FVBrewerFan

So, as I said earlier, this was not a writer making something up as many people suggested. And now it begins. It's not a big deal because Sportsline reported it. It's a big deal because KRod has now talked about this twice, and the story will continue to grow. I don't think this one is tough. We all know he wants to close, and none of us blame him for that. But you just can't call your organization a bunch of liars during a pennant race.

Well, the writer put KRod's comments in quotes, which would suggest those statements were his exact words. It wouldn't be the first time a writer flat out made something up, but that's unlikely. Unless KRod flat out denies saying this, I'll assume he said it. I don't think any of us care if he's unhappy, we all know he wants to close. It is troubling that he basically called out the Brewers organization during a pennant race. Now, if he does in fact suck it up and just do his job, it isn't a big deal at all in the great scheme of things. Just total lack of judgement for him to make statements like this at this point in the season.

Decided to answer this question by thinking back to why I'm not a big Bucks fan anymore, or NBA fan in general. Huge fan back in the Moncrief, Bridgeman, Lanier days. I guess the NBA lost me for 3 reasons. 1) Officiating. Star treatment, traveling not called, etc. 2) Players attitude. Players now determine if a coach stays or goes, negotiate for minutes, play hard when they want, or don't if they want out, etc, etc. 3) The game changed. Good fundamental basketball is gone. Flying into the lane and getting a foul called (if you're a star), pumping up 3 pointers, and fast break. That be be entertaining, but it's not basketall the way I grew up playing it and watching it. NFL. They almost lost me too. However, I've remained a fan because the players are still intense and want to win and 99% give it all. Watch a 2-12 team play, and they're still trying to play their very best. However, more rule changes to pump up points started getting on my nerves big time. A DB barely touches a WR and it's an automatic 1st down. Pass rusher grazes a QB's helmut....1st down. Only week one, but they didn't appear to call things quite so closely this year. So...MLB. They could lose me if any of those three things happened. Crazy rule changes are unlikely. 9 innings, 3 outs, 4 balls, 3 strikes. An out's an out. One of the great things about baseball, and hard to imagine that changing in any way. I also don't imagine players attitude will change, but you never know. If they cop an NBA attitude, they will lose me. Most likely scenerio is the game will change due to juiced ball, juiced players, smaller ballparks, etc. 3TO baseball would turn me off. I'm still not convinced the ball wasn't juiced for a period of time when 30 HRs was nothing. As far as the salary cap goes, sure I would love to see more revenue sharing and/or cap. But that won't be a determining factor in whether I'm a fan or not. There are teams in every sport players are attracted to. Yankees are at the top of that list. So even if there was a cap, players would gravitate towards the Yankees- maybe even for a less money. It's what you see now in the NFL/NBA. The reason teams like the Braves, Giants, Cards are always at or near the top is that they draft and develop pitching. Sure, teams like the Yankess and Phils go out and buy it, but nothing is preventing the Brewers from drafting and eveloping 5 SP of Yo's quality or better over the past 10 years.

If Money had his way Plush would still be in Nashville today if he came up through the Brewers system.

I can't even believe we're talking about this now. A 10 1/2 game lead in September and we have to worry about making the playoffs. This was supposed to be a discussion we have after the first Yuni blunder or McGehee 0-5 in a Braves/Brewers first round game.

Yea, he's not trying to pull everything. Just watch his ABs, he very often tries to take it to RF. It's just that he usually hits those foul. He never did have a quick bat, so if it is even a little slower, that would make a huge difference. I think it's as simple as that. Whether it's something mechanical CAUSING hes swing to be slower, that I do not know. He also seems to guess wrong more often than the average hitter, especially with two strikes. I said SEEMS, no way to prove that or disprove it. All I know is I have this image I can't get out of my head of him standing at the plate with a confused look as he watches strike 3 travel across the middle of the plate.

Green should have been starting months ago. Hairston should have had several spot starts at SS by now, just to see how he can play there. (Really should have tried harder to get Furcal or another SS for that matter.) The problem is compounded by the fact McGehee and Yuni hit 5th/6th. Lucroy is buried in the 8th spot because clearing the pitcher is more important than scoring runs. If they put the best players on the field, best lineup, best in-game strategy and still flame-out it's somehow more acceptable. If Greinke/Marcum/Yo just aren't quite good enough to beat the Phils rotation in the playoffs, I can tip my hat. If the Yankees are just flat-out a better team, I'll be crushed that we lost the WS...but looking back I could accept it. Now some of those things can be debated, but it should be obvious by now Yuni shouldn't have ever been the starting SS this year, should have been replaced in July with a better option, and can STILL be replaced with a slightly better option tomorrow. As every day goes by, it's more obvious Green has a better approach at the plate than McGehee and was held back way too long, and is still being limited today. Heck, I still don't understand why you wouldn't want to use a power bat like Gamel off the bench. But the vets feelings would be hurt by any of this, so get used to McGehee and his backward Ks or weak 6-3s to kill innings.

Let's go...I wanna see Bo Derek and Carlos DelFino tonight.

This ump's strike zone changes every pitch.

Can't wait to see Robert Parish! Oh, and I agree a Wild Card countdown doesn't make sense, but how about a simultaneous countdown to 100 wins?

Wow. This lineup may make the most sense I've seen in a long time. Probably means we get shut-out. Yuni buried in the 8 hole, hopefully he stays there if RR insists on starting him every day. I like to believe Lucroy will hit 7th from now through Oct. Then you have Yuni/Hairston/CC/Wilson....whoever plays SS hits 8th. Weeks hits 5th, Casey/Green 6th. But until Weeks gets back, I'm fine with Casey/Green hitting 5th.

There's a fine line between being a players' manager and the players actually managing. If he's not playing Green (and I'm assuming hasn't ever wanted him brought up) because the players don't want him in there, that's troublesome. If he really is a players' manager, it has to work both ways. Fine to allow player input, but then they have to trust the manager also. And we're not even talking about benching McGehee. It upsets team chemistry so deeply to let anyone else start a game at 3B or SS once a week? Really?

I'm pretty sure...no wait...I DID single out several players need to be hot. And no, that doesn't describe any team. Plenty of teams have won the World Series without their best hitters performing at a high level. Which goes back to my point. The brewers can not beat the Phillies or Yankees...or may be even the Braves if the big boys aren't huge contributors.

That's Prince. Wait....that's any hitter. I rather have him cool off now, and get hot late September into October. Only chance this team has in the post-season is a red hot Braun, Fielder, and probably Weeks, Hart, and Plush too. Because as good as this rotation has been, I just have no confidence they can hang with the Phillies or Braves rotations unless the Brewers best hitters are all red hot.

Can never be proven, but can't help but wonder how many more regular and post-season games would be won with Furcal/Green vs Yuni/Casey. Don't tell me this was an "all in" year. If it was, Doug would have found a real SS and given Green the chance to prove his worth months ago. We'll see where this ride ends, but it's shame with a team that his this rotation, Axford, Krod, Fielder, Braun, Weeks, and Hart that we cheaped out at SS, and used the 1907 book on how to treat a rookie.

Not watching the game, but I see Yo has a lot of Ks today. So why so many HRs? Is he just grooving fastballs, hanging breaking stuff?

lefty reliever Danny Ray Herrera was on the list of players Nice try Melvin!

Green's stance looks similar to Cecil Cooper. But there's someone else too ....just can't put my finger on it yet. One AB, but I like his natural swing...bat seems to spend a lot of time through the strike zone.

We're talking about a major league hitter dropping down a bunt, which he's done over 30 times in the past. It shouldn't be that much to ask. I know everyone hates Yuni (I do as well) but the fact of the matter is you can't really fault RR for asking Betancourt to drop a bunt down. Yes he "hasn't" done it so far this year. But they practice it everyday in BP, and he's done it a lot in his career. We understand your point, Yuni should be able to bunt. Nobody disagrees with that. But as the MANAGER, RR should know he is terrible at it. Especially when the Cards were fully expecting it, it makes it that much mor diffiuclt to execute the play properly. Here's maybe an analogy you can live with. Kotsay is starting in CF. It gets late in the game with a 3-1 lead and Gomez, Plush, and Hairston are all on the bench. Should RR put in a defensive replacement? I mean Kotsay can play CF, but wouldn't you rather have Gomez out there late in the game to protect the lead? Seems like a no-brainer right? Same thing is true here. Yuni can bunt, but your succes rate goes up rapidly by having someone else bunt who is much better at it.

Another point to consider. If he really has no intention of using Green, he could have burned him earlier in the game when he PH Kottaras. As soon as Green is announced, LaRussa would have brought in the LHP. So you burn Green without...gasp...actually let him hit in aMLB game. Now you still have ottaras to use in the 9th. These little things drive me nuts, because RR has become so predictable. When he'll steal a base, when he'll bunt, when he'll squeeze. When Morgan shows bunt virtually every first pitch, it's not going to work as well. Is that not obvious? In the game last night, as has been explained very well in here, there were several moves to be made- especially after the IF was crashing. RR did none of those things, and let a player who can't bunt try to bunt. Of course he should know how, but he doesn't. Neither do a whole lot of MLB players. So you let Yuni swing, replace him with someone else to either swing away or bunt. Most ironic thing about RR's comment is that it wasn't too long ago he successfully used Greinke (German uniform and all) in asimilar situation. So...no you weren't running out of players Ron. Even if you don't consider Green to be a player.

He could have bunted or hit away. If RR was intent on bunting (which is not a bad decision) why not use Greinke? He's done it before and it actually worked. And while he's at it, you let Counsell run for Fielder. At that point, doesn't matter what happens in extra innings, you need to maximize the odds of tying the game. Extra innings don't matter when you lose 2-1. OR you let Yuni hit away, OR PH Kotsay or Green. I rather PH for Yuni and let Hairston hit if that's the situation. I would have PH Greinke, bunted Counsell and Casey over to 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs and then let Hairston and Lucroy try to tie or win the game. No guarantee that would work, but it would offer the best chance to tie or win. Essentially, RR managed to choose the worst possible option. Let a guy try to bunt who can't, with the Cards fully expecting and playing for it. What bothers me most is I doubt RR reflects on this tonight or tomorrow, he's probably still convinced that was the best option. THAT'S what kills me. I don't care much about losing this game, I care that decisions like this will likely be made in the post-season.

Hart, Weeks, McGehee... they all got days off over the course of the season. Yuni is treated like Braun and Fielder, never made any sense, never will.

You're a better man than I. If they get swept by the Braves, I almost certainly will take a personal day to stew about it abd get my head right before I return to work. I agree with your last point. Pages of pros and cons of wishing injury on Yuni should not be the purpose of IGT.

Exactly. i would rather break my finger and continue to work (get paid) than lose my job. Yet BF is overflowing with comments from just about everyone here about DFA _____ Take your pick. Wilson, Counsell, Yuni, Kotsay, the list goes on.

Oh, and as far as this injury debate, I would never wish injury on a player, especially a Brewer. With that said, hoping a player has a broken finger hardly makes them satan for suggesting it. Said player still has a career, still makes millions, etc. Much different, in my opinion, than a player having a career ending injury or worse (head trauma for example.) Like i said, I don't root for it or take pleasure in Yuni breaking a finger, but I don't think it's over the top crazy.