TooLiveBrew

Welcome, quietlobster. Excellent point -- in fact, I'd just checked the Brewers' player stats for the first time this season (for anything more than just a glance, that is). My jaw just about hit the floor when I saw Prince's numbers against LHP so far. While he should be expected to regress from that amazing line, he's demonstrated in his career that he can handle LHP just fine. I can't imagine what pitchers think when they have to face him right now. He just doesn't really have a weakness in his swing.

You do realize the doctors recommended that Casey MaGehee shouldn't play the field this series because he's battling knee tendinitis. Thats why Gamel was at 3rd instead of DH. Interesting. I missed that. I think Gamel has show exceptional range so far at third -- at least as much as Hall possesses. I will happily endure Gamel's growing/throwing pains at 3B, since I think he has a shot (& the tools) to be an elite defender. Honestly, a left side of the infield of Gamel & Escobar would be darn near impossible to sneak a ball past.

If he signed with someone like Anaheim I would feel indifferent but signing with the yankees makes me hate him like I hate every player that plays for that team. I guess what I don't understand about this is how arbitrary it is. If CC took the exact same contract with another huge market team, you wouldn't have any animosity? And I don't want to single you out bkbc, I know there are a lot of people that feel this way. For me the only team about which I feel that way is the Cubs.

Beat writer Pete Abraham's blog, which includes two recent entries on CC's situation: The nonchalant way in which Sabathia dismissed this has to make Yankees fans glad Girardi & the training staff weren't having it. Abraham's blog will likely be the best source to check as this situation progresses.

If you don't think Kendall is an excellent defensive catcher, I suggest going forward with an open mind to the idea you may not understand the elements that are involved in the catching position. There are many elements to that job, and I think he is great at them. Do you think he is poor at fielding grounders, blocking the plate, receiving throws or framing pitches? That's just a start to the list. I think if you want to point the finger at people for needing to keep an open mind, you should do the same about offense. Kendall is a major offensive weakness for the Brewers, and it is entirely fair to question whether his net worth is helping or hurting the team. I think his defensive skills beyond his throwing arm are excellent, but throwing arm for a C is like range for a SS. You can't have an average or below-avg. throwing arm in MLB as a catcher and still be "excellent defensive[ly]". It is too important a tool for the position. Noting his slugging percentage makes me wonder if you play fantasy baseball. Its hard to imagine a team where slugging percentage is less meaningful than the Brewers. He's been hitting about .300 for a while now and doing it hitting in front of the pitcher. Braun would get on base less with a lower slugging percentage if he hit in the 8 hole. Kendall's SLG is so bad that this argument holds no water, aside from the fact that I disagree with the notion that a team should ever say, 'Ok, we don't need to upgrade a weak spot since we have other strengths.' This approach belittles those that have the very valid concern that over the course of a season, Kendall would struggle to hit his way out of a wet paper bag. Noting his SLG% makes me realize that yogallardo43 watches the Brewers a lot, and is concerned that Kendall is killing this team at his lineup slot.

Its one thing though to let him walk. That would basically be saying we don't want him. I think all it would mean is that Melvin felt he didn't get an offer that would beat the kind of compensation picks the Brewers would get for Hardy signing with another team.

I think Martinez is done as a starter. He might be a viable RP as long as he was used as a ROOGY.

Leiter is a good announcer. Honestly the YES broadcasts are just second to none in every aspect aside from Michael Kay. Ken Singleton is another gem of an announcer (my favorite around the league). Fwiw the regular 'roster' for YES (not everyone works every game, sometimes 2 guys, usually Kay + 2): Kay, Leiter, Singleton, John Flaherty, Paul O'Neill, David Cone. Not one of the former players is a bad announcer imho. As for Reynolds... crewcrazy said it best (#5)

.256/.310/.462/.771 Even though the weird splits are more likely due to the fact that one or two hits either way could change things a lot, this line is roughly what might be expected for a talented young player adjusting to MLB pitching. Still showing the power, but not able to consistently square up pitches. I would expect Gamel's production to improve from that, rather than regress from it, and that's basically why I think he should be starting except for when he needs rest. Bill Hall makes a lot of money, and I don't think it's unfair for the Brewers to utilize him in the role that best helps this team. He would still be a valuable player, and able to get at-bats against LHP, and could do so all over the IF. I just don't think Hall's defense will bring him even with Gamel (in terms of overall value) by season's end. That's partly because I think Gamel has a lot of potential on defense as well.

From what I heard, they used the story for the third Ghostbusters movie that never got made due to red tape, etc. So it's not just the voice talent -- the story for the game was at least largely written/conceived by Ramis & Akroyd.

A friend of mine that I trust on these things has played it on his PS3. He agrees with what you've heard. I'm so glad they took the time to do that game right. Phew!

Fair enough. I can't say I loved it either, but it didn't bother me at all. What I enjoy seeing is these young guys having a blast playing pro ball. Honestly when things are clicking they are about the most up-beat & loose team in MLB. They are a ton of fun to watch imho. And I may have posted this in another thread, but I love Braun & Prince's new HR celebration this season. Always puts a smile on my face. Well, maybe that's from the HR they hit, but ... you know. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

I thought it was clear that at least I was referring to the Gamel/Hall situation overall, not just right at the moment. Just wanted to clarify.

Gamel has to hit well enough to overcome his own glove like Braun did in 07 I don't agree. Right now he just has to be able to outproduce Hall, who absolutely kills the value he brings with his glove by being dead weight in the batter's box. Gamel needs to get handed the 3B job fulltime or sent back to AAA to play fulltime. Since I think it would be a colossal waste of time to send him back to Nashville, just give him the dang job, Macha!

pogo makes a great point, but honestly if there's one guy in the league I'd bet on to be able to do it, it would be Mauer.

i'm also not sure why no one sees him as a starting pitcher any longer... I haven't heard any reports on Pedro, but he's old & trying to work back from injury. Unless he's been setting the world on fire in bullpen sessions, I really have no idea why his name keeps coming up. If he's even a shell of his former self & able to start, he'd have his pick of teams with which to sign.

Katy Perry plans to sue an Australian designer named Katie Perry (who operates her clothing line under her name) for usage of the name. The funny thing? Katie Perry is the Aussie's real name... while Katy Perry is short for "Kathryn Perry". I don't see how she'd have a chance to win this lawsuit she's pressing. I really think she did this because paying some laywers for a few hours of work is cheaper publicity. The funny thing to me is the American's dismissal of the press "creating a story where there is none." Oh, I see -- you're just alerting her that you're thinking about suing her. You're not suing her! Oh, man... were they wrong!

Regardless of the how the fans act, you are supposed to be a professional I won't ever tell you what to like about a player, Patrick, but this is just your opinion of what is professional. For Prince's profession, all imo that's required to be professional is what you mention -- playing hard, etc. Actions like this most recent one fall under the label of being an entertainer, which like it or not, these guys are as well.

They should also allow teams to trade draft picks. That way, if your goal is to turn an impending free agent into a couple picks, it shouldn't be too hard. While I agree completely with the spirit of this, the reason MLB stopped allowing picks to be traded was to block draftees from dictating with which teams they would & wouldn't sign. Iirc it was Pete Incaviglia that either brought this on or was the 'straw that broke the camel's back.' If you want a more contemporary example (albeit a different sport), look back to the SDC/NYG Eli Manning/Philip Rivers scenario. Not saying there can't be provisions made, I just think it's a relatively complicated issue.

I took logan's post to mean that no one is producing more than Gamel. See his post #18: Gamel is as ready as he is going to be. Let him play full time.

Lee has a reasonable option for next year and I don't think the Indians feel they are bottom dwellers in the division. Shapiro was interviewed on the CLE broadcast this past series, and his comments absolutely line up with that analysis. I think it would take the scenario you describe to see Lee move.

It's discussed earlier in this thread... McLouth had a play on the national stage that got him a lot of attention & votes. He's a below-avg. CF at best by every metric I've seen (including the eye test). The point on LF is that the OF GGs go almost exclusively to CFs.

But hasn't Hall's offense (or lack thereof) been a far bigger weakness for the team?