Good morning every one. I thought I was done with my stint over at Bernie's Crew, but after a week of work, Jim was very pleased and made me an offer to join him. Considering the traffic over at SportsBubbler, and at Jim's blog specifically, it was an offer I could not refuse. So while the Brew Crew Pub is closed, it sort of remains open over at Bernie's Crew.
But don't fret, I have been given liberties to continue and write my ridiculous stat head articles often enough to keep me plenty satisfied. On a good note, I won't have to put all the work into game recaps, as Jim and I will be splitting those duties. That is an immense relief considering the amount of work that is put into each and every one of those posts.
Thank you to every one who has read and supported this blog. It was a pleasure entertaining you at this site, and I hope to hear from all of you over at SportsBubbler, which I am learning day by day is a fantastic site for all Wisconsin sports.
Slainte! Go Crew!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Check Me Out at Bernie's
With Jim taking the week off over at Bernie's Crew, my recaps and analysis can be found there until Sunday. Should be a nice upgrade in the reading audience for a few days and perhaps will toss me a few extra hits. I'd love to hear from any and all of you over at the best blog in the Brewers Nation. Jim does great work, and I hope I can keep him afloat while he's gone.
Just for fun...
There's a lot of people calling for Rickie's head, and it may be because of the media or because no matter what Rickie does the rest of the season, his numbers are going to look pretty rough. Nevertheless, I just wanted to compare Rickie's starts to Ray Durham's since his arrival, and here we go.
Ray Durham: 7 GS, .259/.333/.519, 1 HR, 4 2B, 3 BB, 4 K, 6 R, CS
Brewers record in those starts: 4-3
Rickie Weeks: 14 GS, .310/.388/.517, 2 HR, 2 3B, 2 2B, 7 BB, 1 HBP, 15 K, 10 R, SB, CS
Brewers record in those starts: 9-5
Rickie has had two fielding mistakes in those games which go unnoted here, but his production has been unbelievable. I'm beating a dead horse here as I always do, but it's hard to argue taking out Rickie when he's clearly producing at a very high level. Both of these guys have had a hard time getting around the bases, though, because JJ Hardy is slumping big time. Durham benefited from some Craig Counsell productive groundballs and scored three of those runs in one game. Rickie's scoring percentage isn't nearly as high as it was to start the year, which I would suggest is a direct result of a lack of aggressiveness on the base paths. Sad thing is, when he is aggressive, he gets burned, which hasn't been the case until the second half. Hopefully he can remedy that down the stretch.
Ray Durham: 7 GS, .259/.333/.519, 1 HR, 4 2B, 3 BB, 4 K, 6 R, CS
Brewers record in those starts: 4-3
Rickie Weeks: 14 GS, .310/.388/.517, 2 HR, 2 3B, 2 2B, 7 BB, 1 HBP, 15 K, 10 R, SB, CS
Brewers record in those starts: 9-5
Rickie has had two fielding mistakes in those games which go unnoted here, but his production has been unbelievable. I'm beating a dead horse here as I always do, but it's hard to argue taking out Rickie when he's clearly producing at a very high level. Both of these guys have had a hard time getting around the bases, though, because JJ Hardy is slumping big time. Durham benefited from some Craig Counsell productive groundballs and scored three of those runs in one game. Rickie's scoring percentage isn't nearly as high as it was to start the year, which I would suggest is a direct result of a lack of aggressiveness on the base paths. Sad thing is, when he is aggressive, he gets burned, which hasn't been the case until the second half. Hopefully he can remedy that down the stretch.
Monday, August 11, 2008
6/11 Brewers Nationals Series Recap
The Scores:
Milwaukee Brewers 5 Washington Nationals 0
Milwaukee Brewers 6 Washington Nationals 0
Milwaukee Brewers 5 Washington Nationals 4
Milwaukee Brewers 7 Washington Nationals 1
MVPs of the Series:
Brewers Starting Rotation: 31.1 IP, 21 H, 3 BB, 30 K, 2 ER, 3 Ws
Lastings Milledge: 7/17; HR, 2 RBIs, 2 SBs, R
The Brewers rotation took advantage of a powerless team that was aggressive early in the count. The results were astounding. Back to back complete game shutouts by the pocket aces, a seven inning one run performance by Manny Parra and a six and a third, one run performance from back end starter, Dave Bush. And the best part of it all is what these performances did for the bullpen. After a day off on Thursday last week, the Brewers started a 13 day 13 game stretch, where starting at home for three, then six on the west coast and three more back at home. The three days of rest for the bullpen via the off day and the two CGs, allows quite a bit of flexibility. Big nod to the rotation for taking advantage of a bad team.
Milledge continued his recent hot streak this week with a solid performance all around. The unfortunate thing for him is that it offered little to no production, as the rest of his teammates couldn't get a hit if their pay check was on the line. Milledge is hitting .409/.469/.795 in his eleven games in August. While this production is obviously going to come down quite a bit, this is the guy the Mets thought they had before he was traded. Unfortunately his character issues combined with disappointing performances pushed him out. Perhaps Lastings has found himself a little bit, and that could pay off for the Nationals as they try to produce a winning team after getting a new ballpark.
What was the Difference?:
In such a dominating performance, it's almost impossible to pin point one thing, but the Brewers long ball paid dividends yet again. Eight launches led to nine of the Brewers runs, all of which seemed to have come in pivotal situations. Gabe Kapler hit a walk off solo shot on Sunday. Rickie Weeks hit a solo shot to tie the game on Monday afternoon. Corey Hart hit a two-run go ahead blast to lead the Brewers to victory on the same day. The Nationals, on the other hand, did their best to use the long ball, but came up short with their two blasts on Sunday.
Causes for Concern:
That Nationals are just bad. Poor defense, no power, no bullpen and one solid starting pitcher. I understand the revenue boosts that come with new stadiums, and perhaps the team is simply building that revenue so they can build a team, but right now things in DC look pretty bleak with almost no light at the end of the tunnel. It may perhaps be a stretch to think of it them like the Brewers organization before they built Miller Park. But I've seen the type of people and the amount of hard work it takes to make a contender out of garbage, and I believe there's a rare breed of people that can make it happen. Unfortunately, I have trouble believing the Nats front office is that breed considering they've brought in guys like Dmitri Young, Ronnie Belliard and Cristian Guzman.
If there's anything the Brewers should have fear about, it's the fact that they continue to rely way way too much on the long ball. This weekend they were able to accumulate a ridiculous amount of walks, 30, in just four games. But this season has proven that we cannot rely on these to get us through, one because the Brewers will be facing better pitching and two because the Brewers offense does not really have the plate discipline they showed this weekend. It's a sick feeling to see a team that's so good, have a big Achilles' heel. You just have to hope that when the weakness exposes itself, the strengths of this team can overcome it, which for much of the season it has.
Causes for Excitement:
I tell you what, I've seen John Lannan pitch twice now, and I really like what he's brought to the table. While his walk total is still a red flag, Lannan has the composure on the mound to be a solid pitcher in this league for quite a long time. He's got a solid and deceiving change with great action and fastball that's just good enough to sneak by most hitters. Toss in Milledge perhaps living up to his offensive potential, and the Nationals have at least a few pieces in place. It may not be much, but it's a start.
Did I mention the Brewers took THIRTY walks this weekend? God that just makes me drool. The thing that befuddles me is that only one of those walks scored via the homeruns the Brewers smoked. Nevertheless, the Brewers anemic offense did show up this weekend, but the 30 walks allowed them to push through the top of their order over and over again. Eventually lightning struck. As a result, the Brewers picked up four wins, 1.5 games on the Cubs and two games on the Cardinals. Even better, the Brewers head to the west coast this week to take on another last place squad in the San Diego Padres. The Cubs have an excellent record, but don't forget they have played ten extra games against the weak NL West. It's about time the Brewers get their own piece.
Milwaukee Brewers 5 Washington Nationals 0
Milwaukee Brewers 6 Washington Nationals 0
Milwaukee Brewers 5 Washington Nationals 4
Milwaukee Brewers 7 Washington Nationals 1
MVPs of the Series:
Brewers Starting Rotation: 31.1 IP, 21 H, 3 BB, 30 K, 2 ER, 3 Ws
Lastings Milledge: 7/17; HR, 2 RBIs, 2 SBs, R
The Brewers rotation took advantage of a powerless team that was aggressive early in the count. The results were astounding. Back to back complete game shutouts by the pocket aces, a seven inning one run performance by Manny Parra and a six and a third, one run performance from back end starter, Dave Bush. And the best part of it all is what these performances did for the bullpen. After a day off on Thursday last week, the Brewers started a 13 day 13 game stretch, where starting at home for three, then six on the west coast and three more back at home. The three days of rest for the bullpen via the off day and the two CGs, allows quite a bit of flexibility. Big nod to the rotation for taking advantage of a bad team.
Milledge continued his recent hot streak this week with a solid performance all around. The unfortunate thing for him is that it offered little to no production, as the rest of his teammates couldn't get a hit if their pay check was on the line. Milledge is hitting .409/.469/.795 in his eleven games in August. While this production is obviously going to come down quite a bit, this is the guy the Mets thought they had before he was traded. Unfortunately his character issues combined with disappointing performances pushed him out. Perhaps Lastings has found himself a little bit, and that could pay off for the Nationals as they try to produce a winning team after getting a new ballpark.
What was the Difference?:
In such a dominating performance, it's almost impossible to pin point one thing, but the Brewers long ball paid dividends yet again. Eight launches led to nine of the Brewers runs, all of which seemed to have come in pivotal situations. Gabe Kapler hit a walk off solo shot on Sunday. Rickie Weeks hit a solo shot to tie the game on Monday afternoon. Corey Hart hit a two-run go ahead blast to lead the Brewers to victory on the same day. The Nationals, on the other hand, did their best to use the long ball, but came up short with their two blasts on Sunday.
Causes for Concern:
That Nationals are just bad. Poor defense, no power, no bullpen and one solid starting pitcher. I understand the revenue boosts that come with new stadiums, and perhaps the team is simply building that revenue so they can build a team, but right now things in DC look pretty bleak with almost no light at the end of the tunnel. It may perhaps be a stretch to think of it them like the Brewers organization before they built Miller Park. But I've seen the type of people and the amount of hard work it takes to make a contender out of garbage, and I believe there's a rare breed of people that can make it happen. Unfortunately, I have trouble believing the Nats front office is that breed considering they've brought in guys like Dmitri Young, Ronnie Belliard and Cristian Guzman.
If there's anything the Brewers should have fear about, it's the fact that they continue to rely way way too much on the long ball. This weekend they were able to accumulate a ridiculous amount of walks, 30, in just four games. But this season has proven that we cannot rely on these to get us through, one because the Brewers will be facing better pitching and two because the Brewers offense does not really have the plate discipline they showed this weekend. It's a sick feeling to see a team that's so good, have a big Achilles' heel. You just have to hope that when the weakness exposes itself, the strengths of this team can overcome it, which for much of the season it has.
Causes for Excitement:
I tell you what, I've seen John Lannan pitch twice now, and I really like what he's brought to the table. While his walk total is still a red flag, Lannan has the composure on the mound to be a solid pitcher in this league for quite a long time. He's got a solid and deceiving change with great action and fastball that's just good enough to sneak by most hitters. Toss in Milledge perhaps living up to his offensive potential, and the Nationals have at least a few pieces in place. It may not be much, but it's a start.
Did I mention the Brewers took THIRTY walks this weekend? God that just makes me drool. The thing that befuddles me is that only one of those walks scored via the homeruns the Brewers smoked. Nevertheless, the Brewers anemic offense did show up this weekend, but the 30 walks allowed them to push through the top of their order over and over again. Eventually lightning struck. As a result, the Brewers picked up four wins, 1.5 games on the Cubs and two games on the Cardinals. Even better, the Brewers head to the west coast this week to take on another last place squad in the San Diego Padres. The Cubs have an excellent record, but don't forget they have played ten extra games against the weak NL West. It's about time the Brewers get their own piece.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Where are they now?
I've been noticing something interesting lately. Former Brewers pitchers are turning into good pitchers. Here's some names you may have forgotten that once were in the farm system or in Brewers blue.
Grant Balfour (TB): 32.1 IP, 1.39 ERA, 49 K, 14 BB
Mike Adams (SD): 40.2 IP, 2.21 ERA, 46 K, 12 BB
Dennis Sarfate (BAL): 57.0 IP, 4.58 ERA, 58 K, 45 BB
Will Inman (AA-SD): 118.1 IP, 3.12 ERA, 126 K, 61 BB
Joe Thatcher (AAA-SD): 27.2 IP, 1.63 ERA, 30 K, 8 BB
Joe Thatcher (SD): 25.2 IP, 8.42 ERA, 17 K, 13 BB
Robert Allen Dickey (SEA): 88.2 IP, 4.36 ERA, 48 K, 38 BB
Greg Aquino (AAA-BAL): 25.2 IP, 2.45 ERA, 29 K, 6 BB
Greg Aquino (BAL): 9.1 IP, 12.54 ERA, 9 K, 9 BB
I wanted to see this basically because of Mike Adams, who I remember from about three years ago. He had two solid years in 2004 and 2005 and was traded to the Mets for Geremi Gonzalez. That one almost worked out. Now look at the kid.
Then there's Grant Balfour, who the Brewers fans couldn't stand, but good lord did that guy have nasty stuff. Nothing has changed since Balfour has left except for the shell shock of the big leagues is gone. Now he's a future elite closer in TB. If Percival wasn't there, his save numbers would be ridiculous.
Inman has changed his entire delivery, and has had success. Thatcher had it going in 2007, but just can't put it together in the bigs again. He's a straight up LOOGY and needs to be treated as such. Aquino = AAAA and RA Dickey has been waiting to show off his knuckleball on a regular basis for years. He is a poor man's Tim Wakefield, but hey, Wakefield has a ton of wins over the year for being just above average his entire career. And Sarfate is just a filler right now for the Orioles. Far, far too many walks.
Any one have any others?
Grant Balfour (TB): 32.1 IP, 1.39 ERA, 49 K, 14 BB
Mike Adams (SD): 40.2 IP, 2.21 ERA, 46 K, 12 BB
Dennis Sarfate (BAL): 57.0 IP, 4.58 ERA, 58 K, 45 BB
Will Inman (AA-SD): 118.1 IP, 3.12 ERA, 126 K, 61 BB
Joe Thatcher (AAA-SD): 27.2 IP, 1.63 ERA, 30 K, 8 BB
Joe Thatcher (SD): 25.2 IP, 8.42 ERA, 17 K, 13 BB
Robert Allen Dickey (SEA): 88.2 IP, 4.36 ERA, 48 K, 38 BB
Greg Aquino (AAA-BAL): 25.2 IP, 2.45 ERA, 29 K, 6 BB
Greg Aquino (BAL): 9.1 IP, 12.54 ERA, 9 K, 9 BB
I wanted to see this basically because of Mike Adams, who I remember from about three years ago. He had two solid years in 2004 and 2005 and was traded to the Mets for Geremi Gonzalez. That one almost worked out. Now look at the kid.
Then there's Grant Balfour, who the Brewers fans couldn't stand, but good lord did that guy have nasty stuff. Nothing has changed since Balfour has left except for the shell shock of the big leagues is gone. Now he's a future elite closer in TB. If Percival wasn't there, his save numbers would be ridiculous.
Inman has changed his entire delivery, and has had success. Thatcher had it going in 2007, but just can't put it together in the bigs again. He's a straight up LOOGY and needs to be treated as such. Aquino = AAAA and RA Dickey has been waiting to show off his knuckleball on a regular basis for years. He is a poor man's Tim Wakefield, but hey, Wakefield has a ton of wins over the year for being just above average his entire career. And Sarfate is just a filler right now for the Orioles. Far, far too many walks.
Any one have any others?
8/8 Brewers Nationals Series Preview
The Series:
Washington Nationals (44-71) @ Milwaukee Brewers (64-51)
Who's on Tap?:
August 8th: Collin Balester (2-3, 4.55 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia (11-8, 3.28 ERA)
August 9th: Tim Redding (8-6, 4.44 ERA) vs. Ben Sheets (10-5, 3.14 ERA)
August 10th: John Lannan (6-11, 3.55 ERA) vs. Manny Parra (9-5, 4.18 ERA)
August 11th: Garrett Mock (0-2, 5.27 ERA) vs. Dave Bush (6-9, 4.50 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
The Nationals come to town on one of their hottest streaks of the season, having swept Cincinnati at home and taking three of four from the Colorado Rockies in Denver. But don't be fooled. Prior to that the Nationals had lost nine straight and were looking like one of the worst teams in the league. But the addition of second baseman Emillo Bonifacio has been a blessing and his lit a fire under this team. Since arriving on August 1st, Bonifacio has hit .375 in his seven games. However, the biggest change this month has been Lastings Milledge, who has hit .407/.484/.926 in the month of August with four bombs already. This is a big jump from his season numbers of .254/.321/.405. On the mound, it's clear that John Lannan has gone overlooked as far as the league's concerned, but on the Nationals, he's clearly the best pitcher. In his last start against the Brewrs, the 23 year old Lannan tossed five innings of three run baseball with a solid 7-3 groundball rate. Six of his last seven starts have been solid ones, so look for him to be pretty good this weekend.
The Brewers are coming off a fight, an anemic offensive week and a 4-2 road trip. But the Brewers offensive woes may have been cured by some mediocre pitching in Cincy, where the bottom half of the order stopped being a black hole for production and is turning into a mediocre group, which is all this team really needs right now. But the two big producers this weekend are expected to be Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks. After watching Rickie's approach on Wednesday, he may have found a way to eliminate that vicious black hole on the outside of the plate that was a guaranteed ground out to the left side. Prince has been looking like a beast lately, which can be attributed to his willingness to trust his hands and stay balanced at the plate. On the mound, look for Manny Parra to bounce back from the face smash this past week. Parra will have to make an adjustment to correct his command issues though. But there's not a better confidence booster than playing a team with a struggling offense.
Keys to Victory:
The Nationals need to keep hitting because their pitching staff has been known to have hiccups. Unfortunately for the Nats, they carry the NL's worst batting average (.245) and the third to worst OBP (.318). With only 83 HRs on the books, the Nationals can't afford to let this series become a pitchers duel, especially with Sabathia and Sheets on the mound. If they plan to take any games this weekend, it will have to be on the shoulders of Milledge and Cristian Guzman. If they don't show up, their offense will lull you to sleep.
The Brewers need to just play their game. I don't like saying this, but the Nationals give up a TON of HRs and the Brewers hit even more than that. While I would like to see some patience this weekend, I fully expect to see a barrage of power, that will only be overcome by a bad start by a Brewers pitcher. Look for the free swinging aggressors we've seen all season to rear their ugly faces. But let's hope they calm down a bit when they head to San Diego.
Predictions and Notes:
- Four game sweeps are a rarity, but I do believe the Brewers have the ability to take all four. Will they? I doubt it, but I fully expect three of four, with the only loss coming on Sunday's day game, when Yost will run out his 'B' squad to take on Lannan, including Jason Kendall on a day game after a night game. It's just a feeling that the Brewers will get 'Yosted' at least once this weekend, which I'm okay with because it would probably only be the third time all year. Look for Sabathia and Sheets to be lights out, and the offense to break out on Friday and Saturday in support of their pocket aces.
- Rickie Weeks hits two opposite field hits in three games he's played. Since arriving with the Brewers Ray Durham is hitting .185/.267/.296. Tom Haudricourt says, "BENCH RICKIE WEEKS." And Ned Yost responds, "There's a reason I'm so testy with the media. Tom, there's a reason you're a beat writer and not a coach."
