Jump to content
Our free agent ranking is up to 100 names, and now you can filter by player position! Click here to check it out! ×
Brewer Fanatic

gregmag

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,208

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

 Content Type 

Profiles

Forums

Blogs

Events

Milwaukee Brewers News, Rumors & Analysis

2026 Milwaukee Brewers Top Prospect Rankings

Milwaukee Brewers Videos

2022 Milwaukee Brewers Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

Milwaukee Brewers Trade & Free Agent Rumors

Milwaukee Brewers Fan Guides & Resources

2023 Milwaukee Brewers Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

2024 Milwaukee Brewers Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

The Milwaukee Brewers Players Project

2025 Milwaukee Brewers Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

2026 Milwaukee Brewers Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by gregmag

  1. gregmag
    Mike, please read the posts before you stick your nose in. My beef with BJK is that he called the argument that I and others made about Hall's future value a "falsehood." That means a lie. On the defense point, I just got through conceding that what BJK said was substantially right. I grew up a long time ago. Learn to read. Greg.
  2. gregmag
    BJK -- Of course I made the argument that Hall has a chance to matter for the Brewers' future. Why are you bothering to quote it back to me? The fact that I made that argument is why I'm angry with you. The argument, for the record, is right. I never said Bill Hall would be the Brewers' starting shortstop. I said he could be useful in the future. He may be useful as a utility man who can play 2B, SS, and CF. There's an outside chance he may be a starting 2B, if Weeks moves to 3B or the outfield. He may, as scoop (I think; sorry if I'm misattributing) pointed out, be useful as trade bait if there's no longer a role for him in a year. So, you jumped to a fairly unreasonable conclusion about what I said; you then called me a liar for saying it. That's what really matters here. You took an argument about baseball and made it about personal character. Should I be responding in kind, and impugning your motives -- maybe exploring possible psychological explanations for your constant, often irrational defenses of authority figures (Bush, Selig, Yost)? If not, I'll take that apology now. On the question of Hall's defense, I appreciate the info you brought to the discussion, and you've convinced me to withdraw my assertion that Hall is clearly a better defensive player than Counsell. I certainly don't think the stats you cited PROVE the opposite, given that Hall's time at SS this year has been minimal and sporadic. But the most I can say is that Hall has enough defensive potential that he deserves an opportunity to smooth out his game at short, given his clear offensive superiority to Counsell. Greg.
  3. gregmag
    BJK -- Every once in a while, you inexplicably taint one of your thoughtful, intelligent posts with something that really crosses the line. This is one of those times. "The argument about Hall being the younger player, and being a part of the team's plans down the line is a falsehood, and virtually everyone who's said it knows that." I, among others, made that point. Thus, you are calling me, among others, a liar. I'm mystified that you said that, and I can't pretend to speak for anyone else, but I want an apology. Now. Then we can continue this interesting argument in a civil way. Greg.
  4. gregmag
    The #2 hitter's job is not to "get Pods over." The #2 hitter's job is to produce offense. When, oh when, will the dead ball era of a hundred freakin' years ago end in some people's minds? As for Hall vs. Counsell, if we're going to make it about this year's stats, Hall has an OPS of .760; Counsell has an OPS of .624. Six. Twenty. Four. That is worse than pathetic. There is no way Counsell belongs in a major league starting lineup. Maybe Hall doesn't either, but he has earned a chance to try to establish himself. Counsell has no chance to be a useful starter, now or ever -- absolutely none. I'm not even getting into the really important argument, which is "who cares if Craig Counsell is marginally more valuable than Bill Hall right now, because what really matters is that Bill Hall has a chance to be a player for the future." I'm not getting into that argument because I don't need it; Hall is a better player than Counsell right now. This is obvious. This is easy. Greg.
  5. gregmag
    This just in . . . Dave Burba is EXTREMELY human. Greg.
  6. gregmag
    This is why I love thinking about baseball -- it's humbling, in a fun way. I spend a lot of time and effort ripping on Helms, and he goes right out and sparks a two-out rally. Nicely done. Greg.
  7. gregmag
