FVBrewerFan

Amos, I mentioned him earlier. Figured that's where they were going. Doesn't have the big name, I think he's really good.

They'll make moves. Too many holes, and too much money available not to. It's a matter of who and when, not if. Brian G knows the big names move fast. We'll find out soon if he's an early Ron Wolf or late TT. His first draft was fine, but this is his first big test.

NM on Collins. 6 years/$84 million to the Redskins. I'm sure that deal will age well. Doesn't mean which, need to know the SB and how it's structured. Likely, the last two years won't mean much. It's all about the SB in these deals, and how much of a cap hit the overall deal is each year in the first 3-4 years.

I read somewhere Keuchel has narrowed it down to the Packers, Astros, Padres, or Cowboys. Although he may wait until the end of the year and just sign a max deal with the Lakers.

That's a good example Adam, it's why I hate the idea too. As a baseball fan, I've always accepted it's a game played without a clock. And I love the strategy aspect of moves and counter-moves. But, I'm realistic too. The game probably does need to be shorter for the new generation of fans and pitching changes have a ton to do with that. DH (boo) is inevitable in the NL, which will kill a lot of the strategy anyhow. I still don't like the 3 batter minimum, but maybe you come up with 4 pitcher max per game (exception for extra innings.) Of course, that could be abused too with phantom injuries. But I don't think you could go to the well very often on that without hearing from MLB.

Isnt Amos a FA also? I think they need (and will) go hard for one of those 3 safeties. Glaring need, and a position thats hard to get instant high level play and consistency via draft. Then I want two more players that are clear upgrades. Any position is fine with me, they could use improvement at most positions. O line, pass rusher, CB. Will be fun, first year since Ron Wolfs early years they are all-in on FA.

I dont think the 28 man September roster is that big of a deal. Add a bench bat maybe, otherwise 3 more pitchers- thats plenty. Bigger impact is injured list for pitchers/ recall raised from 10 to 15 days. Thats significant over the entire season for the Brewers.

Subluxated my left shoulder and then dislocated it completely a few weeks later in high school football. Had a bankart reconstruction but either subluxated or completely dislocated the shoulder about 10-12 more times over the next 25 years. The instability has occurred in multiple directions and under different motions. The effect on my overall proprioception and sense of balance/symmetry has been profound. There's a lot of scar tissue as well. And with all that, there have been times that I felt 100%, just like Jimmy Nelson is saying now. But it was never 100% structurally sound, no matter how good it felt, and that's usually the case with surgeries - especially shoulders, which have very poor success rates compared to, say, torn ACLs or UCLs. Also have a labrum torn in two places in my right shoulder. First had problems with overextending to stock high shelves for years, then tore the back of the labrum whipping a pass to someone behind me, followed by a minor anterior labral tear from lifting weights and then a more serious one from throwing too hard without warming up. I opted against surgery this time because it often doesn't make much difference for shoulders (and sometimes makes it worse). Bottom line, you just have to rehab the heck out of it, keep the rotator cuff as strong and healthy as possible, and hope for the best... but you can never have your original shoulder back, and trying to do the same things you did before will often lead to problems. So I don't know how many shoulder experts there are here, but you better believe there's at least one. Am I reading this correctly - you're saying you're a shoulder expert due to your personal injuries? All of which *aren't* what Nelson had surgery for nor are you working with the minds/experts he's working with. And that doesn't even touch on comparing your body to his in general. Step off your pedestal - you're not a Dr. You're not board certified. You're an ex-patient. The biggest problem in this discussion is people *assuming* those who are backing Nelson are saying he'll be at his 2017 level when literally nobody is saying that. Him being back means he'll be an effective starter, which also means he'll be better than a lot of other starters in that case. Literally nobody is saying he's 100% not going to be injured again moving forward or it's impossible there will be setbacks/flareups. The conversation is about him being ready come the end of March and how ready will that be or will it leak over to April before he can get to 100+ pitches and be deep in games. And all the evidence we have thus far says he's on pace with everyone else. Nelson literally just said a bit ago he was scheduled to have a live BP session next but the team met in the middle with him so they're bumping it up to intrasquad game. Yes, people have literally said that. In fact, they took it one step further and agreed with Nelson when he said he'll be "better than ever." It's actually the whole reason I needed to put my Mr. Negative hat on in the first place. Like Dr. benji, I'm also a "shoulder doctor." In my professional opinion, either he'll make it all the way back to an effective starting pitcher, or he won't.