Washington Nationals (44-71) @ Milwaukee Brewers (64-51)
Who's on Tap?:
August 8th: Collin Balester (2-3, 4.55 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia (11-8, 3.28 ERA)
August 9th: Tim Redding (8-6, 4.44 ERA) vs. Ben Sheets (10-5, 3.14 ERA)
August 10th: John Lannan (6-11, 3.55 ERA) vs. Manny Parra (9-5, 4.18 ERA)
August 11th: Garrett Mock (0-2, 5.27 ERA) vs. Dave Bush (6-9, 4.50 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
The Nationals come to town on one of their hottest streaks of the season, having swept Cincinnati at home and taking three of four from the Colorado Rockies in Denver. But don't be fooled. Prior to that the Nationals had lost nine straight and were looking like one of the worst teams in the league. But the addition of second baseman Emillo Bonifacio has been a blessing and his lit a fire under this team. Since arriving on August 1st, Bonifacio has hit .375 in his seven games. However, the biggest change this month has been Lastings Milledge, who has hit .407/.484/.926 in the month of August with four bombs already. This is a big jump from his season numbers of .254/.321/.405. On the mound, it's clear that John Lannan has gone overlooked as far as the league's concerned, but on the Nationals, he's clearly the best pitcher. In his last start against the Brewrs, the 23 year old Lannan tossed five innings of three run baseball with a solid 7-3 groundball rate. Six of his last seven starts have been solid ones, so look for him to be pretty good this weekend.
The Brewers are coming off a fight, an anemic offensive week and a 4-2 road trip. But the Brewers offensive woes may have been cured by some mediocre pitching in Cincy, where the bottom half of the order stopped being a black hole for production and is turning into a mediocre group, which is all this team really needs right now. But the two big producers this weekend are expected to be Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks. After watching Rickie's approach on Wednesday, he may have found a way to eliminate that vicious black hole on the outside of the plate that was a guaranteed ground out to the left side. Prince has been looking like a beast lately, which can be attributed to his willingness to trust his hands and stay balanced at the plate. On the mound, look for Manny Parra to bounce back from the face smash this past week. Parra will have to make an adjustment to correct his command issues though. But there's not a better confidence booster than playing a team with a struggling offense.
Keys to Victory:
The Nationals need to keep hitting because their pitching staff has been known to have hiccups. Unfortunately for the Nats, they carry the NL's worst batting average (.245) and the third to worst OBP (.318). With only 83 HRs on the books, the Nationals can't afford to let this series become a pitchers duel, especially with Sabathia and Sheets on the mound. If they plan to take any games this weekend, it will have to be on the shoulders of Milledge and Cristian Guzman. If they don't show up, their offense will lull you to sleep.
The Brewers need to just play their game. I don't like saying this, but the Nationals give up a TON of HRs and the Brewers hit even more than that. While I would like to see some patience this weekend, I fully expect to see a barrage of power, that will only be overcome by a bad start by a Brewers pitcher. Look for the free swinging aggressors we've seen all season to rear their ugly faces. But let's hope they calm down a bit when they head to San Diego.
Predictions and Notes:
- Four game sweeps are a rarity, but I do believe the Brewers have the ability to take all four. Will they? I doubt it, but I fully expect three of four, with the only loss coming on Sunday's day game, when Yost will run out his 'B' squad to take on Lannan, including Jason Kendall on a day game after a night game. It's just a feeling that the Brewers will get 'Yosted' at least once this weekend, which I'm okay with because it would probably only be the third time all year. Look for Sabathia and Sheets to be lights out, and the offense to break out on Friday and Saturday in support of their pocket aces.
- Rickie Weeks hits two opposite field hits in three games he's played. Since arriving with the Brewers Ray Durham is hitting .185/.267/.296. Tom Haudricourt says, "BENCH RICKIE WEEKS." And Ned Yost responds, "There's a reason I'm so testy with the media. Tom, there's a reason you're a beat writer and not a coach."
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
8/6 Brewers Reds Series Recap
The Scores:
Milwaukee Brewers 3 Cincinnati Reds 6
Milwaukee Brewers 8 Cincinnati Reds 1
Milwaukee Brewers 6 Cincinnati Reds 3
MVPs of the Series:
Corey Hart: 6/11; 2B, 3B, SB, 2 Rs, 4 RBIs
Jay Bruce: 4/10; 2 HRs, 2B, BB, 3 Rs, 5 RBIs
Corey Hart busted out of his slump to lead the bottom of the lineup out of mediocrity, at least for two games, and did it in almost every way possible. From sliding catches to a ton of bullets right up the chute and to the left center gap. That was probably the most interesting thing about Corey's week is that he didn't have a single one of those lean out over the plate fliners that lands short in right. Instead, Rickie Weeks took that opportunity and went opposite field for three of his four hits today.
In the home dugout, Jay Bruce has quietly continue to produce as a rookie. Adam Dunn did little to nothing, which was a surprise, but even if he did, Bruce easily would have outshined him. He did it in every way, just as Corey did, except he was able to show off an absolute cannon, resulting in two outfield assists this afternoon and holding runners at bay when turning bases. On top of that, Bruce handled the bat magnificently, going dead center for a game-tying two run shot in this afternoon's game and fighting off a Brewers rally in the sixth inning on Monday with another two run bomb to help the Reds pull away. To say the least, Brewers fans cannot be happy they'll be seeing him for at least four more seasons in a Cincy uniform.
What was the Difference?:
Nothing sticks out heavily in this series, except for the offense. The Brewers racked up a ton of hits, but the Reds only managed 17 hits in the three games, and won the first game of the series despite only throwing up four hits. The Brewers, on the other hand, batted a solid .312 (34/109) in the series. That'll do against the Reds, but you can't expect that to happen all the time, especially when facing good pitching. It's amazing what a good offense can do for the Brewers' starters.
Causes for Concern:
Inconsistency continues to plague the Brewers in ways unimaginable. Their approach is inconsistent, their defense is inconsistent and worst of all, their confidence is inconsistent. It just seems that the Brewers have very little ability to start from scratch, but when they get a little wave of momentum going, they can ride it into a huge stretch and look like a playoff team. This leads to ridiculous swings in their game and in their record. Other than that, I have a few concerns about Manny struggling down the stretch. Jim over at Bernie's Crew and I disagree over the fatigue of Manny down the stretch. He believes that because Manny's age, the risk of fatigue isn't all the big, but I disagree. Manny pitched 139 innings in 2003, but only reached 132 last season after coming off the DL from an elbow injury. Manny's command has been rough around the edges all season, and was particularly frayed late in the pitch count on Monday. I'm not terribly worried yet, but want to monitor it closely. If he's really struggling, give DiFelice a spot start in September to catch him a breather if needed.
As for the Reds, defense is always a big concern. The only two guys I trust out there are Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce (okay, maybe Joey Votto). The biggest problem is definitely the left side of the infield, though I don't know a whole lot about Jolbert Cabrera. Other than that, there's a big problem in the bottom half of the order with Corey Patterson, Edwin Encarnacion and David Ross in the lineup. It's like a black hole that the power of the top half just can't make up for. It sounds a lot like the Brewers to be honest, but the Brewers make up a bit with pitching and a solid bullpen.
Causes for Excitement:
First of all, little things always go unnoticed, so I'm going to throw a few things out there that are worth keeping an eye on or just plain great for this team. Bullpen: 6 IP 0 ER, including two good looking performances from Eric Gagne and a much improved sinker by Salomon Torres, who has looked shaky since the break. Rickie Weeks went opposite field three times this afternoon and was rewarded all three times. God, imagine what this kid could do if he used the whole field. That will improve his BABIP immensely. Jason Kendall and Mike Cameron both had significantly better weeks considering their struggles, but you have to remember who was pitching. If they repeat these performances on the upcoming west coast road trip, excitement will be bellowing through me. And finally, Dave Bush had a solid performance on Tuesday, despite being on the road. Guess how. No home runs. Bush has given up 20 this year and in his last four victories, has given up not a one big ball. It's amazing how the numbers make sense doesn't it?
Yes, the Reds' manager is Dusty Baker, and somehow Corey Patterson still has a regular playing gig, but you have to be pleased with the direction the Reds are headed. There's a solid base there that oddly resembles the preamble the Brewers brought along four or five years ago. Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Edinson Volquez offer hope to an organization that has had trouble obtaining success in recent years. But with a few prospects floating over via the trade of Ken Griffey Jr. and possibly one or two more in the likely trade of Adam Dunn, there's at least some light at the end of the tunnel. Jay Bruce looked phenomenal this weekend and Joey Votto is just solid over at first. Whether or not he offers up enough offense for his position remains to be seen, but at this point, I would be pleased with what he's offered in his first full time playing gig. Look for the Reds to keep gaining momentum from year to year, especially if they can grab some pitching on the way.
Milwaukee Brewers 3 Cincinnati Reds 6
Milwaukee Brewers 8 Cincinnati Reds 1
Milwaukee Brewers 6 Cincinnati Reds 3
MVPs of the Series:
Corey Hart: 6/11; 2B, 3B, SB, 2 Rs, 4 RBIs
Jay Bruce: 4/10; 2 HRs, 2B, BB, 3 Rs, 5 RBIs
Corey Hart busted out of his slump to lead the bottom of the lineup out of mediocrity, at least for two games, and did it in almost every way possible. From sliding catches to a ton of bullets right up the chute and to the left center gap. That was probably the most interesting thing about Corey's week is that he didn't have a single one of those lean out over the plate fliners that lands short in right. Instead, Rickie Weeks took that opportunity and went opposite field for three of his four hits today.
In the home dugout, Jay Bruce has quietly continue to produce as a rookie. Adam Dunn did little to nothing, which was a surprise, but even if he did, Bruce easily would have outshined him. He did it in every way, just as Corey did, except he was able to show off an absolute cannon, resulting in two outfield assists this afternoon and holding runners at bay when turning bases. On top of that, Bruce handled the bat magnificently, going dead center for a game-tying two run shot in this afternoon's game and fighting off a Brewers rally in the sixth inning on Monday with another two run bomb to help the Reds pull away. To say the least, Brewers fans cannot be happy they'll be seeing him for at least four more seasons in a Cincy uniform.
What was the Difference?:
Nothing sticks out heavily in this series, except for the offense. The Brewers racked up a ton of hits, but the Reds only managed 17 hits in the three games, and won the first game of the series despite only throwing up four hits. The Brewers, on the other hand, batted a solid .312 (34/109) in the series. That'll do against the Reds, but you can't expect that to happen all the time, especially when facing good pitching. It's amazing what a good offense can do for the Brewers' starters.
Causes for Concern:
Inconsistency continues to plague the Brewers in ways unimaginable. Their approach is inconsistent, their defense is inconsistent and worst of all, their confidence is inconsistent. It just seems that the Brewers have very little ability to start from scratch, but when they get a little wave of momentum going, they can ride it into a huge stretch and look like a playoff team. This leads to ridiculous swings in their game and in their record. Other than that, I have a few concerns about Manny struggling down the stretch. Jim over at Bernie's Crew and I disagree over the fatigue of Manny down the stretch. He believes that because Manny's age, the risk of fatigue isn't all the big, but I disagree. Manny pitched 139 innings in 2003, but only reached 132 last season after coming off the DL from an elbow injury. Manny's command has been rough around the edges all season, and was particularly frayed late in the pitch count on Monday. I'm not terribly worried yet, but want to monitor it closely. If he's really struggling, give DiFelice a spot start in September to catch him a breather if needed.
As for the Reds, defense is always a big concern. The only two guys I trust out there are Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce (okay, maybe Joey Votto). The biggest problem is definitely the left side of the infield, though I don't know a whole lot about Jolbert Cabrera. Other than that, there's a big problem in the bottom half of the order with Corey Patterson, Edwin Encarnacion and David Ross in the lineup. It's like a black hole that the power of the top half just can't make up for. It sounds a lot like the Brewers to be honest, but the Brewers make up a bit with pitching and a solid bullpen.
Causes for Excitement:
First of all, little things always go unnoticed, so I'm going to throw a few things out there that are worth keeping an eye on or just plain great for this team. Bullpen: 6 IP 0 ER, including two good looking performances from Eric Gagne and a much improved sinker by Salomon Torres, who has looked shaky since the break. Rickie Weeks went opposite field three times this afternoon and was rewarded all three times. God, imagine what this kid could do if he used the whole field. That will improve his BABIP immensely. Jason Kendall and Mike Cameron both had significantly better weeks considering their struggles, but you have to remember who was pitching. If they repeat these performances on the upcoming west coast road trip, excitement will be bellowing through me. And finally, Dave Bush had a solid performance on Tuesday, despite being on the road. Guess how. No home runs. Bush has given up 20 this year and in his last four victories, has given up not a one big ball. It's amazing how the numbers make sense doesn't it?
Yes, the Reds' manager is Dusty Baker, and somehow Corey Patterson still has a regular playing gig, but you have to be pleased with the direction the Reds are headed. There's a solid base there that oddly resembles the preamble the Brewers brought along four or five years ago. Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Edinson Volquez offer hope to an organization that has had trouble obtaining success in recent years. But with a few prospects floating over via the trade of Ken Griffey Jr. and possibly one or two more in the likely trade of Adam Dunn, there's at least some light at the end of the tunnel. Jay Bruce looked phenomenal this weekend and Joey Votto is just solid over at first. Whether or not he offers up enough offense for his position remains to be seen, but at this point, I would be pleased with what he's offered in his first full time playing gig. Look for the Reds to keep gaining momentum from year to year, especially if they can grab some pitching on the way.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
8/6 Brewers Reds Game Two Recap
The Score:
Brewers 8 Reds 1
MVPs of the Game:
Dave Bush: 7 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K (W)
Edwin Encarnacion: 1/4; RBI, quality defense
Game Recap:
One game after 'the fight', the Brewers bounced back and took advantage of the plentiful mistakes of rookie Edinson Volquez. The Brewers tagged Volquez with five runs in five innings of work, while striking out only two. A low K rate usually means trouble for a power pitcher like Volquez. But don't be fooled, Dave Bush bounced back a bit from his rough return after the ASB to toss a solid game, riding the wave of offense to his sixth victory of the year.
The Brewers looked flat during the first two batters of the game. Durham popped out on the first pitch and JJ Hardy flailed his way into a groundout to third. But the big producers of the team showed up in a big way. Ryan Braun doubled to the gap and Prince Fielder was unintentionally, intentionally walked to bring up the struggling Corey Hart. Hart jumped from that slump with a 2-RBI triple, starting the Brewers in the right direction.
Dave Bush did his best to make things interesting though, at least in the first inning. Jeff Keppinger led off the game with a solid single up the middle and was followed by Joey Votto, who walked on five pitches, none of which even challenged the young man. Bush settled in though, getting Jay Bruce to pop out and Brandon Phillips to ground into a fielder's choice that should have been a double play that JJ slightly bobbled. After hitting Adam Dunn with a pitch to load the bases, Edwin Encarnacion smoked a ball down the line, that I thought was going to score three runs for sure. But Craig Counsell some how ranged over and stopped the ball on the foul line about eight feet beyond third base. Counsell's throw was off target, and the run scored, but he saved at least one run, maybe two in the process as Corey Patterson flew out to end the big time threat.
Both pitchers found the groove after that, each plowing through the second and third innings unscathed. Bush was placing his pitches well and Volquez was taking advantage of an inconsistent strike zone, forcing the Brewers to swing at borderline pitches. But in the fourth inning, Volquez stopped hitting the corners and started making mistakes. He left a changeup over the plate on an 0-2 pitch to Corey, which he smoked into center for a double. After advancing to third on a ground out by Cousnell, Mike Cameron pushed Hart across with a single to left. After stealing second, Cameron would get pushed across on Jason Kendall's hardest and furthest hit of the season. No, it didn't make it over the fence, but it did hit it and Brewers took a 4-1 lead.
The Brewers would manufacture another run in the fifth as JJ Hardy and Ryan Braun led off the inning with singles. Hardy would advance to third on a fly ball to left center and would score on a sac fly by Corey Hart. It's amazing what situational hitting and not strikeouts do can do for a team. This fifth and final run, sent Volquez packing when the inning was finished after tossing 96 pitches in just five innings of work.
Dave Bush, on the other hand, was efficient, which was a change of pace after his last outing. Bush avoided the long ball in this one and only walked two batters, and was really only challenged in his first and final innings. Bush looked poised to give up the big inning in both instances, but was saved by defense in the first and a ground rule double combined with solid pitching the seventh.
Prince Fielder put the exclamation point on the game with a two run blast in the top half of that inning after getting a little chin music the two pitches before. Who was the first man to congratulate him in the dug out? None other than Manny Parra. To be honest, Manny looked like he was just doing it for the sake of the team. No smile, no excitement, just a little fiver. Prince gave him that five and gave him a little tap on the cheek, as the Brewers patted themselves on the back after splitting the first two games of the series.
Game Changing Play:
The Craig Counsell stop really stands out in my mind, but momentum really didn't shift then, it simply stalled it for both teams. As a result, I'm going to go with Mike Cameron's RBI single, stolen base and Kendall's double as a sequence that really changed the complexion of the game. These guys have floundered immensely considering their 'veteran' status. Veteran's are expected to produce and these guys just haven't, but tonight their contributions, specifically in the fourth inning, pushed the confidence meter back to the green.
Note:
- It's interesting to note that Ray Durham was pretty rough at the plate tonight. He popped out twice, once on the first pitch and once after only three pitches. He then singled on a quality AB in the third and flew out in the seventh on a ball right down the middle after only four pitches. Yet, the media and those over at the JS blog, think Rickie is awful for having these nights. The guy made it past the four pitch mark once and was rewarded for it. Otherwise he never hit the ball hard. But he gets some slack because he's not Rickie Weeks. Frustrating. And I'm done beating a dead horse, at least for tonight.
Who's on Tap?:
The Brewers and Reds square off in a morning rubber match tomorrow, pitting Mr. August Jeff Suppan against former top prospect Homer Bailey. It should be interesting considering Suppan's struggles with the Reds and their long balls and Homer Bailey's inconsistent approach on the mound. Thankfully the Brewers have seen him once before this season, so they shouldn't be completely embarrassed at the plate.
Brewers 8 Reds 1
MVPs of the Game:
Dave Bush: 7 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K (W)
Edwin Encarnacion: 1/4; RBI, quality defense
Game Recap:
One game after 'the fight', the Brewers bounced back and took advantage of the plentiful mistakes of rookie Edinson Volquez. The Brewers tagged Volquez with five runs in five innings of work, while striking out only two. A low K rate usually means trouble for a power pitcher like Volquez. But don't be fooled, Dave Bush bounced back a bit from his rough return after the ASB to toss a solid game, riding the wave of offense to his sixth victory of the year.
The Brewers looked flat during the first two batters of the game. Durham popped out on the first pitch and JJ Hardy flailed his way into a groundout to third. But the big producers of the team showed up in a big way. Ryan Braun doubled to the gap and Prince Fielder was unintentionally, intentionally walked to bring up the struggling Corey Hart. Hart jumped from that slump with a 2-RBI triple, starting the Brewers in the right direction.
Dave Bush did his best to make things interesting though, at least in the first inning. Jeff Keppinger led off the game with a solid single up the middle and was followed by Joey Votto, who walked on five pitches, none of which even challenged the young man. Bush settled in though, getting Jay Bruce to pop out and Brandon Phillips to ground into a fielder's choice that should have been a double play that JJ slightly bobbled. After hitting Adam Dunn with a pitch to load the bases, Edwin Encarnacion smoked a ball down the line, that I thought was going to score three runs for sure. But Craig Counsell some how ranged over and stopped the ball on the foul line about eight feet beyond third base. Counsell's throw was off target, and the run scored, but he saved at least one run, maybe two in the process as Corey Patterson flew out to end the big time threat.
Both pitchers found the groove after that, each plowing through the second and third innings unscathed. Bush was placing his pitches well and Volquez was taking advantage of an inconsistent strike zone, forcing the Brewers to swing at borderline pitches. But in the fourth inning, Volquez stopped hitting the corners and started making mistakes. He left a changeup over the plate on an 0-2 pitch to Corey, which he smoked into center for a double. After advancing to third on a ground out by Cousnell, Mike Cameron pushed Hart across with a single to left. After stealing second, Cameron would get pushed across on Jason Kendall's hardest and furthest hit of the season. No, it didn't make it over the fence, but it did hit it and Brewers took a 4-1 lead.
The Brewers would manufacture another run in the fifth as JJ Hardy and Ryan Braun led off the inning with singles. Hardy would advance to third on a fly ball to left center and would score on a sac fly by Corey Hart. It's amazing what situational hitting and not strikeouts do can do for a team. This fifth and final run, sent Volquez packing when the inning was finished after tossing 96 pitches in just five innings of work.
Dave Bush, on the other hand, was efficient, which was a change of pace after his last outing. Bush avoided the long ball in this one and only walked two batters, and was really only challenged in his first and final innings. Bush looked poised to give up the big inning in both instances, but was saved by defense in the first and a ground rule double combined with solid pitching the seventh.
Prince Fielder put the exclamation point on the game with a two run blast in the top half of that inning after getting a little chin music the two pitches before. Who was the first man to congratulate him in the dug out? None other than Manny Parra. To be honest, Manny looked like he was just doing it for the sake of the team. No smile, no excitement, just a little fiver. Prince gave him that five and gave him a little tap on the cheek, as the Brewers patted themselves on the back after splitting the first two games of the series.
Game Changing Play:
The Craig Counsell stop really stands out in my mind, but momentum really didn't shift then, it simply stalled it for both teams. As a result, I'm going to go with Mike Cameron's RBI single, stolen base and Kendall's double as a sequence that really changed the complexion of the game. These guys have floundered immensely considering their 'veteran' status. Veteran's are expected to produce and these guys just haven't, but tonight their contributions, specifically in the fourth inning, pushed the confidence meter back to the green.
Note:
- It's interesting to note that Ray Durham was pretty rough at the plate tonight. He popped out twice, once on the first pitch and once after only three pitches. He then singled on a quality AB in the third and flew out in the seventh on a ball right down the middle after only four pitches. Yet, the media and those over at the JS blog, think Rickie is awful for having these nights. The guy made it past the four pitch mark once and was rewarded for it. Otherwise he never hit the ball hard. But he gets some slack because he's not Rickie Weeks. Frustrating. And I'm done beating a dead horse, at least for tonight.
Who's on Tap?:
The Brewers and Reds square off in a morning rubber match tomorrow, pitting Mr. August Jeff Suppan against former top prospect Homer Bailey. It should be interesting considering Suppan's struggles with the Reds and their long balls and Homer Bailey's inconsistent approach on the mound. Thankfully the Brewers have seen him once before this season, so they shouldn't be completely embarrassed at the plate.
Thank You
I received a couple of e-mails today from people who read the blog, and don't really comment. A lot of the time I feel like my work goes unnoticed, which it probably does, but when I do get feedback and any kind of response, it really motivates me to work harder on my writing and research skills.
Over the course of the season, I've gained a bigger audience, mostly because of the links Jim Breen sends my way over at Bernie's Crew. And I just want to say thank you to all of the readers out there who enjoy reading my stuff and take time out to listen to me babble on. In the words of the most overpaid AAA-Nashville ball player and his salad tong DLing buddy, 'Preesh!'.
Over the course of the season, I've gained a bigger audience, mostly because of the links Jim Breen sends my way over at Bernie's Crew. And I just want to say thank you to all of the readers out there who enjoy reading my stuff and take time out to listen to me babble on. In the words of the most overpaid AAA-Nashville ball player and his salad tong DLing buddy, 'Preesh!'.
8/5 Brewers Reds Game One Recap
So perhaps my new schedule offers me a new breath of fresh air as far as recaps, analysis and previews go. My new workout schedule allows me to ride an exercise bike, read and type simultaneously. Before I know it, I'm going to turn into that super exercise freak. Anyways, let us recap Monday evening's game because things went awry.
The Score:
Brewers 3 Reds 6
MVPs of the Game:
Ryan Braun: 2/4; HR, 2B, 2 Rs, RBI, BB
Jay Bruce: 1/2; HR, 2 Rs, 2 RBIs, BB
Game Recap:
It all started out as a pitcher's duel, but things changed swiftly and turned into a blow out that may spell the end of a Brewers season or spark the beginning of a new one. Both Bronson Arroyo and Manny Parra pitched gems until the fifth inning. However, Arroyo was able to pitch out of one and hit his way out of the other. In the end, a bout ensued in the Brewers dugout, pitting the Brewers first baseman against it's starting pitcher. You can only imagine what 100lbs can do to a lanky pitcher.
Arroyo and Parra put on a show, Arroyo looking like the 'ace' of old and Parra taking advantage of a free swinging lineup. Things looked favorable for the Crew, as they always seemed to be threatening, but they couldn't offer up productive outs when they mattered. And then the fifth inning came and the pressure left Manny bound and broken. The first thing to go was the command. After striking out Adam Dunn, Parra gave up a single to AAA-fresh Jolbert Cabrera and walked Jay Bruce on four straight pitches that weren't even close to the zone. Five pitches later, he repeated the business to David Ross, who is batting .228 this season. After getting down in the count to the pitcher, Manny battled back before pushing a 2-2 fastball right down the middle, which Arroyo promptly sent to the left field corner, scoring two runs. After getting Keppinger to ground out, Joey Votto tossed in a 2-out 2-RBI single to make the game 4-0.
The Brewers responded in the top of the 6th with two walks and an RBI single from Corey Hart, but a two run bomb by rookie Jay Bruce in the bottom half extended the lead to five. Then things got messy. Parra and Fielder were walking side by side in the dugout when Fielder absolutely lost it and shoved Parra into the bench. He then continued the onslaught by taking both of his hands and shoving Parra's head back into the wall yet again. What was said, and how it came about is still pretty much unknown.
Reports say the fight ensued as a result of Manny wanting to go to the clubhouse to watch the rest of the game and Prince taking offense. But I have a feeling more was brought about. The poor defense and meager offense has to have had an effect on the Brewers staff. There's no doubt, Manny and Ben's records should be considerably better considering what they've done. But the defense and lack of offense have really made them look average if not, in Manny's case, a little below average. Manny's point at the field clearly indicates that more was implied.
But that didn't stop the game from continuing as the Brewers pushed two more runs across in hope of yet another come back victory. But with two on and one out in the ninth, JJ Hardy and Ryan Braun displayed the Brewers biggest weakness yet again... the inability to recognize a pitch. Hardy was called out on strikes and Braun flailed at four pitches, fouling off two potential balls in the process before finishing the game with an emphatic swinging strike three at the ankles.
Game Changing Play:
After Parra walked back to back batters and started Bronson Arroyo out with a 2-0 count, he battled back to 2-2. But instead of throwing his out pitch, he tossed a straight fastball instead of the splitter, which the PITCHER, Bronson Arroyo smoked down the left field line to score two. Parra managed to get the next batter to ground out, but the confidence was shot from the pitcher's double and Parra tossed up another meatball turning a 0-0 game into a 0-4 game and a meltdown of the Crew.
What's on Tap?:
The Brewers move on, despite a legitimate fight in the dug out, and take on Edinson Volquez, who has shown that he is more than capable to destroy the Brewers "powerful" offense, which basically means, no bombs = no runs. Dave Bush takes on the young righty and has about two weeks to show he deserves the job. Otherwise, he'll lose his job to Seth McClung and Yost will ruin both of their routines for a fourth time this year.
Look for the Brewers to come out angry and focused or a complete mess tomorrow. There won't be an in between. Fights like the Parra Fielder debauchery don't happen often, and happen even fewer times in Milwaukee. The Brewers don't win enough games for the players to care on most occasions. But things have obviously changed since 2002. Spark plug or kiss of death? These players offer the answer.
The Score:
Brewers 3 Reds 6
MVPs of the Game:
Ryan Braun: 2/4; HR, 2B, 2 Rs, RBI, BB
Jay Bruce: 1/2; HR, 2 Rs, 2 RBIs, BB
Game Recap:
It all started out as a pitcher's duel, but things changed swiftly and turned into a blow out that may spell the end of a Brewers season or spark the beginning of a new one. Both Bronson Arroyo and Manny Parra pitched gems until the fifth inning. However, Arroyo was able to pitch out of one and hit his way out of the other. In the end, a bout ensued in the Brewers dugout, pitting the Brewers first baseman against it's starting pitcher. You can only imagine what 100lbs can do to a lanky pitcher.
Arroyo and Parra put on a show, Arroyo looking like the 'ace' of old and Parra taking advantage of a free swinging lineup. Things looked favorable for the Crew, as they always seemed to be threatening, but they couldn't offer up productive outs when they mattered. And then the fifth inning came and the pressure left Manny bound and broken. The first thing to go was the command. After striking out Adam Dunn, Parra gave up a single to AAA-fresh Jolbert Cabrera and walked Jay Bruce on four straight pitches that weren't even close to the zone. Five pitches later, he repeated the business to David Ross, who is batting .228 this season. After getting down in the count to the pitcher, Manny battled back before pushing a 2-2 fastball right down the middle, which Arroyo promptly sent to the left field corner, scoring two runs. After getting Keppinger to ground out, Joey Votto tossed in a 2-out 2-RBI single to make the game 4-0.
The Brewers responded in the top of the 6th with two walks and an RBI single from Corey Hart, but a two run bomb by rookie Jay Bruce in the bottom half extended the lead to five. Then things got messy. Parra and Fielder were walking side by side in the dugout when Fielder absolutely lost it and shoved Parra into the bench. He then continued the onslaught by taking both of his hands and shoving Parra's head back into the wall yet again. What was said, and how it came about is still pretty much unknown.
Reports say the fight ensued as a result of Manny wanting to go to the clubhouse to watch the rest of the game and Prince taking offense. But I have a feeling more was brought about. The poor defense and meager offense has to have had an effect on the Brewers staff. There's no doubt, Manny and Ben's records should be considerably better considering what they've done. But the defense and lack of offense have really made them look average if not, in Manny's case, a little below average. Manny's point at the field clearly indicates that more was implied.
But that didn't stop the game from continuing as the Brewers pushed two more runs across in hope of yet another come back victory. But with two on and one out in the ninth, JJ Hardy and Ryan Braun displayed the Brewers biggest weakness yet again... the inability to recognize a pitch. Hardy was called out on strikes and Braun flailed at four pitches, fouling off two potential balls in the process before finishing the game with an emphatic swinging strike three at the ankles.
Game Changing Play:
After Parra walked back to back batters and started Bronson Arroyo out with a 2-0 count, he battled back to 2-2. But instead of throwing his out pitch, he tossed a straight fastball instead of the splitter, which the PITCHER, Bronson Arroyo smoked down the left field line to score two. Parra managed to get the next batter to ground out, but the confidence was shot from the pitcher's double and Parra tossed up another meatball turning a 0-0 game into a 0-4 game and a meltdown of the Crew.
What's on Tap?:
The Brewers move on, despite a legitimate fight in the dug out, and take on Edinson Volquez, who has shown that he is more than capable to destroy the Brewers "powerful" offense, which basically means, no bombs = no runs. Dave Bush takes on the young righty and has about two weeks to show he deserves the job. Otherwise, he'll lose his job to Seth McClung and Yost will ruin both of their routines for a fourth time this year.
Look for the Brewers to come out angry and focused or a complete mess tomorrow. There won't be an in between. Fights like the Parra Fielder debauchery don't happen often, and happen even fewer times in Milwaukee. The Brewers don't win enough games for the players to care on most occasions. But things have obviously changed since 2002. Spark plug or kiss of death? These players offer the answer.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Brewers Reds Series Preview
The Series:
Milwaukee Brewers (62-50) @ Cincinnati Reds (51-61)
Who's on Tap?:
August 4th: Manny Parra (9-4, 3.93 ERA) vs. Bronson Arroyo (9-8, 5.74 ERA)
August 5th: Dave Bush (5-9, 4.69 ERA) vs. Edinson Volquez (13-4, 2.71 ERA)
August 6th: Jeff Suppan (6-7, 4.75 ERA) vs. Homer Bailey (0-5, 7.55 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
The Brewers come off a relatively successful series against the Braves and head to Great American Ballpark, where they are 2-1 this season. They make their last trip there in September. One Brewer that will enjoy his time there is Prince Fielder. At GAB, Prince is hitting a stellar .329/.398/.570. Considering his current hot streak, Prince should enjoy his time in the spacious gaps. JJ Hardy has also had some success again the Reds with 10 HRs in 34 starts. Unfortunately for the Brewers, Corey Hart and Ryan Braun have struggled mightily against Reds hurlers, so these Prince and JJ may have to really overachieve to get some runs. On the mound, keep your on Dave Bush, who has been back to his old tricks since the break, that is walking batters and giving up bombs. Bush is making his first 'non-platoon' start after giving up 10 earnies in his last 12.1 innings.
In the home dugout, the Reds roll out a Griffeyless lineup, which may actually be better for them in the long run, though they have to send out Corey Patterson more often than usual. On the plus side of things, Jerry Hairston Jr. is back off the DL and can spare Reds' fans of Dusty Baker's favorite player. As far as people you should keep an eye on, the obvious one is Adam Dunn, who has been a Brewer killer since he entered the league. Dunn is a .276/.425/.583 hitter when he gets in the box against Milwaukee and absolutely destroys Jeff Suppan (.500/.657/.875). On the mound, the Brewers dodge Aaron Harang again, since he's still on the DL, but are forced to take on the only player who is challenging Geovany Soto for ROY, Edinson Volquez. In his only start against Milwaukee, Volquez went seven strong, giving up only one earned run while striking out ten. That will probably play out in a similar fashion on Tuesday.
Keys to Victory:
The Brewers should have little trouble taking two games from the Reds with Arroyo and Bailey on the mound, but they can't just expect the wins to come. They'll have to do exactly what they did on Friday to Chuck James. In just 2.2 innings of work, James gave up four walks. That's usually not the Brewers game, I know, but Reds pitchers walk A LOT of batters. Arroyo's propensity to give up the long ball is his problem, but Volquez has walked 62 batters in 133 innings and Bailey 14 in 31 IP. The Brewers failed to do this in the last series, losing two of three at Miller Park. They did walk three times each game, but it was always secluded to one specific player. Come on guys, learn something from that Cubs series.
The Reds, need to rare back and hit the ball out of the park. Other than Manny Parra, the Brewers pitching staff gives up the long ball all too often. The biggest culprit is Dave Bush, who has given up 20 long shots in his 119 innings of work. Patience will help in this endeavor, but the Reds have big time power and will have to use it to their advantage when given the opportunity. Short porches in left and right won't hurt that one bit (325 ft in right and 328 in left).
Predictions and Notes:
- It's hard to imagine the Brewers losing on Monday or Wednesday considering the success the Brewers have had against Arroyo and the flat out disappointment of Homer Bailey. Tuesday will be a tough one though. Volquez has only had two rough starts all season (after looking at his numbers, I'm not sure if his ROY eligible), and I don't expect the third to show up in this series, though a full season of pitching may be finally getting to him. I think the Brewers' offense shows up big time tomorrow, despite Arroyo's recent success. Tuesday will be that game where every one on the offensive end struggles and every one on their team catches the breaks. Bush will probably pitch pretty reasonable, but he'll get the Ben Sheets treatment. And Wednesday is that good ole toss up game. I can't imagine Homer Bailey succeeding yet again against the Brewers, so I'll say a 6-4 win on the shoulders of a couple of homeruns.
- Look for Adam Dunn to not play against Parra as Baker has been going out of his way to pull him against lefties. Though that may change as they try to move him in a waiver trade. Dunn is soaking up some serious cash for a team that's in last place in the Central.
- Another guy to look out for this week is Joey Votto. Votto has finally gotten the playing time he's deserved and has often gone overlooked with guys like Dunn, Phillips and Jay Bruce on the team. Votto has stuck around the .275ish mark all season and is a picture of consistency, though his power is down somewhat.
- With all of the up roar about Rickie Weeks in the last two weeks, mostly because of Tom Haudricourt and the riotous uninformed fans, who don't know about Rickie's recent success, it should be noted he will get two starts this week with Arroyo and Home Bailey. If this doesn't happen, there's going to be some chemistry problems brewing the club house. Rickie is Prince's right hand man and if Rickie has problems, they really could be cancerous.
Milwaukee Brewers (62-50) @ Cincinnati Reds (51-61)
Who's on Tap?:
August 4th: Manny Parra (9-4, 3.93 ERA) vs. Bronson Arroyo (9-8, 5.74 ERA)
August 5th: Dave Bush (5-9, 4.69 ERA) vs. Edinson Volquez (13-4, 2.71 ERA)
August 6th: Jeff Suppan (6-7, 4.75 ERA) vs. Homer Bailey (0-5, 7.55 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
The Brewers come off a relatively successful series against the Braves and head to Great American Ballpark, where they are 2-1 this season. They make their last trip there in September. One Brewer that will enjoy his time there is Prince Fielder. At GAB, Prince is hitting a stellar .329/.398/.570. Considering his current hot streak, Prince should enjoy his time in the spacious gaps. JJ Hardy has also had some success again the Reds with 10 HRs in 34 starts. Unfortunately for the Brewers, Corey Hart and Ryan Braun have struggled mightily against Reds hurlers, so these Prince and JJ may have to really overachieve to get some runs. On the mound, keep your on Dave Bush, who has been back to his old tricks since the break, that is walking batters and giving up bombs. Bush is making his first 'non-platoon' start after giving up 10 earnies in his last 12.1 innings.
In the home dugout, the Reds roll out a Griffeyless lineup, which may actually be better for them in the long run, though they have to send out Corey Patterson more often than usual. On the plus side of things, Jerry Hairston Jr. is back off the DL and can spare Reds' fans of Dusty Baker's favorite player. As far as people you should keep an eye on, the obvious one is Adam Dunn, who has been a Brewer killer since he entered the league. Dunn is a .276/.425/.583 hitter when he gets in the box against Milwaukee and absolutely destroys Jeff Suppan (.500/.657/.875). On the mound, the Brewers dodge Aaron Harang again, since he's still on the DL, but are forced to take on the only player who is challenging Geovany Soto for ROY, Edinson Volquez. In his only start against Milwaukee, Volquez went seven strong, giving up only one earned run while striking out ten. That will probably play out in a similar fashion on Tuesday.
Keys to Victory:
The Brewers should have little trouble taking two games from the Reds with Arroyo and Bailey on the mound, but they can't just expect the wins to come. They'll have to do exactly what they did on Friday to Chuck James. In just 2.2 innings of work, James gave up four walks. That's usually not the Brewers game, I know, but Reds pitchers walk A LOT of batters. Arroyo's propensity to give up the long ball is his problem, but Volquez has walked 62 batters in 133 innings and Bailey 14 in 31 IP. The Brewers failed to do this in the last series, losing two of three at Miller Park. They did walk three times each game, but it was always secluded to one specific player. Come on guys, learn something from that Cubs series.
The Reds, need to rare back and hit the ball out of the park. Other than Manny Parra, the Brewers pitching staff gives up the long ball all too often. The biggest culprit is Dave Bush, who has given up 20 long shots in his 119 innings of work. Patience will help in this endeavor, but the Reds have big time power and will have to use it to their advantage when given the opportunity. Short porches in left and right won't hurt that one bit (325 ft in right and 328 in left).
Predictions and Notes:
- It's hard to imagine the Brewers losing on Monday or Wednesday considering the success the Brewers have had against Arroyo and the flat out disappointment of Homer Bailey. Tuesday will be a tough one though. Volquez has only had two rough starts all season (after looking at his numbers, I'm not sure if his ROY eligible), and I don't expect the third to show up in this series, though a full season of pitching may be finally getting to him. I think the Brewers' offense shows up big time tomorrow, despite Arroyo's recent success. Tuesday will be that game where every one on the offensive end struggles and every one on their team catches the breaks. Bush will probably pitch pretty reasonable, but he'll get the Ben Sheets treatment. And Wednesday is that good ole toss up game. I can't imagine Homer Bailey succeeding yet again against the Brewers, so I'll say a 6-4 win on the shoulders of a couple of homeruns.
- Look for Adam Dunn to not play against Parra as Baker has been going out of his way to pull him against lefties. Though that may change as they try to move him in a waiver trade. Dunn is soaking up some serious cash for a team that's in last place in the Central.
- Another guy to look out for this week is Joey Votto. Votto has finally gotten the playing time he's deserved and has often gone overlooked with guys like Dunn, Phillips and Jay Bruce on the team. Votto has stuck around the .275ish mark all season and is a picture of consistency, though his power is down somewhat.
- With all of the up roar about Rickie Weeks in the last two weeks, mostly because of Tom Haudricourt and the riotous uninformed fans, who don't know about Rickie's recent success, it should be noted he will get two starts this week with Arroyo and Home Bailey. If this doesn't happen, there's going to be some chemistry problems brewing the club house. Rickie is Prince's right hand man and if Rickie has problems, they really could be cancerous.
Brewers Braves Series Recap
The Scores:
Milwaukee Brewers 9 Atlanta Braves 0
Milwaukee Brewers 4 Atlanta Braves 2
Milwaukee Brewers 0 Atlanta Braves 5
MVPs of the Series:
Prince Fielder: 4/12; 3 HRs, 4 RBIs, 3 Rs
Jorge Campillo: 7 IP, 6 H, 6 K (W)
Prince Fielder has found his power stroke once again, and it comes in looking like that easy swing that I'm so used to checking out. It's really fun to watch Prince swing out of his shoes because of the power her conjure up with that big frame of his. But the fact of the matter is that those swings don't often make contact. This weekend's three homeruns were things of beauty. Simple, balanced and compact swings that sent the ball far far away. If Prince can stick to this type of swing, he may in fact get to that 40 HR plateau that I predicted this offseason.
Nobody was really impressive this weekend as far as the offense goes, so I'm going to go to the man who single handedly put the Brewers biggest weakness on display and gave the Braves their only victory in the series. The media has completely disregarded Campillo this season because of his soft 6-4 record, but let's be honest here. A 2.58 ERA in 108 IP is not something to be scoffed at. He's only started 15 games this year, which doesn't help his record any, and hasn't received nearly the amount of support most solid pitchers get. Nevertheless, his stuff is deceiving as hell and his propensity to throw strikes has gotten him the benefit of the doubt on a lot of pitches.
What was the Difference?:
The offense, more specifically the long ball. The Braves launched a total of zero homeruns this weekend, while the Brewers threw up four long balls, resulting in six runs, which was enough to win both Friday and Saturday. The lack of a long ball on Sunday and a game where manufacturing runs was a necessity, the Braves destroyed the Brewers. Go figure.
Causes for Concern:
It's hard to really be concerned about the Braves right now. They've given up on the season and for very good reason. Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Tim Hudson are all on the DL. Toss in the trade of Mark Texeira before the deadline and the injury of Brian McCann, and the Braves have nothing to offer on the mound or at the plate. That's a concern in itself, but the real concern lies in the bullpen. The Braves are going to have a hard time next season unless they find a way to solidify that relief corps. The only reasonable guys in there are Will Ohman and Mike Gonzalez. But Ohman is out next season, leaving guys like Buddy Carlyle and Jeff Bennett to pick up the slack. Gag.
Sometimes it's just ridiculous to listen to Ned Yost from day to day. I'm not going to go after Yost here, maybe another post, but Yost basically states bluntly what's wrong with his team and then defends them. This weekend during the game on Fox, Yost promptly defended his team as a homerun team and says that, 'You can't teach power,'. And he's right, you can't. But does any one remember the Cubs series when he stated that this team just wasn't able to manufacture runs? Yost, WE KNOW! We've been saying it all season. No walks and zero situational hitting makes the Brewers a very inconsistent squad. When a guy like Campillo, who gives up very few dingers, toes the rubber, you have to make an adjustment. Either move up on the plate or sit dead on a changeup or curveball. The Brewers had plenty of opportunities to the narrow the margin on Sunday, but struck out every time a runner was on third base.
Causes for Excitement:
Obviously Jorge Campillo has to make the Braves happy campers, but I'm going to say the biggest surprise of the year for me is Gregor Blanco. In his first full season and only appearance in the big leagues this year, Blanco is hitting a solid .266/.370/.328. Obviously the slugging leaves a lot to be desired, but Blanco is clearly the lead off hitter of this team for a few years. He offers a ton of intangibles and will slowly improve on his base stealing abilities. Other than that, the Braves are in rough shape with all of their stars on the DL.
There was something very promising about Suppan's start on Friday. Twelve ground ball outs, and seven shutout innings makes you wonder if second half Soup is on yet again. I didn't get to watch a lot of the game, and I know the Braves' offense is running half empty, but the bite to Jeff's pitches was back and his command was pretty solid, with the exception of the fourth inning. Other than that, Prince Fielder is offering up another show. We knew that at some point he was start going on a tear. Fans couldn't wait though and have been going for his throat all season. I know I've said trade him in the off season, but not because of his play. More because he's a big contract next season and a liability at first base. But Prince has been solid all season and leads the team, as he has all season, in OBP and may single handedly will this team to a few more victories like he did on Saturday.
Milwaukee Brewers 9 Atlanta Braves 0
Milwaukee Brewers 4 Atlanta Braves 2
Milwaukee Brewers 0 Atlanta Braves 5
MVPs of the Series:
Prince Fielder: 4/12; 3 HRs, 4 RBIs, 3 Rs
Jorge Campillo: 7 IP, 6 H, 6 K (W)
Prince Fielder has found his power stroke once again, and it comes in looking like that easy swing that I'm so used to checking out. It's really fun to watch Prince swing out of his shoes because of the power her conjure up with that big frame of his. But the fact of the matter is that those swings don't often make contact. This weekend's three homeruns were things of beauty. Simple, balanced and compact swings that sent the ball far far away. If Prince can stick to this type of swing, he may in fact get to that 40 HR plateau that I predicted this offseason.
Nobody was really impressive this weekend as far as the offense goes, so I'm going to go to the man who single handedly put the Brewers biggest weakness on display and gave the Braves their only victory in the series. The media has completely disregarded Campillo this season because of his soft 6-4 record, but let's be honest here. A 2.58 ERA in 108 IP is not something to be scoffed at. He's only started 15 games this year, which doesn't help his record any, and hasn't received nearly the amount of support most solid pitchers get. Nevertheless, his stuff is deceiving as hell and his propensity to throw strikes has gotten him the benefit of the doubt on a lot of pitches.
What was the Difference?:
The offense, more specifically the long ball. The Braves launched a total of zero homeruns this weekend, while the Brewers threw up four long balls, resulting in six runs, which was enough to win both Friday and Saturday. The lack of a long ball on Sunday and a game where manufacturing runs was a necessity, the Braves destroyed the Brewers. Go figure.
Causes for Concern:
It's hard to really be concerned about the Braves right now. They've given up on the season and for very good reason. Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Tim Hudson are all on the DL. Toss in the trade of Mark Texeira before the deadline and the injury of Brian McCann, and the Braves have nothing to offer on the mound or at the plate. That's a concern in itself, but the real concern lies in the bullpen. The Braves are going to have a hard time next season unless they find a way to solidify that relief corps. The only reasonable guys in there are Will Ohman and Mike Gonzalez. But Ohman is out next season, leaving guys like Buddy Carlyle and Jeff Bennett to pick up the slack. Gag.
Sometimes it's just ridiculous to listen to Ned Yost from day to day. I'm not going to go after Yost here, maybe another post, but Yost basically states bluntly what's wrong with his team and then defends them. This weekend during the game on Fox, Yost promptly defended his team as a homerun team and says that, 'You can't teach power,'. And he's right, you can't. But does any one remember the Cubs series when he stated that this team just wasn't able to manufacture runs? Yost, WE KNOW! We've been saying it all season. No walks and zero situational hitting makes the Brewers a very inconsistent squad. When a guy like Campillo, who gives up very few dingers, toes the rubber, you have to make an adjustment. Either move up on the plate or sit dead on a changeup or curveball. The Brewers had plenty of opportunities to the narrow the margin on Sunday, but struck out every time a runner was on third base.
Causes for Excitement:
Obviously Jorge Campillo has to make the Braves happy campers, but I'm going to say the biggest surprise of the year for me is Gregor Blanco. In his first full season and only appearance in the big leagues this year, Blanco is hitting a solid .266/.370/.328. Obviously the slugging leaves a lot to be desired, but Blanco is clearly the lead off hitter of this team for a few years. He offers a ton of intangibles and will slowly improve on his base stealing abilities. Other than that, the Braves are in rough shape with all of their stars on the DL.
There was something very promising about Suppan's start on Friday. Twelve ground ball outs, and seven shutout innings makes you wonder if second half Soup is on yet again. I didn't get to watch a lot of the game, and I know the Braves' offense is running half empty, but the bite to Jeff's pitches was back and his command was pretty solid, with the exception of the fourth inning. Other than that, Prince Fielder is offering up another show. We knew that at some point he was start going on a tear. Fans couldn't wait though and have been going for his throat all season. I know I've said trade him in the off season, but not because of his play. More because he's a big contract next season and a liability at first base. But Prince has been solid all season and leads the team, as he has all season, in OBP and may single handedly will this team to a few more victories like he did on Saturday.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Tom Haudricourt Takes Personal Vendettas Too Far
In the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today you will see a 'MLB Beat' article which basically goes after the heads of second baseman Rickie Weeks and center fielder Mike Cameron, saying that their bats have been awful and they don't deserve their job. Tom Haurdricourt has been after these two guys for about two weeks now and is trying to force the hand of Ned Yost to basically get rid of both of them and let the subs come in and do some damage.
But that's bull shit. Why now Tom? Rickie has been struggling all season, but has been a constant OBP guy as far as this team is concerned. Let's look at the regulars on this team and see where Rickie matches up as far as OBP goes...
Prince Fielder .374
JJ Hardy .344
Ryan Braun .338
Rickie Weeks .332
Jason Kendall .330
Corey Hart .319
Mike Cameron .316
3B Platoon .305
And he goes after Rickie?! What the hell is wrong with this guy. First off all, Braun's OBP is pretty much all average. Kendall is actually slugging lower than his OBP and Corey Hart has Braun syndrome this year with an IsoP of a disgusting 39. But that's not what Tom sees. He sees Rickie make two bad plays on defense and nit picks on every single little blunder. He then thinks that he has enough pull to talk to Yost on behalf of the fans as if the fans deserve the change despite it not being warranted.
Don't get me wrong here though, I'm not a total idiot. Ray Durham's .378 OBP makes me a very happy man, and I think he should get some playing time down the road, but ONLY against tough righties. Durham does not bring speed to the base paths any more, and since this team is purely a homerun team, he's unlikely to advance to scoring position when reaching on a single or walk. This is a real problem because of the team's .254 average and .324 OBP. Rickie, on the other hand, often gives us the best opportunity to score runs as his 68 runs on 136 appearances on the base paths indicates. If you're wondering about Ray Durham this year he's at in 47 in 122 appearances. Mind you he was on the Giants for most of that time. Rickie's 16 SBs and heads up running often moves him into positions Durham is no longer capable of doing (I saw him tag from first a couple times this year. How about turning singles into doubles against the Astros?)
You play Durham against tough righties who rely on the soft stuff and that's it. So that basically gives Durham 2-3 games a week and Rickie 3-4, which I'm okay with. But don't go after a 26 year old kid, who, in terms of this team, isn't under achieving as much as people think.
My problem with Tom is that when he writes articles, he never offers up any argument to the other side. For instance, Yost called Rickie a 'late bloomer' this week referring to Rickie's second half tear. Tom simply shrugs it off and doesn't even offer up the numbers. Well here's Rickie's second half stats from last season...
58 G .251/.422/.481 with 11 HR, 17 RBI, 16 SB, 0 CS and 48 R
Guess what guys, There's 51 games left. In Rickie's last seven complete games he is hitting:
.333/.406/.556 with 3 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB and 1 CS
Why would Tom ever write that in his column? It's one thing to go after a guy, it's another when you fail to offer up all the facts. Tom tells the public in print only what he thinks and not what's actually going on. Please refer to the Angel Salome suspension in which Tom printed he took steroids, when in fact it was ADD medication that had a banned stimulant in it. Tom never retracted the article or the statement.
I should be back this week if you were all looking for me. I needed a break after going to four games in that horrendous homestand. I believe more in silence than going after the throat of a team that really didn't play a single game of solid baseball for my 100 bucks worth of ticket sales.
But that's bull shit. Why now Tom? Rickie has been struggling all season, but has been a constant OBP guy as far as this team is concerned. Let's look at the regulars on this team and see where Rickie matches up as far as OBP goes...
Prince Fielder .374
JJ Hardy .344
Ryan Braun .338
Rickie Weeks .332
Jason Kendall .330
Corey Hart .319
Mike Cameron .316
3B Platoon .305
And he goes after Rickie?! What the hell is wrong with this guy. First off all, Braun's OBP is pretty much all average. Kendall is actually slugging lower than his OBP and Corey Hart has Braun syndrome this year with an IsoP of a disgusting 39. But that's not what Tom sees. He sees Rickie make two bad plays on defense and nit picks on every single little blunder. He then thinks that he has enough pull to talk to Yost on behalf of the fans as if the fans deserve the change despite it not being warranted.
Don't get me wrong here though, I'm not a total idiot. Ray Durham's .378 OBP makes me a very happy man, and I think he should get some playing time down the road, but ONLY against tough righties. Durham does not bring speed to the base paths any more, and since this team is purely a homerun team, he's unlikely to advance to scoring position when reaching on a single or walk. This is a real problem because of the team's .254 average and .324 OBP. Rickie, on the other hand, often gives us the best opportunity to score runs as his 68 runs on 136 appearances on the base paths indicates. If you're wondering about Ray Durham this year he's at in 47 in 122 appearances. Mind you he was on the Giants for most of that time. Rickie's 16 SBs and heads up running often moves him into positions Durham is no longer capable of doing (I saw him tag from first a couple times this year. How about turning singles into doubles against the Astros?)
You play Durham against tough righties who rely on the soft stuff and that's it. So that basically gives Durham 2-3 games a week and Rickie 3-4, which I'm okay with. But don't go after a 26 year old kid, who, in terms of this team, isn't under achieving as much as people think.
My problem with Tom is that when he writes articles, he never offers up any argument to the other side. For instance, Yost called Rickie a 'late bloomer' this week referring to Rickie's second half tear. Tom simply shrugs it off and doesn't even offer up the numbers. Well here's Rickie's second half stats from last season...
58 G .251/.422/.481 with 11 HR, 17 RBI, 16 SB, 0 CS and 48 R
Guess what guys, There's 51 games left. In Rickie's last seven complete games he is hitting:
.333/.406/.556 with 3 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB and 1 CS
Why would Tom ever write that in his column? It's one thing to go after a guy, it's another when you fail to offer up all the facts. Tom tells the public in print only what he thinks and not what's actually going on. Please refer to the Angel Salome suspension in which Tom printed he took steroids, when in fact it was ADD medication that had a banned stimulant in it. Tom never retracted the article or the statement.
I should be back this week if you were all looking for me. I needed a break after going to four games in that horrendous homestand. I believe more in silence than going after the throat of a team that really didn't play a single game of solid baseball for my 100 bucks worth of ticket sales.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Brewers Astros Series Preview
The Series:
Houston Astros (46-55) @ Milwaukee Brewers (59-43)
Who's on Tap?:
July 25th: Wandy Rodriguez (5-3, 3.31 ERA) vs. Manny Parra (9-2, 3.68 ERA)
July 26th: Brandon Backe (6-10, 4.79 ERA) vs. Dave Bush (5-8, 4.39 ERA)
July 27th: Randy Wolf (6-10, 4.74 ERA) vs. Jeff Suppan (5-6, 4.65 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
The Astros come in last place in the NL Central and a game and half back behind Pittsburgh on top of that, which makes you wonder why they even considered trading for Randy Wolf. Nevertheless, the Astros aren't a team that can simply be over-looked, considering they are 4-5 against Milwaukee this season, including a series sweep in May. Those three victories had a lot to do with one of the best hitters in the NL this year, Lance Berkman. Lance is hitting .400/.447/.829 against the Crew this season with three homeruns and 12 RBIs in just nine games. Thankfully the Brewers aren't throwing out Ben Sheets this weekend, who Lance just destroys, but Bush, Parra and Soup are going to have to contain the big fella to continue their streak. On the mound you should keep your eye on Wandy Rodriguez. Wandy has had a very interesting career where he shows flashes of brilliance and then just turns falls apart. That is to be expected from an inexperienced pitcher. But he has yet to fall apart this year, mostly because he has limited his walks, and is coming off a solid start against the Cubs going 6.2 and only giving up one run.
The Brewers are undoubtedly the hottest team in baseball right now, riding an undefeated road trip and the hot bats of Ryan Braun and JJ Hardy. And while you should watch those guys too, play close attention the wiry fellow, Corey Hart. Corey is a career .342/.395/.664 hitter against the Astros in 165 PAs, which is a pretty reasonable sample size. He's 6/15 against Brandon Backe with three doubles and a homerun and 8/17 against Wandy. Corey had a rough rough series against the Cardinals, but he should hop back on the wagon after some home cooking gets in his stomach. On the mound, keep your eyes on Dave Bush and the bullpen. No one is quite sure how Ned Yost is going to run the platoon situation as Seth McClung turns in his long reliever for the next three days or so. As for the bullpen, it's fresh and ready to go as Carlos Villanueva, Dave Riske and Brian Shouse are all fresher than ever. Villa has only tossed 12 pitches since the ASB, and is due for a couple of innings with the back end of the rotation taking its turn. Shouse has only seen an inning and two thirds of work since the ASB and will need some work to get sharp again, though seven of his eight pitches were strikes on Tuesday was enough to get through three Cardinal batters.
Keys to Victory:
If you've looked at the box scores for the Astros lately, you'll notice that they have absolutely no problems scoring runs in bunches. But sometimes they just can't put it together all at once. And recently they're pitching hasn't been anything to call home about either, as they've lost a number games 8-7 or 7-6. After some thought, it's going to come down to patience. It's hard to believe that when you have a guy with a .437 OBP like Lance Berkman, it doesn't somewhat rub off on the rest of the team. Houston's team OBP is .321, which is absolutely atrocious especially considering they're only slugging .404 in the right handed hitter friendly Minute Maid Park. Patience should garner them some extra base runners with Soup and Parra on the mound. That should get them to the bullpen sooner rather than later and give them the best chance to take this series.
The Astros don't strike out a lot, and are second to last in SOs in the NL, just one above the St. Louis Cardinals. This means the Brewers defense has to show up. No more indecision. If you're going to go for the ball, go for it damnit. If there is any series where the Brewers difficulties in the infield could haunt them, it's this one. Their confidence is so high right now, they may overlook the little things that got them to this point. The biggest culprits are Rickie, Prince and the pitcher. Yes Hall has struggled too, but the right side of the infield is covered in the soot of mental errors. Provided these guys play well and we get the usual play from the outfield, the Brewers should be just fine.
Predictions and Notes:
- It's never easy to say the Brewers will sweep because baseball is such a funny game, but it's hard to argue against Manny Parra tonight with the Astros rolling out a lefty. The Brewers are 22-9 against lefties this year, while the Astros are 14-15. Brandon Backe is just downright awful, even if the Brewers are trying out the platoon experiment this week. And then Suppan rolls out at Miller Park looking just as good as he did early in the season. If the Brewers do lose a game, though, it will be Sunday, as the Brewers have had a hard time with Wolf and the Astros have had significant success against Suppan.
- If you haven't noticed yet, the arrival of Rickie Weeks and Bill Hall has put the Brewers well over the top in the last week. Weeks is batting .348/.467/.609 since the break with five walks, eight RBIs and only three Ks. Hall is batting a measly .190/.292/.476 in his five game, has two huge homeruns and has walked three times. Not bad for two guys who were getting hunted by Brewers fans all over the internet. I'm proud to say that I've always stuck behind Weeks and his talents. He's a top notch second baseman if he puts his talents to use, and is a big reason for this run by the Crew. Hall, on the other hand, isn't out of my doghouse just yet. The strike out rate is still way up and the defense is a still a worry, but he's showing flashes of the guy we'll need down the stretch if Yost opts out of the third base platoon for the rest of the season.
Houston Astros (46-55) @ Milwaukee Brewers (59-43)
Who's on Tap?:
July 25th: Wandy Rodriguez (5-3, 3.31 ERA) vs. Manny Parra (9-2, 3.68 ERA)
July 26th: Brandon Backe (6-10, 4.79 ERA) vs. Dave Bush (5-8, 4.39 ERA)
July 27th: Randy Wolf (6-10, 4.74 ERA) vs. Jeff Suppan (5-6, 4.65 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
The Astros come in last place in the NL Central and a game and half back behind Pittsburgh on top of that, which makes you wonder why they even considered trading for Randy Wolf. Nevertheless, the Astros aren't a team that can simply be over-looked, considering they are 4-5 against Milwaukee this season, including a series sweep in May. Those three victories had a lot to do with one of the best hitters in the NL this year, Lance Berkman. Lance is hitting .400/.447/.829 against the Crew this season with three homeruns and 12 RBIs in just nine games. Thankfully the Brewers aren't throwing out Ben Sheets this weekend, who Lance just destroys, but Bush, Parra and Soup are going to have to contain the big fella to continue their streak. On the mound you should keep your eye on Wandy Rodriguez. Wandy has had a very interesting career where he shows flashes of brilliance and then just turns falls apart. That is to be expected from an inexperienced pitcher. But he has yet to fall apart this year, mostly because he has limited his walks, and is coming off a solid start against the Cubs going 6.2 and only giving up one run.
The Brewers are undoubtedly the hottest team in baseball right now, riding an undefeated road trip and the hot bats of Ryan Braun and JJ Hardy. And while you should watch those guys too, play close attention the wiry fellow, Corey Hart. Corey is a career .342/.395/.664 hitter against the Astros in 165 PAs, which is a pretty reasonable sample size. He's 6/15 against Brandon Backe with three doubles and a homerun and 8/17 against Wandy. Corey had a rough rough series against the Cardinals, but he should hop back on the wagon after some home cooking gets in his stomach. On the mound, keep your eyes on Dave Bush and the bullpen. No one is quite sure how Ned Yost is going to run the platoon situation as Seth McClung turns in his long reliever for the next three days or so. As for the bullpen, it's fresh and ready to go as Carlos Villanueva, Dave Riske and Brian Shouse are all fresher than ever. Villa has only tossed 12 pitches since the ASB, and is due for a couple of innings with the back end of the rotation taking its turn. Shouse has only seen an inning and two thirds of work since the ASB and will need some work to get sharp again, though seven of his eight pitches were strikes on Tuesday was enough to get through three Cardinal batters.
Keys to Victory:
If you've looked at the box scores for the Astros lately, you'll notice that they have absolutely no problems scoring runs in bunches. But sometimes they just can't put it together all at once. And recently they're pitching hasn't been anything to call home about either, as they've lost a number games 8-7 or 7-6. After some thought, it's going to come down to patience. It's hard to believe that when you have a guy with a .437 OBP like Lance Berkman, it doesn't somewhat rub off on the rest of the team. Houston's team OBP is .321, which is absolutely atrocious especially considering they're only slugging .404 in the right handed hitter friendly Minute Maid Park. Patience should garner them some extra base runners with Soup and Parra on the mound. That should get them to the bullpen sooner rather than later and give them the best chance to take this series.
The Astros don't strike out a lot, and are second to last in SOs in the NL, just one above the St. Louis Cardinals. This means the Brewers defense has to show up. No more indecision. If you're going to go for the ball, go for it damnit. If there is any series where the Brewers difficulties in the infield could haunt them, it's this one. Their confidence is so high right now, they may overlook the little things that got them to this point. The biggest culprits are Rickie, Prince and the pitcher. Yes Hall has struggled too, but the right side of the infield is covered in the soot of mental errors. Provided these guys play well and we get the usual play from the outfield, the Brewers should be just fine.
Predictions and Notes:
- It's never easy to say the Brewers will sweep because baseball is such a funny game, but it's hard to argue against Manny Parra tonight with the Astros rolling out a lefty. The Brewers are 22-9 against lefties this year, while the Astros are 14-15. Brandon Backe is just downright awful, even if the Brewers are trying out the platoon experiment this week. And then Suppan rolls out at Miller Park looking just as good as he did early in the season. If the Brewers do lose a game, though, it will be Sunday, as the Brewers have had a hard time with Wolf and the Astros have had significant success against Suppan.
- If you haven't noticed yet, the arrival of Rickie Weeks and Bill Hall has put the Brewers well over the top in the last week. Weeks is batting .348/.467/.609 since the break with five walks, eight RBIs and only three Ks. Hall is batting a measly .190/.292/.476 in his five game, has two huge homeruns and has walked three times. Not bad for two guys who were getting hunted by Brewers fans all over the internet. I'm proud to say that I've always stuck behind Weeks and his talents. He's a top notch second baseman if he puts his talents to use, and is a big reason for this run by the Crew. Hall, on the other hand, isn't out of my doghouse just yet. The strike out rate is still way up and the defense is a still a worry, but he's showing flashes of the guy we'll need down the stretch if Yost opts out of the third base platoon for the rest of the season.
Brewers Cardinals Series Recap
The Scores:
Milwaukee Brewers 6 St. Louis Cardinals 3
Milwaukee Brewers 4 St. Louis Cardinals 3
Milwaukee Brewers 3 St. Louis Cardinals 0
Milwaukee Brewers 4 St. Louis Cardinals 3
MVPs of the Series:
JJ Hardy: 11/20; 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 4 Rs
Brewers Starting Pitching: 23 IP, 6 ER, 19 Ks, 8 BB (2.35 ERA)
I want to give something to the Cardinals, but nobody and I mean nobody had a really solid series. They never hit the 10 hit plateau and in games 3 and 4 they had three and five hits respectively. These guys don't need a pitcher to get over the hump, they need another bat. Guys like Miles, Izturis and Adam Kennedy will not produce at such a high level on consistent basis. The unfortunate thing for the Cardinals is their pitching is actually going pretty good right now. With the exception of a little blow up in the top of the tenth on Monday, the St. Louis pitching staff should be pretty pleased. But the bat have just been off since the returning from the break, as shown by the fact that the Cardinal offense only walked twice a game, which is not what they usually do.
As for the Brewers, it the MVP could have gone to any of three players, JJ Hardy, Ryan Braun or Rickie Weeks. Braun ended the series 9/19 with two bombs and three RBIs. Weeks got the offense going with a 6/13 appearance with two doubles and a big three run bomb in game one. But JJ gets the nod for the simple reason that without him the Brewers offense would have fallen down, way down. Hardy had a mutli-hit showing every game this series and knocked in a big tying run on Tuesday. As a result, JJ's average has jumped all of the way up to .300 even, which is befuddling considering .242 in the middle of June. If JJ keeps this up and continues to play a solid shortstop, he could see a contract extension sent his way before teams notice he's in the top tier of shortstops.
What was the Difference?:
The ability to finish. The Cards kept taking out their nails and hammer, but could never drive that nail into the coffin. The Brewers were fueled by three late inning homeruns, a solo shot in the top of the tenth in game one by Bill Hall, another shot by Hall in the top of the ninth to break a tie in game two and then a go-ahead two run blast by Ryan Braun yesterday to finish the sweep. So perhaps it was the long ball, but one thing is for certain, the Brewers have gained an immense amount of swagger and finished the road trip 7-0.
Causes for Concern:
The Cardinals are a good team. There's no doubt about it. But they need an extra bat, either off the bench or in the starting lineup. There's nothing threatening about Brendan Ryan, Joe Mather or Adam Kennedy coming out there. They're not bad players, but they're inconsistent ones and when they falter, the team has little chance to score a ton of runs. The holes are clearly second and short where Aaron Miles is reverting to the mean, Cesar Izturis is as bad as advertised and Adam Kennedy doesn't even put the fear into me. If the Cardinals want to continue their Cinderella Story, they'll need to clean up that big big hole. Though they did play some pretty solid defense this weekend.
Speaking of defense, if there's anything that can tear the Brewers down it's their lack of concentration in the field. There was only one error in this series, but a trend of infield hits is starting to really hurt these guys. It's just like a walk when Prince Fielder makes an indecisive play at first or Rickie Weeks bobbles a ball or the pitcher deflects balls that are routine plays. Teams like a Minnesota or Arizona will be able to pick on the Brewers forever with their speed. A bunt is almost always a hit if you have reasonable speed against the Brewers. They'll have to work on this a lot over the next weeks before some one really takes advantage of it.
Causes for Excitement:
If anything, the Cardinals can take the fact that their rotation is pretty darn good or maybe it's just their pitching coach. I harp on them a lot because you never put names like Wellenmeyer or Lohse in an above average group, but they've managed to really impress me this year, Lohse especially. The Cards signed this guy to a damn cheap free agent contract and are reaping the benefits of the stupidity of the rest of the league. On top of that, the Cardinals play a very very solid defense. There were a couple of blunders this weekend, but I can't count how many extra base hits and extra bases were taken away from Brewers hitters this week. From Miles making back to the ball catches, to Ludwick snagging bloops in no man's land, the Cardinals made this a more respectable series for a four game sweep.
Come on, what isn't there to be excited about? The starting pitching has been fantastic, the bullpen just as well and finally, FINALLY, the Brewers started taking walks. The Crew managed 12 walks in this series, and it could have been more, but Kyle Lohse was dealing strikes all over the place and I can't blame the Brewers for being forced to swing at tough pitches. Nevertheless, last night's seven walk performance loomed huge because it allowed Ryan Braun to get that extra AB at the end of the game. That's the one thing I often overlook when we talk about walks, which is it has the potential of turning your lineup around one more time. And who wouldn't want their three best hitters to get an extra AB in a close game? This team has the pedal to the floor, and if they can take at least two out of three this weekend against the Astros, they may find themselves tied for the Central lead at the start of the big four game home series against the Chicago Cubs.
Milwaukee Brewers 6 St. Louis Cardinals 3
Milwaukee Brewers 4 St. Louis Cardinals 3
Milwaukee Brewers 3 St. Louis Cardinals 0
Milwaukee Brewers 4 St. Louis Cardinals 3
MVPs of the Series:
JJ Hardy: 11/20; 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 4 Rs
Brewers Starting Pitching: 23 IP, 6 ER, 19 Ks, 8 BB (2.35 ERA)
I want to give something to the Cardinals, but nobody and I mean nobody had a really solid series. They never hit the 10 hit plateau and in games 3 and 4 they had three and five hits respectively. These guys don't need a pitcher to get over the hump, they need another bat. Guys like Miles, Izturis and Adam Kennedy will not produce at such a high level on consistent basis. The unfortunate thing for the Cardinals is their pitching is actually going pretty good right now. With the exception of a little blow up in the top of the tenth on Monday, the St. Louis pitching staff should be pretty pleased. But the bat have just been off since the returning from the break, as shown by the fact that the Cardinal offense only walked twice a game, which is not what they usually do.
As for the Brewers, it the MVP could have gone to any of three players, JJ Hardy, Ryan Braun or Rickie Weeks. Braun ended the series 9/19 with two bombs and three RBIs. Weeks got the offense going with a 6/13 appearance with two doubles and a big three run bomb in game one. But JJ gets the nod for the simple reason that without him the Brewers offense would have fallen down, way down. Hardy had a mutli-hit showing every game this series and knocked in a big tying run on Tuesday. As a result, JJ's average has jumped all of the way up to .300 even, which is befuddling considering .242 in the middle of June. If JJ keeps this up and continues to play a solid shortstop, he could see a contract extension sent his way before teams notice he's in the top tier of shortstops.
What was the Difference?:
The ability to finish. The Cards kept taking out their nails and hammer, but could never drive that nail into the coffin. The Brewers were fueled by three late inning homeruns, a solo shot in the top of the tenth in game one by Bill Hall, another shot by Hall in the top of the ninth to break a tie in game two and then a go-ahead two run blast by Ryan Braun yesterday to finish the sweep. So perhaps it was the long ball, but one thing is for certain, the Brewers have gained an immense amount of swagger and finished the road trip 7-0.
Causes for Concern:
The Cardinals are a good team. There's no doubt about it. But they need an extra bat, either off the bench or in the starting lineup. There's nothing threatening about Brendan Ryan, Joe Mather or Adam Kennedy coming out there. They're not bad players, but they're inconsistent ones and when they falter, the team has little chance to score a ton of runs. The holes are clearly second and short where Aaron Miles is reverting to the mean, Cesar Izturis is as bad as advertised and Adam Kennedy doesn't even put the fear into me. If the Cardinals want to continue their Cinderella Story, they'll need to clean up that big big hole. Though they did play some pretty solid defense this weekend.
Speaking of defense, if there's anything that can tear the Brewers down it's their lack of concentration in the field. There was only one error in this series, but a trend of infield hits is starting to really hurt these guys. It's just like a walk when Prince Fielder makes an indecisive play at first or Rickie Weeks bobbles a ball or the pitcher deflects balls that are routine plays. Teams like a Minnesota or Arizona will be able to pick on the Brewers forever with their speed. A bunt is almost always a hit if you have reasonable speed against the Brewers. They'll have to work on this a lot over the next weeks before some one really takes advantage of it.
Causes for Excitement:
If anything, the Cardinals can take the fact that their rotation is pretty darn good or maybe it's just their pitching coach. I harp on them a lot because you never put names like Wellenmeyer or Lohse in an above average group, but they've managed to really impress me this year, Lohse especially. The Cards signed this guy to a damn cheap free agent contract and are reaping the benefits of the stupidity of the rest of the league. On top of that, the Cardinals play a very very solid defense. There were a couple of blunders this weekend, but I can't count how many extra base hits and extra bases were taken away from Brewers hitters this week. From Miles making back to the ball catches, to Ludwick snagging bloops in no man's land, the Cardinals made this a more respectable series for a four game sweep.
Come on, what isn't there to be excited about? The starting pitching has been fantastic, the bullpen just as well and finally, FINALLY, the Brewers started taking walks. The Crew managed 12 walks in this series, and it could have been more, but Kyle Lohse was dealing strikes all over the place and I can't blame the Brewers for being forced to swing at tough pitches. Nevertheless, last night's seven walk performance loomed huge because it allowed Ryan Braun to get that extra AB at the end of the game. That's the one thing I often overlook when we talk about walks, which is it has the potential of turning your lineup around one more time. And who wouldn't want their three best hitters to get an extra AB in a close game? This team has the pedal to the floor, and if they can take at least two out of three this weekend against the Astros, they may find themselves tied for the Central lead at the start of the big four game home series against the Chicago Cubs.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Brewers 2009 Salaries
Can we really afford to sign CC Sabathia to a long term deal? It's all the Milwaukee Sports Radio station can talk about. It's possible if you give away some of your talent. Here's the numbers:
This season:
Ben Sheets: 12.125 million
Eric Gagne: 10.000 million
Craig Counsell: 2.800 million
Guillermo Mota: 3.2 - 4.2 million
Mike Cameron: about 5 million after incentives
33.125 million relieved off the salary cap with 700k in buy outs on Cameron and Counsell if you decide not to pick up their options.
Salary increases next season:
Jason Kendall: 2008 4.25M to 2009 4.6M
Jeff Suppan: 8M to 12.5M
David Riske: 4M to 4.25M
Chris Capuano: 3.75M should not receive a raise
Salmon Torres: 3.2M to 3.75M if he doesn't retire
JJ Hardy: 2.65M to about $4.5M (second year of arbitration J Reyes made $4M this season)
Dave Bush: 2.55M to about $4M (second year of arb)
Brian Shouse: 2M to about 2.5M (May retire)
Rickie Weeks: 1.057M to about 2.3M (first year arb)
Gabe Kapler: 800k to FA (probably will go elsewhere)
Seth McClung: 750k to 1.2M (2nd year arb)
Ryan Braun: .455M + 2.3M to .745M (signing bonus)
Prince Fielder: .67M to 7M (Shot in the dark)
Russell Branyan: 300k to FA
Corey Hart: 444k to 2.4M (First year arb)
Carlos Villanueva: 413k to 500k (last year before arb)
Yovani Gallardo: 404k to about 450k
Mike Rivera: 395k to 450k (last year before arb)
Manny Parra: 392k to 500k (still one more year after before arb)
Turns out to be about 15 million in raises
So the salary of the team should drop about $15 million from it's opening day salary which started at $80M based on raises and free agency. And remember, the Brewers can buy out Suppan's contract after next season for $2M saving $10.5M after next season.
One thing to note is the Brewers potential revenue gained during a post season run. If two series were played here, you're looking at serious cash flow and Attanasio's 'losses' won't be losses any more. Here's the thing though, the Brewers farm AA-Huntsville team has more than it's fair share of major league ready stars. While I love this team's roster a trade of JJ Hardy or Prince Fielder is not out of the question. Fielder leaving would give the Brewers an additional 7M to work with and his spot could be filled by Brad Nelson or Mat Gamel as a stop gap. This would leave your rotation with Sabathia/Parra/Gallardo/XX. Let's be honest, we can find someone to fill those gaps.
Now you give CC a 4-6 year deal, but you try and leave open the opportunity to trade him in the last two years of his contract for savings sake. Parra and Gallardo will both make very little money for the next two seasons because of their service time. Jeremy Jeffress should be ready in 3-4 years which could potentially fill a CC hole, not to mention the return on Sabathia in the form of prospects. Gallardo should pan out to be an ace in the hole as well.
We worry about long term effects of investing some $100 million Sabathia as far as the salary goes, but Alcides Escobar, Michael Brantley, Cole Gillespie, Tony Gwynn Jr, Angel Salome, Mat Gamel, Jonathon Lucroy, Tim Dillard, Mitch Stetter, Mark DiFelice and Brad Nelson come cheap for four years if at any time the Brewers decide to send off a Corey Hart, Jason Kendall, or JJ Hardy. It's the problem of a small market team. But for the Brewers it's not as difficult as others because of how Jack has put together the system. Hart, Fielder, Hardy and Weeks will all bring in solid prospects and will replenish the system as we use it in the bigs.
The conclusion: It is possible to sign CC Sabathia for the big bucks, and it should be done if you feel he can continue to perform at an extremely high level. Johan Santana proves that it's possible and I think that CC's big frame actually will help him in the long run because most of his power derives from his legs and his mechanics are quite clean. It doesn't hurt that he relies on a cutter and changeup. What do you think Brewers' fans?
This season:
Ben Sheets: 12.125 million
Eric Gagne: 10.000 million
Craig Counsell: 2.800 million
Guillermo Mota: 3.2 - 4.2 million
Mike Cameron: about 5 million after incentives
33.125 million relieved off the salary cap with 700k in buy outs on Cameron and Counsell if you decide not to pick up their options.
Salary increases next season:
Jason Kendall: 2008 4.25M to 2009 4.6M
Jeff Suppan: 8M to 12.5M
David Riske: 4M to 4.25M
Chris Capuano: 3.75M should not receive a raise
Salmon Torres: 3.2M to 3.75M if he doesn't retire
JJ Hardy: 2.65M to about $4.5M (second year of arbitration J Reyes made $4M this season)
Dave Bush: 2.55M to about $4M (second year of arb)
Brian Shouse: 2M to about 2.5M (May retire)
Rickie Weeks: 1.057M to about 2.3M (first year arb)
Gabe Kapler: 800k to FA (probably will go elsewhere)
Seth McClung: 750k to 1.2M (2nd year arb)
Ryan Braun: .455M + 2.3M to .745M (signing bonus)
Prince Fielder: .67M to 7M (Shot in the dark)
Russell Branyan: 300k to FA
Corey Hart: 444k to 2.4M (First year arb)
Carlos Villanueva: 413k to 500k (last year before arb)
Yovani Gallardo: 404k to about 450k
Mike Rivera: 395k to 450k (last year before arb)
Manny Parra: 392k to 500k (still one more year after before arb)
Turns out to be about 15 million in raises
So the salary of the team should drop about $15 million from it's opening day salary which started at $80M based on raises and free agency. And remember, the Brewers can buy out Suppan's contract after next season for $2M saving $10.5M after next season.
One thing to note is the Brewers potential revenue gained during a post season run. If two series were played here, you're looking at serious cash flow and Attanasio's 'losses' won't be losses any more. Here's the thing though, the Brewers farm AA-Huntsville team has more than it's fair share of major league ready stars. While I love this team's roster a trade of JJ Hardy or Prince Fielder is not out of the question. Fielder leaving would give the Brewers an additional 7M to work with and his spot could be filled by Brad Nelson or Mat Gamel as a stop gap. This would leave your rotation with Sabathia/Parra/Gallardo/XX. Let's be honest, we can find someone to fill those gaps.
