2014-09-03 Brewers (Garza) at Cubs (Hendricks), 7:05 PM CDT [Brewers lose, 6-2]

[pebadger]

Well, the math gets tough if this result holds. 23 games remain for both STL and MIL. 7 games head-to-head.

 

If the Crew wins 4 of those 7 games, they still need to go 11-5 in the remainder to win the division outright if the Cards play .500 ball in the rest of theirs. You can adjust the figures from there to examine different scenarios.

 

STL doesn' t play a single game against any team remotely in the playoff chase other than MIL the rest of the season and 6 games against COL and ARZ.

 

MIL has 3 games at PIT, 4 with the marginally relevant Marlins.

[AZBrewCrew]

Our magic number is 23...23 games til the season is over

[Pugger]

If the season plays out like this the rest of the way I hope we can expect major organizational shake-ups and changes. If we aren't going to make the postseason maybe a tailspin which possibly results in a sub-.500 record is exactly what we needed. That would be tough to spin as it seems like it is every year.

 

All I know is if we miss the playoffs, and end up under .500 after being 18 games over .500 at one point, then the entire coaching staff should be fired. And no, I am not overreacting. I know the players on the field ultimately decide a game. But if our coaching staff, the guys who are being paid to evaluate those players, to identify and correct the mistakes they see, can't do anything at all to help save this team from completely imploding, then they do not need to be coaching in Milwaukee.

 

This is a complete implosion. We're about to fall to 73-66. 7 games over .500. We were the first team in the Majors to 50 wins. That was on June 27th. We were 50-32. We are about to be 73-66. That means the Milwaukee Brewers have gone 23-34 since getting win #50.

 

We are in a free fall that I would think to be pretty much unprecedented, even for this franchise.

 

Unfortunately I'm with you here. This collapse is rather shocking, frankly, and I hope the coaching staff is fired after this season. We can't can the entire roster but clearly a change in direction is needed in Milwaukee. We have too much talent to play like a bunch of idiots like we have been in this sorry stretch.

[Pugger]

Our magic number is 23...23 games til the season is over

 

What is really heartbreaking is these 23 games can't be done with soon enough.

[brewmann04]

If this team does not make the Playoffs you can almost expect Mark A to make whole sale changes up and down.

7 games aganist the Cards if they win3 I will be stunned.

[SRB]

This might be the worst season in Brewers history, for lots of reasons.

[AZBrewCrew]

It would be different if the offense at least showed some life but when they get base runners in multiple innings and continue to swing at first pitches and make ground/fly outs it doesn't lead to many runs

[pebadger]

Another throwaway nugget:

 

During the losing streak, the Brewers have held a lead at the end of a complete inning at only 3 points: 2 of them (7th and 8th) in the extra inning loss to SD and 1 (1st) in the 15-5 blowout in SF.

[TURBO]

I do not believe that if we finish below .500, there will be any changes made at all.

 

I truly believe that RRR and his band of fools are Doug Melvin guys...

 

The only way I see there being a change in the coaching staff is if DM himself is canned.

 

If that is what it takes, then so be it. Watching this asinine bunch of idiots year in and year out has taken it's toll and it is time for a change.

[3and2Fastball]

I really thought that Roenicke would never be fired in this offseason under any circumstances, but if this implosion continues it could be possible

[yfinn6]

I hate to advocate this, and I'd love to see some continuity with the coaching staff, but I really wonder if a turnover is coming. I actually don't hate RRR like many here, or really the other coaches as I tend to think it always comes down to the players. But this stretch will prove SO costly to the franchise and the play on the field hasn't just been bad, it's been embarrassing. Bad pitching - OK, that happens. Bad offense - OK, it's been off and on all year. But the bad baserunning has continued, the bad defense - and the plays that haven't even been called errors have been a complete joke.

 

Who's a leader on the team? Not that this is a sure-fire way to get a team right, but who is actually stepping up and holding people accountable for their poor play? This "ho-hum, we'll get 'em tomorrow" isn't going to work in about 5 days, because the 'tomorrow' they're referring to will be a matter of just showing up to the park, and collecting a pay-check. Meanwhile, millions of fans have paid to see them and rallied behind them only to see this team look completely lifeless when it counts the most.

 

/rant

[Pugger]

If this team does not make the Playoffs you can almost expect Mark A to make whole sale changes up and down.

7 games aganist the Cards if they win3 I will be stunned.

 

I'll be stunned if they win any against the Cards. IMO the Cards are going to win the division again and I hope MA is as sick of this crap as the rest of us.

[Dean Machine]

So nobody blames the players for the losing. Interesting.

[SRB]

Melvin should probably be canned in all honesty. The Brewers haven't been caught by an impressive Cardinals team, they've been passed by a mediocre Cardinals team that hasn't even been playing that great. The Brewers were in a position to walk away with the division simply by being semi-competent, and yet Melvin did almost nothing to address key areas of need. Melvin's job should be on the line for letting this happen, when his "big" move was trading for Broxton on the eve of September to pitch like 5.0 IP the rest of the way.

