Cirillo: "I'd like to be a Brewer again"

[Harold Hutchison]

That's a good bench. A better bench: Rottino ©, Counsell (2B/SS), Cirillo (2B/3B/1B/SS), Dillon (LF/RF/3B/1B), and Gwynn (OF) would sound even better.

I would prefer a guy at the backup catcher position that has had more than a year behind the plate and the only way I want Gwynn on the bench is if Gross is either traded or starting. Just my preference.

Gabe Gross would be starting in LF and probably batting 7th.

 

[Fatter than Joey]

Cirillo had a few starts at SS in 2006, and didn't do too bad.

 

I think Cirillo could make an emergency start at SS in a pinch but that is probably about it.

[JohnBriggs12]

Counsell has a job locked up by his contract but he's not really needed in my opinion. Hall can still play short in a pinch and Escobar is on the 40 man and could be called up at a moment's notice and probably hit close to what Counsell will.

[danplesac]

I'd love to have Cirillo come back to the Brewers.....I think that it'd be great and be nice to have a great vet like him amongst some of these younger guys as well and maybe he'd be able to work with Braun to help him develop his defensive game a bit....(maybe a long shot on that one but it'd sure be nice)

[logan82]

Counsell has a job locked up by his contract but he's not really needed in my opinion. Hall can still play short in a pinch and Escobar is on the 40 man and could be called up at a moment's notice and probably hit close to what Counsell will.

But you need somebody who can play middle infield on a weekly basis, not just an emergency. Somebody who can give Weeks and Hardy a day off now and then. That is what Counsell does. Hall is not coming back to the infield anytime soon. Probably never happen during the rest of his tenure as a Brewer.

[MessiahRp]

Fatter than Joey wrote:

 

Do we really hate Craig Counsell? I at least figured we'd be indifferent about him.

 

His batting stance draws my ire

LOL. For a guy who hits so poorly, you'd think he'd come up with a more reasonable batting stance that actually gets him on base rather than that atrocity he uses that doesn't get around well enough to generate hits out of the infield.

 

Personally I would love Cirillo back but I also don't really know where he'd fit. I know Dillon earned a shot with how he played last year but he was a rather old minor leaguer and I don't see him panning out. I don't see the harm in a Minor League Contract w/ a Spring Training invite. He can probably play his way back onto the team, especially if Dillon (or even Rottino) has a horrible Spring.

 

Rp

[sbrylski]

Maybe he wants to come back as a reliever, with that nasty knuckeball of his - hell let's try him as a starter. He's never failed at anything in Milwaukee. Hey, he struck out Craig Counsell!

[RockCoCougars]

Hey, he struck out Craig Counsell!

That was poetic justice wasn't it? You would have thought Craig could have at least battled him for a walk, wouldn't you?

[Fatter than Joey]

I'd love to have Cirillo come back to the Brewers.....

 

I like Cirillo as well -- but I remember that he even said (a season or 2 ago) he cannot play on a regular basis. He could be a PHer or a spot starter, but we probably have better options currently.

[chuckiehacks]

Per TH, no Cirillo. At least not as a player.

So you're saying there's a chance...

[twobrewers]

*weeps a little on the inside*

[jason21nl]

Crushed....Id still like a guy who is a proven vet and could be a club house leader

[TooLiveBrew]

Honestly, at this point, that's Fielder to me, j21. It's too bad that Cirillo doesn't fit at the moment into our 2008 season, but I suppose, on balance, that's a good thing - it means we have a deep roster.

[jason21nl]

Honestly, at this point, that's Fielder to me, j21. It's too bad that Cirillo doesn't fit at the moment into our 2008 season, but I suppose, on balance, that's a good thing - it means we have a deep roster.

I agree that Fielder is the leader of the team I don't think there is any question about that.

[AJAY]

Channel 4 news was showing that Jeff Cirillo was in town to sign autographs and that he was planning to meet with Doug Melvin. He still seemed interested in playing for the Brewers, but I wonder if maybe they might explore coaching opportunities too.

[dadofandrew]

Unless he wants to be AAA depth, I just don't see a match.

[twobrewers]

He still seemed interested in playing for the Brewers, but I wonder if maybe they might explore coaching opportunities too.

He might just end up a roving instructor or something along those lines.

 

Invite him to Spring Training to coach for a few days. If he takes to it pretty well - perhaps in the future he can take on a full-time coaching gig.

[RockCoCougars]

Give him an invite to Spring Training for god's sake. They need someone on the bench who can actually hit. It's not like he's 44 years old or something -he'll be the same age as Rudy in April.

[MNBrew]

There's no harm in letting the guy try to make it. People thought he would be totally out of the mix three years ago and look at how well that turned out. If it doesn't pan out, then let his post-playing Brewers career begin!

 

 

Edit: Geez, that's post #500. I like that it turned out to be advocating for Cirillo again. I've sure spent way to much of my life on this site.

[brew522]

Anyone know where he was signing autos? Sorry to have missed it.

 

Apparently Cirillo asked for a spot again and Doug once again said they don't have room. I don't know if they discussed coaching. Cirillo said he only wanted to play for Milwaukee or Seattle or retire. I was a little surprised about Seattle, since I thought he was miserable there. Maybe it's better with Piniella gone.

[The MajikMan07]

I would have to say that Cirillo is my all-time favorite Brewer. I still regularly wear my Cirillo T-shirt/jersey (not exactly sure what to call those). I think if the Brewers can get him back on board in any capacity, whether it be as a player or as a coach, they should do it. I see him as the symbol for all things Brewer. Although my standing on that might be different if I had been alive for the Yount days.

[giffted1]

I don't see why Melvin just wont give him an invite to Spring Training. Hopefully they find a way to keep him in the organization.

[Invader3K]

Melvin should offer him a job as like a janitor or something, at the very least.

[Matt Breen]

Unless there's some major injuries, having Cirillo is probably more of a distraction for the team than anything. I love the guy, but at this stage, he's strictly a right handed pinch hitter/spot starter guy at 3B - nothing more. If he's in camp, there will be stories about him trying to make the team, fans will love his every at bat - nothing but warm and fuzzy. But in reality, the club is probably best moving on. There are younger, cheaper, more versitile and (I think the team feels) better players, that fill what he does. Rottino and Dillon are two such guys (many will argue otherwise, but I think the team feels it's these two guys time).

 

The Brewers should, however, tell him: 'Jeff, we love you, know what you're capable of, and if ANYTHING happens that disrupts our plans - Hall gets hurt, Dillon gets hurt, whatever, then we'll call you. We know you'll be ready. You don't need a training camp to prove that to us.' Keep it that simple and honest. The other option is to offer a spring training 'coaching' job - hitting coach assistant, whatever - and see how he works. If there are injuries, then maybe he can come out of 'retirement'. If not, see how he reacts to coaching, and if there's promise, get him into the system somehow.

 

Just my thoughts.