Now you give CC a 4-6 year deal, but you try and leave open the opportunity to trade him in the last two years of his contract for savings sake. Parra and Gallardo will both make very little money for the next two seasons because of their service time. Jeremy Jeffress should be ready in 3-4 years which could potentially fill a CC hole, not to mention the return on Sabathia in the form of prospects. Gallardo should pan out to be an ace in the hole as well.
We worry about long term effects of investing some $100 million Sabathia as far as the salary goes, but Alcides Escobar, Michael Brantley, Cole Gillespie, Tony Gwynn Jr, Angel Salome, Mat Gamel, Jonathon Lucroy, Tim Dillard, Mitch Stetter, Mark DiFelice and Brad Nelson come cheap for four years if at any time the Brewers decide to send off a Corey Hart, Jason Kendall, or JJ Hardy. It's the problem of a small market team. But for the Brewers it's not as difficult as others because of how Jack has put together the system. Hart, Fielder, Hardy and Weeks will all bring in solid prospects and will replenish the system as we use it in the bigs.
The conclusion: It is possible to sign CC Sabathia for the big bucks, and it should be done if you feel he can continue to perform at an extremely high level. Johan Santana proves that it's possible and I think that CC's big frame actually will help him in the long run because most of his power derives from his legs and his mechanics are quite clean. It doesn't hurt that he relies on a cutter and changeup. What do you think Brewers' fans?
Brewers Cardinals Game Three Recap
The Score:
Brewers 3 Cardinals 0
MVPs of the Game:
CC Sabathia: CG, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K (W)
No one stands out for the Cards.
Game Recap:
CC Sabathia showed up in a beastly fashion yet again last night, tossing his third consecutive complete game, this one in the form of a shut out in only 106 pitches. The Cardinals looked flustered and overpowered at the plate, likely a domino effect from the previous two evenings combined with the overall nasty stuff of the big guy. While the Brewers offense struggled a bit, the top of the lineup performed more than enough to send CC to his fourth victory since 'the trade'. Weeks, Hardy and Braun combined for nine of the Brewers eleven hits including Hardy and Braun's solo homeruns.
Wednesday night's game looked like it was finally going to start with momentum in the Brewers favor as Rickie Weeks was able to lead off with a bloop double down the right field line. It should have been a triple, but veteran Caesar Izturis played the phantom ball game and pretended to catch the ball from the outfield. That loomed huge for me as the game progressed, but JJ could not advance him and Looper was able to work around it without any damage done.
And then the CC show started. After walking the lead off man, LaRussa decided to waste an out in the first inning using one of his best hitters against left handed pitching, Ryan Ludwick, to bunt him into scoring position. That was a big concession to CC and he took off, getting Pujols to ground out in front of the mound and Glaus to fly out to left. Fast forward to the sixth and Cardinals hadn't had a baserunner, amounting to 17 batters mowed down in a row. Back to back two-out singles made CC look human, but back to the beast he went, getting Pujols to fly out.
An inning earlier JJ blasted his 14th homerun of the year and in the top half of the inning, Rickie knocked in Mike Cameron on a sacrifice fly to make the game 2-0. And that's all Sabathia would need. CC walked the lead off man in the 7th, but got some defensive help after inducing a double play ball to JJ Hardy. He put the finishing touches on the Cardinals by getting Albert Pujols to flail at strike three in the ninth, losing his bat down the third base line. It was basically a metaphor for the whole game. You don't see Pujols get off balance very often. It appears the Cardinals are teetering on coming back down to Earth.
Game Changing Play:
There wasn't one particular game changing play as CC pretty much dominated from the very start. If something had to be chosen, I would say it was the JJ Hardy's homerun or CC getting Pujols to fly out in the sixth with two outs and two on.
Notes:
- What most excited me about yesterday's game was not CC Sabathia. It was the fact that Brewers had a lot of very solid at bats. It may not show up in the box score, but Looper was forced to throw over 100 pitches in just five innings of work and the Brewers only had two walks and seven hits over that time frame. The result was getting into that St. Louis bullpen which is so fragile. It's a sign of good things to come.
- As for CC, it's hard not to be pumped about the guy. The battery of he and Jason Kendall is something to behold. To have a guy come in and adapt so well with his mate at the plate is astounding. CC said that he only had to shake off three pitches in his time with the Brewers. Combine the veteran game calling of Kendall and the nasty stuff of CC, you might find Sabathia fighting for at least a glimpse of Cy Young contention. So far he's 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA in 33.0 innings of work.
- The Cardinals are in dire need of some offense. A very aggravated Tony LaRussa could be seen going off on reporters after Tuesday night's game because they had only scored six runs in the first two games. And he has every right to after the media for not paying attention. Yes their bullpen has struggled, but giving up around three or four runs a game is what's expected from most major league teams. If your offense can't muster more than that, your offense is terrible. I'm not sure how the return of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright can solve that problem.
- With the win on Wednesday, the Brewers take a two game lead in the NL Wild Card, but remain a game behind Cubs who beat up on Micah Owings in a relief last night. Next week's four game series against the Cubs at Miller Park looms big. The Brewers will have the benefit of tossing their two aces to start the series, but Sheets will have to face Zambrano on Tuesday. Should be a great game.
What's on Tap?:
The Brewers go for the rare four game sweep this afternoon, as Ben Sheets toes the rubber against Todd Wellenmeyer. Wellenmeyer pounded the Brewers for six innings the last time he faced them, giving up two unearned runs. But he's fallen off quite a bit in recent weeks and is carrying a 7+ ERA in his last four games. Sheets has struggled some in his last couple of outings, but it's hard to go against him with the Brewers carrying this much momentum.
Brewers 3 Cardinals 0
MVPs of the Game:
CC Sabathia: CG, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K (W)
No one stands out for the Cards.
Game Recap:
CC Sabathia showed up in a beastly fashion yet again last night, tossing his third consecutive complete game, this one in the form of a shut out in only 106 pitches. The Cardinals looked flustered and overpowered at the plate, likely a domino effect from the previous two evenings combined with the overall nasty stuff of the big guy. While the Brewers offense struggled a bit, the top of the lineup performed more than enough to send CC to his fourth victory since 'the trade'. Weeks, Hardy and Braun combined for nine of the Brewers eleven hits including Hardy and Braun's solo homeruns.
Wednesday night's game looked like it was finally going to start with momentum in the Brewers favor as Rickie Weeks was able to lead off with a bloop double down the right field line. It should have been a triple, but veteran Caesar Izturis played the phantom ball game and pretended to catch the ball from the outfield. That loomed huge for me as the game progressed, but JJ could not advance him and Looper was able to work around it without any damage done.
And then the CC show started. After walking the lead off man, LaRussa decided to waste an out in the first inning using one of his best hitters against left handed pitching, Ryan Ludwick, to bunt him into scoring position. That was a big concession to CC and he took off, getting Pujols to ground out in front of the mound and Glaus to fly out to left. Fast forward to the sixth and Cardinals hadn't had a baserunner, amounting to 17 batters mowed down in a row. Back to back two-out singles made CC look human, but back to the beast he went, getting Pujols to fly out.
An inning earlier JJ blasted his 14th homerun of the year and in the top half of the inning, Rickie knocked in Mike Cameron on a sacrifice fly to make the game 2-0. And that's all Sabathia would need. CC walked the lead off man in the 7th, but got some defensive help after inducing a double play ball to JJ Hardy. He put the finishing touches on the Cardinals by getting Albert Pujols to flail at strike three in the ninth, losing his bat down the third base line. It was basically a metaphor for the whole game. You don't see Pujols get off balance very often. It appears the Cardinals are teetering on coming back down to Earth.
Game Changing Play:
There wasn't one particular game changing play as CC pretty much dominated from the very start. If something had to be chosen, I would say it was the JJ Hardy's homerun or CC getting Pujols to fly out in the sixth with two outs and two on.
Notes:
- What most excited me about yesterday's game was not CC Sabathia. It was the fact that Brewers had a lot of very solid at bats. It may not show up in the box score, but Looper was forced to throw over 100 pitches in just five innings of work and the Brewers only had two walks and seven hits over that time frame. The result was getting into that St. Louis bullpen which is so fragile. It's a sign of good things to come.
- As for CC, it's hard not to be pumped about the guy. The battery of he and Jason Kendall is something to behold. To have a guy come in and adapt so well with his mate at the plate is astounding. CC said that he only had to shake off three pitches in his time with the Brewers. Combine the veteran game calling of Kendall and the nasty stuff of CC, you might find Sabathia fighting for at least a glimpse of Cy Young contention. So far he's 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA in 33.0 innings of work.
- The Cardinals are in dire need of some offense. A very aggravated Tony LaRussa could be seen going off on reporters after Tuesday night's game because they had only scored six runs in the first two games. And he has every right to after the media for not paying attention. Yes their bullpen has struggled, but giving up around three or four runs a game is what's expected from most major league teams. If your offense can't muster more than that, your offense is terrible. I'm not sure how the return of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright can solve that problem.
- With the win on Wednesday, the Brewers take a two game lead in the NL Wild Card, but remain a game behind Cubs who beat up on Micah Owings in a relief last night. Next week's four game series against the Cubs at Miller Park looms big. The Brewers will have the benefit of tossing their two aces to start the series, but Sheets will have to face Zambrano on Tuesday. Should be a great game.
What's on Tap?:
The Brewers go for the rare four game sweep this afternoon, as Ben Sheets toes the rubber against Todd Wellenmeyer. Wellenmeyer pounded the Brewers for six innings the last time he faced them, giving up two unearned runs. But he's fallen off quite a bit in recent weeks and is carrying a 7+ ERA in his last four games. Sheets has struggled some in his last couple of outings, but it's hard to go against him with the Brewers carrying this much momentum.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Brewers Cardinals Game Two Recap
The Score:
Brewers 4 Cardinals 3
MVPs of the Game:
JJ Hardy: 2/4; 2B, RBI, R
Kyle Lohse: 8 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 7 K (ND)
Game Recap:
I'm a bit befuddled. The pitching matchup for this game was clearly in the Cardinals favor and it showed from the start as Lohse started off with four perfect innings of baseball, while Suppan gave up three quick runs. But LaRussa stuck with his right handed savior for one inning two long and the Brewers chalked up their second come from behind victory at new Busch Stadium following a Bill Hall go ahead solo home run in the top of the ninth inning.
The game started out extremely brutal for the Brewers, despite Rickie Weeks' loud out to lead off the game. The Cardinals led the game early with a one out bomb by Ryan Ludwick, who took a first pitch BP fastball deep to left-center field. Pujols took took the next pitch to the gap for a double and all I could think to myself was, "Oh man, they brought Suppan back far too early." I was looking right as Rick Ankiel's infield single scored Pujols from first after a terrible indecisive play by Prince Fielder to go after the ball and then block the line to first base for Rickie to throw out Ankiel. Suppan would get out of the jam 2-0 despite another base hit from Yadier Molina.
But then things settled down a bit, Lohse even needed time to settle down. Lohse benefited from a huge strike zone from home plate umpire Joe West. But don't think I'm making excuses. Lohse recognized what he was getting and took advantage of it... well. His two seamer had life and I thought for sure there was no way the Brewers were going to get to him inning after inning. Before you could blink, Lohse had gone through six innings of baseball and given up only a single to Prince Fielder on a groundball up the middle. And in that time, the Cardinals tacked on an insurance run from a walk and a double by Troy Glaus and Yadier Molina, respectively, giving the Cards a 3-0 lead going into the seventh.
JJ Hardy stopped the bleeding in the top of the seventh by proving someone could find a gap, and promptly doubled to lead off the inning. A swinging bunt single by Ryan Braun moved Hardy to third with no one out, bringing up Prince Fielder, who got ahead in the count and poked a ball to the opposite field for a run-scoring single. Fortunately for the Cardinals, Gabe Kapler was protecting Fielder. Kapler responded with two strikeouts on pitches out of the zone and a GIDP in the 7th inning to destroy the momentum... for that inning.
After Suppan was able to work around a Pujols single in the bottom half, the Brewers went right back to hitting. Jason Kendall hit a solid one out single to left center and came around to score on a yanked outside pitch double from Rickie Weeks. JJ Hardy then got him around on a ground ball single to left to the tie the game. And all of a sudden the momentum had swung all the way to the Brewers. Brian Shouse pitched an excellent eighth inning to get the Brewers to the ninth against the struggling Cardinals bullpen.
And struggled they did, well at least for one pitch. After Ron Villone got Prince to look at strike three right down the middle of the plate, Kyle McClellan got Gabe Kapler to ground out to short. But McClellan's 0-1 fastball looked oddly like Ryan Franklin's slider from Monday night and Bill Hall repeated his home run stroke, giving the Brewers the lead and the victory after Salomon Torres pitched a perfect ninth to give him his 18th save of the year.
Game Changing Play:
You want to say Bill Hall's homerun, but I'm going to say JJ Hardy's RBI single to the tie the game in the eighth. Tony LaRussa was trying to hard to avoid using his bullpen, and even though Lohse had a gem going with just over 100 pitches, he wasn't locating as well and his pitches were flattening out quite a bit. The Brewers took advantage, which they'll have to do every chance they get as this run continues.
What's on Tap?:
The Brewers are winners of six straight and continue their series against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium behind the arms of their two aces. CC Sabathia takes the mound for the Brewers after back to back complete games and will be taking on the Cardinals often overlooked, Braden Looper. Looper is 4-6 with a 4.76 ERA against the Brewers in 31 games and five starts, so he's had mixed success to say the least. He'll need to have some more success to prevent the Brewers from taking a two game lead in the Wild Card.
Brewers 4 Cardinals 3
MVPs of the Game:
JJ Hardy: 2/4; 2B, RBI, R
Kyle Lohse: 8 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 7 K (ND)
Game Recap:
I'm a bit befuddled. The pitching matchup for this game was clearly in the Cardinals favor and it showed from the start as Lohse started off with four perfect innings of baseball, while Suppan gave up three quick runs. But LaRussa stuck with his right handed savior for one inning two long and the Brewers chalked up their second come from behind victory at new Busch Stadium following a Bill Hall go ahead solo home run in the top of the ninth inning.
The game started out extremely brutal for the Brewers, despite Rickie Weeks' loud out to lead off the game. The Cardinals led the game early with a one out bomb by Ryan Ludwick, who took a first pitch BP fastball deep to left-center field. Pujols took took the next pitch to the gap for a double and all I could think to myself was, "Oh man, they brought Suppan back far too early." I was looking right as Rick Ankiel's infield single scored Pujols from first after a terrible indecisive play by Prince Fielder to go after the ball and then block the line to first base for Rickie to throw out Ankiel. Suppan would get out of the jam 2-0 despite another base hit from Yadier Molina.
But then things settled down a bit, Lohse even needed time to settle down. Lohse benefited from a huge strike zone from home plate umpire Joe West. But don't think I'm making excuses. Lohse recognized what he was getting and took advantage of it... well. His two seamer had life and I thought for sure there was no way the Brewers were going to get to him inning after inning. Before you could blink, Lohse had gone through six innings of baseball and given up only a single to Prince Fielder on a groundball up the middle. And in that time, the Cardinals tacked on an insurance run from a walk and a double by Troy Glaus and Yadier Molina, respectively, giving the Cards a 3-0 lead going into the seventh.
JJ Hardy stopped the bleeding in the top of the seventh by proving someone could find a gap, and promptly doubled to lead off the inning. A swinging bunt single by Ryan Braun moved Hardy to third with no one out, bringing up Prince Fielder, who got ahead in the count and poked a ball to the opposite field for a run-scoring single. Fortunately for the Cardinals, Gabe Kapler was protecting Fielder. Kapler responded with two strikeouts on pitches out of the zone and a GIDP in the 7th inning to destroy the momentum... for that inning.
After Suppan was able to work around a Pujols single in the bottom half, the Brewers went right back to hitting. Jason Kendall hit a solid one out single to left center and came around to score on a yanked outside pitch double from Rickie Weeks. JJ Hardy then got him around on a ground ball single to left to the tie the game. And all of a sudden the momentum had swung all the way to the Brewers. Brian Shouse pitched an excellent eighth inning to get the Brewers to the ninth against the struggling Cardinals bullpen.
And struggled they did, well at least for one pitch. After Ron Villone got Prince to look at strike three right down the middle of the plate, Kyle McClellan got Gabe Kapler to ground out to short. But McClellan's 0-1 fastball looked oddly like Ryan Franklin's slider from Monday night and Bill Hall repeated his home run stroke, giving the Brewers the lead and the victory after Salomon Torres pitched a perfect ninth to give him his 18th save of the year.
Game Changing Play:
You want to say Bill Hall's homerun, but I'm going to say JJ Hardy's RBI single to the tie the game in the eighth. Tony LaRussa was trying to hard to avoid using his bullpen, and even though Lohse had a gem going with just over 100 pitches, he wasn't locating as well and his pitches were flattening out quite a bit. The Brewers took advantage, which they'll have to do every chance they get as this run continues.
What's on Tap?:
The Brewers are winners of six straight and continue their series against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium behind the arms of their two aces. CC Sabathia takes the mound for the Brewers after back to back complete games and will be taking on the Cardinals often overlooked, Braden Looper. Looper is 4-6 with a 4.76 ERA against the Brewers in 31 games and five starts, so he's had mixed success to say the least. He'll need to have some more success to prevent the Brewers from taking a two game lead in the Wild Card.
Rickie Weeks Numbers
In case you were wondering why Ned Yost won't move Rickie from the leadoff spot, consider the numbers going back to the Colorado series. Not including yesterday's game where he got on three times, had three RBIs and two runs...
9 G .286/.405/.400 4 RBIs 5 BB 13 K 2 HBP 3 SB 11 R in 42 PA
Ahem. Everybody get off the guy's back. He has talent and is the one guy on this team that will undoubtedly put the Brewers over the top if he performs reasonably well. Ray Durham is not the solution, he's a band aid to motivate Weeks and give the Brewers some reasonable options off the bench. Dillon performed very well, but Yost stacks his lineups with all the lefties or all the righties, leaving the matchup game pretty easy to figure out. Durham saves that. Rickie Weeks has not been traded and will not be replaced because he has talent. What he needs to figure out is how to use it more consistently, as he has in the last ten games.
Side note: Brewers are 8-2 in their last ten. A victory tonight could mean big things, but with Jeff Suppan on the mound, I am a bit nervous.
9 G .286/.405/.400 4 RBIs 5 BB 13 K 2 HBP 3 SB 11 R in 42 PA
Ahem. Everybody get off the guy's back. He has talent and is the one guy on this team that will undoubtedly put the Brewers over the top if he performs reasonably well. Ray Durham is not the solution, he's a band aid to motivate Weeks and give the Brewers some reasonable options off the bench. Dillon performed very well, but Yost stacks his lineups with all the lefties or all the righties, leaving the matchup game pretty easy to figure out. Durham saves that. Rickie Weeks has not been traded and will not be replaced because he has talent. What he needs to figure out is how to use it more consistently, as he has in the last ten games.
Side note: Brewers are 8-2 in their last ten. A victory tonight could mean big things, but with Jeff Suppan on the mound, I am a bit nervous.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Brewers Giants Series Recap
It's getting tougher and tougher to keep this thing going as work gets busier and busier. However, I promise I will keep knocking out series previews, recaps and different types of analysis.
Scores Recap:
Milwaukee Brewers 9 San Francisco Giants 1
Milwaukee Brewers 8 San Francisco Giants 5
Milwaukee Brewers 7 San Francisco Giants 4
MVPs of the Series:
Ryan Braun: 6/13; 2 2Bs, 2 3Bs, HR, 5 RBIs, SB, BB, 3 Rs
Jose Castillo: 4/12; 2B, 2 Rs, 3 RBIs, SB
Ryan Braun did a whole lot of everything this weekend. He hit for power, he stole a base, he took a walk and even played a pretty good left field. The beautiful thing is he didn't do it alone. Prince Fielder pretty much matched Ryan with a 5/13 line, two HRs, 5 RBIs and two runs of his own. This is what Brewers fans like to see: their two big bats showing their ability to single handedly carry this team. However, their performances have been a little over-shadowed by the big three. That's right THREE. Manny Parra has actually outpitched Ben Sheets over the last month or so and you that's not very disputable. Nevertheless, the NL Central has a lot to be afraid of if both Braun and Fielder are on over the next few weeks.
