Midweek Stock Report: Favre kills it and the Brewers' Killer Bs
Every Wednesday, FOX Sports Wisconsin takes a look at which athletes' stock is trending up and whose is trending down.
In other words, who is making a meteoric rise, and who is quickly plummeting.
With that in mind, let's "take stock" of the current sports scene in Wisconsin, shall we?
Brett Favre, former Packers quarterback
The Hall of Fame isn't about one person, but Favre certainly -- and expectedly -- stole the show this past weekend. Green Bay fans arrived in Canton, Ohio in droves for Favre's enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the former quarterback was, wisely, the last to give a speech. And what a speech. As many have already stated, it was much like Favre's play -- off the cuff and heartfelt. Just a phenomenal weekend for one of the most beloved players in Packers history.
Keon Broxton, Brewers outfielder
After an April in which Broxton went 0 for 16 with 11 strikeouts, he was probably the last person expected to be trending up (although I guess that was the only way to go after a month like that). Broxton bounced between Milwaukee and Triple-A over the next couple of months, and never stood out with the Brewers (.158 in eight May games and .192 in 14 June games). But he's played well in July and August and tore the cover off the ball last week. In six games, Broxton was 8 for 16 (.500) with four walks (.600 OBP), a double, a home run (.750 slugging), four RBI and three steals. When Broxton was recalled in late July, his major-league batting average was a paltry .125. He is now up to .216, thanks to a 14-game stretch in which he is batting .368 with a .658 slugging percentage. Talk about a complete 180-degree turn from April.
Ryan Braun, Brewers outfielder
We have no qualifications to be put on the "up" list here in the Midweek Stock Report, but hitting four home runs in six games pretty much guarantees you to be on it. Braun not only had four homers last week but he also batted .364, had a .464 on-base percentage thanks to five walks, scored five runs and drove in 10 runs (which included a 7 RBI game).
Martin Maldonado, Brewers catcher
In the first full post-Jonathan Lucroy week, Maldonado started four of Milwaukee's six games ... and got just one hit while striking out eight times in 14 at-bats. On the plus side, the hit was a home run and Maldonado did walk four times (as well as steal just the second base of his career). Primarily a defensive catcher, it will be interesting to see how long of a leash the Brewers give him with the starting job.
Junior Guerra, Brewers starting pitcher
Guerra's magical rookie season at the age of 31 hit a bit of a bump last week. He made just one start and was knocked around in San Diego -- a pitcher's park no less -- for four runs on six hits in four innings. Then he landed on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation.
Packers on the bubble and some Green Bay fans
The only people who seem to like an extra NFL exhibition game are players who might not make the roster and the fans who buy tickets to watch said game. With Sunday's Hall of Fame Game being called off, it was bad news for both of those groups. One less opportunity for those fringe players to show their stuff and money -- and the experience -- lost for fans. Yes, the recouped the ticket price, but not their travel expenses. And, really, you can't replace the experience, even if it was just a preseason game.
Dave Heller is the author of the upcoming book Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow as well as Facing Ted Williams Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns
