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FVBrewerFan

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Everything posted by FVBrewerFan

  1. FVBrewerFan
    McNeal... Bucks need another tweener guard that wants to shoot but can't.
  2. FVBrewerFan
    Braun has become the leader for the moment by default. You would hope the veteran players would take on that role, but who expects Counsel, Shouse, Gagne etc. to be a leader? You need to be one of the better, proven players. The Brewers don't have a guy like that other than Sheets (not his personality) and Kendall (new to the team.) So it has to come from the young guns. Last year it was clearly Fielder, but I sense there's a feeling in the clubhouse that Fielder won't be a long term Brewer anyhow. Plus he's struggling a bit himself.
  3. FVBrewerFan
    I agree, the subtle part of managing is the toughest. If it were easy, anyone could do it. There are lots of ways a manager can help the team that aren't a direct cause and effect. (Like when to remove the SP, when to bunt, etc..) One quick example. You have a plyer who time and time again reaches for a breaking ball off the outside corner. A good manager will understand how best to get that player to understand what he's doing, why he's doing it, and how to change. Every player is different, and will respond differently. Those of you who manage people know this to be true. There is no way to prove or disprove how Ned can get guys to hit over .200 or have a WHIP under 1.50. But a good manager finds a way to get the most out of his players over time. I don't see that happening with the Brewers.
  4. FVBrewerFan
    This is the way I feel. I remember Hart's excellent catch and I agree Cameron is an excellent outfielder. Braun will be fine in LF. Basically I think defense is essential but somewhat overrated. The teams seems to have been built on the notion the offense will score 5+ runs a game and the pitching and defense will be good enough to win the majority of games. With the offense struggles this year, the poor defense and lack of dominant starting pitchers really stands out. If it's essential, not sure how it can be overrated. Anyhow, the Brewers are above average in turning the double play. Plus HArdy is a very steady SS at making routine and slighly diffiuclt plays. Those are the only things keeping the infield defense from being horrible. Also, Kendall's shocking performance at throwing runners out has to be considered. Bottom line, defense is far from the top reason Villy (or any other pitcher) has struggled.
  5. FVBrewerFan
    2007- No book (or very limited) on Villy 2008- Opposing teams now know how he pitches Parra? See detailed explanation above.
  6. FVBrewerFan
    Right, we should have won 4 out of 4 if the Brewers could figure out Little League basics like giving and receiving signs.
  7. FVBrewerFan
    I'm lost. I don't see where "They really don't like Braun" comes in. The guys is saying Braun is a tough out, and he will hit your mistakes over the fence. The same cliche lines thousands of pitchers have said about various hitters over the years. What am I missing?
  8. FVBrewerFan
    I doubt it's anything mechanical. Yost insists it is a very minor adjustment. Changing arm angle, anything in the pitching motion is not that minor in my opinion. I would guess it's throwing more 1st pitch strikes, or if he's tipping pitches that would qualify as minor. In any case, his struggles are more than just "bad luck." With a WHIP like he has, that's a lot of broken mirrors and black cats.
  9. FVBrewerFan
    In an era where everything in baseball can be quantified, does a resource exist that tracks the number of balls/ strikes a player or team sees each game/ season? What I'm most interested in is a metric that would show the number of balls swung at by a player or team. I would think Questec (sp?) would have that data available, but I doubt they would publish it? I'm interested because some of the hitting whoas can never be quantified. Are they too tight, thining too much, swinging for the fences, etc. But what could be proven is a hunch many of us have around here, that the Brewers simply swing at too many pitches outside the strike zone. But without data, it's just an explanation that sounds good with no proof. It would be very interesting to see what percentage of balls the Brewers swing at vs the league average, and vs the top OBP teams in the league. My bet is that there's a direct correlation. Of course, you would still need to correct the problem... Just details.
  10. FVBrewerFan
    Intollerable or expected? Depends how much you bought into the hype. This line-up just isn't as good as many here want to believe. Underachieving? Sure, but why would be expect guys like Weeks, Hall, Cameron, Kendall, and Hardy to be hitting better than they are? This is who they are. Same is true for the rotation. Just because guys like Villy and Parra have talent, I never expected them to be great starting pitchers- at least not yet. Neither has dazzling stuff. People have a man-crush on Dave Bush for some reason, and what has he ever done other than hanging on to the #5 spot in a rotation by his finger nails? Suppan is what he is. A solid #4 starter. Gagne was left for dead, and had a nice little run in TX. I never expected him to be a reliable closer. Really, other than Gallardo getting injured and Braun/Fielder below where they should be at this point...nothing else really surpises me that much about this team.
  11. FVBrewerFan
    No, I don't think I'm overreacting at all. In fact, it could get worse. If there was one problem, or a problem with 2 or 3 players it would be far too early to panic. But look at reality. After Sheets, the rotation is a train wreck. A closer who can't close on a consistent basis. And of course, nobody is hitting. I find it hard to believe that all of that will magically come around somehow. Why could it get worse? It's only May and Gallardo is already down. I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying there will be other significant injuries at some point.
  12. FVBrewerFan
    I've said this before, but maybe it's time I repeat it. I think we all spend too much time debating if firing Yost is justified or not. Except in rare cases, it is nearly impossible to prove a Manager or Head Coach in any pro sport needs to be replaced. Usually, and I think this is the case with the Brewers, sometimes it's worth repacling the Manager just to shake things up. The "It's worth a try" approach if you will. For whatever reason, most pro teams tune out the Manager of Head Coach after a while. When that happens, it is over. But again, that is very difficult to prove. What you can prove is Ned Yost had two historical collapses and now he's off to a less than encouraging start in 2008. There's still plenty of time, no reason to panic before the All Star break. Frankly, I don't feel strongly either way. If he gets fired, maybe it turns things around.
  13. FVBrewerFan
    Yes, he was squeezed. But Gagne is a vet, and I'm sure it's happened before in his career. You react to the strike zone being called- there is nothing else you can control. Blown saves will happen to every closer, but with a 2 run lead you don't walk people. The excuses are mounting. Bad pitching mounds, foggy goggles, Jason Kendall..... it's starting to become a problem.
  14. FVBrewerFan
    What determines if you receive your rebate check via Direct Deposit? I don't remember ever being asked? If I recvd a refund this year for 2007 taxes and used DD, does that mean my rebate check will come via DD?
  15. FVBrewerFan
    I don't think that's fair to jwill, quite frankly. I don't think he's "fortunate" to be in that position. It's a position we all could be in, or close to it. But it's not easy, it takes sacrifice- something most people aren't willing to do. Yes, maybe 5% of the reason is personal relationships that helped him get to this point in his financial life, but 95% is the commitment to getting there, and sacrificing lots of toys along the way to do it.
  16. FVBrewerFan
    1) I do believe opponents pitching has a lot to do with it. Can't be proven, obviously, it just SEEMS like opposing pitchers have been able to hit the outside corner with breaking balls far more often than the norm. A lot of these guys seem to be hitting the strike zone with curve balls, sliders, and change-ups in situations you would expect a "thow away pitch" when they're ahead in the count. 2) In general, it's been hard for batters to stay off the breaking ball in the dirt or clearly outside. They'll stay away from it early in the count, but just can't resist with two strikes. But I think that has something to do with #1 above. I don't know what a "professional hitter" means, but maybe that's part of it. Learning to just shorten the swing and foul those pitches off. 3) For whatever reason, I don't see a lot of attempts to hit to the opposite field. Hardy would die before he would slap a single to right. Not exactly a norm for guys like Weeks, Hall, and Braun either. 4) Finally, is it really as simple as "see ball, hit ball?" Maybe some of these young players are being told so many things from various coaches that they're thinking too much at the plate. (Much like my golf swing.) At any rate, it's nice to be right in the mix with an offense that hasn't been productive. Cameron coming back may be a spark, it could be that simple. As I'm sure someone has mentioned by now, in September we may be complaining about how bad the starting pitching is and we should be winning more games with all the runs we're scoring.
  17. FVBrewerFan
    I think a big part of the offensive whoas comes down to expectations. It's quite possible Fielder, Braun, Hart, and even Hardy had numbers at their celings last year. When you think about it, it's highly unlikely any of those players repeat those numbers year after year. Secondly, I don't think they have a prototypical lead off or #2 hitter. True, Molitor and Yount are a high bar to reach. But Weeks really is more of a #6 type hitter- at least at this point in his career. Kapler, Gwynn, Hardy...Gross...none of those guys are suited for #2.
