THE BREWERS AND THE DEFLATING BALLOON

"I can feel it coming in the air tonight"---Phil Collins.

"You didn't even try....How does that feel?"--Buddy Revell, "Three O'Clock High"

It's been disheartening to watch to say the least. Back a few weeks, I was thinking with Milwaukee only being out of first by a mere 4 or 5 games, that with the impending schedule of "less than noteworthy opponents" they could make some hay.

Mmmph.

This parade of less than stellar opponents has proceeded to rack up hits at a dizzying pace, pitch like Sandy Koufax at times, and as a result the Brewers have been losing series to the likes of the Pirates, Nationals, and Padres. Management is however more my issue with this ball club. The same things that were wrong with the Brewers before the season started are what's wrong with them now. Somehow for the first couple of months they overachieved. A combination of coming back to earth, and a couple of injuries had them treading water.

But beginning to drown. And management retracted their hand.

Ryan Braun called it and took flak for it, but when you're right, you're right. The trade deadline came and went and the Brewers walked away with Claudio Vargas. I hear hibbidy-jibbidy about how GM Doug Melvin was in on "something big". We didn't need something big, we just needed help. Then the waivers names started piling in. They passed on Carl Pavano, did a half-ass on Doug Davis. Now the Cardinals, who had me biting my fists when they went out and got what they need in Mark DeRosa and Matt Holliday, have bolstered an already solid staff with John Smoltz.

The Brewers have picked up Jesus Colome, a dude with an ERA of close to 8. Then they got David Weathers who has proceeded to get crushed. We needed starting help, not washed up bullpen arms. They sent JJ Hardy to the minors and ended the 3 year long experiment with Bill Hall. And replaced them with an unseasoned "can't miss" and an 8 year journeyman named Jason Bourgeios.

Don't tell me management didn't give up on the season at the trading deadline. I don't buy it. Just like they weren't buying. We didn't need Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee, but 2nd or even 3rd tier starters would have been better than sending Carlos Villanueva and Mike Burns out there as sacrificial lambs. That futility ends up spilling over to The Gallardos and the rest is downhill.

Here's how bad it's been. Can you tell me the last time "Hell's Bells" rang?