The Milwaukee Post

The Brewers need to call up pitcher Jimmy Nelson from the minor leagues. They need to give Nelson a try because the pitching has gone from great to aver- age to horrible in the last three months. The team earned-run average was 2.92 in April. It rose to 4.12 in May. It's getting close to 5.00 for the month of June. The Brewers have gone from one of the best pitching teams to one of the worst in the National League. It's stating the obvious, but the Brewers will not make the play- offs if the pitching doesn't get back to the early-season success. It's actually surprising that the Brewers are still in first place given their pitching trend. They are only in first place because of the poor play of the other teams in the division. The Cardinals are barely above .500 and the Pirates and the Reds are below .500 for the season. It's possible that the Brewers are just going through a pitching slump with a staff that is too good to pitch this poorly for an extended period of time. It's also possible that the other teams in the divi- sion will close in on the Brewers even if the pitching gets back to the early-season excellence. It's time for Nelson to join the rotation for Marco Estrada. It would be a mistake to wait until the division lead gets small- er or disappears. Such a delay would put undue pressure on the young pitcher as a potential answer to the slide. Nelson should not be viewed as the answer to anything. He should be viewed as a young pitcher with a huge upside who has earned the right to get a spot in the rota- tion. Estrada is not horrible and can be brought back into the rotation, if Nelson doesn't pitch as well as expected. The time for Jimmy Nelson is now. *** I like LeBron James so much that I'm starting to wonder how anyone can dis- like him. I'm not saying he's better than Michael Jordan. I'm not saying he's the most talented player in the history of the game. I'm not saying that the announce- ment of his move to Miami was a good thing. I'm just asking, what's not to like? He's a winner, with two NBA championships. He plays team basketball. He likes to make the good pass as much as the impressive dunk. He plays defense. He's not a perfect player, but it's impossible to argue with his approach. Would it be bet- ter if he took 50 shots in the playoff games in which he appears to disappear? I was surprised when he came out of game one in the finals because of cramps. I know firsthand how painful that can be, but I can't ever remember a great player in any sport staying out of a big game because of that condition. It's under- standable that some fans would be criti- cal, but James didn't lash out at anyone when asked about the questioning of his toughness. In a world in which what an athlete says can get him in more trouble that what he does, James always seems rea- sonable in his response to criticism. What would someone want him to do? Off the court, he seems amazingly nor- mal for someone who's been called a liv- ing legend since the age of 13. It would be understandable if he was an egomaniac of epic proportions. He's not. I can't think of a single scandalous story about his personal life. If he's no Michael Jordan on the court, it must also be said that he's no Michael Jordan off the court. Every day I am more impressed with LaBron James, and every day I am more amazed at those who don't like him. What don't you like? June 13, 2014 • Milwaukee County Post • 11 "HOMER" on SPORTS STEVE "The HOMER" TRUE (Ste v e "The Homer" True, host of "Homer and Gabe Show," heard from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays on 540 ESPN, can be reached at homer@espnmilwaukee.com) Time for Crew to recall Jimmy Nelson Post Staff MILWAUKEE – One of the largest soccer fes- tivals in the Midwest, Lakefront Soccerfest, is coming to Milwaukee's Veterans Park for a day- long event Sunday. The event, presented by the Milwaukee Soccer Development Group, will promote youth soccer through friendly tournament play, inter- active introductions to FootGolf, pickup soccer games and mini fairs within the festival focused on health and sustainability. "Think of Lakefront Soccerfest as Milwaukee's World Cup Festival," said James Moran, founder of the MSDG. "We'll be featur- ing a friendly kids soccer tournament, along with a series of soccer-related festivities for family members of all ages." The event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Youths in the categories of U7 to U13 will have three hours of play available: an hour of mini games, one hour of soccer skills and three 15- minute, three-on-three games. Additionally, there will be two-hour slots between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. for three-on-three games for youths U14 through U18. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m, three-hour time slots are available for coed adult groupss age 19 to 35 and coed adult groups ages 35 and up. Three-on-three squads do not have to be club teams; anyone may submit a team. Teams of six players are encouraged to reg- ister in advance. Every effort will be made to form teams from groups of less than six play- ers. All teams must arrive and register 30 min- utes before start time. Each team must bring two colored shirts for each player and at least one ball per team. Field schedules were released Thursday. Entry fees are based on age category: $50 per team up to U-18 and $80 per adult coed team. Teams may request financial scholarships. Lakefront Soccerfest also will use soccer to promote, health and wellness, and sustainabili- ty. The Health and Wellness Fair will provide displays and various classes on nutrition and fitness to address childhood obesity. Proceeds from the event will go toward soc- cer equipment and soccer scholarships to youths in the Milwaukee area. Families with gently used soccer equipment are encouraged to bring it to the event and donate it at the Thrivent Financial tent. All dontated items will be given to the MSDG to promote youth soccer. Veterans Park is located on Milwaukee's lakefront at 1010 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive. For more information on Lakefront Soccerfest as well as other MSDG happenings, email info@milsoccerdg.com. Lakefront Soccerfest comes to Veterans Park Submitted photo An aerial view of Veterans Park features the spot where the Lakefront Soccerfest will be held Sunday. The event is run by the Milwaukee Soccer Development Group. Post Staff MILWAUKEE – In an update of National League voting totals for the 2014 MLB All- Star Game, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez has jumped two positions to move into third place among National League outfielders in the league's tightest race with 1,192,174 votes. He is less than 67,000 votes behind Giancarlo Stanton (1,259,047) for second place. Yasiel Puig cur- rently leads all NL outfielders with 1,472,717 votes. Ryan Braun, one of 10 National League players with more than 1 million votes, is sixth among outfielders with 1,058,680. Jonathan Lucroy remains third among National League catchers with 771,313 votes. Jean Segura (567,481 votes) ranks third at shortstop, Aramis Ramirez is now fourth among NL third basemen (615,597 votes) and Khris Davis (459,771 votes) moved up a spot to 13th in the outfield. Balloting at Miller Park continues through Sunday. Fans can vote for the Major League All-Stars online at www.Brewers.com through July 3 at 10:59 p.m. The All-Star Game will be held July 15 at Target Field in Minneapolis. Gomez third in All-Star balloting

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