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Harold Hutchison

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Everything posted by Harold Hutchison

  1. I could see a regular lineup like this: cf: Cain rf: Yelich lf: Braun 3b: Shaw 1b: Aguilar c: Grandal 2b: Moustakas ss: Arcia Against a tough right-handed pitcher: cf: Cain rf: Yelich lf: Braun 3b: Shaw c: Grandal 1b: Thames ss: Moustakas 2b: Spangenberg Against tough lefties: cf: Cain rf: Yelich lf: Braun 2b: Shaw 3b: Aguilar 1b: Grandal c: Pina ss: Arcia If they want a lot of boppers: cf: Cain rf: Yelich lf: Braun 2b: Shaw 3b: Aguilar 1b: Thames c: Grandal ss: Moustakas I'm sure they can cook up an all-Gold Glove defense if they wanted to...
  2. Molitor twice started in the All-Star game as a second baseman... as far as I am concern, it's legit. I didn't get the appeal of Lil' Sebastian in Parks and Recreation, but let me say this, the appeal of Jim Gantner makes LESS sense than the appeal of that pony.
  3. Me? I wonder how the Red Sox will enjoy the Haderade in Fenway Park...
  4. The way I see it, the Brewers' best bet is to start with Rotation: Chacin, Anderson, Burnes, Peralta, Woodruff Bullpen: Knebel, Jeffress, Hader, Claudio, Burnes, T. Williams, Guerra Nelson and Davies are among those sent to AAA - better to get them to shake of the rust down there. As they get the rust off, maybe move Peralta or Woodruff to the pen and get one or both up. Or maybe someone becomes trade-bait. Burnes is both starting and relief? Meant Barnes for the pen... got that confused...
  5. 2B: Paul Molitor SS: Robin Yount RF: Geoff Jenkins LF: Ryan Braun 1B: Prince Fielder C: Jonathan Lucroy DH: Cecil Cooper CF: Jeromy Burnitz 3B: Don Money Bench: Ted Simmons, Carlos Gomez, Fernando Vina, Jeff Cirillo, Rob Deer SP: Ted Higuera, Ben Sheets, Yovanni Gallardo, Chris Bosio, Mike Caldwell RP: Dan Plesac, Josh Hader, Doug Jones, Jeremy Jeffress, Rollie Fingers, Jim Slaton, Chuck Crim Sorry, just don't see where Jim Gantner was better than either Money, Molitor, Vina, or Cirillo at second or third. All I remember is a bunch of empty .260-..270 batting averages, and no real contributions in the box scores I read...
  6. The way I see it, the Brewers' best bet is to start with Rotation: Chacin, Anderson, Burnes, Peralta, Woodruff Bullpen: Knebel, Jeffress, Hader, Claudio, Burnes, T. Williams, Guerra Nelson and Davies are among those sent to AAA - better to get them to shake of the rust down there. As they get the rust off, maybe move Peralta or Woodruff to the pen and get one or both up. Or maybe someone becomes trade-bait.
  7. Correct. These deals don’t get done if they are multiple year things. He’s smart. He sees the market is favoring the Brewers right now and they are pouncing as it may never be like this again. And it might not be after the next CBA... unless the union is forced to make some big concessions in return for getting the DH.
  8. With the shift, I think it might have some effect, but greatly reduced to the point the bats make it up. Then again, Moustakas did play some shortstop in 2007 and 2008 at the Rookie and Full-Season A levels, so I think he will prove to be decent at second. In fact, both he and Shaw are a bit more defensively flexible than most might think: Shaw: Played mostly 1B and 3B, but worked out decently at second in 2018, and has some experience in LF. Moustakas: Played mostly 3B, but limited experience at SS in 2007-2008 and four starts at first in 2018. Now, Shaw in left and Moose at short maybe desperation options, but let's not think that this is fated to be a defensive disaster.
  9. Yeah... I'd rather have spent $45 million over four years on Moose and played him at short (which he hasn't played since full-season A ball in 2008). Maybe the numbers wouldn't be as good, but Moose is a good teammate and doesn't mess up the clubhouse chemistry.
  10. You play the games to find out... I think with Moustakas, it's also about giving him every chance to get a good FA deal in the 2019-2020 offseason. He'll have a full season playing half his games at a ballpark very friendly to left-handed power hitters. He may also add some serious positional flexibility (adding 2B to his repertoire). I've done some more digging, and he may have a better shot at sticking at second than some think - he had about 65 games at shortstop at the rookie and full-season A levels in 2007/2008. Don't have advanced metrics, but fielding percentages of .976 and .956 show he wasn't a complete hack at shortstop. He also made four starts at first base in 2018 for the Royals. I think he could surprise on several levels.
  11. That is probably the biggest question surrounding the Brewers offense. Who is the real Arcia at the plate?
  12. There is a 0% chance that they will move Cain to the bench to play Thames. I guarantee this. I would bet a paycheck on this. Thames is a sub-par defender, and a low contact hitter. I know you love these huge bopper lineups, but the Brewers are not moving Cain to the bench. It's just not gonna happen.... Huge power lineups are fun - and it's not even my first choice... but it's nice to know those lineups can be built. I recalled that one time where the Cardinals were using McGwire in the top of the first inning at a number of positions a while back... just to get his bat in for a plate appearance early on. The Brewers have a very deep team this year. That could be an option this year... you never know. Racking up a big top fo the first could set a tone for an entire series.
  13. Or, they bump Cain to 4th OF... cf: Yelich lf: Thames rf: Braun 3b: Shaw 1b: Aguilar c: Grandal 2b: Moustakas ss: Arcia Or maybe Arcia sits, and... cf: Cain 1b: Thames rf: Yelich lf: Braun 3b: Aguilar ss: Shaw c: Grandal 2b: Moustakas No defense... but POWERFUL offense... Cain was a 6 WAR player. He also just signed an 80 million dollar contract. He was also just a top 10 MVP finisher. But we're suggesting moving him to a reserve role? Why? To play Thames more? The 2017 version of Thames posted an .877 OPS... Cain in 2018 had an .813 OPS. In the first half of 2018, Thames had a .901 OPS. If he is healthy, he's got a very potent bat, one that is underrated because he's arguably been misplaced in the leadoff or #2 spot of the batting order.
  14. The possibility of a Aguilar/Shaw 3B platoon is still a possibility. With Braun and 2B and Moose at SS. Or maybe just use that in the top of the first, then sub in afterwards. Remember what the Cards did with McGwire for a while? The Crew's deep enough to try that move once or twice... Get a big first inning...
  15. Well your forgetting Macha in between there. You talk about 03 with Yost being exactly what that team needed. That's how I feel with RRR in 2011. I still think RRR should be a manager somewhere I liked RRR as well. He and Yost had a great honesty/authenticity about them. Ken Macha was a train-wreck. I thought he'd bring an analytics approach, but his last year was the only time I've ever given up on a Brewers team since I became a fan around 1992. That 2010 was no fun to watch beginning in mid-May. Macha was forgettable, but I wonder if Yost had stuck around, whether or not the Crew could have been a bit better over those years. Counsell strikes me as someone who could be around for the long haul.
  16. Or, they bump Cain to 4th OF... cf: Yelich lf: Thames rf: Braun 3b: Shaw 1b: Aguilar c: Grandal 2b: Moustakas ss: Arcia Or maybe Arcia sits, and... cf: Cain 1b: Thames rf: Yelich lf: Braun 3b: Aguilar ss: Shaw c: Grandal 2b: Moustakas No defense... but POWERFUL offense...
  17. Furthermore, by learning second base, he boosts his value in the 2019-2020 offseason. He has all spring training to learn.
  18. Perhaps, but in 2003, Ned Yost was what the Brewers needed after that dumpster fire of 2002. The attitude and the enthusiasm for the Brewers was a huge boost. There were downgrades in talent (seriously. NOT re-signing Jose Hernandez and signing Royce Clayton?), but he managed a double-digit improvement in wins from the previous year. His replacement with Roenicke was arguably a downgrade.
  19. Very true... they can put together a defense-first lineup that won't embarrass itself offensively if they feel the need. They can go with an offense-focused lineup. Want an OBP focus? They'll have a lineup for that. One that will hit a lot of homers? They can have one for that, too.
  20. OK, I think this popular internet meme might reflect the reactions in some MLB front offices NOT in Milwaukee... Wouldn't let me embed here...
  21. Career Brewers PAs: Thames = 829; Aguilar = 877. Aguilar has higher career BA, SLG, OPS, RBIs (by 60), bWAR (overall) & dWAR & fewer Ks than Thames. Thames has walked 21 more times (about the same difference as Ks) and thus the non-BA part of his OBP is higher. Thames is worse defensively and mostly lesser offensively. Plus Thames is really not good at driving in runs when he's not hitting HRs (53 RBIs in 2 years that weren't himself -- 47 HRs, 100 RBIs) compared to Aguilar (109 RBIs that weren't himself -- 51 HRs, 160 RBIs). How do you figure Thames should be starting over Aguilar? I don't see it. Am I missing something? In Thames's defense... he batted second a lot in 2017. Who usually led off that year? Jonathan Villar, who slumped. Sogard has some leadoff as well. But the bulk of it was Villar - and not a lot of RBI chances there. The pitcher batted ninth, and before the pitcher were such OBP luminaries as Orlando Arcia and Keon Broxton. Not a lot of RBI chances to be had. In 2018, Thames led off in 23 contests, and batted second 14 more times. Again, not a lot of RBI chances when Pina, Arcia, and the pitcher are ahead of him. He had the power, but not a lot of runners on base ahead of him.
  22. Looking at the last few drafts it doesn’t seem far fetched to think the Brewers may have done well with identifying pitchers in rounds 3-5 that have possessed underrated attributes. And beyond - some highlights from the past ten years: Brent Suter, 31st round of the 2012 draft Quintin Torres-Costa, 35th round of 2015 Scott Sunitsh, 18th round of 2018 Clayton Andrews, 17th round of 2018 Cam Roegner, 22nd round of 2016 Jon Olczak, 21st round of 2015 Cody Beckman, 30th round of 2017 Brandon Woodruff, 11th round of 2014 Mike Fiers, 22nd round of 2009
  23. That's at least six regular starters who are realistic bets to hit 30+ HR (I'm counting Grandal based on the Miller Park boost). As far as I can tell the major league record for 30+ HR teammates is only four?? Nice... but I fit SEVEN in a lineup based on career highs and assuming a Miller Park boost for Grandal...
  24. Hmm... or, if the Crew wanted to go "Jumbo Ding-Dong Package"... cf: Yelich lf: Thames rf: Braun 2b: Shaw 1b: Aguilar c: Grandal 3b: Moustakas ss: Arcia Pitcher SEVEN likely 30-HR candidates in the lineup.
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