The Giants were marred by the flu-bug this weekend, and it clearly showed, but you have to wonder how much of a difference it really made. Surprisingly, Jose Castillo was the only real bright spot for the Giants in this three game set, as Aaron Rowand and Randy Winn were pretty much kept silent. You would have fully expected someone like Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum to pick up the nod, but while both were impressive at times, they were a bit vulnerable. Castillo was easily the most productive, though, as he seemed to be the only Giant trying to keep them in the game.
What Was the Difference?:
Defense. Let's be honest here, neither team impressed with their leather, combining for nine errors. But San Francisco committed six of those errors and gave the Brewers far too many opportunities. These mishaps only led to one extra run, but also at least 15-20 extra pitches for Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum. Both of these guys were dealing, but were forced into far too many precarious positions as a result of some really awful misplays. In the end, the pitch count and number opportunities caught up to them. I'm not really sure why they pushed Lincecum so hard considering his health issues, but his last pitch put the game out of reach and gave the Brewers the sweep.
Causes for Concern:
The Giants are clearly out of it as far as the playoffs go, but you have to wonder if the team is playing like it. There were quite a few careless mistakes this weekend, and unfortunately they all came in front of some sell out crowds. First of all, props to the San Fran market for putting fans in the stands when your team is 18 games under .500. But shame on the Giants for not showing up, and for the most part embarrassing themselves in the field, especially with their three best pitchers on the mound. The biggest culprit, though, was Kellchi Yabu, who up until this series was pretty solid out of the pen. This time around he threw a wild pitch that scored two runs, hit two batters, walked one an gave up two runs of his own in just one third of an inning.
The Brewers blunders on the defensive end of things conjure up memories of a year ago. Until about two weeks ago, the defense had been somewhat of a strength of this squad, but the past ten games have been an adventure. It's a bit difficult to swallow because the starting pitching of this team has been going deep and saving this bullpen for the home stretch. We cannot afford to continue to give free outs and hurt the starters' chances of going deep. The fewer the innings for the bullpen, the less likely they'll be to blow up, and the more confidence they'll gain.
Causes for Excitement:
Despite their struggles this weekend, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are clearly the mainstays of this organization and they have not disappointed. Cain looked phenomenal, but errors and a mistake or two really hurt him in the long run. Lincecum's line isn't impressive, but he struck out eight in his six innings of work, which is pretty damn good. You may even be able to throw Jonathon Sanchez into that group, who has nasty stuff and was able to strike out just as many in 5.1 innings. If somehow the Giants could find some offense, they could be a force to be reckoned with.
When Doug Melvin made the big move to bring CC Sabathia to the Brewers, I'm sure he imagined this weekend was going to happen over and over and over again. With their three aces on the mound, the Brewers found themselves ahead to start every game, got spectacular performances from two of them, and saved the other with an offensive storm. This could be a preview of what teams will have to see in the playoffs.
Scores Recap:
Milwaukee Brewers 9 San Francisco Giants 1
Milwaukee Brewers 8 San Francisco Giants 5
Milwaukee Brewers 7 San Francisco Giants 4
MVPs of the Series:
Ryan Braun: 6/13; 2 2Bs, 2 3Bs, HR, 5 RBIs, SB, BB, 3 Rs
Jose Castillo: 4/12; 2B, 2 Rs, 3 RBIs, SB
Ryan Braun did a whole lot of everything this weekend. He hit for power, he stole a base, he took a walk and even played a pretty good left field. The beautiful thing is he didn't do it alone. Prince Fielder pretty much matched Ryan with a 5/13 line, two HRs, 5 RBIs and two runs of his own. This is what Brewers fans like to see: their two big bats showing their ability to single handedly carry this team. However, their performances have been a little over-shadowed by the big three. That's right THREE. Manny Parra has actually outpitched Ben Sheets over the last month or so and you that's not very disputable. Nevertheless, the NL Central has a lot to be afraid of if both Braun and Fielder are on over the next few weeks.
The Giants were marred by the flu-bug this weekend, and it clearly showed, but you have to wonder how much of a difference it really made. Surprisingly, Jose Castillo was the only real bright spot for the Giants in this three game set, as Aaron Rowand and Randy Winn were pretty much kept silent. You would have fully expected someone like Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum to pick up the nod, but while both were impressive at times, they were a bit vulnerable. Castillo was easily the most productive, though, as he seemed to be the only Giant trying to keep them in the game.
What Was the Difference?:
Defense. Let's be honest here, neither team impressed with their leather, combining for nine errors. But San Francisco committed six of those errors and gave the Brewers far too many opportunities. These mishaps only led to one extra run, but also at least 15-20 extra pitches for Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum. Both of these guys were dealing, but were forced into far too many precarious positions as a result of some really awful misplays. In the end, the pitch count and number opportunities caught up to them. I'm not really sure why they pushed Lincecum so hard considering his health issues, but his last pitch put the game out of reach and gave the Brewers the sweep.
Causes for Concern:
The Giants are clearly out of it as far as the playoffs go, but you have to wonder if the team is playing like it. There were quite a few careless mistakes this weekend, and unfortunately they all came in front of some sell out crowds. First of all, props to the San Fran market for putting fans in the stands when your team is 18 games under .500. But shame on the Giants for not showing up, and for the most part embarrassing themselves in the field, especially with their three best pitchers on the mound. The biggest culprit, though, was Kellchi Yabu, who up until this series was pretty solid out of the pen. This time around he threw a wild pitch that scored two runs, hit two batters, walked one an gave up two runs of his own in just one third of an inning.
The Brewers blunders on the defensive end of things conjure up memories of a year ago. Until about two weeks ago, the defense had been somewhat of a strength of this squad, but the past ten games have been an adventure. It's a bit difficult to swallow because the starting pitching of this team has been going deep and saving this bullpen for the home stretch. We cannot afford to continue to give free outs and hurt the starters' chances of going deep. The fewer the innings for the bullpen, the less likely they'll be to blow up, and the more confidence they'll gain.
Causes for Excitement:
Despite their struggles this weekend, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are clearly the mainstays of this organization and they have not disappointed. Cain looked phenomenal, but errors and a mistake or two really hurt him in the long run. Lincecum's line isn't impressive, but he struck out eight in his six innings of work, which is pretty damn good. You may even be able to throw Jonathon Sanchez into that group, who has nasty stuff and was able to strike out just as many in 5.1 innings. If somehow the Giants could find some offense, they could be a force to be reckoned with.
When Doug Melvin made the big move to bring CC Sabathia to the Brewers, I'm sure he imagined this weekend was going to happen over and over and over again. With their three aces on the mound, the Brewers found themselves ahead to start every game, got spectacular performances from two of them, and saved the other with an offensive storm. This could be a preview of what teams will have to see in the playoffs.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Brewers Giants Series Preview
The Series:
Milwaukee Brewers (52-43) @ San Francisco Giants (40-55)
Who's on Tap?:
July 18th: CC Sabathia (8-8, 3.67 ERA) vs. Matt Cain (5-7, 4.06 ERA)
July 19th: Ben Sheets (10-3, 2.85 ERA) vs. Jonathon Sanchez (8-5, 3.97 ERA)
July 20th: Manny Parra (8-2, 3.78 ERA) vs. Tim Lincecum (11-2, 2.57 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
If you didn't know already, the Giants aren't that good of team. As a result, guys like Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum get more than overlooked as absolute studs. Throw in Jonathon Sanchez, who is quietly becoming a pretty good number three, and the Giants seem to have a nice core in their starting rotation. At the plate, the Brewers need to keep an eye on Fred Lewis, the Giants speedy left handed lead off hitter. If there's something that the Brewers have trouble with, it's their ability to defend the bunt. With Sheets and Sabathia toeing the rubber in the first two games, we may see a healthy bit of bunts this series. The same can be said for Randy Winn.
The Brewers need to counter with some offense, and I suspect the break is going to help out the 'struggling' Prince Fielder. There are a lot of teams out there that would love to have a guy hitting .270/.350 with 18 home runs, but that just isn't enough for Prince. In four games at AT&T Park, Prince is .500/.529/.571. On top of that, he's hitting .284/.395/.418 against the Giants in 19 games. On the mound, keep your eye on Manny Parra. As the Brewers move into the second half, they're going to need Parra, Sabathia and Sheets to all be lights out and make up for any offensive blunders that may come their way down the stretch. Parra does carry a 3.38 ERA against Giants in his 10.2 innings of work. We'll see if he continue that success.
Keys to Victory:
There are far too many holes in the Giants lineup for any one to expect them to score a lot of runs against quality pitching, as shown by the fact that the Giants rank 14th in the NL in runs scored. With the Brewers walking in with their three top pitchers, the Giants are going to have to rely on their starting pitching to keep them in the game and knock out the Brewers starters early to go after the vulnerable bullpen. But if they get down early, they'll find themselves in a real tight spot.
The Brewers are going to have to do exactly what I just said SF has to try and avoid. They'll need to jump on the Giants' starters early. I'm not talking about scoring runs in bunches, but manufacturing a few runs to put the pressure on their offense. This puts the manager in a position to consider pulling their starter, and San Fran's bullpen can't be relied on for too many innings. Rickie Weeks will be important in this regard. He needs to get on and advance without wasting outs.
Predictions and Notes:
- It's a bit nerve wracking to see Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum face the Brewers to start the second half, considering they combined for 15 innings of two run baseball against the Cubs last week. Nevertheless, I have a good feeling the second half slump Brewers' fans are so accustomed to won't be there this season; not with Sabathia and Sheets in the rotation. Here's some wishful thinking, the Brewers win Friday and Sunday, but struggle against the hard throwing, rejuvenated Jonathon Sanchez.
- With all the BS talk about the HR Derby screwing up your swing, maybe it'll turn Ryan Braun into a patient hitter. Not likely, but it's always fun to see how All-Stars respond to playing in the middle of the week when others do not. Guys like Braun and Hamilton always deserve a little more attention as far as looking to see if anything changes in their game.
Milwaukee Brewers (52-43) @ San Francisco Giants (40-55)
Who's on Tap?:
July 18th: CC Sabathia (8-8, 3.67 ERA) vs. Matt Cain (5-7, 4.06 ERA)
July 19th: Ben Sheets (10-3, 2.85 ERA) vs. Jonathon Sanchez (8-5, 3.97 ERA)
July 20th: Manny Parra (8-2, 3.78 ERA) vs. Tim Lincecum (11-2, 2.57 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
If you didn't know already, the Giants aren't that good of team. As a result, guys like Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum get more than overlooked as absolute studs. Throw in Jonathon Sanchez, who is quietly becoming a pretty good number three, and the Giants seem to have a nice core in their starting rotation. At the plate, the Brewers need to keep an eye on Fred Lewis, the Giants speedy left handed lead off hitter. If there's something that the Brewers have trouble with, it's their ability to defend the bunt. With Sheets and Sabathia toeing the rubber in the first two games, we may see a healthy bit of bunts this series. The same can be said for Randy Winn.
The Brewers need to counter with some offense, and I suspect the break is going to help out the 'struggling' Prince Fielder. There are a lot of teams out there that would love to have a guy hitting .270/.350 with 18 home runs, but that just isn't enough for Prince. In four games at AT&T Park, Prince is .500/.529/.571. On top of that, he's hitting .284/.395/.418 against the Giants in 19 games. On the mound, keep your eye on Manny Parra. As the Brewers move into the second half, they're going to need Parra, Sabathia and Sheets to all be lights out and make up for any offensive blunders that may come their way down the stretch. Parra does carry a 3.38 ERA against Giants in his 10.2 innings of work. We'll see if he continue that success.
Keys to Victory:
There are far too many holes in the Giants lineup for any one to expect them to score a lot of runs against quality pitching, as shown by the fact that the Giants rank 14th in the NL in runs scored. With the Brewers walking in with their three top pitchers, the Giants are going to have to rely on their starting pitching to keep them in the game and knock out the Brewers starters early to go after the vulnerable bullpen. But if they get down early, they'll find themselves in a real tight spot.
The Brewers are going to have to do exactly what I just said SF has to try and avoid. They'll need to jump on the Giants' starters early. I'm not talking about scoring runs in bunches, but manufacturing a few runs to put the pressure on their offense. This puts the manager in a position to consider pulling their starter, and San Fran's bullpen can't be relied on for too many innings. Rickie Weeks will be important in this regard. He needs to get on and advance without wasting outs.
Predictions and Notes:
- It's a bit nerve wracking to see Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum face the Brewers to start the second half, considering they combined for 15 innings of two run baseball against the Cubs last week. Nevertheless, I have a good feeling the second half slump Brewers' fans are so accustomed to won't be there this season; not with Sabathia and Sheets in the rotation. Here's some wishful thinking, the Brewers win Friday and Sunday, but struggle against the hard throwing, rejuvenated Jonathon Sanchez.
- With all the BS talk about the HR Derby screwing up your swing, maybe it'll turn Ryan Braun into a patient hitter. Not likely, but it's always fun to see how All-Stars respond to playing in the middle of the week when others do not. Guys like Braun and Hamilton always deserve a little more attention as far as looking to see if anything changes in their game.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
What is this team's strength?
I'm really sick of reading that the Brewers are an offensive team. Let's be honest here, while the Brewers have a ton of power in nearly every spot in the lineup, that does not necessarily mean a lot of runs. This team's strength is pitching. Here's the numbers:
The Brewers rank:
22nd in Batting Average (.254 Leader Rangers .283) out of 30 teams in the Major Leagues
21st in OBP (.323 Leader Cubs .360)
7th in SLG (.436 Leader Rangers .461)
12th in Runs Scored (440 Leader Rangers 538 Cubs 507)
13th in ERA (4.09 Leader A's 3.39 WOW)
13th in SO (645 Leader Giants 741)
12th in BB (332 Leader Rangers 395)
So basically these guys hit for power and that's about it. No average, no OBP, leading to an average amount of runs. They've played 95 games this year meaning they score 4.6 runs per game. That's not exactly above or below the league average. Because of this team's slugging, it has the ability to score runs in bunches, but the runs scored stat indicates their inconsistency. Until inconsistency turns to consistency, I believe this team is a pitching team that has a lot of work to do on the offensive end. Pitchers aren't that scared of the Brewers ::insert Nelson Figueroa::
The Brewers rank:
22nd in Batting Average (.254 Leader Rangers .283) out of 30 teams in the Major Leagues
21st in OBP (.323 Leader Cubs .360)
7th in SLG (.436 Leader Rangers .461)
12th in Runs Scored (440 Leader Rangers 538 Cubs 507)
13th in ERA (4.09 Leader A's 3.39 WOW)
13th in SO (645 Leader Giants 741)
12th in BB (332 Leader Rangers 395)
So basically these guys hit for power and that's about it. No average, no OBP, leading to an average amount of runs. They've played 95 games this year meaning they score 4.6 runs per game. That's not exactly above or below the league average. Because of this team's slugging, it has the ability to score runs in bunches, but the runs scored stat indicates their inconsistency. Until inconsistency turns to consistency, I believe this team is a pitching team that has a lot of work to do on the offensive end. Pitchers aren't that scared of the Brewers ::insert Nelson Figueroa::
Monday, July 14, 2008
Brewers Report Cards: Fielders Edition
Man, I rarely watch the Home Run Derby, but I wanted to see if Braun would show up. Instead Josh Hamilton did and put every one in his shadow. Absolutely ridiculous. On with today's report cards.
Prince Fielder:
Last Year: .284/.376/.620 29 HR 70 RBI 72 K 41 BB
This Year: .270/.357/.488 18 HR 52 RBI 71 K 44 BB
Prince has actually been more consistent this year than years past, but not with his power. As a result, his average has dropped a bit because balls that went out last year are staying in the ball park. That, unfortunately, has Prince more frustrated than he should be. I'm pleased with his production though, even if he has the ability to be considerably better at the plate. Why am I pleased? If you haven't watch Brewers baseball before, you'll know that not many Brewers take walks and that when Prince Fielder is hot, he hits in bunches and can singlehandedly win games for you. Prince has yet to really get hot, so we'll see if that means anything.
The biggest knock against Prince though is his shoddy defense. Despite going vegan and perhaps cutting a few pounds, Prince's range seems to have decrease. So has his ability to scoop balls in the dirt or field bunts to the right side. It suddenly has become a huge liability at first. Just ask Yovani Gallardo or Brian Shouse. Shouse was lucky enough to come out unscathed. Gallardo tore his ACL. Those things don't show up on the box score, but weigh heavy on my grade for him.
Grade: B-
Rickie Weeks:
Last Year: .221/.328/.392 5 HR 19 RBI 58 K 31 BB 9 SB
This Year: .217/.320/.367 8 HR 24 RBI 70 K 36 BB 13 SB
Rickie is having essentially the same year he had last year. Low average, low power low and low on base. Unfortunately for Rickie his K-rate is up a bit, but he managed to get a few more games in, 17 more than he got in last year before the All-Star Break. But Rickie has scored quite a few more runs (58) than he did last year (39) even with the difference in playing time. Even so, Rickie's offense leaves much to be desired, obviously. He ended up with a .374 OBP at the end of last season, so if he can manage to anything similarly, the middle of the order will be very grateful.
The biggest bright spot for Rickie this year has been his defense. A lot of people don't really agree with me on this one, but his range and arm are big pluses and he's utilized both this season. He has seven errors this season, which is a slight improvement from last season (.980 to a .976 FPct). There's still a lot of people going after Rickie's defense, but by the end of the year, they'll be pleasantly surprised by what he's done. With this improved skill, Rickie has the physical talents to be the best second baseman in the league. Whether or not he can utilize that talent is up to him, but if he doesn't get moving fast, you might see Alcides Escobar or JJ Hardy move to second very quickly.
Grade: C-
JJ Hardy:
Last Year: .280/.338/.495 18 HR 54 RBI 48 K 28 BB
This Year: .283/.352/.476 13 HR 40 RBI 48 K 33 BB
About three weeks ago JJ was hitting .242/.319/.343, but he he erupted all of a sudden after a few weeks of batting second in the lineup. And to be totally honest, I'm happier with his numbers this year than last year. The power is still there as is the average, but JJ is taking more walks and turning into a solid number two hitter. JJ struggled a bit a month into the season as a result of strained rotator cuff in his non throwing arm. That basically meant he was fine in the field and hurt at the plate, considering his left arm is his lead arm. But Ned Yost did an excellent job finding days here and there to get JJ out of the lineup, and at one point pulled him for a whole week.
JJ also has displayed a slick glove as well this year, leading most shortstops in FPct for most of the season. But he has had trouble in the field at times and his range, though not terrible, still leaves something to be desired. Even with these so-called 'down-sides' JJ and Hart have shown that they are more deserving of long-term contracts than a Prince Fielder because they are more capable of sustaining the defense for more years to come.
Grade: B+
Bill Hall:
Last Year: .271/.336/.448 9 HR 38 RBI 75 K 29 BB
This Year: .234/.294/.431 12 HR 39 RBI 74 K 20 BB
Billy has been a big disappointment this season to say the very least. His KRate is bit up while is BBRate is down. Most of these problems, however, revolve around right handed pitching where Billy is hitting a dismal .167/.223/.311 in 180 ABs. That's rough, but another move by the Brewers may have saved Billy from a completely miserable season as his numbers have climbed considerably as a right of only seeing left-handed pitching. As a result, the Brewers third base position may be one of the most productive in the league.
On the field Billy reverting back to third has been a bit of an adventure. He's carrying the second worst fielding percentage of any one in the league, and has made far too many ninth innings nail biters. What the problem is, is beyond me. Hall was never particularly sure-handed at any time during his career. He's always made the web gems and struggled with the routine plays, and today is no different making me think it's a mental thing, but I can't be sure. Nevertheless, every part of Billy's game needs to be improved, but if they manage to stick strictly to left-handed pitching, Hall will be serviceable the remainder of the season.
Grade: F
Russell Branyan:
Last Year: .206/.344/.449 7 HR 18 RBI 42 K 21 BB
This Year: .245/.331/.604 11 HR 19 RBI 37 K 14 BB
Branyan signed a minor league contract with the Brewers because his family lived in Nashville, but he absolutely raked down there and was brought up at the end of May. Surprisingly he's been very productive, though nobody expected it to continue for very long. Though that has been the case, Branyan provided just enough spark in the lineup to get the Brewers through a tough stretch and help out the guys around him. The big improvement from Branyan has been the change in his swing. He now sets up in a more ready situation and can keep his bat in the zone longer. With his strength, almost everything he hits in the air has the chance to go out and this year it has.
Russell has had some problems the past few weeks though. With a handful of lefties starting the for Arizona and Colorado, Branyan hasn't receive regular playing time and his swing looks out of sync. Not to mention his defense has floundered as well. How much longer he spends with the team is solely dependent upon his success at the plate If he somehow finds a way to get back his hot bat, he'll be around, but Brad Nelson may get his first call up if he falls apart.
Grade: C
Jason Kendall:
Last Year: .227/.263/.280 2 HR 21 RBI 26 K 12 BB
This Year: .258/.339/.333 1 HR 26 RBI 25 K 28 BB
Jason hasn't been that fun to watch at the plate this year. I'm more impressed that he has one homerun more than anything. But his OBP is healthy enough, healthier than Johnny Estrada's ever will be, and carried the Brewers for the first month of baseball. The important thing is that Jason has finally got back to taking walks. At one point in his career he was a .400 OBP guy, but those days are long gone.
Jason really isn't here to hit though. He's here to catch and run this pithing staff, which he's done magnificently. After every game Brewers starters win, their first words are Jason Kendall. It's the first time I've ever seen a guy have this much of an effect on a pitching staff. On top of this Jason has played 86 of the Brewers 95 games behind the plate. That is unheard of these days, especially from a 33 year old man. Apparently he has bionic knees. Did I mention he's been tossing guys out at a record pace as well? Something like 42%. It's been ridiculous. Jason's offensive production warrants him a below average grade, but the whole package earns him a...
Grade: B+ (Get that OBP up over .350 and it's an easy A)
Ryan Braun:
Last Year: .350/.391/.663 11 HR 32 RBI 37 K 11 BB
This Year: .286/.324/.549 23 HR 66 RBI 78 K 20 BB
At this point last year, Braun was only into his 40th game as a big leaguer, but somehow his walk rate has dropped quite a bit (11/179 vs 20/401). However, Braun's power has jumped considerably, his KRate has dropped some and his willingness to go up the middle has improved as well. All this and he's changed positions. Take that Bill Hall! It's considerably hard to improve upon what Braun did last year, and Braun has proven that. You can't bat .330 forever without making adjustments, and Braun hasn't made too many just yet. He still strikes out far too often on pitches off the plate and has taken his fair share of backwards K's. He'll need to make more and more adjustments as the season goes if he wants to earn his contract.
Braun's move to the outfield is proving to be the right one. It's clear that a considerable amount of improvement has been made there, but Braun's routes are off nearly every time. As a result he rarely puts himself in a throwing position coming out of the catch. Yes, he has six outfield assists, but there was room for at least three more if he carried some momentum into the ball. Corey Hart has this same problem. Another problem Braun has had is his 'aggressiveness,' perhaps 'selfishness' when these assist opportunities show up. We all know Braun has a cannon for an arm, but he never throws the ball to home in a way where it can be cut off. Though it's on led to a few baserunners advancing thus far, this needs to be remedied immediately because the run expectancy shoots up a ton when a runner is at third versus a player at second.
Grade: B+ (Borderline A-)
Mike Cameron:
Last Year: .262/.325/.446 11 HR 43 RBI 84 K 28 BB
This Year: .231/.320/.481 14 HR 35 RBI 71 K 28 BB
Cameron missed the first 25 games of the season this year because he was busted on a drug test last season for a banned stimulant. But that hasn't stopped him from having the highest KRate on the team. He'll be the leader in strikeouts within a month or so which is frustrating, but he does have eight more walks than Braun in 150 fewer plate appearances. But that's just my frustrations with Braun's high strikeout total and low OBP. Not that Cameron has been any better. Mike has been coming around though, batting .306/.432/.583 in June. It has pretty much gone unnoticed though because fans were too caught up in the Sabthia trade and the All-Star vote for Hart, Braun and Sheets.
In the field Cameron has been what he has been for years. He has top notch range and takes some of the best routes in baseball. I can't count how many extra base hits he's saved our pitching staff from. Yes, he's made a few mistakes, but those come with the territory of being a professional baseball player. For Brewers' fans it's like poker. You always remember the bad beats, but never the big wins, which Cameron has been this year in the field.
Grade: C
Corey Hart:
Last Year: .298/.368/.508 11 HR 33 RBI 46 K 23 BB
This Year: .289/.327/.504 15 HR 58 RBI 66 K 17 BB
Last year Corey wasn't given the starting job right off the bat. It was a bit frustrating as a fan at first because we knew Corey could hit, but because he wasn't proving it, Ned went to his veterans. That didn't last for long though as Corey exploded on to the seen. This season Hart has finally received the recognition he deserves earning him a spot on this year's All-Star Final Vote. Leave it to Brewers fans to be a little obsessed and get him in there. But they didn't do it just because he was from Milwaukee (well at least not all of them). A lot of them simply understood that Corey has been the only really consistent hitter in this lineup. He has never really slumped this year, unless you count a power deficiency to start the year a slump. While Corey's power numbers jumped this year in the homerun department, his walk numbers have dropped considerably, which is a cause for concern.
In the field, Hart brings pretty good range and reasonable routes to the ball, but he often finds his footwork a little off when he needs to get a throw off. There are far far too many times where he simply sits under the ball and waits for it instead of gathering some momentum and using his wiry frame to throw the ball in. On top of that he often hesitates and watches the runner before throwing. Corey was moved to the outfield only four years ago, so he obviously still has a lot to learn there, but this is an obvious problem that should have been worked on right away.
Grade: A-
Gabe Kapler:
Last Year: Was Coaching
This Year: .315/.352/.517 5 HR 27 RBI 23 K 8 BB
It was the Gabe Kapler and Jason Kendall show in April, and there's not a Brewer fan out there who expected it. While Kendall turned down the noise a little, Kapler has kept chugging along, stealing starts from Mike Cameron every now and then. This is easily the best comeback story of the year (OK second, Josh Hamilton), as Gabe has turned himself into the Brewers best bench player in quite some time. Kapler surprised a lot of people in the first half by hitting a ton of homeruns and coming up big in the clutch and in the pinch hitting role. This is just another pick up by Melvin that has gone under-rated because of guys like Mota and Gagne.
Grade: A
Craig Counsell:
Last Year: .239/.346/.330 2 HR 15 RBI 27 K 28 BB
This Year: .248/.348/.338 1 HR 9 RBI 21 K 19 BB
I still can't stand Counsell, but he's been very important this year for the Brewers with Hardy and Weeks being hurt this year. Craig was rocking a .220 average for much of the year and was hitting nearly every ball on the ground to the first baseman. But from June 11th to June 21st, Craig found himself on in nearly every game and saving the Brewers from a very rough start to the interleague homestand. In the end Cousell has been serviceable, but far from great. It's just unfortunate he doesn't have anything else to offer.
Grade: B-
Alright, I'm tapping. This thing is getting far too agonizing to continue to write with only Joe Dillon and Mike Rivera left. Both have fewer than 70 ABs (65 for Joe, 47 for Mike), so it's hard to offer any analysis, but both deserve A's in my book for their contribution off the bench. Mike only plays every seven days and is batting .319, while Joe is carrying a .359 OBP despite a .209 average. These guys have been big to say the very least and are important to the team.
That's it. Maybe I'll go over the coaches tomorrow, but I doubt it. I want an All-Star Break too! Cheers!
Prince Fielder:
Last Year: .284/.376/.620 29 HR 70 RBI 72 K 41 BB
This Year: .270/.357/.488 18 HR 52 RBI 71 K 44 BB
Prince has actually been more consistent this year than years past, but not with his power. As a result, his average has dropped a bit because balls that went out last year are staying in the ball park. That, unfortunately, has Prince more frustrated than he should be. I'm pleased with his production though, even if he has the ability to be considerably better at the plate. Why am I pleased? If you haven't watch Brewers baseball before, you'll know that not many Brewers take walks and that when Prince Fielder is hot, he hits in bunches and can singlehandedly win games for you. Prince has yet to really get hot, so we'll see if that means anything.
The biggest knock against Prince though is his shoddy defense. Despite going vegan and perhaps cutting a few pounds, Prince's range seems to have decrease. So has his ability to scoop balls in the dirt or field bunts to the right side. It suddenly has become a huge liability at first. Just ask Yovani Gallardo or Brian Shouse. Shouse was lucky enough to come out unscathed. Gallardo tore his ACL. Those things don't show up on the box score, but weigh heavy on my grade for him.
Grade: B-
Rickie Weeks:
Last Year: .221/.328/.392 5 HR 19 RBI 58 K 31 BB 9 SB
This Year: .217/.320/.367 8 HR 24 RBI 70 K 36 BB 13 SB
Rickie is having essentially the same year he had last year. Low average, low power low and low on base. Unfortunately for Rickie his K-rate is up a bit, but he managed to get a few more games in, 17 more than he got in last year before the All-Star Break. But Rickie has scored quite a few more runs (58) than he did last year (39) even with the difference in playing time. Even so, Rickie's offense leaves much to be desired, obviously. He ended up with a .374 OBP at the end of last season, so if he can manage to anything similarly, the middle of the order will be very grateful.
The biggest bright spot for Rickie this year has been his defense. A lot of people don't really agree with me on this one, but his range and arm are big pluses and he's utilized both this season. He has seven errors this season, which is a slight improvement from last season (.980 to a .976 FPct). There's still a lot of people going after Rickie's defense, but by the end of the year, they'll be pleasantly surprised by what he's done. With this improved skill, Rickie has the physical talents to be the best second baseman in the league. Whether or not he can utilize that talent is up to him, but if he doesn't get moving fast, you might see Alcides Escobar or JJ Hardy move to second very quickly.
Grade: C-
JJ Hardy:
Last Year: .280/.338/.495 18 HR 54 RBI 48 K 28 BB
This Year: .283/.352/.476 13 HR 40 RBI 48 K 33 BB
About three weeks ago JJ was hitting .242/.319/.343, but he he erupted all of a sudden after a few weeks of batting second in the lineup. And to be totally honest, I'm happier with his numbers this year than last year. The power is still there as is the average, but JJ is taking more walks and turning into a solid number two hitter. JJ struggled a bit a month into the season as a result of strained rotator cuff in his non throwing arm. That basically meant he was fine in the field and hurt at the plate, considering his left arm is his lead arm. But Ned Yost did an excellent job finding days here and there to get JJ out of the lineup, and at one point pulled him for a whole week.
JJ also has displayed a slick glove as well this year, leading most shortstops in FPct for most of the season. But he has had trouble in the field at times and his range, though not terrible, still leaves something to be desired. Even with these so-called 'down-sides' JJ and Hart have shown that they are more deserving of long-term contracts than a Prince Fielder because they are more capable of sustaining the defense for more years to come.
Grade: B+
Bill Hall:
Last Year: .271/.336/.448 9 HR 38 RBI 75 K 29 BB
This Year: .234/.294/.431 12 HR 39 RBI 74 K 20 BB
Billy has been a big disappointment this season to say the very least. His KRate is bit up while is BBRate is down. Most of these problems, however, revolve around right handed pitching where Billy is hitting a dismal .167/.223/.311 in 180 ABs. That's rough, but another move by the Brewers may have saved Billy from a completely miserable season as his numbers have climbed considerably as a right of only seeing left-handed pitching. As a result, the Brewers third base position may be one of the most productive in the league.
On the field Billy reverting back to third has been a bit of an adventure. He's carrying the second worst fielding percentage of any one in the league, and has made far too many ninth innings nail biters. What the problem is, is beyond me. Hall was never particularly sure-handed at any time during his career. He's always made the web gems and struggled with the routine plays, and today is no different making me think it's a mental thing, but I can't be sure. Nevertheless, every part of Billy's game needs to be improved, but if they manage to stick strictly to left-handed pitching, Hall will be serviceable the remainder of the season.
Grade: F
Russell Branyan:
Last Year: .206/.344/.449 7 HR 18 RBI 42 K 21 BB
This Year: .245/.331/.604 11 HR 19 RBI 37 K 14 BB
Branyan signed a minor league contract with the Brewers because his family lived in Nashville, but he absolutely raked down there and was brought up at the end of May. Surprisingly he's been very productive, though nobody expected it to continue for very long. Though that has been the case, Branyan provided just enough spark in the lineup to get the Brewers through a tough stretch and help out the guys around him. The big improvement from Branyan has been the change in his swing. He now sets up in a more ready situation and can keep his bat in the zone longer. With his strength, almost everything he hits in the air has the chance to go out and this year it has.
Russell has had some problems the past few weeks though. With a handful of lefties starting the for Arizona and Colorado, Branyan hasn't receive regular playing time and his swing looks out of sync. Not to mention his defense has floundered as well. How much longer he spends with the team is solely dependent upon his success at the plate If he somehow finds a way to get back his hot bat, he'll be around, but Brad Nelson may get his first call up if he falls apart.
Grade: C
Jason Kendall:
Last Year: .227/.263/.280 2 HR 21 RBI 26 K 12 BB
This Year: .258/.339/.333 1 HR 26 RBI 25 K 28 BB
Jason hasn't been that fun to watch at the plate this year. I'm more impressed that he has one homerun more than anything. But his OBP is healthy enough, healthier than Johnny Estrada's ever will be, and carried the Brewers for the first month of baseball. The important thing is that Jason has finally got back to taking walks. At one point in his career he was a .400 OBP guy, but those days are long gone.
Jason really isn't here to hit though. He's here to catch and run this pithing staff, which he's done magnificently. After every game Brewers starters win, their first words are Jason Kendall. It's the first time I've ever seen a guy have this much of an effect on a pitching staff. On top of this Jason has played 86 of the Brewers 95 games behind the plate. That is unheard of these days, especially from a 33 year old man. Apparently he has bionic knees. Did I mention he's been tossing guys out at a record pace as well? Something like 42%. It's been ridiculous. Jason's offensive production warrants him a below average grade, but the whole package earns him a...
Grade: B+ (Get that OBP up over .350 and it's an easy A)
Ryan Braun:
Last Year: .350/.391/.663 11 HR 32 RBI 37 K 11 BB
This Year: .286/.324/.549 23 HR 66 RBI 78 K 20 BB
At this point last year, Braun was only into his 40th game as a big leaguer, but somehow his walk rate has dropped quite a bit (11/179 vs 20/401). However, Braun's power has jumped considerably, his KRate has dropped some and his willingness to go up the middle has improved as well. All this and he's changed positions. Take that Bill Hall! It's considerably hard to improve upon what Braun did last year, and Braun has proven that. You can't bat .330 forever without making adjustments, and Braun hasn't made too many just yet. He still strikes out far too often on pitches off the plate and has taken his fair share of backwards K's. He'll need to make more and more adjustments as the season goes if he wants to earn his contract.
Braun's move to the outfield is proving to be the right one. It's clear that a considerable amount of improvement has been made there, but Braun's routes are off nearly every time. As a result he rarely puts himself in a throwing position coming out of the catch. Yes, he has six outfield assists, but there was room for at least three more if he carried some momentum into the ball. Corey Hart has this same problem. Another problem Braun has had is his 'aggressiveness,' perhaps 'selfishness' when these assist opportunities show up. We all know Braun has a cannon for an arm, but he never throws the ball to home in a way where it can be cut off. Though it's on led to a few baserunners advancing thus far, this needs to be remedied immediately because the run expectancy shoots up a ton when a runner is at third versus a player at second.
Grade: B+ (Borderline A-)
Mike Cameron:
Last Year: .262/.325/.446 11 HR 43 RBI 84 K 28 BB
This Year: .231/.320/.481 14 HR 35 RBI 71 K 28 BB
Cameron missed the first 25 games of the season this year because he was busted on a drug test last season for a banned stimulant. But that hasn't stopped him from having the highest KRate on the team. He'll be the leader in strikeouts within a month or so which is frustrating, but he does have eight more walks than Braun in 150 fewer plate appearances. But that's just my frustrations with Braun's high strikeout total and low OBP. Not that Cameron has been any better. Mike has been coming around though, batting .306/.432/.583 in June. It has pretty much gone unnoticed though because fans were too caught up in the Sabthia trade and the All-Star vote for Hart, Braun and Sheets.
In the field Cameron has been what he has been for years. He has top notch range and takes some of the best routes in baseball. I can't count how many extra base hits he's saved our pitching staff from. Yes, he's made a few mistakes, but those come with the territory of being a professional baseball player. For Brewers' fans it's like poker. You always remember the bad beats, but never the big wins, which Cameron has been this year in the field.
Grade: C
Corey Hart:
Last Year: .298/.368/.508 11 HR 33 RBI 46 K 23 BB
This Year: .289/.327/.504 15 HR 58 RBI 66 K 17 BB
Last year Corey wasn't given the starting job right off the bat. It was a bit frustrating as a fan at first because we knew Corey could hit, but because he wasn't proving it, Ned went to his veterans. That didn't last for long though as Corey exploded on to the seen. This season Hart has finally received the recognition he deserves earning him a spot on this year's All-Star Final Vote. Leave it to Brewers fans to be a little obsessed and get him in there. But they didn't do it just because he was from Milwaukee (well at least not all of them). A lot of them simply understood that Corey has been the only really consistent hitter in this lineup. He has never really slumped this year, unless you count a power deficiency to start the year a slump. While Corey's power numbers jumped this year in the homerun department, his walk numbers have dropped considerably, which is a cause for concern.
In the field, Hart brings pretty good range and reasonable routes to the ball, but he often finds his footwork a little off when he needs to get a throw off. There are far far too many times where he simply sits under the ball and waits for it instead of gathering some momentum and using his wiry frame to throw the ball in. On top of that he often hesitates and watches the runner before throwing. Corey was moved to the outfield only four years ago, so he obviously still has a lot to learn there, but this is an obvious problem that should have been worked on right away.
Grade: A-
Gabe Kapler:
Last Year: Was Coaching
This Year: .315/.352/.517 5 HR 27 RBI 23 K 8 BB
It was the Gabe Kapler and Jason Kendall show in April, and there's not a Brewer fan out there who expected it. While Kendall turned down the noise a little, Kapler has kept chugging along, stealing starts from Mike Cameron every now and then. This is easily the best comeback story of the year (OK second, Josh Hamilton), as Gabe has turned himself into the Brewers best bench player in quite some time. Kapler surprised a lot of people in the first half by hitting a ton of homeruns and coming up big in the clutch and in the pinch hitting role. This is just another pick up by Melvin that has gone under-rated because of guys like Mota and Gagne.
Grade: A
Craig Counsell:
Last Year: .239/.346/.330 2 HR 15 RBI 27 K 28 BB
This Year: .248/.348/.338 1 HR 9 RBI 21 K 19 BB
I still can't stand Counsell, but he's been very important this year for the Brewers with Hardy and Weeks being hurt this year. Craig was rocking a .220 average for much of the year and was hitting nearly every ball on the ground to the first baseman. But from June 11th to June 21st, Craig found himself on in nearly every game and saving the Brewers from a very rough start to the interleague homestand. In the end Cousell has been serviceable, but far from great. It's just unfortunate he doesn't have anything else to offer.
Grade: B-
Alright, I'm tapping. This thing is getting far too agonizing to continue to write with only Joe Dillon and Mike Rivera left. Both have fewer than 70 ABs (65 for Joe, 47 for Mike), so it's hard to offer any analysis, but both deserve A's in my book for their contribution off the bench. Mike only plays every seven days and is batting .319, while Joe is carrying a .359 OBP despite a .209 average. These guys have been big to say the very least and are important to the team.
That's it. Maybe I'll go over the coaches tomorrow, but I doubt it. I want an All-Star Break too! Cheers!
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