Author: Jerry Tapp

Hunter Renfroe finished the 2022 season with the third-most home runs (29) on the Brewers behind Rowdy Tellez (35) and Willy Adames (31). Renfroe hit his 29 home runs from five different spots in the Brewers batting order last season. He hit 12 from the fourth spot in the lineup, 11 from the 6th spot, four from the fifth spot, and one each from the third and seventh spots in the lineup. His 11 home runs from the sixth spot in the batting order was tied for the most in the majors in 2022. Renfroe tied for the top spot…

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been inactive for three of the Bucks’ first 12 games. The Bucks are 2-1 in those games when Giannis sits on the bench the entire game. When Giannis is not playing in a game, who picks up the scoring slack for the team? In the three games that Giannis has not played this season, Brook Lopez and Jevon Carter were the leading scorers for the Bucks (Lopez with 25 against OKC on November 5; Carter with 36 against OKC on November 9 and with 21 versus San Antonio on November 11). Going back to the start of…

The Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday announced the eight finalists for the 2023 Contemporary Baseball Era Hall of Fame ballot. The Contemporary Baseball Era considers players from 1980 or later. A 16-person committee will vote on this group in December. A player must receive 75% (12 of 16) of the vote to be selected. A committee member can choose only three of the eight for their ballot. 2023 Contemporary Baseball Era finalists The eight on this year’s ballot: Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Dale Murphy, Rafael Palmeiro, and Curt Schilling. Seven of the eight…

Despite the Packers’ receiving corps being under intense scrutiny this season, there is a Green Bay receiver who is leading the league in TD receptions in 2022. Allen Lazard has five TD catches this year. That is the most by any undrafted free agent (UDFA) receiver in the league. Lazard, who signed as a free agent with Green Bay in 2018, has 30 receptions for 427 yards to go along with his five TD receptions. He is first on the team in TD receptions, reception yards and fourth in receptions this season. Lazard’s 2022 numbers make him one of the…

Milwaukee Brewers pitchers (starters and relivers) have gained a reputation as a staff that can shut down an opposing lineup with a bunch of strikeouts. Brewers’ pitching staff has most K’s in majors in the last four seasons The best example of this is the following stat: From 2019-22, the last four MLB seasons, the Brewers’ pitching staff led the majors in strikeouts with 5,259. Second was the Houston Astros’ staff at 5,177. It should come as no surprise then that several Brewers’ hurlers (current and past) are in the Top 20 of the Highest Strikeout Percentage (HSP) stat for…

With 36 points and 12 assists in the Bucks’ 136-132 double-overtime win against Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Jevon Carter became the 10th player in Milwaukee Bucks’ history to have a 35-point, 10-assist double-double. The 36 points and 12 assists were career highs for Carter, who signed with the Bucks in February of 2022. Carter, a second-round draft pick of the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2018 draft, was the leading scorer in the game. The Bucks were playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, the team’s “Big Three.” Carter was 15-for-27 from the field, including five-for-10 from three-point range.…

The Milwaukee Bucks started the 2022-23 NBA campaign with a franchise nine straight wins. Even after a loss to Atlanta on Monday to end the streak, the Bucks have the NBA’s best record at 9-1. A lot of praise has been thrown out concerning the Bucks’ great start. Giannis, Jrue, Brook and Bobby are receiving a lot of credit for their outstanding play. One name, however, that you rarely see mentioned is that of head coach Mike Budenholzer. With three key contributors out due to injuries, Coach Bud has navigated the 9-1 start with assorted rotations and line-ups that will…

Losing to the 1-6 Detroit Lions was a major surprise. But almost as shocking was the way they lost; specifically, three interceptions thrown by Aaron Rodgers. How shocking was Rodgers’ three errant passes? In the now 222 regular season games started by Rodgers for the Pack, #12 did not throw an interception in 139 of those games (about 63%). The rarity of ARod throwing three picks in a game So, Packers’ fans, not used to seeing interceptions from Rodgers, saw three of them in the game… all when the team was ready to put points on the scoreboard. Two of…

Despite a season with unexpected losses and an in-season coaching change, the Wisconsin Badgers football team could still have a successful season in 2022. First, they are one win short of being bowl eligible, an important fact considering the team has played in a bowl in 20 consecutive years. And with a 3-3 record in the Big Ten West Division, they are only a game out of first place. A West Division title might seem impossible, but a little help from divisional foes and a sweep of their last three games could open the door that seemed slammed shut just…

The home run has been a big weapon for the Milwaukee Brewers over the past seasons. Last season, the Crew hit 219 homers, good enough for second-best in the National League and third-best in Major League Baseball. If we pull back the historical curtain to 2016 until this just-completed season, the Brewers have been in the upper one-quarter of teams that top the majors in long balls. From 2016-22, the Brew Crew hit 1,374 home runs, good enough for the sixth-most in the majors, and second-best in the N.L. behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hitting home runs, however, does not…