Wow, what's going on around here, that's not necessarily true either. (Plus, it's not a moot point because he's still around THIS year.) As for you, X-ray vision CHL... I think we forget how different Middleton's role is this year compared to the past. He had the ball in his hand a ton before this year, and had no trouble getting off enough shots per game. Now this year the offense is very different, requires constant ball movement, and more scoring options on the floor. If he has a few extra lbs, yea, that would keep him from performing at his best. But I don't think that's the main reason he's struggling. I think you even pointed out how he's used to the ISO game. That may cause him to sulk a bit on the defensive end of the floor, not a lack of energy. Doesn't that make just as much sense? Add to the fact he's seeing Bledsoe get an extension, other players around the league. Here I am, an All-Star, getting no love. He's been very professional about everything, but we don't know how much any of that is weighing (forgive the pun) on his mind. But again, that makes as much sense as lack of energy. Plus, in my opinion at least, he has a great playoff series last year on both ends. And has had stretches last year and this year similar to that. So he can activate some sort of anti-fat energy for a week or two at a time? No, I think it's a case of what 90% of NBA players do- they play defense when they want to. Look at Bledsoe. Was he fat before he came to Milwaukee? Probably not. He came into a good situation, and that has motivated him to play all-out most of the time. I just think the answer in most cases can be found in the head, not the extra junk in the trunk. Also understanding they aren't mutually exclusive. Ideally, any player should be in maximum physical shape.

Great share. That shows exactly what I'm talking about. Of course his experience helped too, but losing that much fat made a monumental difference in his performance... even though he didn't look fat or out of shape (if you didn't know what to look for) at all before. I think this being a baseball forum has a lot to do with people not seeing the difference. NBA basketball is probably in the .005% of professions where that kind of body fat makes a huge difference, and MLB is obviously not. I also don't know how many people here have been in great enough shape to have experienced the difference, but that may be part of the reason it's so hard to make the point. No, it's not hard for you to make your point- you've made it. Problem is, you keep providing information to prove points everyone already agrees with. 1) We all know extra body fat can be hidden differently on different people. Sometimes it's very hard to see it. 2) We all acknowledge that it could have an effect on performance. 3) We all agree this COULD be true of Khris. What you're missing is... 3) There's no proof Middleton has more body fat, and if he does if it has any significant effect on his play.

Actually it is debatable. If a player is out of shape, legs are the first thing to go and that obviously hurts your shooting. Yes, it can impact your defense as well- no question. But defense is also something you have to WANT to do. And you can tell the difference between effort and conditioning? CHL, I don't think anyone here is doubting what you're saying COULD be true. But there's no evidence it IS true. Or, for that matter, having 5%...10% whatever more body fat even has any sort of negative impact on his game. I think what we have here is a good player, that at times can be a great player. As recently as the Celtics playoff series last year (when he was fat?)

So he didn't pitch in 2018. You're wording that in a way as if to suggest his layoff has been longer. Pitchers routinely miss seasons and come back and make a full recovery. That said, I did say he'd be our "surprise" impact player this year because if he is healthy, he's going to have to deal with scar tissue and probably some pain at times(which is absolutely normal when coming back from a major shoulder injury and actually in some cases a good thing). People seem to be trying too hard to make their cases though for their position. Throwing better than ever before and his stuff is sharper than it ever has been. Doubt it. I'll bet it was sharper during his breakout season. Then the flip side, hasn't pitched since all the way back in 2017 and he's nearing 30. So he'll turn 30 during the year and he missed a year. Not the first to do so. Or people will be happy if he ever just pitches again at a replacement level. Really? That's the "happy" outcome here? I'm a Brewers fan, so I just choose to be optimistic...but we all understand the risks. It's a shoulder injury. Some never come back. Some return to form. It does seem to me that if someone is going to come back from this, Nelson would be the guy to do it. And who knows, maybe he is throwing better than ever before and he's ready to put up a 20 win season with a sub 2.50 ERA. We'll see. But in the mean time, I'm personally tired of all the hand wringing with each routine start that doesn't go well, or when he slips off the mound. And the most profound statement I can think of...we'll see when we see. 162 game season and hopefully 3 more series after that season. Yea, I don't like playing the role of "Mr. Negative." The only reason I felt the need to chime in were all the overly-optimistic posts every time anything positive is announced. "He's better than ever" and "He said he wants to start opening day" stuff like that. Again, it's great HE has those goals. He's a competitor and should feel that way. With what he's dealing with in his career and personal life, I'm pulling for him as hard as anyone else. Just trying to be realistic about seeing the 2017 version of Nelson, or possibly any version for an extended period of time.