    The best reason to get Hall some playing time is that he is a young player who has a chance to be useful for several years. With Counsell, what you see is what you get, and you won't have to see it after this year. That's the best reason. Then we can start talking about the fact that Hall is a better ballplayer right now. True, he's worse than Counsell at the single most important thing hitters do -- getting on base. But he's better at everything else hitters do, and he's a better (even if more erratic) shortstop. Plus, Counsell's versatility makes him a perfect utility IF, and then we could swap out the hopeless Trent Durrington for another hitter from AAA. This is one of the easiest, most obvious decisions I've seen in a while, and Yost is blowing it every day. Helms, meanwhile, is absolutely killing the team. His play is indefensible. He has been nothing but a drag in the field, at the plate, and in his rare appearances on the basepaths. Of course he's better than this, but I think people are finally realizing that he was playing at his peak, if not over his head, last season. Yost should spot him in situations where he has a chance to work out of his slump -- favorable pitching matchups at home. But the question which two players of Ginter, Spivey, and Helms should be in the lineup once Spivey comes back is almost as easy as the question whether Hall should get most of the time at short. Greg.
  8. gregmag
    Bill, I thought this was a really nice game thread. Sorry nobody else liked it. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/roll.gif Greg.
  9. gregmag
    Do we know how bad Novinsky's elbow is? When I hear "elbow," I reflexively think "finished." Prince Fielder has an off day at one for six (forget for a moment that the hit was a clutch game-winner). So what does he do? He steals a base. Looking forward to the further adventures tonight of the strikeout-racking android that has replaced Jeff Housman. Greg.
  10. gregmag
    Prior to those two starts he had walked 15 in 28 innings. I think the jury is still out on whether he has really turned a corner or has just had a couple of good starts against bad teams. Good point about the lack of extra-base hits -- I hadn't noticed that, and it is an encouraging fact. The thing I really like about his line last night is the strikeouts. Time will tell, but there's hope. Greg.
  11. gregmag
    I'm always bashing Davis, so I gotta give him props tonight. That's a quality line across the board, and he couldn't have put it up at a better time. His 4.75 ERA looks pretty good right now. To cut myself some slack, I'm also always pimping Grieve over Clark, and I'm feeling pretty secure about that right now. As for Overbay . . . my God. 110 AB is a small sample, but 15 doubles isn't. The man can flat-out produce, and he's remembered how to walk, too. This just in: Dave Burba is human. Greg.
  12. gregmag
    You can't retaliate for hitting Weeks. Getting hit is part of his game. He did it last year, and he's doing it this year. I love it, as long as he's smart enough to keep key bones out of harm's way, but you can't very well beg to be plunked and then retaliate when it happens. Speaking of things I love, this plan (for plan it appears to be) of turning relievers into starters if they can hack it is starting to look good. Buddy, wherever you are -- mea culpa on Bausher. He's no longer just a reliever who pitches before the other relievers; he's going five. Adams as a starter at AAA is very exciting. Apparently these guys have the pitches to make the transition. If so, amen. Greg.
  13. gregmag
    . . . let me try this again. Jeff Housman's 2004 Huntsville dossier includes the following numbers: 23.1 innings, 25 strikeouts, three (3) walks. Last year: Beloit: 87 innings, 48 strikeouts, 25 walks Huntsville: 46.1 innings, 26 strikeouts, 17 walks. He has never posted even a 2-1 K/BB ratio, although he was close at every level until his Huntsville callup. Will somebody please tell me who this guy is and what he has done with Jeff Housman? Greg.
  14. gregmag
    Does anybody know what's up with Jeff Housman? Nine Ks and no walks in six innings? I know it's just one game, but he never would have put that line up last year. I've been a big doubter about him, thought Sickels had him way overrated in the prospect book -- but if he's becoming a strikeout pitcher, that's different. Has anyone seen him? Is he throwing different stuff? Greg.
  15. gregmag
    You know, he has a really cool, lyrical last name -- "Palmisano." Couldn't we do something with that, thus sparing the whole, tired "Lou" thing altogether? I don't know . . . Wild Palms, 23rd Palm, Life Line, something like that? I know somebody less tired than I can take this and run with it. Greg.
  16. gregmag
    I think I understand now. What you're saying, essentially, is that stats are valuable when they back up your prejudices and worthless when they don't; that whatever information you select at any given time is more valuable than the information you reject, simply because you've selected it; and that you can't, by definition, be wrong. That's called intellectual dishonesty, although in your case I'm willing to drop the "intellectual." I used to think your resolve in the face of contrary facts was kind of endearing, but I think I've gone through a brewerfan rite of passage, because I just can't take any more. Maybe you have a first grader at home who laps up your version of reasoning. That's great for you, although I pity the kid. Greg.
  17. gregmag
