By Adam Roberts – 8/2/2021

It’s been eight years since he last donned the Brewers’ threads, and about three years since he last pitched on a major league mound, but the Ax Man is back in Brew City.

John Axford was acquired by the Brewers from the Blue Jays in a deal that is kosher despite the trade deadline passing; Axford was brought in on a minor league deal which is allowed after the deadline. Despite the minor league deal, Axford will dress and be present for tonight’s game against Pittsburgh at American Family Field.

Axford last pitched for the Dodgers in 2018, with the numbers not looking pretty in his five games played. But general manager David Stearns is likely hoping he can find his 2011 form one last time; during that campaign Axford finished ninth in Cy Young Award voting for the National League with 46 saves and 86 strikeouts to accompany a 1.95 ERA.

It should be noted this move could be coinciding with the team having to place some of their relievers on the COVID list last week, and it remains to be seen if Axford will be on the team long-term or if this is just a quick fix.

Also, don’t forget the Brewers will be back on ESPN La Crosse 105.5 this Saturday as they host the NL West-leading Giants. Coverage begins at 5:30pm.

***UPDATE***

We now know why Axford was added to the roster. Closer Josh Hader has been added to the COVID-19 IL, while Jace Peterson has been reinstated from the IL.

By Adam Roberts – 7/30/2021

While Japan just recently extended its state of emergency to more regions while COVID cases shoot up again, the 2020-21 Olympics continue along, with the first batch of track and field competitions beginning, plus the start of US baseball and another women’s basketball win. Here’s a daily check on where things stand with Team USA:

• The Americans were disqualified from the 4 x 400-meter mixed relay today after an erroneous baton changeover in the heats. The team of Elija Godwin, Lynna Irby, Taylor Manson, and Bryce Deadmon had finished with the fastest time in the first heat but were disqualified from the event for handing the baton over outside the designated changeover zone. The team said it didn’t have a chance to practice hand-offs due to COVID-19.
• Raven Saunders qualified for the women’s shot put final after posting the best result of 19.22 meters. Jessica Ramsey failed to reach the 18.80 meter minimum and finished in sixth place. Adelaide Aquilla also failed to qualify after posting a result of 17.68 meters. The women’s shot put final is set for tomorrow night
• The United States fell short of getting a medal in the men’s 10,000-meter race after Grant Fisher finished in fifth place with a time of 27:46.39. William Kincaid and Joe Klecker finished in the top-20 in 15th and 16th place. The gold was won by Ethiopian Selemon Barega and the silver and bronze were won by Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo.
• The U.S. women’s basketball team collected a second straight win to start their quest for Olympic gold after topping the host nation of Japan today 86-69. A’Ja Wilson led all scorers with 20 points and Breanna Stewart collected a game-high 13 rebounds, while tying Sue Bird with a team-high six assists. Team USA will close out its preliminary schedule on Monday against France.
• The United States baseball team opened its Olympic tournament with an 8-1 victory over Israel today. Georgia native Tyler Austin led the way for Team USA after going three-for-five with three runs batted in. Joe Ryan of California was awarded with the win after allowing one run and striking out five over six innings of work. The U.S. is set to take on Korea in their final game of the opening round tomorrow.

While Japan has set a record for golds earned in a single Olympics, Team USA continues atop the leaderboard with 41 total medals, followed by China at 40 and Russ…erm, the Russian Olympic Committee with 34.

By Adam Roberts – 7/29/2021

To provide some relief from the constant Rodgers talk you’ve bravely endured through this week, here’s a daily check on what’s going on in Japan as the Tokyo Olympics continue:

• The United States added another gold medal to its count after Suni Lee finished first in the women’s gymnastics all-around final with a score of 57.433. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade was awarded the silver with a score of 57.298 and Angelina Melnikova of the Russian Olympic Committee finished in third with a score of 57.199 for the bronze medal.
• Florida native Caeleb Dressel set an Olympic record in the men’s 100-meter freestyle after winning the gold medal with a time of 47.02 seconds. Dressel finished 0.06 seconds ahead of Australia’s Kyle Chalmers, the silver medalist, while Kliment Kolesnikov earned the bronze after finishing in third place with a time of 47.44 seconds.
• And on the first day of Olympic golf, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed had the lowest score among Americans after shooting three under par and sit in an eight-way tie for 12th place. Collin Morikawa trails by one shot while Justin Thomas was even after shooting a 71. Sepp Straka sits atop the leaderboard at eight under par.

At the moment, the Americans lead the overall medal count at 38, 14 of which are gold. This could need some updating though; it’s been a busy day at the station and no one here has a Peacock account so I can’t be 100% up-to-date. China has 31 medals followed by Russ..er, sorry..the Russian Olympic Committee with 28.

By Adam Roberts – 7/29/2021

Despite an offensive burst the Brewers received in the Willy Adames signing, there is no such thing as an off-the-table option for a team looking to go all-in on a World Series run.

The Brewers acquired infielder Eduardo Escobar from the Diamondbacks yesterday in exchange for two prospects. Escobar has 22 home runs this season and made the All-Star game. He can play any infield position and will likely be at third and first base, meaning the infield will now consist of Adames, Escobar, Kolten Wong, and Rowdy Tellez at first base. The deal was completed before the Brewers defeated the Pirates 7-3.

Catcher Cooper Hummel and infielder Alberto Ciprian were sent to the Diamondbacks in the trade.

Milwaukee still holds a seven game lead in the NL Central over the Reds.

By Adam Roberts – 7/28/2021

We knew today would be a very busy day at the Packers’ training camp podium. Earlier this morning, general manager Brian Gutekunst was peppered with questions by the gathered media about the offseason, and what the team’s plans were for Aaron Rodgers after this year. Gutey answered in his usual calculated manner, and also navigated around curious reporters wondering why the team was trading for Randall Cobb when they drafted Amari Rodgers a few months ago.

Then it was Aaron’s turn to speak. And to quote one of my favorite Twitch streamers Flatz: “I’ve got a goodie for you today!”

In response to the opening question from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero about what the whole situation was about for him, Rodgers elaborated that he was frustrated with the way the organization handled outgoing veteran players in the past such as Charles Woodson, Jordy Nelson, Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews, Randall Cobb (who of course is on his way back), James Jones, John Kuhn, and others. Rodgers said a commitment beyond 2021 was not given to him, either.

Rodgers also indicated he wanted to have more input with the free agents that was not utilized by the team, and that by being a recruiter he can bring in more high profile athletes, since in his own words “I think we can all understand Green Bay isn’t a huge destination vacation.” He also made a point to mention it never has been about money at any point, using the analogy of a worker asking for a raise after a good year on the job to which your boss says “we’ll see..” then coming back and saying you now have a new job opportunity and the boss suddenly wants to make sure you stick around.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your reactionary engines! Noah is filling in for John on The Sports Lead again today, and will certainly have some thoughts on the day. We’d love to hear from you as well; give Noah a call today at 608-487-8111.