So he didn't pitch in 2018. You're wording that in a way as if to suggest his layoff has been longer. Pitchers routinely miss seasons and come back and make a full recovery. That said, I did say he'd be our "surprise" impact player this year because if he is healthy, he's going to have to deal with scar tissue and probably some pain at times(which is absolutely normal when coming back from a major shoulder injury and actually in some cases a good thing). People seem to be trying too hard to make their cases though for their position. Throwing better than ever before and his stuff is sharper than it ever has been. Doubt it. I'll bet it was sharper during his breakout season. Then the flip side, hasn't pitched since all the way back in 2017 and he's nearing 30. So he'll turn 30 during the year and he missed a year. Not the first to do so. Or people will be happy if he ever just pitches again at a replacement level. Really? That's the "happy" outcome here? I'm a Brewers fan, so I just choose to be optimistic...but we all understand the risks. It's a shoulder injury. Some never come back. Some return to form. It does seem to me that if someone is going to come back from this, Nelson would be the guy to do it. And who knows, maybe he is throwing better than ever before and he's ready to put up a 20 win season with a sub 2.50 ERA. We'll see. But in the mean time, I'm personally tired of all the hand wringing with each routine start that doesn't go well, or when he slips off the mound. And the most profound statement I can think of...we'll see when we see. 162 game season and hopefully 3 more series after that season. Yea, I don't like playing the role of "Mr. Negative." The only reason I felt the need to chime in were all the overly-optimistic posts every time anything positive is announced. "He's better than ever" and "He said he wants to start opening day" stuff like that. Again, it's great HE has those goals. He's a competitor and should feel that way. With what he's dealing with in his career and personal life, I'm pulling for him as hard as anyone else. Just trying to be realistic about seeing the 2017 version of Nelson, or possibly any version for an extended period of time.

I think there's a few things going on: 1) Doldrums of late season and long western road trip. It is difficult to maintain a high level of defensive intensity for an entire game 82 games a year. Happens to the Warriors, happens to every team. 2) Working with new rotations. Hill has been out, then missing a bunch of guys vs Utah. Mostly though, adjustment to Mirotic, and Mirotic adjusting to the Bucks. 3) Middleton. Could it be something off-court? Maybe sulking that Bled got a deal and he didn't? NOT saying that's the case, just wondering. Either way, seems he's forcing things to get his x number of shots a game he wants. (Which are harder to come by with yet another option in Mirotic.) 4) Giannis. Huge game vs Utah, but they left the lane open for him. Other than that, he's really struggled to get his buckets, and regressed again at the line. For a legit MVP candidate he can get way too mechanical and think too much on offense. He gets a certain move in his head (spin in the lane for a couple weeks, now charge hard to the rim every time.) Fine line between being aggressive and forcing things. Hey, it's not like he's been bad, just too many turnovers lately and scoring hasn't come easy. 5) Target on their back. Best record, Giannis...teams are getting up for them now. We saw the Lakers really bring it (which is rare) so did Phoenix. Those aren't in any particular order. And it's not panic time. Hopefully they get back home and have a couple days to watch film, work on some things, and they smoke the Pacers Thursday and get back on track. If we see these things, obviously the coaching staff does as well, and then some.

Not sure, but I think Middleton forgot how to play basketball.

Other side of shoulder, yes. Its still his shoulder. Turning 30 in June, and hasnt pitched since 2017. Yea, sorry, Im not optimistic. Some of you are acting like its a given he will be back and pitch well. Nelson is optimistic as well, but he should be. Only way you can deal with rehab. We'll find out soon enough.

It's all good, I just couldn't resist. I know you didn't/ wouldn't act like "I know it all" and then be all cryptic about it. Anyhow, without reading through all the pages, I would want to know how many years each of them have left on their contracts. Giving up a 1st round pick for a one year rental wouldn't fly with me. Two years, eh, maybe. But if I get 3 years+ it's definitely worth considering at least. (FYI, starting to think your Giants info is a miss-direction and Al Davis is actually your contact. Valdez-Scantling is an AL Davis guy if there ever was one.)

Now we have Packers version of HighHeat. Awesome! ; )

Lost one game and took a huge drop in the polls. Reality that Big East is just not a good conference this year, period. That doesn't mean winning the conference gets an asterisk, still a big accomplishment for them if they can do it.

No question. I guess I'll use the word "serviceable." If he can even get back to that level, where he pitches every 5th day and he's serviceable I would consider he's "back." Even with that low bar, I have serious doubts he can return to even that level.

I didn't remember specifically it being June, but I agreed with you, it wasn't just "ridiculous speculation," it was from the people in the Brewers organization who were talking about a pre-ASB return from Nelson last year. They certainly weren't saying in May that he was on schedule and that "basically meant" 2019 unless there was a miracle. They all seemed confident he'd be back at some point. The poster that replied to you suggested it was just fans throwing out ridiculous predictions. Either way, he's back now, and I'm confident he's going to be the surprise player for us this year like Yelich was last year who picks up some of the slack from guys who performed a little better than expected did. I guess that depends on your definition of "back." I'll say he's back when his velo returns to where it was pre-injury, then he needs to stay there consistently. Once he does that, still needs to show he doesn't have any set-backs and can get MLB hitters out consistently. I'm still not optimistic he'll get there, but really hope I'm wrong.

You can, and it happens to all championship caliber teams. Bucks have been remarkable at clising out games all year. They get a pass once out of 82 games, without Bledsoe/Brogdon.

PG memory lane is fun, but Bucks history of big men is even better.

I remember when TJ Ford was supposed to be the answer... Lee Mayberry.

They're working on a new logo for 2020 to tie in American Family. This one isn't final, just first pass: