’s August 7th. There’s still, let’s see, 70 and 44. What’s that? 114 games. There’s still 48 games left of the regular season. and then knock on plastic table playoffs and all those sorts of things. like what how do you manage expectations on August 7th knowing how good this team is playing right now knowing that there are still 48 games to play knowing that you know Miserowski will come off the the injured list and and whatever pieces fall however they fall Hoskins will come back whatever happens there yeah Churio uh what how whatever this team’s going to look like is not going to look exactly like it does today how do you manage those expectations with like oh my gosh they have the best record in baseball this amazing. Like they’re unbelievable. First off, they’re not peaking because they’ve been doing this for two months. This is just who they are. They’re a good team. Yep. They play baseball the way it used to be played where you get on base, you put pressure on on opposing pitchers, you play good defense, you pitch Yep. good baseball. Um the only thing I would warn against is the stretch of the Brewers are right now with these teams and and they’re doing what they should be doing. They’re sweeping teams that are bad, right? Yeah. The Cubs are going to have this stretch down the road in September. The Cubs have all these cupcakes and the Brewers start getting some better teams. Now, that said, the Brewers are still the best team in baseball. Also, when the Blue Jays play the Brewers, it’s the Blue Jays having to beat the best team in baseball in the Brewers. You’re going to have to win series. Don’t worry about sweeping. Win series cuz the Cubs are going to have this um Nationals and Braves all in September and some and these Pirate games. The Brewers are doing a good job right now stockpiling these wins because they’re not going to come as easy when we get to September. Sure. That said, I mean, Pat Murphy just he says it the best, like don’t don’t let the situation become too much for you. You need to bear down. You need to focus and you take a game at a time. And that’s really been the motto within that clubhouse this season. Well, and that’s what there was an article that came out in the athletic today um by a national writer and I had a national writer from the USA Today on the show a couple days ago just because I’m like I’m trying to get what the national view is on the Brewers. And one of the quotes that was in there was that after the trade deadline, Pat Murphy apparently wrote down on a piece of paper, he wrote down quiet, less is more. And like in in his way dealing with like, oh, we didn’t make a trade for Suarez or or another big bat or or you know, and and which I wish they did. Like it’s hard for me to question Matt Arnold because he’s done such a good job. Yep. My only worry is that when you get to the postseason and some of these younger guys feel the pressure for the first time, you’re not going to have a veteran like a Suarez or a Jos River who you could have unloaded a couple pitcher like top prospects that I control for 2028. Um, but that said, I mean, I think Pat Murphy’s done a really good job of keeping everybody calm. I just need them to stay out of the wild card round. Yes. Yeah, I think we all round has brutal. Arizona, Atlanta, uh, Washington. Um, all those teams, they go to the World Series, right? Right. I know. I know. I know. But, but it it I think I think fans will echo what you just said, Dario. Dario Melendez, uh, WISN channel 12 joining us on Thunder at the Fair. Special programming here on the fan uh, throughout the Wisconsin State Fair 11 to2 live here at the fair. Um and and we you know I think fans would echo that is that you know stay out of that whatever you can do however and and listen there’s 48 games left. We have no idea how that’s all gonna play. It’s I was just telling Tommy that I’m not you know I don’t know if it’s too early for scoreboard watching but I don’t care. I’m not watching the Cubs. I’m watching the Cubs. I’m watching the Phillies. I’m watching the Mets. I’m watching the Dodgers. Like I’m watching everybody because I just want to know like for dayto-day where the Brewers stand. not just for best record in the league and and in in the division, but also compared to all the other division leaders. Well, they swept the Dodgers like totally swept the Dodgers, which is swept the swept the Phillies the Phillies. I would like them to go into that Cub series up five to six games. That’d be great. So then the series really doesn’t mean anything except for the Cubs trying to chip away, right? And if the Brewers, let’s say, lose three to two, you lost one game, you’re still four games up. I don’t think anybody would be too upset with losing that series 3 to2. It’s the question if one if one team wins four to one or or if you know 5, it’s a that’s a huge turn. Dario Melendez joining us. Uh we’ve been talking uh Brewers, we’ve been talking about Cream Puff Champion, the champion of champions, Dario Melendez. Um let’s talk a little bit about the Green Bay Packers. What’s uh what you know there’s a game Saturday night, but it’s you know it’s a Yeah, exact. Thank you. That’s that’s how I feel about it as well. Um what with all the storylines coming out of Green Bay, um it all at the end of the day it’s quarterback, right? At the end of the day, the Packers go as Jordan Love will go, right? Well, that’s every team. Yeah. Like I always say, like you show me a Hall of Fame coach, I’ll show you a Hall of Fame quarterback he had 98% of the time. Y like Yep. Every team is predicated You either It’s two things. You either have to have a great quarterback or a generational defense. That’s how you win in the NFL. Yep. Yep. like it just that’s just how it goes. Um I I think for me it’s Matthew Golden and the receivers. The receivers are always going to be the question for me just because they had so many drops last year. They had so many issues with man coverage which is weird because they’re all kind of shifty. They’re all quick. You would think they’d be able to get off a press especially after the year before which was the rookie year and they were doing such a good job with it. Um teams make adjustments and now it’s time to see what they can do. Matthew Golden. Do you think part of the issue last year was mental? Do you think the guys got like almost like we know Dobs got in his head at some point during the season, but it kind it almost felt like they all got in their head at some point in the season? What do they call it? The theory of more like once good things start happening. That’s why you can’t have like dynasty teams because once you start winning, everybody wants a little bit more, more respect, more of a role, more money. So, people start leaving. And I think these receivers, seeing that there’s no clear number one last year, they all wanted to be that number one. So, Dobs was getting upset that he wasn’t the number one. Watson was getting upset because he wasn’t the number one. Jaden Reed was in his head, so he was trying to make catches he couldn’t make, right? And then you you have the kind of the quarterback rotation because uh Jordan Love was hurt so much. Um I I think Matthew Golden’s the real deal. My only concern is like they’re all six feet and under. Yeah. Like they’re they’re not like when I tower over the receivers. Um and with all due respect, like you’re a big dude, but you’re not that big. But I’m not 6’1. I I wish they would have gone out and gotten like a possession like a Keenan Allen. Yeah. Like a 6’2 63 guy that’ll run that nice 10 yard dig just sit there and and it’s it’s what Watson does. Like people don’t realize how valuable Christian Watson is. He just stretches the field so much. And when you don’t have that vertical stretch, it just compacts the the secondary uh the windows, I should say, so much. Everything now is this way. It’s horizontal instead of vertical. And you can guard horizontal, right? Unless you can start getting some rub routes going. But it’s hard to cover vertical because vertical is where you get those big windows where guys like Jordy Nelson and Randle Cobb. Like Jordy Nelson, you take the top off. Randle Cobb, you work on the fat part of the field. Exactly. And that’s what Christian Watson was so valuable doing. And you’re obviously not going to have him this year. What are you working on over at uh channel 12 right now? Is it just all Brewers Packers or? Yeah, Freddy Peralta had his baseball camp today, so we would talk to him. So, we’ll have that tonight at 10 and six. And then that’s a good day off activity. Oh, for the Brewers. Yeah. And Freddy’s great. I mean, I remember I think 18 he made his debut and uh being one of the first ones to interview him and he was like such a shy kid. Didn’t speak much English, but he wanted to do the interviews without a translator. Okay. Okay. Which I was like, that’s really impressive because like a a lot like even William Cont, right? He’ll do it every now and then, but like William Conturus like wants to make sure he gets the questions right. He doesn’t want to like misspeak and have his words taken out of context. Freddy’s like, “No, I I want to I want to do it the hard way.” Yeah. So, I I’ve always loved Freddy Peralta. Um but yeah, we’ll talk to him and then uh tomorrow Brewers back at home. All right, Dario, congratulations. No surprise. No one is No one here at State Fair is surprised that Dario Melendez is the champion of champions. I just felt bad that I had to put those ladies those nice ladies in their place. But you know what? It was a good competition. It was a fair competition. That’s all you can ask for, right? Exactly. Right. It is what it is. So, thanks so much for jumping on today. He is Dario Melenda, sports director, channel 12. We’ve got lots more to get to. Uh more from Packers Practice today. Of course, just talking Brewers and uh you know, how bought in are we, how excited are we, how we try to manage those expectations and all sorts of news and notes from the world of the NFL and Major League Baseball. And uh we’ll make sure Tommy is buying his own smelling salts from now on because they will no longer be provided by Sparky. Sparky will no longer be able to provide Tommy smelling salts. Tommy has to buy his own. Sorry, Tommy. My name’s Mitch Nel aka Thunder. This is Thunder at the Fair on the fan. And welcome back to Thunder at the Fair. My name is Mitch Nelis aka Thunder and we are at the Wisconsin State Fair. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely beautiful, beautiful day here at the fair. The cream puff celebrity challenge was today. Our very own Radar from 99 won the mix, won the uh normal uh competition. Our good friend Dario Melendez won the champion of champions competition. It is currently 87° here at the fair, but feels like 93. Thank goodness for tents and shade. Uh there is a quick thunderstorm potential uh in the 5:00 hour. Um but that should pass very quickly. Uh the rest of the evening should be in the uh high70s. I would say it’s just going to be a great night here at the fair. So get here uh if you don’t have plans to do that. Our thanks to Dario Melendez for jumping on the show. Always good to catch up with him, get his perspective. Um Tommy, I feel like it would have been fun for you and I you and me. I don’t know to go to Freddy Peralta’s baseball camp today. Like I think we would have had a good time like throw the ball around, you know, make some plays, show off a our defensive acumen a little bit. Yeah, I agree. I you know, if I I did mislead a little bit, you know, if you eliminate running from a sport that I am elite at it. I can run too. I can run a little bit. That’s right. Yeah. Yeah. You can you can do a little bit of everything. Yeah. I try to just Yeah. I try to just be sufficient in all places as opposed to exceptional in any place. I like that. I like that about you. Um, we’ve got Scott Grodsky from CBS 58 coming up at 1:00. He’s going to jump on and, uh, we’re going to talk all the things with him. But before he comes on, uh, we got a little more Packers news and notes to get to. Our good friend Andy Herman on Twitter, Andy Herman NFL, uh, shares this, uh, tidbit that I thought was really interesting and wanted to, uh, uh, discuss it with you, Tommy, and with our fans. 414-6771250.414-6771250. Nicollay Law fan talk and text line. You can give us a call or you can shoot us a text. Uh yes, Nixon and Hobbs aren’t practicing in team, but Bone Melting getting the full day as a starting CB with the Ones is wild. Unreal how far he’s come in such a short period of time. And I agree that is absolutely wild to me that a guy who’s been a wide receiver his entire career in the NFL shows up to OTAAS and like dabbles with the quarter corn quarterbacks comes to training camp changes his number fullon changes position and is now again your two starters are out so he’s not really a one but to have Bo Melton practicing with the ones today at training camp, two days away from a game when the Packers are playing a preseason game against the Jets where you got to figure Bo Melton is going to get a lot of playing time at quarterback. Tommy, this is wild how far Bo Melton has come. Uh how how athletically gifted he is, how much belief the team has in him. I mean, I I don’t know that anybody could have like first of all, I don’t think a lot of people could do this. Um, but second of all, like I I I just don’t know how you even accomp like if if you’re him, how you accomplish this. Yeah, I might I might just turn this into a hater segment. This Oh, do it. Let’s go. It looks like a bad look for the Green Bay Packers in my mind. I I just I I understand you got two of your top corners out of practice for the day. So, obviously, you’re going to get some bench depth into playing time. Y, but they didn’t draft a corner until day three. and Bo Melton starting now on games where you have two corners down. That seems like they a bad mismanagement of the roster to me. I I And you know what? I hope Bo Melton is the best quarterback in the NFL this season. I I am not praying on his downfall by any means. No. No. This isn’t about Bo Melton. I have a very hard time believing that two guys go down and Bo Melton is now the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. You want him covering Jordan Addison if he’s covering the number two on a team? Uh, no. No, I don’t. I don’t think I do, Tommy. I got to be honest. I understand. That’s not what I want. At least at this point. No. It sounds like, you know, you can learn a lot as being a corner from being a wide receiver in the NFL. For sure. Maybe there is something to that. But by no means should the Packers be in this situation where a guy who was playing receiver for them last year should be the cornerback when two guys go down in training camp. Yeah. I I I I agree with that concept. Um, but I am I guess I’m a little more like excited for Bo and not seeing it at like the 30,000 foot Packers view that you’re looking at it that like this is not this does not look good for the team if Bo Melton is practicing with the ones. I’m more like you go Bo Melton like you got you got and you took the Andy Herman approach. I did. I guess I did. He’s so sunny and sisky. It’s true. He is sunshine. Um, Andy Herman also talked about that Kaylin Kaden did make a great break up of of a great play. Uh, you know, it was it was a go route and it was a good ball from uh Malik Willis, but Kayn King had a great uh pass breakup. Um, other news and notes uh from Andy Herman. Rashan Garry got a sack in one-on- ones against Jordan Morgan. Uh, great there. Oh, no, not in one-on- ones. In full team practice, it was great coverage on the back end. uh forced love into either a checkdown or a coverage sack. Uh and Rashan Garry got to him. Uh and then there was another great coverage uh by the defense and a coverage sack by Kenny Clark. Um, at what point, and maybe this is a bigger question for Andy Herman, at what point do we have to stop the storyline that the defense is ahead of the offense and the offense has to just start doing something like like the like it seems like it’s still like we started 10 days ago and the defense is still making play after play after play and the offense is still not making plays. At what point does the offense have to at least show something that they’re not being dominated by the defense? Well, and that’s why I also point to I talked about it with Mason today on his show that Jordan Love should get a series on in the preseason. I I really believe that I don’t want him to play a quarter. I don’t you know, even if the series goes bad, don’t wait till he has a good series, but I I do have some belief that the defense has uh somewhat of an idea of how the offense is implemented for the Packers. Right? when you’re playing against your team, you kind of know how your offense runs and there might be some tells and you can cheat a little bit when you go on those tells, but can we validate that by giving them some time against a different team, please? Because otherwise, yeah, I’m getting a little nervous that we’re 11 now, almost 12 days in to Packers training camp and the offense is continuing to struggle and the defense looks like they’re the 85 Bears. So then the question is Tommy is how do you validate that and how do you get that experience without getting anybody hurt? And I think that because that that’s that’s the only storyline really that matters in preseason football is keep your quarterback healthy. So, how do we figure out where where the offense can actually show what it’s doing against a different team against a team that doesn’t know what’s coming? And how do we do all that and make sure you don’t get hurt? Mitch, when you’re driving in your car, wear your seat belt, right? I mean, don’t don’t not wear your seat belts. That’s that that’s how you can help protect during these moments with Jordan Love. I’m not saying open up the whole playbook. Let’s have a couple of handoffs. If we get to third down, maybe a nice little play. You don’t need the playaction roll outs. You don’t need to do anything too fancy. Just something that would be, you know, validating. He can run the offense and the offense when they’re on the same page can be productive. I I I I hear you. Uh and what you said logically makes sense. Um I think I just I just worry a little bit. I I’m I’m sorry. Travis Glover just got hurt in practice. He was going to play in preseason. He was definitely going to play. He just got hurt. He’s going to miss the entire year now for the Green Bay Pack for the year, right? Yes. Cuz he’s heading to the IR. And when this uh when you go on the IR in this stint, it means you’re going to miss the rest of the year, right? I mean, these are moments that can happen at any time. And I understand you want to limit those ability like you want to limit those chances for people to get injured because ultimately it’s the best product when you have the ones out there all the time and they want that to be in games that matter. I understand that completely. But at what point is it like a little bit of an ego thing with these guys where it’s like I’m too good to play in the preseason? Because we have seen since they got rid of that fourth preseason game how sloppy week one of the NFL looks and we’re going to watch it no matter what and we’re going to have a great time while we watch it at that too. But I don’t understand why you wouldn’t give them one series against at least a different opponent whether or not they’re playing their ones as well. And I believe that, you know, we even talked about it today as well, like if you’re not on your second contract, you should be playing a quarter at this point in the pre like if you have your second contract and you have a lot of money invested, you know, and you’re just saying at some point in the preseason, not whether it’s the first game or the second game or the and the third game is mostly for the reserves, but whether it’s the first game or the second game, you should be playing at least a quarter. Yeah. Just some if you’re on your first contract for the most part. Yeah. Jordan Love, play one series in game one. play one series in game two, don’t play game three. Okay, that’s my that’s what I would like to see at least. I I’m not against that. You heard what I predicted. I think that first series will be handoff, quick out, bomb uh and and a quick throw on that bomb to avoid any contact and then see where where that where you end up after those three players. I know it’s kind of a hard discussion to have, but you would also hope that there would be some sort of gentleman’s agreement on that, like, hey, can you not destroy our first string quarterbacks or whatever? And I know it’s not possible. D linemen Dlinemen are going to get dirty. You know that. I know it’s not a possible conversation, but it is also it just doesn’t make sense. Like, we might as well just have preseason be seven on seven. I I trust the Jets 0%. Yeah. when it comes to not trying to hurt my quarterback just because they’re such a scuzzy organization. Is that a word? Can I use that? I don’t know if I’m allowed to. Am I I didn’t dump it. So, you’re good. All right. So, so, so be it. Scott Grdsky, CBS 58 is going to join us coming up next. We’re going to talk more Brewers. We’re going to talk more Packers. Um, because that’s what we do here. We talk sports. Uh, in case you were wondering, Spock sports here on Thunder at the Fair. My name’s Mitch Nell. on 1250M 1057 FM or on the Odyssey app as well. Uh and not just the Odyssey app, but the iHeart app and really wherever you listen to your podcast, you can always search the Mason Crosby Show or Wisconsin Sports Daily. If you want to listen to any of the shows that you love here, uh just find us on your favorite appbased um your favorite podcastbased app. Click that it’s your you know that you follow it and that you enjoy it and you’ll get every minute of all our shows. Uh, and don’t don’t forget, uh, let’s see. Um, where did I write this? Is this the wrong one? Yeah, it’s the wrong I clicked on the wrong link. Um, Tim Dillard today at 3:20 on uh, Wisconsin Sports Daily served up by Wendy’s right here at the fair. Sparky will be here from 2:00 to 5:00. Uh, FanDuel Sports Network brewers analyst Tim Diller today at 3:20. Yeah, Mitch, he’s also going to be at the fair with Sparky as well. That is the recent development. Yes. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Breaking news. Tim Dillard at the fair. Yeah. So, come say hi to Tim Dillard while you’re at it, too. Yeah. Tug on his beard for good luck. Um, wow. That is really I might have to stick around for that. Tim Dillard’s going to be here. Wow. That changes everything. Uh, this is Thunder at the Fair on the fan. It’s time for Thunder at the Fair with Mitch Nellis. Broadcasting live from the 1250 a.m. and 1057 FM the Fan Studios powered by the Podawatami Sports Book. This is Thunder at the Fair 12:5 a.m. 1057 FM the fan. My name’s Mitch Nel aka Thunder on 11 to 2 today and tomorrow which is Friday. Although not for Mason Crosby. Today is Mason Crosby’s Friday. Man, it must be nice to be Mason Crosby just hitting golf balls and Thursday’s Friday and doing your thing. Tommy, I feel like we should get in a car right now. drive up to Onidita Country Club and just like just have him like get us all the good food that they have there. Mitch, you know that if you kick in the NFL, any day can be your Friday if you want after that. That’s really true. He lived like 20 years of Fridays. That’s That is a great point. He had like 17 days a year that mattered. The rest were Fridays. 17 Mondays. Uh 347 349. uh uh Friday. So, and a couple leap years pierce in there. A couple leap pers. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Maybe just throw in a couple leapers. Uh so, um yeah, we’re having a great time. Gator Bites were on the menu today. So, good stuff with the Gator Bates. Had one bite of a cream p cream puff last night. It was pretty good. Uh joining us now uh on the fan guest line uh presented by Gruber Law One Call. That’s all. Uh our good friend from CBS 58 here in Milwaukee, Mr. Scott Grodsky. Scott, thanks for jumping on, my friend. Happy to do it. I’m uh I’m a little distracted right now, though. I’m trying to figure out the mental math you did in your head and make sure you’re right. 349 plus 17 is 366. So, I think I was off by one. 348. Yeah, I got a leap year there. Yep. Tommy was right when he uh when he called me out for the leap year there. Yeah, I was close enough. I was told there’d be no math got the idea, right? Exactly. And like the life of a kicker. I mean, come on. uh aka the life of a golfer. Um basically one or two games where you didn’t have to do anything except kick like an extra point or two. Right. Right. Like there were those games too. So he had like 17 Mondays and then he had two or three of those Mondays that ended up being like surprise day off Mondays. So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We we’ll make sure to remind him of all this on Monday. Um Scott Grosky, CBS 58 joining us here. Uh we are at the Wisconsin State Fair. Scott, do you get to the fair at all? Do you have any favorite uh favorite foods or favorite things to do here at the fair? Yeah, I mean I I think I uh just the the generic ones, the uh cream puff and the the fried turkey leg are the the two I’ll go to when I go. I haven’t gone yet this year. Okay. Yeah. I mean, the cream puff’s a great one if you like it. Um I I although the more people I talk to people, I don’t even love the cream puff, but I just feel like do it anyway. Yeah. I am I am uh I am a one bite of a cream puff every year. I literally take the top of a cream puff, I will use it as a scooper. I will scoop some cream and I will take one bite and then I’m done. Like I don’t need anything else. I did take the three-pack home last night uh cuz Mrs. Thunder wanted a little bit and we had a buddy coming over for dinner and he had a little bit. We still have two in our fridge. So if you need uh if you need one uh or if anybody needs one, I don’t know, you know, I mean they last pretty well when they’re in the fridge, but we should probably get on those. Uh the turkey leg I walk by every day. I literally walk by the turkey leg stand every day. I’ve not done that one either, but like that one is calling to me for sure. So, I’m going to I’m going to see what I have. Just be ready. It is It is huge. Yes. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. It definitely is. Uh well, we’ve got, you know, we’ve got some great things to talk about right now. and and uh you know big picture-wise when you when you get into TV sports and you realize that you’ve got like what two or three minutes a night in general to tell the local sports story of everything that’s going on and some years your teams are good and some years your teams are bad. Like do you ever do you ever think like man I hope I end up in a market or I hope I work for a job where where the sports teams are are fun and interesting. Like how do you how do you how do you manage like yes you take the job in the next market that’s bigger that that you’re going to take versus like I want to be in a market where where I either like the sports teams or they have good sports teams. How does how does that all factor into career decisions for a a TV sports anchor? Yeah. I mean I think it depends on where you are in life. When I was younger it mattered more to me what I was covering and to make sure that it was, you know, fun good stuff covering. Now it’s Milwaukeee’s home. I’ve been here. This is going to be my 10th Packer season. So, um there’s there’s other things that matter, but it it’s I’ve been very lucky and we all have been very lucky that throughout the 10 years I’ve been here, I you can count the bad teams that Wisconsin sports have had, especially pro on one hand. Uh I mean, we’ve had a pretty incredible run. And unfortunately, I’ve also, you know, covered, I think, four NFC Championship losses, uh, the NLCS loss, uh, all the other exits for the Brewers, the conference finals collapse against the Raptors. Like, I I’ve covered a lot of heartbreaking losses, but you have to be good to get there. And it’s always fun on the ride to get to that point. And then, you know, the 2021 Bucks Championship uh, healed a lot of my personal wounds of being there for brutal losses because that was awesome. Yes. Yeah. So, so you know, and again like uh a a city, a market like Milwaukee having that type of success, you know, I think we look around the country and and we know the success Boston’s had in the last 20 years, uh since 2001 really with the Patriots, um and some other markets that that are much bigger and have had a a real lack of success. like what what does it say that Milwaukee Wisconsin market number whatever it is has had the type of success and I’ll include the Packers in that but um but with the Packers the Brewers Bucks you know I know the the the graphic came out a couple days ago about you know since 2020 Milwaukee has the fifth best winning percentage of any city or whatever it is uh like how how does that how Milwaukee why Milwaukee I mean I I think it starts with really good front offices and really good structures behind pretty much all of these teams. Uh obviously with the Bucks, there’s the bonus of having Giannis, and that’s in the NBA, you have a guy like him, you’re only going to be so bad as long as he’s healthy. Uh but especially for the other teams, and this doesn’t include the Bucks, too, who found a guy like Giannis found a guy like Chris Middleton. Uh even Brook Lopez when it seemed like his career was over within a year or two. Uh, all these teams have these ingrained cultures and they pretty much build up their guys throughout. Kind of like Brian Gutakin was with the Packers for a long time before he got that job over two other guys who were also with the Packers for 15 20 years. So, I I think there’s a lot of building from the ground up and having these same kind of values and qualities that they’re looking for in their uh athletes. It doesn’t help or it doesn’t hurt that uh all the teams have pretty darn good fan support. um which can help with the finances and the sports where there’s allowed to be some wiggle room. Um I I think that’s a big part of what happens. And it’s also it’s not just the the pro teams. I mean current Badgers football is not where you want it to be, but otherwise for 30 years Badgers football has been incredibly consistent. Badger basketball has been incredibly consistent. Marquette basketball has been pretty darn consistent, too. Scott Grosky, CBS 58, joining us on Thunder at the Fair on the Fan. Uh let’s let’s start with our Green Bay Packers and uh you mentioned you know this is going to be your 10th year covering the team and so you’ve seen a number of NFC Championship game losses uh and some other playoff losses as well. Um how big how much pressure is there on this team to a make the playoffs and to at least win a playoff game if not if not go even deeper into the playoffs? I think there’s a lot of pressure on this team to make the playoffs. I think right now there’s not much pressure on them to win a playoff game. I think it’ll depend. The pressure to win a playoff game is going to be either building or uh lowering. I don’t know. Uh depending on how they do in the season. They they make it another 9 and 8 10 and seven season. There’s not going to be a ton of pressure. If they go 14 and three and lose in the first round, people are going to be apoplelectic. So, uh I I think right now this is a team that should make the playoffs, but they’re not in the same breath as the the Lions and the Eagles right now. there’s not those level of expectations. I think that if they do make the playoffs this year and lose in the first round again, then they start to have the pressure the same way that the Cowboys with the the Dak Prescott era, they didn’t really have a ton of pressure at first and then when they kept losing in the playoffs right away, then it started to to add up. I think once you get past year three of Jordan Love, if they’re still a first round exit, then then you start hearing about it. Uh, and so, you know, I agree. I but I I think there might be a little bit more pressure on them um this year to and I think it depends on what the NFC North looks like. Um, I know with so many changes with, you know, the Bears are supposed to be better and split and should have frankly should have swept the Packers last year. Uh, with the Lions losing both their coordinators, with the Vikings, now they’ve lo losing Jordan for three weeks, but also having a a firstear quarterback. Um, I think that, um, I I just, you know, in my in my in my positive side of my brain, I’m like, man, the Packers should really make a move this year. Like, they they should be there versus like, all right, but but are they really that good? Are they really good enough to be that team? And I’m a little torn on like what what the what the ceiling should be the expectation wise for this team. Well, I think a good thing for them is the same thing that’s true for the Bucks. They’re in the right conference. The staff teams in the NFL are in the AFC. So, the Eagles obviously as the defending champs are the team to beat and they look like a juggernaut, but you know, the NFC East changes first place winners every year. So, we’ll see what happens there. The Lions, I’m not as big into the, you know, Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn are gone, so they’re going to be terrible. I I don’t think the coordinators are as big a deal as people are making it. I still think they are going to be a very good team, but other than that, I mean, you got the 49ers who are coming off a down year. Assuming McAffrey can stay healthy, they should be better. Uh, but I I don’t know that there’s anyone who really scares you. Uh, if you’re a Packers fan, and even the Lions, who I do think are better than the Packers as a team on paper right now, it’s not like I think they’re, you know, the 1980 Olympics take a miracle to beat them. like the the Packers could beat the Lions like 45 times out of 100. Scott Grodsky, CBS58, joining us on the Fan Guest Hotline presented by Gruber Law. One call, that’s all. Uh Scott, where do you come on on the uh discussion of the uh the the bubble wrap discussion? Do you play your quarterback? Do you play your starters during preseason? Do you play them a series? Do you play them a quarter? Do you not play them at all? Um, and especially starting with Jordan Love. What are your thoughts about this Saturday night against the Jets at Lambo? Yeah, I mean I I know the NFL seems to be trending more and more towards week one players playing in the preseason. I would probably do more week two uh and then sit for week three. I I’d want to play it maybe a quarter uh unless it’s like last year and they have a 70 yard touchdown in the third play. Uh I think a few a few years ago when they just got crushed by the Saints, we sort of saw what can happen if you play no one in the preseason, right? Um so I I I’d like to see all of them out there a little bit, but I certainly don’t think someone like Jordan Love needs to be out there for a whole half. And I would say probably whether it’s week one or week two, I’d probably play him one game and then call it. Uh what about, you know, we we’ve all talked all preseason about the wide receivers and and Matthew Golden specifically. Um, do you think he needs some reps? Um, and you know, cuz he’s, you know, one of the things people talked about whether it’s Jordan Love or or playing in preseason is chemistry and and and Jordan Love there, he doesn’t he’s got chemistry with literally everyone on the offense. He’s the only person he hasn’t really played with is Matthew Golden. I mean, he’s played with the wide receivers, the tight end, the running backs. Um, what experience does Matthew Golden need at the NFL level in preseason uh to get ready for the regular season? Yeah. Well, I’d like to see him be out there for every rep that Jordan Love takes uh and that the starters take. Even if he’s not going to be in every down player, which he should be, but even if he’s not, I’d still put him out there for the preseason. And then I’d probably give him another quarter or so with Malik Willis. Uh and obviously that’s not a matter of chemistry. That’s just a matter of getting up to speed and real on a real NFL field with real NFL defenses. And it it’s I I’d like to see him get a little more than if he’s, you know, Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson towards the end of their careers where they didn’t really play. Scott is he should be there for all the love reps. The important thing is all love reps. He should be out there. I agree. Any other storylines you’re keeping your eye on, especially uh with regards to Saturday night uh Lambo, Jets, Packers, 7 p.m.? Yeah, I mean, I’d like to see how the offensive line holds up. But it sounds like the Jets are going to be playing their starters, especially early. Um, I think that’s going to be important to see. And then you you have to be looking at the quarterbacks. And I don’t know that the Jets are the greatest test for quarterbacks. Uh, Garrett Wilson is obviously very good. Uh, Justin Fields and the rest of their quarterbacks are not. So, I I don’t know how much of a test you can get there, but I I’ll I’ll keep an eye on that, too. Nice. Nice. Yeah. I think, you know, I I I vacascillate between like I I’m I’m interested in every question that we all have, but I’m also like, man, preseason football is just hard to watch sometimes. Like, it’s just Yeah. I don’t unless I’m unless I’m covering the game, I don’t usually make it past the first half. It’s hard to do. Yeah. And I And I I mean, I know that like, you know, like our good friend Andy Herman at Packad Radio, like he’s going to be tweeting the whole game, and so I’ll be able to follow it through him. Um, and I want to know what’s going on with some of these guys. And I know that with the bigger practice squads now, more guys are relevant than used to be. Um, but it’s just like it’s it can be a tough watch at times in that second half, can’t it? Yeah. No, I mean, I’m I’m perfectly fine with Andy Herman and uh the rest of the the great guys on the Packers beat telling me how Omar Brown did in the second half. I I don’t need to see it firsthand. Three interceptions this Saturday night in the game alone for Omar Brown in the second half. He’s taking over. All right. That if he does it again if he does it again today or Saturday, then yeah, you know what? Put him in. That would that would be something. All right, let’s go from the Packers to our Milwaukee Brewers. Um because I think um you tweeted something like um Andrew Vaughn is the greatest brewer of all time. Um yeah, and and today you might today you might be right. like he like he he is he is I mean I I can’t even fathom like what is go how is this even possible? Yeah, I I started that on like the first his first game when he had the first uh key hit and then I’ve re-uped it like eight times in the last two weeks. Uh he’s he’s Prime Barry Bonds. It’s it’s incredible what he’s been and uh and Isaac Collins to not get lost in the shuffle either. The two of them have been just otherworldly. And you know, can they do this in October? I don’t know. Uh but man, it’s fun to watch while they are doing it. It really is. And I think that’s the hardest thing as a Brewers fan and as someone who’s watching every game. Like how do we how do we balance like how good they are on August 7th and how unbelievable this team is playing and how they’re playing the right way and they make you I love the the quote uh that Aaron Naggler said on our air yesterday. They make you play baseball against them like a and and how do you balance all that with like it’s still only August 7th. There’s still 48 games left. Weird things can happen. Weird things will happen. Something will go wrong. Something will go right. Um and and how do we like prepare ourselves for that that just because they have the best record in baseball over the past week and probably will for a few more days if not even longer. like you don’t win a trophy for having the best record in baseball at the beginning of August. No, I think you just enjoy the ride while you have it. Uh and see where it takes you. There’s there’s really only so much you can do and like you said, something bad is going to happen. It already has for a bunch of the Brewers. They’ve dealt with a ton of injuries. They’ve had a bunch of issues and it they’ve found ways to recover from all of them or thrive with all of them. I mean, Reese Hoskins went down and that was that seemed like a pretty big deal given what the roster construction was. if he doesn’t go down, we don’t know that Andrew Vaughn’s the greatest hitter in MLB history. So, good point. Things have things have happened and they’ve found a way to work out. And as for will this be sustainable in October, I I don’t know. Uh we’re going to find out in October. I mean, we’ve I’ve covered nine years, 10 years of Brewers baseball, they’ve had some really good teams, and when it comes to October, sometimes those teams have come up short. It’s they’re short series a lot of the time. I think it’s good for the Brewers if they can get out of the wild card and get out of the three game best of three games. Yes, please. Um but uh once they once they do, if they do, you don’t know what’s going to happen. All it takes is a couple players in the other team getting hot. And as much as right now Andrew Vaughn and Isaac Collins look like the MVP and the rookie of the year in the National League, I don’t know what they’re going to do in October. And I don’t think there’s going to be anyone who’s going to be going into, you know, uh, game seven of an NLCS saying show Otani and Andrew Vaughn strike the same amount of fear in you, no matter how good, no matter how good he plays down the stretch. Yeah, I tend to agree. How Jackson Cheerio comes back, too. Yep. No, you’re Yeah, you’re absolutely right about Jackson Cheerio. Any any news on him? Like what do Do we know? Is there a timetable yet for him? I don’t think there’s really a firm timetable. I think it was 2 to four weeks was the last thing I heard. So, I mean, he he should be fine in time for when it really matters. It’s nice that the Brewers now have a cushion to where it’s not the end of the world. And Jacob Miserowski seems way less serious than that. He seems fine. Yes. Not not serious at all. That just getting him his uh load management, which I think is the absolute right decision by this organization. Scott Grzky, CBS 58 Sports, joining us here on Thunder at the Fair, 12:50 a.m., 1057 FM, the fan. He’s on the Fan Guest Hotline powered by Gruber Law. One call, that’s all the question we were asking everybody yesterday. I wonder what your thoughts on this. I’m I’m I don’t know if I’m officially worried. I don’t know if worried is the right word. Um, but I am officially like keeping my eye on Freddy Peralta. Um he’s not he he’s always been a guy who has not been able to go uh deep into games. Um he’s been a bit of a nibbler. He’s had that issue in the past and it seemed like the first half of this year before the All-Star break, he had broken through a little of that. I mean, he still wasn’t going deeper than six innings in most games. But the five starts since the All-Star break, 554 and five innings, uh 332 and four walks. Um, I’m just like I I’m worried that they need they need the best Freddy Peralta if they’re really going to make some noise in the playoffs. And so I’m a little concerned that we’re not seeing the best Freddy Peralta right now. Again, knowing that you don’t need to see the best Freddy Peralta on August 7th, you need the best Freddy Peralta on October 7th. Yeah, I I think keeping an eye on it is the right way to phrase it. I wouldn’t say worried unless this was September 27th. Um I I think it’s definitely something to monitor, but I also think in the playoffs he’s not going to have to do a seven games uh seven inning start. Uh and this this team has just an incredibly deep bullpen and it gets deeper once you get to the playoffs and you throw Canana in there or whatever they end up doing out of the starters cuz Kintana’s been great all year too and consistent. So if Freddy only pitches four innings in game one and game four of the series, fine. As long as he pitches those four innings well, you’re good. you can you can take care of the other five. They have a very good bullpen. They’re going to have Miserowski back too. Uh Priest um and Woodruff, obviously. So, they’re they’re in a good position to where if their starters don’t go seven innings, they’re fine. I I think that’s fair. Um although I know I saw the stat last night that they uh that with Canana going six last night. I think the Brewers are now 31 and6 when their starters go six or more innings. Um so part of me wants to I don’t I don’t know that you want to stretch them to that if but if they’re at 5 and a third, five and two3 and they can finish off that inning. Um you know you still you don’t want to you definitely don’t want to overwork your bullpen in August because you’re playing every day if not more than that. As we know there’s five games in four days against the Cubs. uh you do get a little more rest in