  18. FVBrewerFan
    Congrats! I can tell that goal was very important to you, and you achieved it. With that said, paying off all debt may not be the most fiscally sound move to make for everyone. It's important to balance what you can make taking that cash and making it work for you vs the interest rate you're paying on all these various loans. Then there's also tax consequences with the interest paid on a mortgage. Everyone's situation is different. For me, I refuse to carry a balance on credit cards. I have two, and they're paid in full each month. I have 3 vehicles, and 2 are paid off. I will never finance more than one vehicle at a time. On the 3rd vehicle I have 1.9% long term financing, so that was a no-brainer for me. As far as the mortgage goes, paying it off has to give you great peace of mind, and I can see the appeal! But as I said earlier, I weigh that vs having money to max out my 401k, invest in a Roth, etc. So in my case I'm better off carrying the loan, plus I get the benefit of the tax deduction. Finally, a word of advice for whatever it's worth. If reducing or eliminating debt is your goal, at the vey least refinance your ARM or 30 yr mortgage into a 15 yr mortgage. If you can't afford the payments on a 15 yr, you probably are buying too much house for your financial situation. With a 15 yr you will build equity in the home much faster. And it will only cost another $200 or so a month depending on the size of your mortgage.
  19. FVBrewerFan
    New law for 2008- There shall be no more than one hot bat per game.
  20. FVBrewerFan
    I agree, showing the entire Yost press conf each day seems to be a no-brainer. The other thing that irritates me most is the audio. (Sorry if this was mentioned earlier.) The commercials are about 10 times louder than the game broadcast, and it blows out my windows every time they go to a commercial break. I don't need to have the old timer from Menards yelling at me so loud the base knocks my beer off the table. I already know where to go when I need a garden hose buddy, no need to yell.
  21. FVBrewerFan
    Yea, I don't think it's apples and oranges but I get your point. But some of the talking heads were putting USC into the Final Four and certainly the Sweet 16. I saw more than one predict Arizona was a real sleeper for the Sweet 16. Yes, the Big Ten teams had fairly weak opponents in comparison, but they breezed through rather easily. Still real early, but a nice start for the Big Ten. Just nice to see the darlings like the PAC 10 and SEC take some lumps. Because I don't think those conferences are any better than the Big 10. Bucky's style is just fine for tourney play. They made it the Final Four. I think they looked just fine last night, a nice methodical win where the outcome was never really in question.
  22. FVBrewerFan
    The slow, plodding, boring, mid-major Big 10 is 3-0, and a convincing 3-0 at that. Way to go! Media darlings like USC and Arizona are done. The Warriors will be in for a world of hurt against Stanford if they expect all their scoring to come from 2nd chance points. Time to start hitting some shots boys.
  23. FVBrewerFan
    I think it's all about location for Cappy. Could he use another pitch? Sure, a lot of pitchers could. But he has never had dominating stuff, yet he was able to get people out on a consistent basis before last year. Would he accept reassignment to the minors and put in a few extra starts to work out some things? As far as Bush.Vargas goes, I may be the only one to choose Vargas. Bush is a bull dog type everyone loves. But we know what we'll get. 5-6 innings giving up 3 runs or so. Vargas has at least had games where he was almost dominating. I just see more of an upside, and I would rather have a guy like that as the #5. What I'm curious about is how they use Gallardo, Parra, and Villy. How do you limit innings, yet get these guys in the rotation as often as possible? Becaue when you cut through it all, Parra and Villy are better choices in the rotation than Cappy, Bush, or Vargas.
  24. FVBrewerFan
    It is time to make a run for the World Series this year, and as such I think you need your best five in the rotation, regardless of options or any other factor. Sheets Gallardo Parra Suppan Villy I think Bush would be fine in the pen, knowing that would be his role every day he comes to the stadium. I think Vargas and Capuano start out the year in the pen as well. The goal would be to trade either or both. I really like Torres more than most, and I like the big arms of Mota, McClung, Turnbow in later innings. Riske and Gagne to close things out. Taht's not bad at all on paper. Even if Gagne fails as closer, there are options at least.
  25. FVBrewerFan
    Not eligible for the rebate, thanks Federal Govt
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