Derek Hagen

Former sports editor and student of geography and global studies. My life exists between the US and Sweden. My tweets exist between sports and politics.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

I should just pin this statement as my top tweet because there’s a new reason to say it virtually every single day: Ron Johnson is an embarrassment to the state of Wisconsin.

[Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1]

Republican Ron Johnson just finished reading excerpts from a column that blamed the insurrection on antifa, saying that it was staged by "provocateurs." That is a lie. A senator is spreading disinformation in a Senate hearing.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

Throwing at Pratt? If that’s not at least a warning, what are we doing? Obviously no intent to begin a play that later resulted in an injury to Arraez. #brewers #phillies

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

@HawkEmDownChris Herman Fontenot

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

I actually did, somewhat reluctantly, start to watch tonight despite my total disillusionment with what college football has become, since it was on two different channels in my hotel. Then that travesty of a review happened. I’m good for the season. #badgers #fightingirish

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

@jaypo1961 My expectation is that, win or lose, it’s a bunch of guys who weren’t in Madison last year and won’t be back next year when they get their next NIL checks, so I don’t care. Went to a game at USC as recently as 2 years ago but didn’t watch at all last year and didn’t miss it.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

@dekker Why should any fans invest their loyalty in following a bunch of mercenaries who barely spend long enough on campus to learn the name of the stadium before chasing their next NIL payday? Add in games against noncompetitive opponents on a holiday weekend and it’s a perfect storm.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

Small sample size but those have been two absolutely horrendous at bats by Bo Naylor. #brewers

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

@RichardDCarter @ProfHinkley @JonahDispatch Hard to rate. Really corrupt and then suddenly really good. It was almost like he was two different people.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

@istayfrostydude @BrewPack8 Did you stop watching in June?

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

Had the misfortune of listening to the #LAAngels radio broadcast today. I’ve never heard MLB play-by-play with more clutter. “And that one’s going to be…” something or other and maybe 2/3 of the way through a 20-second description you hear what actually happened. Excruciating.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

@steve_par1489 @jag_reno @RyanGarciaESM In 2008 what the Brewers needed most was excitement, and they got it from Sabathia’s generational 2nd half. They also got one solitary playoff win.

The bar is higher now, but they can play a longer game. And nobody does what CC did, and not all prospects bust like LaPorta did.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

And this is exactly why I’m out on campus-based professional sports. Enjoyed watching him play in Madison but the epitome of all that has gone catastrophically wrong with “college” sports.

[Kyler Fox @kylerfox]

This will be the ninth consecutive year that AJ Storr will suit up for a new school:

2018–19: Kankakee High School
2019–20: Bishop Gorman High School
2020–21: AZ Compass Prep
2021–22: IMG Academy
2022–23: St. John's
2023–24: Wisconsin
2024–25: Kansas
2025–26: Ole Miss
2026–27: ?

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

The frustrating thing is it’s not the job itself. It’s being worn down and running on fumes after 6 years without a break from the job. All I need is a chance to catch my breath but I’ll never be 100% if I never get that chance to breathe without changing the whole system.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

As usual, the thing I’ll finally have time to do tomorrow is the thing someone decides they need today. And as usual, it’s so they can get ahead before taking time off. It’s absurd how this constantly happens. No matter how much effort I put in, I never quite catch the carrot.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

@MLBTV ”This Week in Baseball” still talking about the Cubs’ having won their 15th consecutive home game ”this week”. That was May 7. It’s July 19. It wasn’t ”this week”, it was nearly 2 1/2 months ago. Are you not embarrassed?

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

Seems @peacock lost their booth audio for the Brewers-Pirates game. Tim Dillard was doing fine but definitely not missing Bob Walk’s babbling.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

@BrewersOfMKE @Brewersfan39 Who is this talent you want them to pay for and not get outbid on? Should they have paid $210 million for Burnes to pitch 2 months before Tommy John? $182M for Adames to hit .230? How did the Reds throwing $64M at Moustakas go? Maybe more modest deals like $8M for Jesse Winker?

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

@BrewersOfMKE @Brewersfan39 You’re never going to outspend the Dodgers. If they want the guy, they get the guy. Sure, there’s the occasional Murakami where there’s doubt and risk that offers some value opportunity but by and large they’ve done the right thing by NOT signing the big checks fans want.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

@BrewersOfMKE @Brewersfan39 Sure, they could risk it all on any one year and hope it’s the year they get the October breaks, but if it isn’t they’ve mortgaged the future. I’d rather be set up to be in every October and assume the critical postseason breaks can’t all be bad every time it matters.

[Derek Hagen @derekhagen]

@BrewersOfMKE @Brewersfan39 Then it’s the short Covid year and when things return to normal, they’ve built a great rotation but their offensive core from 2017-19 is now gone. Meanwhile they build the best farm system and best pitching lab in baseball and have a sustainable pipeline to contend every year…