the playoffs. So, that is a good point about the bullpen. Well, and I do think there’s a couple of things with that um that skew it a little bit. First of all, if they’re going six, it generally means they’re going to have uh what Kanan Gerbe and uh Miguel coming in to to finish it, which is about as good as you’re going to get like they did last night. Y yeah, but also the stats a little skewed anyway cuz if you’re if you’re going through six innings, that means you didn’t get pounded early on. So, you’re you’re going to have a better win loss record anyway. It’s not like he gave up seven in the third inning and then went six. Yeah. No, I think that’s fair. That’s a good point as well. Uh Scott, uh what do you I know you know the Brewers obviously uh a top of the list. Packers playing Saturday night. Top of the list. What else you got going on? What else you cooking up at CBS 58 right now? Yeah, Brewers Packers are uh top of mind. We had something with Danny Jansen on yesterday as he joins the team as a Wisconsin native. And then uh just talked to Nate Sneed who’s down in Arizona with uh the Angels at their camp. Uh third round pick, first day draft pick. Uh so is he was he South Milwaukee or Bay View? Where was he? South Milwaukee. South Milwaukee. Okay. And he played at Tennessee, right? Yep. Yeah. He did Witchah State for a year and then Okay. Tennessee for two, including the national championship uh two years ago, which he uh he pitched throughout the World Series there. So, uh, got a 101 fast. You’re not going to see him in the minors or anything very likely this year, more just getting accustomed to the MLB and pro baseball, not just MLB, professional baseball lifestyle, but you’re going to see him in the majors at some point. Um, he’s he’s got the arm for it. And that’s one of those fun things I think that again, as we started the conversation about, you know, you ending up in Milwaukee and, you know, Southeastern Wisconsin’s always very proud of its own. Uh so like a guy like Nate Sneed when he gets to the majors or high MA minors uh it’ll be fun to watch him from you know as being like one of our guys uh even though he’s not doing it for one of our organizations but he’s from here uh you know the the good Midwestern values all that sort of stuff. Yeah, for sure. And I think as you’re talking about how consistent and how good, like, but going back to the start of our conversation, Wisconsin area um sports have been professionally, it’s also gotten on the prep level to a whole different level, especially with baseball. Wisconsin never used to be some hotbed for baseball, and it’s still not California or Florida or Texas. Um but I mean, you’re you’re starting to see whether it is a Danny Jansen or Nate Sneed, Mitch Voit, who’s also drafted in the second round this year. Um I you’re starting to see more and more of these guys get their shots in the majors. Love it. Scott, thank you so much for taking the time today. Uh enjoy your day and uh we’ll be sure to be watching uh CBS 58 uh for all the latest on uh all our local sports and hopefully we’ll keep the winning going. Sounds good. All right, that is Scott Grodsky joining us here on the Fan Guest Hotline powered by Gruber Law. One call, that’s all. If uh you don’t know, the Milkhouse is sponsored by Gruber Law and David Gruber is here right now. So, if you are trying to get your picture taken with a Milwaukee celebrity, David Gruber is in the house right now at the Milk House. What are we going to do to get David Gruber in the cream puff eating contest? Like, is he not a celebrity? Like, what are we doing? I I don’t I I’d be I’d be I’d be um I don’t think he’d be interested in it. I might talk to his son Steven though who is the next grouper in the line of gubers. Uh and uh Steven actually played D1 hoops. Actually David did too. Um they both are are very strong basketball players. Uh David now I don’t think he plays basketball anymore. He plays a lot of tennis. Um I don’t know how much basketball Steven still plays but I’ll bet he still plays a little bit. Um but uh you know good basketball family there. I might uh you know what? I’ll go ask him. I’ll go see uh if uh if David wants in next year, but uh you know, everybody next year is just playing for second place because uh Tommy Strongman Wartz is uh the one who’s gonna is going to win the win the title next year. See, you’re taking down Radar next year, right? Yeah. I mean, well, he won’t be in it, right? He’s going to be in the champions round from now on. Oh, that’s a good point. So, Radar’s got another year before he can be worried about it. That’s fair. That’s nice. Nicely done. Our thanks again to Scott Grosky jumping on. Uh when we come back, lots more still to talk about. Lots of news and notes around Major League Baseball, around the NFL. A Vikings shirt. Haven’t seen a lot of Vikings, Gary. I got to be honest. All right. That’s all right. That’s okay. I I like purple, too, but I don’t wear I got purple shoes on, but I’m not wearing Viking stuff. It’s all good. It’s all good. Yep. No, we can see. Absolutely. Uh so, all that and more. My name’s Michelle, aka Thunder. 12:58 a.m. 1057 FM the fan. Free on the Odyssey app. Free on the iHeart app, free on YouTube at thefan Milwaukee. This is thunder at the fair on the Damn. This is Thunder at the Fair. My name’s Mitch Nel aka Thunder. We are here till 2 and then Steve Sparky Feifer takes over with Wisconsin Sports Daily served up by Wendy’s. Tim Dillard will be here at the fair. We’ll be with him right now scheduled at 3:20. That should be a blast. Uh and right now, if you are here at the fair or on your way to the fair, uh David Gruber and his son Steven Gruber are at the Milkhouse presented by Gruber Law. One call, that’s all. The root beer is the best. It’s not even I don’t think it’s even a debate. I don’t think it’s even close. The root beer milk is absolutely the best. The other flavors are okay, but root beer is the goat. Yeah. I mean, it’s just like drinking a root beer float, right? I mean, it’s exactly what it tastes like. It’s always been the best. I I never I didn’t get to try anything uh over there when I was down there. Um because I was getting there pretty much later when all the the the fun had stopped basically. What does that even mean? Like like all the food things are still open, right? Yeah. The mood thing like you like if you’re on here 5 to 6, like you can’t go over to the milk house at 6:00 and get some milk. What are you talking, you know? I mean, I am uh just say just say I’m Tommy and I’m a hater and I don’t like doing fun things. It’s actually more like I’m Tommy and I’m a weirdo because like fair you know I just remember when I’m in like work brain like I don’t eat while I’m here. I don’t I I have coffee which is weird and I’m here all day like I don’t it’s just like it’s I want to separate those two things. That’s not a thing to separate, bro. Like you can separate things in your life without separating food from livelihood. I understand. I understand. I was actually really under I I I I was a little upset with myself because I did want to try the cherry. The chocolate cherry. Actually, if you like chocolate cherry, it’s really good. I prefer just chocolate. Like they got to like I don’t care what new flavors you’re going to have every year at the Milk House. You got to have chocolate milk. You just got to have chocolate milk. It’s got to be chocolate milk. They do not have chocolate milk. They have chocolate cherry milk. Um and it’s it’s good, but I don’t I don’t It is It is good. All right. Um, I have kind of a not not this is this is not a serious topic, but I just wanted to get your take on this uh real quick, Tommy. Remember a couple weeks ago, maybe maybe it was a month ago, uh, the Brewers announced that they had a special Jacob Miserowski t-shirt coming out. Mhm. You remember that, right? And um, like I thought it was okay, but it didn’t it didn’t blow me away. It wasn’t like, oo, I need that shirt. I What do Do you remember what you thought of it? Yeah. know the shirt like it’s cool that it had the little red design for the Parkinson’s awareness on the side, right? Which is his which which I there was just a press release that came out yesterday uh that he’s doing some official work for the Milwaukee chapter and like it’s great. It’s great that he’s getting involved. Awesome. Awesome to be involved in the community that quickly. I think that is great. Yes. I did think the shirt was kind of mid. I I said the shirt should say the mid instead of the miz on it, you know. Yeah. Yeah. I I I agree. All right. So, a a press release came out uh I I want to make sure today today is Thursday, August 7th, right? I got the email at 10:11 a.m. Um, so you guys would have gotten this right in the middle of the Mason Crosby Show. Uh, and I had a chance to look at it. I think I texted the picture to you and Mason. Uh there’s a new t-shirt that the Milwaukee Brewers have announced Tuesday, August 26th when Milwaukee takes on the Arizona Diamondbacks for the first 10,000 ticketed fans. So this one’s even less than usual. Usual most giveaways are 20 or 25. This one is only 10,000 ticketed fans through the gate will receive an exclusive Andrew Vaughn t-shirt. Uh since Vaughn was uh acquired by the Brewers and called up from Triple A Nashville, uh he is second in the majors in RBI. He’s hitting 377 with seven home runs in exactly 1 month. Fans are encouraged to arrive early. The gates open 90 minutes before first pitch. Um, this shirt as opposed to the Midm Miz shirt is absolute fire and I am concerned that um 40,000 people are going to show up at Amfam Field 90 minutes before this game and just stream into the gates like like the crimage board, but even even more so. Am I am I off base? Am I am I on to something here? What what’s going to happen with this shirt, Tommy? Yeah, it’s going to be a popular one, I would say, for sure. Um, especially with just the buzz that the Brewers have right now surrounding them because every game it feels like is being sold out at this point and everyone’s back in ready to go to uh Brewers games this summer. I don’t know. I I just like King Vaughn seems like a weird nickname for him. And you know, it’s like a play on the old rapper like as well who passed away like and I I don’t know. It’s just like I actually thought that the better name for it would have been Unvaunted playing onto the Undaunted. Undaunted. Okay. uh Get Up, Get Out of Here and Vaughn was also another one that was pitched, which seems like that one working perfectly into this season with Bobby obviously too and it and especially with the the tribute to Bob Uker weekend just that weekend before Friday, Saturday, Sunday and then that Tuesday night to kind of keep those good vibes going. I that’s what I was looking at. So, and I think King is a that’s a Are people calling him It is. It is. Are people calling him King Vaughn? Like, is that a nickname he has? That is what the Brewers tweet out like every time he homers. Really? Okay. And pay more attention. That’s That’s like I I don’t know. I just think that’s a strong That’s a big one to live up to. I agree. That’s like like you got to keep hitting 377, hitting seven home runs every month, having an OPS over,00 if you’re going to be the king. So unbaunted would have been The shirt is awesome. Like the shirt is super cool. For sure. design looks great. It’s cool. I’m just like I like that it’s gray and it’s not white. Yeah. All right. So, that brings me back to the original question I had at the beginning of the show. And the one of the questions I had at the beginning of the show was with all the success that the Brewers have had. Who are you nervous about that might not be able to keep this up for the next 48 games and into the playoffs? Is it a pitcher? Is it Is it a position player? Is it a new uh you know someone newer to the team? And not that I’m putting words in your mouth um because I think we all right we we all are operating with a level of nervousness that Andrew Vaughn can’t be an 1100 OPS guy for the next 48 games plus if when playoffs happen like like and I think we’d all be happy with 900. I mean 900 would be 900 is allstar ops. Yes. Um but but he you know it seems like time after time in the past month when they’ve needed a big hit and he’s come up he’s gotten it and I and there have been times he hasn’t like he’s not perfect. Um but is there is there a nervousness that exists that when you start this hot and this good that that it’s impossible to keep it going at some level? I don’t I don’t want to say impossible because I will say 1100 maybe impossible. Sure. But as far as being a quality and reliable bat in the lineup, I don’t think impossible is a fair word. I think that at this point it’s been a long sample size, a large sample size of 22 straight games now for Andrew Vaughn in which he continues to perform for the Brewers. like he was the best player on the team in the month of July. I don’t think that’s a doubt and that is more than just hot right now as Daario was talking about it as the team itself like a good month is you can ride that into something with the Brewers and I can’t remember now if I talked about it with you but we just named a bunch of different examples of guys who have done the exact same thing on the opposite side of the Brewers in a trade as well who I think I talked about it with Andy Herman at the back end of it. Uh but okay, like Nelson Cruz was on this team and then he gets traded away and becomes an all an all-star Hall of Famer if he’s not popped for peeds, right? Gary Sheffield, same thing where he leaves becomes an all amazing player. Orlando Arcia, Alcitis Escobar, uh Lorenzo Kane, like that’s just off the top of my head. And these are all guys who were traded when they were young, when they were not necessarily given up on in all cases, but they went on to their next team and did very well immediately after. And maybe the Brewers just have one going their way. Mitch, um h I got to think about that concept. I I I hope that that is the case that they just have things going their way now. You’re Braves guy, right? You’re bra, you know, somewhat braves guy. Yeah, absolutely. Did anyone think when Orlando Arcia got brought in he would be starting the All-Star game at shortstop? No, definitely not. I mean, I I think I think a lot of people thought that he was a pretty good player and and was a major league quality shortstop. Um, but not starting an All-Star game. I agree with that. I do think a lot I do think there were a lot of people who thought Lorenzo Kane was going to be who he was. I agree. But but but I think you know back to this Brewers team. Um I just I you’re nervous because it’s foreign. That’s why it’s just never happened. And because it’s not guys with a track record like Isaac Collins batted third last night. Yeah. Like they had Caleb Durban batting lead off against a lefty uh you know a couple days ago. I mean Isaac Collins is arguably having the best season on this Brewers team. He is. You’re absolutely right. I mean, you look at you look at team ops and he is right up there and it’s like how and he keeps he keeps doing better and he keeps doing better and I just it it boggles my mind that that this is our reality that Isaac Collins has come in and like he he made the team as like a backup infielder outfielder and in his in his career he’s been a third baseman and they put him out in left field and not everything like take everything he’s done on offense aside like he’s an above average left field def left fielder defensively at a position that did you have these same emotions and feelings with terra and freelick last year last year um that they’d be able to continue it for the yeah because you know terrain I think you know defensively I think is is a much easier thing to maintain like if you’re good defensively you are good like That’s not a fluke. That’s who you are. Off offensively, I feel like more often we’ve seen guys come out of the gates crazy and then level off or even or even worse than level off, just really struggle because they got hot or that you know that the league hadn’t figured them out. I mean, so with his night last night, Blake Perkins did pass Isaac Collins and OPS. Um, but Isaac Collins has an 828 OPS and eight I mean with like over 250 at bats, right? Like I was actually doing the math. I was trying to figure out like how far away he is from qualifying for league leaders because I don’t know if you know this or not, but Sal Felic is third in the National League in batting average at 298 and Isaac Collins is at 292. like he’d be tied, I think, right now for seventh uh in batting average. He doesn’t quite have enough plate appearances to qualify, but if he plays regularly the rest of the year, he might get there. I mean, he’s hitting 292 with a 392 on base percentage, a 436 slugging, OPS 828. He only has seven home runs. He only has 12 doubles, so he doesn’t have huge power numbers. Um, but he’s, you know, he’s got 67 strikeouts in a league where Jackson Churiel has 95, Christine Yelich has 126, Reese Hoskins still has 85, Bryce Drang has 98, and Isaac Collins only has 67 strikeouts. Like, that’s a crazy low number for Major League Baseball right now. Well, and Mitch, now like getting into this argument as well, are you nervous about how crowded this team could become very fast? because No, I’m not nervous about that at all. Well, we were talking about it with pitching and pitching kind of worked itself out and Drew did say that usually these things do tend to work themselves out. Yep. Yes, they do. But now, let’s just throw Jackson Cheerio in the equation. Okay, we don’t even have to talk about Reese Hoskins coming back. Yeah. Blake Perkins. Blake Perkins is out of the lineup. That’s all. And then And then who’s playing center field? Jackson. Jackson’s playing center. Why? But you you know he plays better in corners, right? So, um, potentially at the end of games, in a close game, Blake comes in at center and Jackson, uh, you know, replaces Collins at the end of games. Okay. Now, and now think about Reese Hoskins. Has Reese Hoskins just lost his job? He’s not going to play