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JohnBriggs12

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Everything posted by JohnBriggs12

  1. JohnBriggs12
    Here we go: Rotation: Gallardo Estrada Fiers Narveson Burgos Bullpen: Axford Gonzalez Gorzelanny Badenhop Henderson Olmsted J. Sanchez Outfield: Braun Gomez Aoki Schafer Gindl Infield: Ramirez Segura Weeks Gonzalez Green Bianchi Catchers: Lucroy Maldonado Okay, I'm out on the limb on Burgos, but Peralta has been far from dominating this spring and they could want him to get straightened out in Nashville. In a surprise to many I think Rogers will either be traded or will clear waivers and get assigned to Nashville. Burgos has been solid for Brewers and Puerto Rico. In the pen, Olmsted beats out Kintzler. I have a hunch on Jesus Sanchez as well based on how he's being used this spring. He's coming in to get the last outs of innings for starters running out of gas/up to pitch counts. That's how Roenicke likes to use his 12th pitcher. Narveson's fine. His spring innings total doesn't include his outing against Team Canada.
  2. JohnBriggs12
    When your only positions are LF and DH, you are much more valuable in the AL. His value could be in helping land Bud Norris or some other AL pitcher.
  3. JohnBriggs12
    I don't think he'd be locked in a battle for that spot. It would be his to lose. Sure he could opt to sign with a team like the Mets, Astros, or Cubs and play more, but at least the Brewers have a hope of contending and in the NL, reserves play a lot more than in the AL.
  4. JohnBriggs12
    The Tigers released Brennan Boesch. I think he'd make a nice backup at both corner OF spots. He's the same age as Gamel, who was going to fill that role, with more of a major league track record. Beyond Gonzalez, the Brewer bench remains rather green.
  5. JohnBriggs12
    If he's really throwing that bad, they might be able to get him through waivers. Teams claiming him can't send him down either. On a brighter note, he's with Puerto Rico now but the guy who's moved up on the starter ladder this spring is Hiram Burgos, who as they say, has done nothing wrong. He could press Peralta for that last rotation spot.
  6. JohnBriggs12
    What signing guys like Lohse or Dempster is "going for it" and staying away and giving yourself flexibility to add actual quality arms at midseason isn't? Here's how I see it. The Cardinals can't find a reliable SS and they are not unlike the Brewers in that they have a lot of untested arms in the mix. Everyone seems to think the Reds are a juggernaut. I'm not so sure of that, but if they are, then no move like adding Lohse or God forbid Harang is going to make a difference. We'll know by June if the Brewers have a shot at the division. This was a pretty good team once the bullpen issues got solved last year and that was after Greinke left. I'm fairly certain the Brewer brain trust thinks this team, perhaps with a tweak or two prior to the opener, is capable of playing above .500 ball for the first half of the year. If they do that, Melvin will try to add one or two pieces for the 2nd half. The spring so far is so disjointed it's impossible to draw any conclusions. The Brewers haven't had anything close to a full complement playing for them. There are some guys throwing it well though. That's encouraging. For every Henderson who can't get guys out for Canada, there's a Hiram Burgos who's dominating for Puerto Rico. I think Morris needs to start hitting to claim the job. I don't think using up roster time is an issue at all. You worry about that for guys who are sure things and Morris isn't in that class yet. It's still wide open there. They could use a lefty bat in that spot in my opinion. Whether that guy is in their camp now is debatable.
  7. JohnBriggs12
    What's bugging me is Steve Stricker giving a putting lesson to Tiger Woods, who promptly uses it go beat him. What kind of a competitor gives advice to his opponents? Stricker is too nice a guy. He's star struck by Tiger apparently.
  8. JohnBriggs12
    I was skeptical of Estrada, but he won me over last year. I'm a big fan of WHIP as a measure of effectiveness and under 1.2 is outstanding. He's still a guy who can be sailing along and get burned by a long ball, seemingly out of nowhere, and that can lead to a few "instant losses" but he's earned a spot without question.
  9. JohnBriggs12
    He's hit 1 HR in 349 major league AB's since 2010. He's been basically George Kottaras without the power. Still if OBP is your thing, it's hard to ignore a .407 career OBP in the minors and though he hit just .255 at AAA last year his OBP was .417. He also has more walks 446, than strikeouts, 382 in the minors. He just doesn't fit the mold of a corner infielder and can't run either.
  10. JohnBriggs12
    I think it's a brilliant move. Look teams risk $32 million all the time on middling guys who are past their prime. With the price of top of the line pitching what it is, it's well worth the injury risk that frankly all pitchers have. Sale put up Ace like numbers last year in a band box. The guy has tremendous stuff. Even if he were at some point to need TJ surgery, they are still likely to get 3-4 high quality years. He pitched out of the pen in 2011 because he nearly went directly from junior college to the major leagues, and didn't have the innings in his arm. I like that strategy a lot more than shutting down a guy in season.
  11. JohnBriggs12
    He's intriguing. But to get the most value from him, ideally you'd hit him 2nd. That is out of the norm for a 1B and with Aoki leading off you'd have both lefties back to back followed by 8 RH bats?
  12. JohnBriggs12
    Baseball didn't expand in 67, it expanded in 1969. Pitching absolutely dominated in 67 and 68. Very mediocre pitchers were posting ERA's in the 2's. That was also the year Drysdale had his 58 inning shutout streak and Gibson was nearly unhittable. It also resulted in dwindling attendance. So they lowered the mound to help hitters. The spike in 1969 had more to do with the mound be lowered than it did expansion though that was a factor as well. I don't think baseballs had any impact in the 90's. That was all steroids, bigger players in general, two separate expansions, and new more hitter friendly parks coming on line replacing less HR friendly places.
  13. JohnBriggs12
    I think his future is with the new Fox Sports network. I think they'll want their own identity (vis a vis Fox Network sports coverage where Joe Buck is king) and he's a logical guy. He's well versed in all sports and talented as a play by play guy. I would assume the new network is going to bid for rights to various sports, and he just seems a good fit. The only issue may be timing.
  14. JohnBriggs12
    No, but he was and still is Rickey Henderson. Touche!
  15. JohnBriggs12
    If Weeks spelled his name Ricky, there wouldn't be the confusion. That's been the usual spelling of those going by that name. Ricky Henderson wasn't Rickie Henderson. A lot of people look and think Rickie is a misspelling of Richie as in Richie Allen. That people don't know him after all these years isn't a surprise. How often does ESPN lead with Brewers highlights?
  16. JohnBriggs12
    I was watching a few minutes of Team Mexico vs. the Diamondbacks last night. In Mexico's lineup was former major leaguer Jorge Cantu. Now Cantu is still only 31. Now he was bad when last seen in the majors, but this is a guy that has put up some power numbers in the big leagues and plays 1B. Wouldn't he make as much sense as Bobby Crosby for a look see this spring?
  17. JohnBriggs12
    I don't think the Brewers are looking into anyone at this point. I heard the discussion last night on WTMJ, and it sounded like Melvin wasn't happy with the Harang rumor because he doesn't want added pressure on the guys he's got. The national "experts" seem to keep thinking the Brewers are looking, but Melvin's taken a pass on every conceivable option at all cost levels all offseason. I think the only thing that would change that is an injury or really bad performances this spring.
  18. JohnBriggs12
    I'm suspicious of every sport down to and including bowling. Nobody mentions basketball, but when I see the bodies of guys in the NBA, I can't help but wonder.
  19. JohnBriggs12
    I suspect the Brewers are just doing due diligence in case Harang is cut at the end of spring training or a Brewer starter has an injury. There's no room for him on the Dodgers. I don't see any way the Brewers would give up something in a trade for even half his remaining salary. They passed on guys all off season in that price range who didn't require something in return. I think the Brewers are looking for one veteran they can get late in spring on a minor league deal with an out clause to be insurance for their rotation.
  20. JohnBriggs12
    I seem to recall a newspaper photo of Reggie Jackson, having stormed the mound, with Mike Caldwell by the throat. Not sure if it was that series or not. I have a fond memory of having (sneaking?) a radio in junior high (1975-77) to listen to opening day. I was not one to do much sneaking, so I think the teachers were pretty tolerant of us getting an occasional update. edited: My online search of the Journal Sentinel archives has that fight happening on July 27. 1979. They have the Sentinel in their archives, but not the Journal--and we were a Journal family. There is a Sentinel photo of a big fight around the mound area. That had to have been the incident. Wonder if that Journal issue is still around in anyone's attic. . . That was the series Jim H. Caldwell had knocked Reggie down in that AB, then got him to fly out, as Reggie rounded first, he headed for the mound. Caldwell is one of my all time favorites. That was in the series opener. I had an upper box seat next for the series sitting next to a Yankee fan who had traveled to see the series from New York. The atmosphere at County Stadium that weekend was the best I had ever experienced. Actually the fight at 3rd base on Sunday was even better. Mike Ferraro, the former Brewer, who was Yankee 3rd base coach, went nuts going after Gantner who took exception to Piniella spiking him.
  21. JohnBriggs12
    I don't know how Mazeroski is in there either. Dick Groat was a better player on the same team and he's not in. But I wouldn't compound things by putting Whitaker in there. He was very good, but not a HOFer. His highest finish in MVP balloting was 8th, his only time in the top 20. He had good HR numbers for his position at the time, but Tiger Stadium was a band box for lefty pull hitters. Compare Whitaker's number to Tiger 2B HOFer, Charlie Gehringer. Sweet Lou is no Charlie Gehringer.
  22. JohnBriggs12
    I've posted on here many times of favorite memories from the 70's. 1978 and 1979 were truly magical, and in some respects they were really better than 82, only because the turnaround was so new and so welcome. But if I had to pick one it would be the series vs. the Yankees in late July 1979. The Yankees were the sworn enemy and they were at their nastiest. Munson would be tragically killed less than a week later. The series had plenty of Brewer heroes. Cooper had a 3 HR game in the opener including a walk off. Caldwell and Reggie got into it too. Sixto (Sixto was like a comet, he came and for an ever so brief time, he was great) had a great night in game 2 as the Brewers pounded them. Game 3 featured another brawl when Piniella spiked Gantner on a slide into 3rd (yes Gantner played some 3rd in those days). The 79 team remains my favorite of all time. They were done in by their bullpen and the back end of the rotation (Reggie Cleveland omg!), but boy were they fun.
  23. JohnBriggs12
    Lohse has never posted an ERA under 4 anywhere but St. Louis. He was basically your run of the mill 5th starter type until he got there. Teams are rightfully suspicious especially for a 34 year old.
  24. JohnBriggs12
    I disagree completely. The NCAA tournament is always compelling. I'm also a golf fan, and the PGA tour is in full swing. Then there's high school hoops too and Nascar, of which I'm a casual fan too. The last thing I'm watching is spring training baseball. No, I take that back. The last things are the NBA and NHL I will check in on a Brewer game from Arizona, but I just won't stick with it very long. It's practice. I feel the same way about NFL preseason games. I hated practice when I played hoops in HS and I hate watching it. The NCAA's are one and done. It doesn't get any better. There's a lot going on in March. It's when sports really start to rev up.
  25. JohnBriggs12
    If I'm Taylor Green, I'm lobbying to play some OF this spring. His future in the big leagues appears to be as a utility guy, and since he's not really a SS (unlike Bianchi), it would help if he can play some OF.
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