    Huh, Clancy -- I could have sworn ERAs didn't matter, back when you were arguing for the merits of Wayne Franklin. But now that Davis has a better ERA than Kinney, it's a really important stat. Also, it's interesting how Obermuller doesn't figure into your discussion at the moment. Obie's ERA, after all, is nearly identical to Kinney's (8.48 to 8.63) -- and, as long as we're playing this game, if you take out his start in San Francisco, Obie's ERA stands at a handsome 11.88. That said, you're certainly right that Davis has pitched the best of the three. Davis has done very little, however, to make me confident that he would remain on top of that sorry pyramid over the course of the season. There's no such thing as a consistent "ability" to pitch out of jams. Primarily it's dumb luck, and Davis has used up a few lifetimes' supplies. What he has shown is the consistent ability to pitch into jams, which you really don't like to see. The sample size, of course, is too small to draw any confident conclusions about which of these pitchers is least awful. Greg.
  18. gregmag
    Y'know, at the start of the season I think the reasonable bet would have been that we're about as good/bad as the Pirates. So over a three game span, they just outscored us by four runs. That means three losses as a bottom line, but as predictive or evaluative information it's about as useless as information can be. The claims that the Brewers "lacked heart" because they "failed to perform in the clutch" frustrate me, because -- well, what about all the other times they don't perform, or do perform? Are they supposed to grow extra talent when the game is on the line? They have plenty of heart. They just don't have a whole lot of talent. Greg.
  19. gregmag
    That's a nice pitching lineup for the Brewers today, and I find myself saying that more and more. I think we may end up pleasantly surprised at the development of some of the midrange pitching prospects this year; and the midrange guys that stay healthy will eventually eclipse some of the bigger names. With pitching, it's all about depth. I'm interested in hearing more about why some folks are down on Villanueva. His frontline numbers aren't great (1-3, 4.56 ERA), but he has an excellent K/BB ratio (20/3 in 23.2 innings). Aside from the fact that it's very early, he's making the jump from low-rookie to low-A ball and holding his own. Why would you remove him from the rotation? Greg.
  20. gregmag
    Their #7 hitter has twice as many homers as anybody on our team. We've beaten them five out of six. Man, they must be frustrated. Greg.
  21. gregmag
    Big start for Housman today, I would think. Last year he had a great ERA and a bad K/BB ratio; this year it's the opposite. But last year he also gave up almost as many unearned as earned runs, IIRC, which was a big neon warning sign. The bloom is off the rose, and if he's going to move up, he's going to have to find something we haven't seen yet. Greg.
  22. gregmag
    I may have the wrong guy. It was somebody with whom I usually agree, and I thought it was you . . . it may have been RobertR, whose similarity to your screen name sometimes trips me up. Am I the only one who does that -- confuses two completely different people sometimes because they have similar user names? Oh, well; wages of senility. Sorry for the false accusation. Greg.
  23. gregmag
    The main thing some of you are missing, IMHO, is that it's way early. You can't put a death watch on for pitchers with every start from the beginning of the season, at least not when you don't have better options beating down the door. It's also not a question of what the player "earns" or "deserves" -- it's just a question of what the team needs. If the Brewers had five starters with better track records than Ben Sheets, Sheets wouldn't deserve anything -- he'd be the odd man out. As it happens, the Brewers have only one starter with a clearly superior track record to Matt Kinney (sorry, RoCo -- I still say Doug Davis' ERA+ edge has little predictive value given the number of games we're talking about and Kinney's superior strikeout numbers, although Davis is starting to shake my stubbornness on the point). If Kinney (or Obermuller, or Davis, or Capuano) blows his next two starts, that's no good reason to bump him from the rotation. These four are clearly the team's best starting options behind Sheets at this point (please don't talk to me about what a fine starter Dave Burba was seven years ago). Somebody is going to get hurt, and the Brewers need to evaluate all of these guys and figure out what they can do over a significant number of starts. Or maybe, as Clancy surprisingly suggested, you figure out what they -- Kinney -- can bring as trade bait, although I still haven't heard why you would want to trade a healthy, cheap, 28 year-old starting pitcher who was good enough to bring someting in return. Oh, wait, I forgot -- extended tantrum. Sorry. Greg.
  24. gregmag
    What does Counsell think this is -- the postseason? Greg.
  25. gregmag
    Actually, and I say this sincerely, Clancy is probably right. Kinney will stink for his next three starts. BECAUSE NED IS GOING TO LET HIM THROW 140 PITCHES IN THIS ONE! Greg.
×
×
  • Create New...