I figured I'd get some feedback after writing something yesterday about Rev. Kendall Meyer of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, a lifetime St. Louis Cardinals fan.
Minutes afterward, I heard from Rev. David Mumm, a former Mt. Olive pastor who now is at a church in Illinois.
In an e-mail titled, "Give Credit Where Credit Is Due," Rev. Mumm [pictured at the left] writes about the Milwaukee Brewers -- who are in first place, ahead of both St. Louis and the Chicago Cubs, in the National League Central:
Hi, Ron,
"I just read your note about the Cardinals/Cubs game the night before last. I wish you [and a lot of other sports writers] would give credit where credit is due.
"Who was it that handled the Cardinals three games in a row this past weekend, after defeating Florida three games in a row, and then beat Houston in the first of their three game series? Who is the team that lost their leadoff hitter during that stretch (Ricky Weeks -- nine home runs on the season) and didn't get down on themselves, but kept on winning, and has a seven-game winning streak going? Which team is it that is sitting in first place in the National League Central, three games ahead of the Cardinals, and has a 25-14 record, after starting the season 4-8? The rarely mentioned on ESPN, and even more rarely seen on TV, Milwaukee Brewers. I know, it's early in the season, but this playoff team from last year, which is one of the youngest teams in baseball, is certainly due some credit for their great play so far this 2009 season.
"Attached is a picture of my properly-hatted grandson, Nate and Erin's son, Sean. You may use the picture if you wish. I'm sure Nate and Erin would not mind."
Pastor Mumm
[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: I mentioned to Rev. Mumm that I, indeed, regard the Brewers as the best team in the National League Central and one of the best in baseball. The Texas Rangers certainly can't be for real, can they? I like Milwaukee's roster, and I've liked it the past couple of seasons. The Brewers came up just short to the Cubs in the regular season, but got into the playoffs as the wild-card team and actually won a game in 2008. Winning a game in the playoffs was something the Cubs couldn't do either last season or the year before. As I wrote yesterday, the Cubs are showing signs of being dead. You'd never guess Derrek Lee, Geovany Soto, Milton Bradley and Mike Fontenot know anything about hitting the way they've played this season. I joked on Twitter that maybe it's time the Cubs fired the hitting coach because that's what teams often do when the bats fall silent. It's a lot easier to dismiss the batting instructor than to can the entire lineup of million-dollar players. And if firing the batting coach doesn't work, then you're supposed to fire the manager, preferably at either Memorial Day or July 4. I doubt the Cubs will fire Lou Piniella, but he's not helping matters. He's supposed to know something about hitting, but all he does is say, "We've got to get better" when Chicago reporters talk to him about it. It's a sorry situation. It would be easy to be a Milwaukee fan these days [even though I probably won't do so] because it's a team made up of a lot of young, unnoticed players. St. Louis reporters don't like it when the Brewers pull their shirts out of their pants following a victory over the Cardinals [signifying that they're guys who have just finished their jobs]. But Milwaukee keeps beating the Cardinals, so you can figure the Brewers will continue pulling their shirts out. I look forward to the rest of the season. Let's hope the Cubs have enough money left to buy a hitter or two for the second half of the schedule. Rev. Mumm, I can see why your grandson [pictured at the right] is a Brewers fan. I hope both he and you have a great summer].