again. Um, now you’re talking about moving Yelich to the outfield and then you got to take another outfielder out, right? Um, so I’m not talking about moving Yelich to I mean, I think Reese Hoskins plays three games a week. He plays one game at to a th um maybe two games a week. Um maybe one at first base. Uh one in left field. But he’s a very vocal culture culture leader in this clubhouse. I love him in the clubhouse. I think he every game he doesn’t play, he gets an at bat in. He pinchits in every game. Um and and that’s who he is now. Like you can’t I mean if Van’s OPS was 900 you could talk about they both get to play. As long as he’s at,00 plus Van’s every day. Van is every day whether he’s DH or first base he is every day. Um I actually think Yelich might not be every day at this point. Like Yelich can get a day off here and there. Well he he’s hitting 260. He’s hitting 260. His OPS is 785. Yeah. If it’s a playoff game, Reese is out. Reese is out of the game. Really? That’s who your pick is if Ree is not playing if it’s a playoff game. Listen, he’s been out for a month. Um, Yelich’s DH and then your outfield is something of Felicio and Collins. Yeah. Yes. That that’s your best team right now. I agree. I I think so. It’s just I don’t know if that’s the direction the Brewers go. I think it is. I think it is. I think um the way Pat Murphy manages and the way this team goes and I don’t know what that means for next season and I don’t care what it means for next season. I think that you play especially when you get to the playoffs. You play your best lineup and if your best lineup is a guy Isaac Collins who nobody had ever heard of before this year, Isaac Collins is in there. And if your best lineup means Reese Hoskins isn’t in that lineup, Reese Hoskins isn’t in that lineup and he can still be I mean and and Pat Murphy has to manage it. That’s his job as the manager. You manage your team. You manage your personalities. You make sure Hoskins knows that he’s first man up. He is first man off that bench. And if they need a pinch hitter, if they need to do a lefty righty with Yelich or or if they or and I don’t know what Colin splits are, lefty and righty, who cares? Um or if you need to do a left right or if you need to do a lefty righty split with Freelick Hoskins, you are the pinch hitter. you’re probably not staying in the game because we need a different outfielder to fill in or however that ends up working. Um, and you be ready because it might be fifth or sixth inning. Like it might not be eighth or ninth inning. Felick might only play four or five innings because we might need that. We might need that righty. Just feels like you’re getting cute at that point. Getting too cute at that point. I think I think you play I think you play your best matchup at all times. Well, we got to hit one more break here, Mitch. I don’t have to I don’t have to do anything on a line. Tommy, you don’t you’re not you’re the boss of Mason. You’re not the boss of me. Okay. Okay. Okay. I’m just messing with you. He’s Tommy WZ. I’m Mitch Ellis aka Thunder Sparky and Wisconsin Sports Daily served up by Wendy’s coming up next here. But right now, you’re listening to Thunder at the Fair. All the Brewers gear in the house. Everybody’s a Brewers fan at the Wisconsin State Fair. You’re listening to 12:50 a.m. 1057 FM. The fan This is Thunder at the Fair. My name is Mitch Nellis aka Thunder live from the Wisconsin State Fair powered by our friends at the Padawani Sportsbook. Steve Sparky Feifer is up next. David Gruber and Steven Gruber are working the milkhouse right now. Well, they are handing out milk. Uh, so if you are here and you are grabbing some of that just delicious root beer milk, um, or the other flavors, it’s up to you. You’d be wrong. Um, but it is the root beer that you should go with. Uh, go grab that at the milk house. Off night for our Milwaukee Brewers tonight, uh, Tommy, we do have three NFL matchups tonight that I know you cannot wait for. Uh, the Colts are at the Ravens in the battle for Baltimore. these two franchises. You throw out the records, it doesn’t matter if it’s preseason, when the Colts, who spurned Baltimore, play the Ravens, who are from Baltimore, man, the the the hatred that permeates this matchup is just um I mean, how how much drip would Johnny Unidas have had if he was wearing purple and black, though? All the drip. Yeah. Right. Right. My uh my my almost 14-year-old nephew uh keeps texting me. It’s his birthday in two weeks and he’s like, “I just need Bucks gear that has drip.” I’m like, “Well, I got to get you purple then.” Yeah. Yeah. Fair enough. I mean, right. I just got to go purple. Bengals. Yep. Bengals and Eagles are playing tonight and Raiders and Seahawks playing tonight. So, uh, three matchups tonight. And of course, the Packers will play Saturday night 7:00, uh, taking on the Jets. Um, preseason football. You all in, Tommy? You, uh, you glued to the TV tonight or what? Yeah. I mean, some people are calling it a Super Bowl preview between the Bengals and the Eagles tonight. So, I’ll be locked in. No, I I Joe Burrow is going to play three quarters, I think, tonight, right? No. Yeah. I I am going to refrain probably from a lot of preseason football other than the Packers. Yeah. Fair. Yeah. As as as it should be. Um again, an off night for our Milwaukee Brewers. They’re back at it tomorrow. uh their home against the New York Mets and and the Mets have been scuffling a little bit recently. So, I’m interested to see what type of energy they come into uh they come into American Family Field with because I feel like the Mets just as a franchise are one of those teams that’s like, you know, almost like the Phillies too, like built on emotion and and when things go poorly for the Mets, they like spiral out of control immediately. That’s like the whole city of New York 0 to 60, right? New York always does that with their teams. When the Knicks are hot, like it’s amazing. The town’s crazy. When the Jets and Well, the Jets are never good, but when the Giants, you know, go out and win Super Bowls, like everyone freaks out, but it’s a lot of sadness when it’s not going well. Yeah. No, I I totally agree. So, we’ll see what the Nets the Mets can bring uh to Milwaukee uh tomorrow night. Um and Tommy, I know um I talked about this a little bit with Charlie. I don’t know if you guys talked about this with Mason. Do you guys talk about Mike Vrael at all? Uh how he just like went in to fight people yesterday. Like do you love that? Do because Charlie loved it. And I feel like you got to love that a head of NFL football coach got into the scrum and ended up bloody and just like went after it. I mean, let’s just call it how it is. Dan Campbell wants to be Mike Rabel. Amen. That is that is 100 right there. I totally agree. So you’re you’re you’re all good with that. Like if you if your coach gets in that scrum. The only question I have for Charlie was like if you’re college or you’re high school and that happens, I get it. But like Mike Frabel’s making what, like 5 million a year, like 5 year, 25 million. Is there something to be said for like yeah, you’re a football guy, but you’re you’re also a a millionaire who like should act like a businessman in some ways as a football coach in the NFL. Couldn’t couldn’t disagree more with this take actually because I was just throwing it out. I don’t know if I buy it. I’m just throwing it out. I’m just wondering. I I’m all about if you want to preach something, do it yourself, too. Right. And like what’s more motivating than when you have a guy like that who’s supposed to be leading you, telling you how to do all these things and and execute toughness and he is the, you know, personified toughness. That’s fair. Uh Tom, tomorrow’s show, can we just do three hours of Shador Sanders just like the Shador Sanders preview show? Because he start Yeah, he’s starting tomorrow night. Like I mean I think it’s Sador’s World now. Like we have we have officially transferred to Shador’s World. Yeah. I uh cannot wait. I’m I’m all in. All right. Nice. Um our thanks to Dario Melendez who won the Champion of Champions Cream Puff Eating Contest. Our thanks to Radar from 99 Won the Mix who won the 2025 celebrity cream puff eating contest. Scott Groudsky from CBS 58 for jumping on the show. Tommy Warts as always doing an awesome awesome job. No leadoff show today. He’ll be back tomorrow at the leadoff show. Coming up next, it’s Wisconsin Sports Daily served up by Wendy’s with Steve Sparky Feifer. Tim Dillard will be in the house. I’m looking at David Gruber right now. One call, that’s all. You’ve been listening to Thunder at the Fair on the Fan 12:50 a.m. 1057 FM. Remember, we’re on the Odyssey app. We’re on the iHeart app. We’re wherever you listen to podcasts. Just search the Mason Crosby Show, Wisconsin Sports Daily. whatever show you want to listen to, click follow and listen to us on your time as well, whenever you want. It’s the best. And we’re live on YouTube at the Fan Milwaukee. This has been Thunder at the Fair on the Man,

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