Milwaukee Brewers Microbrew

Brewers beat reporter Tom Haudricourt stops by to address the state of the Brewers, who have hovered around .500 baseball lately despite injuries and ineffectiveness at points the lineup. 

What's the long-term prognosis for Orlando Arcia? Why does the team hesitate to use the disabled list option? Is Travis Shaw simply going to have to gut through an injury all year? And since it's July, should fans be restless over the team's first-round draft pick still unsigned, and who's going to make the all-star team?

Then, first baseman Jesus Aguilar chats about his huge season, the opportunity he got in Milwaukee that he didn't get in Cleveland and if he thought that opportunity might be coming to an end in Spring Training when the Brewers had a number of first-base options.

Tom Flanagan, the Brewers farm director, also swings by to talk about the mechanics of his position and discusses a number of intriguing prospects in the organization. With the trade deadline looming, expect to hear these names again soon.

Music intro: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music. Sound effect: WALLA Ballpark Cheer William Tell Overture Organ by AshFox on freesound.org.

Brewers beat reporter Todd Rosiak stops by to chat about another great outing from Freddy Peralta and when we can expect to see him again after a Wednesday rainout pushed back his scheduled start at Miller Park on Sunday. What's next for struggling Domingo Santana and Eric Sogard? What does it mean that Corbin Burnes has shifted to some relief work at Triple-A? Plus: Boone Logan, Adrian Houser and Ryan Braun's thumb. Then, Jeremy Jeffress chats (31:00) about his celebrity dog, Fortnite, his superb golf game, a wardrobe malfunction and what makes Milwaukee such a comfortable home.

Music intro: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music. Sound effect: WALLA Ballpark Cheer William Tell Overture Organ by AshFox on freesound.org.

The special edition of the Brewers podcast features for an extended interview with former Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, the architect behind the 2008 team celebrating its 10th anniversary. Thanks in large part to his midseason acquisition of CC Sabathia, the Brewers snapped a 26-year postseason drought and won the National League wild card that season. Melvin talks about the machinations behind the trade -- including the other team that thought they had its own Sabathia trade lined up. He also discusses the other maneuvers during the 2008 season (including acquiring Salomon Torres), the controversial non no-hitter, the team's decision to fire manager Ned Yost in September, the memorable final week of the season and the legacy of the 2008 team leading into the 2011 playoff run and beyond.

Music intro: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music. Sound effect: WALLA Ballpark Cheer William Tell Overture Organ by AshFox on freesound.org.

The Cubs are headed into town, hovering within a half-game of the Brewers for first place after an uneven Milwaukee road trip. Brewers beat reporter Todd Rosiak chats about the team's recent struggles (and successes), with news of a trade breaking Sunday swapping Ji-Man Choi for infielder Brad Miller. What does it mean for Orlando Arcia? Todd also talks about Chase Anderson's struggles, the return of Eric Thames, Lorenzo Cain's excellence, Jonathan Villar's bounceback and a brief look back at the Brewers' 2018 draft. Then, former Brewers pitcher and current TV announcer Jerry Augustine (31:15) chats about his late friend and colleague Davey Nelson, leading UW-Milwaukee baseball, his role today and what Milwaukee baseball fandom was like in the 1970s.

Music intro: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music. Sound effect: WALLA Ballpark Cheer William Tell Overture Organ by AshFox on freesound.org.

Brewers pitcher Brent Suter (32:00) chats about Harvard, raptors, working fast and homering off Corey Kluber on the Journal Sentinel Brewers podcast this week, and Brewers beat reporter Tom Haudricourt swings by to talk about the ups and downs of Orlando Arcia, the "gut-feeling" call made by Craig Counsell in a big win over the Cardinals, the struggles of the team's top starting pitchers, the looming Thames-Aguilar quandary and more.

Music intro: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music. Sound effect: WALLA Ballpark Cheer William Tell Overture Organ by AshFox on freesound.org.

Brewers beat reporter Tom Haudricourt joins host JR Radcliffe and chats about the first-place Brewers. Just how close were the Brewers to not breaking camp with Jesus Aguilar, who has become the team's linchpin on offense? Could Josh Hader win Cy Young? Will the team explore outside options behind the plate? What to make of Ryan Braun's injury and offensive struggles? Haudricourt discusses that, plus Freddy Peralta, Dan Jennings, Jeremy Jeffress and the looming MLB Draft, after the Brewers' 7-3 road trip.

Music intro: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music. Sound effect: WALLA Ballpark Cheer William Tell Overture Organ by AshFox on freesound.org.

Brewers beat reporter Todd Rosiak joins host JR Radcliffe to chat about Freddy Peralta's remarkable Major League debut on Sunday for the Brewers. The guys also discuss Milwaukee's recent rash of injuries, the hot-hitting Travis Shaw, Todd's recent trip to Appleton to chat with Brewers prospect Gilbert Lara and the struggles of Jonathan Villar. Then, JR sits down with Waukesha's Jarred Kelenic, a Waukesha West product who has been projected as a top-10 pick in the forthcoming Major League Baseball draft (37:00). Music intro: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music. Sound effect: WALLA Ballpark Cheer William Tell Overture Organ by AshFox on freesound.org.

Brewers beat reporter Tom Haudricourt joins JR Radcliffe to discuss the narrative that the Brewers are beating up on bad teams and struggling against good ones (namely, the Cubs), plus discussion on Wade Miley, The Incredible Josh Hader, Junior Guerra, Eric Thames and Eric Sogard. Then, JR is joined by Brewers reliever Taylor Williams (24:00), who missed back-to-back seasons after Tommy John surgery but has made it to the bigs, where's he's a key member of Milwaukee's marvelous bullpen.

Music intro: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music. Sound effect: WALLA Ballpark Cheer William Tell Overture Organ by AshFox on freesound.org.

In a special bonus episode of the podcast, host JR Radcliffe runs down the five best moments of the season thus far for the first-place Brewers. Plus, check out the full interview with Marlins pitcher Trevor Richards (11:45), who worked at the MillerCoors gift shop in the winter of 2016-17, then wound up on the Miller Park mound 14 months later. Also, Lewis Brinson (20:00) -- traded from the Brewers to the Marlins in the offseason -- chats with reporters prior to Thursday's game (and hitting three home runs in the series against the Brewers).

Music intro: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music. Sound effect: WALLA Ballpark Cheer William Tell Overture Organ by AshFox on freesound.org.

Host JR Radcliffe chats with Journal Sentinel Brewers beat reporter Tom Haudricourt (2:30) about the team's propensity for one-run games, whether or not the team should be using the 10-day disabled list more often, if we should close the book on Josh Hader as a closer or starter and what we can expect from 21-year-old Freddy Peralta, who has started fast in 2018 pitching at Triple-A. Plus: is the infield defense something to be concerned about for the whole season, and has Jonathan Villar turned a corner? Then, a chat with Brewers Director of New Media Caitlin Moyer (19:00), one of the driving forces behind the Brewers "Sandlot" shot-for-shot remake video that went viral in the final weeks of Spring Training. She goes behind the scenes to describe the elements that helped the video come together.

Music intro: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music. Sound effect: WALLA Ballpark Cheer William Tell Overture Organ by AshFox on freesound.org.