[Pugger]

I hate to advocate this, but I'd love to see some continuity with the coaching staff, but I really wonder if a turnover is coming. I actually don't hate RRR like many here, or really the other coaches as I tend to think it always comes down to the players. But this stretch will prove SO costly to the franchise and the play on the field hasn't just been bad, it's been embarrassing. Bad pitching - OK, that happens. Bad offense - OK, it's been off and on all year. But the bad baserunning has continued, the bad defense - and the plays that haven't even been called errors have been a complete joke.

 

Who's a leader on the team? Not that this is a sure-fire way to get a team right, but who is actually stepping up and holding people accountable for their poor play? This "ho-hum, we'll get 'em tomorrow" isn't going to work in about 5 days, because the 'tomorrow' they're referring to will be a matter of just showing up to the park, and collecting a pay-check. Meanwhile, millions of fans have paid to see them and rallied behind them only to see this team look completely lifeless when it counts the most.

 

/rant

 

I don't hate RR but there is no way he can keep his job with the team playing like this.

[TGOTJ]

I think the attendance for the rest of the season will be interesting to watch. If it tanks, I don't think it bolds well for either DM or RRR.

[Pugger]

So nobody blames the players for the losing. Interesting.

 

Sure, the players are to blame but what do expect MA to do, chuck the entire roster?

[3and2Fastball]

Melvin should probably be canned in all honesty. The Brewers haven't been caught by an impressive Cardinals team, they've been passed by a mediocre Cardinals team that hasn't even been playing that great. The Brewers were in a position to walk away with the division simply by being semi-competent, and yet Melvin did almost nothing to address key areas of need. Melvin's job should be on the line for letting this happen, when his "big" move was trading for Broxton on the eve of September to pitch like 5.0 IP the rest of the way.

 

Trading for Parra was a good solid move. They tried to trade for Morneau

 

Going into the season with Reynolds/Overbay at 1B was asinine.

[3and2Fastball]

Honestly I blame Melvin way more than Roenicke. I don't think Roenicke is all that bad of a manager

[pebadger]

The Cards are 7-6 in their last 13, and needed a 5 game winning streak to get there. In that span they've gained 4.5 games in the standings.

[SRB]

Melvin should probably be canned in all honesty. The Brewers haven't been caught by an impressive Cardinals team, they've been passed by a mediocre Cardinals team that hasn't even been playing that great. The Brewers were in a position to walk away with the division simply by being semi-competent, and yet Melvin did almost nothing to address key areas of need. Melvin's job should be on the line for letting this happen, when his "big" move was trading for Broxton on the eve of September to pitch like 5.0 IP the rest of the way.

 

Trading for Parra was a good solid move. They tried to trade for Morneau

 

Going into the season with Reynolds/Overbay at 1B was asinine.

 

Parra was a good move and he made some good moves last offseason, but Mark A needs to send a message. You can't just sit on your hands and coast on the fact that the team had a hot start and that players you know are horrible had been somewhat decent for a couple months. Melvin should have known this would happen. Seems like a lot of people were afraid of all season of when the bottom would drop out, and yet Melvin just squandered a miraculous first month by letting the team flounder.

[Pugger]

Honestly I blame Melvin way more than Roenicke. I don't think Roenicke is all that bad of a manager

 

I've never been a big fan of Melvin tbh. And the situation at 1st base has been a real problem.

[TURBO]

Why in the world are BA and Rock so happy to be getting back to Miller Park? They seem to think our only problem is playing on the road, and that when they get home, things will just magically get fixed.

[Pugger]

Melvin should probably be canned in all honesty. The Brewers haven't been caught by an impressive Cardinals team, they've been passed by a mediocre Cardinals team that hasn't even been playing that great. The Brewers were in a position to walk away with the division simply by being semi-competent, and yet Melvin did almost nothing to address key areas of need. Melvin's job should be on the line for letting this happen, when his "big" move was trading for Broxton on the eve of September to pitch like 5.0 IP the rest of the way.

 

Trading for Parra was a good solid move. They tried to trade for Morneau

 

Going into the season with Reynolds/Overbay at 1B was asinine.

 

Parra was a good move and he made some good moves last offseason, but Mark A needs to send a message. You can't just sit on your hands and coast on the fact that the team had a hot start and that players you know are horrible had been somewhat decent for a couple months. Melvin should have known this would happen. Seems like a lot of people were afraid of all season of when the bottom would drop out, and yet Melvin just squandered a miraculous first month by letting the team flounder.

 

Before the season began nobody thought we'd be in contention for a WC let alone the division lead. You are correct, we've all been waiting for the other shoe to drop. But who could foresee the disaster we have before us today?

[Pugger]

Why in the world are BA and Rock so happy to be getting back to Miller Park? They seem to think our only problem is playing on the road, and that when they get home, things will just magically get fixed.

 

I secretly hope the attendance at these upcoming games is poor if only to send a message loud and clear.