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JohnBriggs12

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Everything posted by JohnBriggs12

  1. JohnBriggs12
    Pitchers carry much higher risks than everyday players (see Mark Prior). The Brewers would be foolish to entertain dealing a cost certain top of the line player they control for 5 more of his prime years for any pitcher including Lester and Strasburg for that matter. Melvin isn't the smartest guy in baseball, but he's certainly smart enough to know that. If I had to guess, I'd say Gammons heard the Brewers are likely to hold on to Fielder because they aren't getting the interest they want. So he and some others in the game took the leap to conclude they would look at dealing their other big chip because they are so "desperate" for pitching. That this coincides with a Red Sox need, figures into this thinking as well. Nevermind that the Brewer pitching over the second half wasn't all that terrible, that Rogers and Jeffress showed tremendous promise in September, they have trade chips not named Fielder and Braun, and if they can't get a deal for a pitcher, they do have some money they could spend in the FA market.
  2. JohnBriggs12
    I like it, I've had pool play in my thoughts when it comes to MLB playoff changes. Of course, I'd like to see a meaningful slate of games, something like 6 teams and 30 games (6 games against each of the other five teams, a home series and an away series.) But then you would need to shrink the regular season to fit it in. Or, what about bringing back Sunday doubleheaders? If you can get the regular season to end mid-September (19th at the latest), you could fit in 30-game pool play and still have Game 7 of the World Series scheduled by November 3rd (2010 calender). Way too many games. My idea of pool play is to get to the World Series within 2 weeks of the regular season. They could do that with a 10 game pool (2 games vs. each of the other 5 teams). The problem with that is teams that will have been eliminated won't want to continue playing. So, I'd go with a 6 team double elimination tournament at the a single site for each leage. Hey it works for colleges in Omaha. Reward the team with the best record in each league and play it at that park. Or you could rotate it among all teams. It would be quite an event say to be hosting the leagues tournament's every 16 years in the NL and 14 in the AL. Baseball's problem with low rating for World Series is that it's held way too long after the regular season ends. Most casual baseball fans with teams out of it are into college and pro football by late October and couldn't care less about baseball.
  3. JohnBriggs12
    I just don't get why the Brewers would waste their time. If they've got enough to even bid on Lee, why not go for a realistic target like Kuroda who for a shorter deal they actually might have the money to land? A Gallardo, Kuroda, Wolf, (Correia or Correia equivalent), Narveson rotation with Rogers in the wings might be enough to seriously contend assuming in that scenario they hold on to Fielder.
  4. JohnBriggs12
    I'm not sold on this idea for now. Ideally, I'd like to see a rotation with 3 RH and 2 LH. If they wanted to go with a third lefty, ok, maybe. But in that case who would you like, Washburn or Capuano? Then there's always Parra, though barring a deal, I think he starts in the pen. Their priority should be finding at least one, and more likely 2 RH starters. If you didn't have to pay him so much that he's assured of a job, then ok, he's worth a look. But otherwise, no. They made a mistake signing Davis last year. No reason to repeat that one even though I do like Washburn more. Check out the RH starters first.
  5. JohnBriggs12
    With LaRoche, Overbay, Berkman, and Huff all on the market and Gamel perhaps in the picture (and no not at 3rd base), why on earth would the Brewers go after another righthanded bat to replace the only lefty in their lineup Last I checked the division rival Reds, Cards, and Cubs for the most part have righthanded starting pitching. Only Houston with Rodriguez and Happ, and Pittsburgh with Maholm and Burres have more than one lefty in their rotations.
  6. JohnBriggs12
    Any more than 8 teams and they should consider a format similar to the College World Series, with 2 survivors of pool play meeting in the traditional 7 game World Series.
  7. JohnBriggs12
    McCarthy refused an assignment and elected FA. His major league numbers (1.363 career WHIP, 4.56 career ERA in 2 hitters parks in AL), suggest that when healthy, at worst he could be a younger, cheaper version of Bush. Not suggesting he'd be a high priority, but the Brewers do have 2 rotation spots open, and if they can garner a number 2 somewhere to fill one, McCarthy might be an option for the 2nd, at least until Rogers, et al. take over.
  8. JohnBriggs12
    While it wasn't wise for Cruz to say what he did, there is certainly some evidence to support his contention. Compare Coffey to Villanueva. Coffey allowed 5 ER in his first 2 September appearances covering just 2/3 of an inning. He was trotted out there 8 more times. Villanueva on the other hand had scoreless outings on Sept 4th and Sept. 7th but didn't appear in another game until September 29th despite plenty of opportunities to use him. I also found it curious that Mike Rivera was sent packing after 2 solid seasons as backup to Kendall (one under Macha), then within a week of Macha's dismissal, he's brought back into the organization. As for Gomez and Escobar, I think both of those guys would have benefited from a manager that showed more confidence in them. Both had playing time taken by 40 year olds. It is curious though that Cruz would bring this up. He got playing time at the expense of Escobar who slumped over the final month.
  9. JohnBriggs12
    Absolutely! Remember when the mantra last spring was that they had to keep "rotation depth"? The problem was they were paying a lot for that depth. If Dillard picks up where he left off, he provides more AAA depth at the right cost without even using a 40 man spot. Narveson didn't make it until he was 27, so it's not too late for Dillard.
  10. JohnBriggs12
    He always looked older than he was. He was a very young manager with the Reds in the 1970's. He had a very odd career as a player. He was a Dodger farmhand, got traded to the Phillies and played the entire 1959 season as the Phils regular 2nd baseman. After 1959, he never played in the majors again.
  11. JohnBriggs12
    I was wondering the same thing. It doesn't look like his bat will develop into anything more than .250/.300/.375, and that's being a bit optimistic. I haven't read anything about his defense. I'd be surprised if they couldn't find somebody better than Maldonado to pick up a few starts in place of Lucroy or Kottaras... It's the same reason they had a 40 man spot for (Mister 1.000) Carlos Corporan for all of 2008. One they had room. Two, it precludes them from having to make a 40 man move in season for a minor injury to one of the catchers. Now they have a guy that can be brought up at any time, even for a few days if a catcher can't go. If they had to make a longer term move, I seriously doubt that Maldonado would be the choice over a veteran like Rivera. But Maldonado has options and Rivera doesn't.
  12. JohnBriggs12
    Narveson's season long peripheral numbers were good. His WHIP of 1.378 (1.313 as starer) was nearly identical to both Gallardo's 1.368 and Wolf's 1.391. His K/BB ratio was a very respectable 2.44/1. Opponents hit .266 off him which is about league average. He was 11-2 in starts where he got support of 3 runs or more. Barring injury or them bringing in more than 2 new starters, Narveson is a virtual lock to start 2011 in the rotation.
  13. JohnBriggs12
    I can't speak for everyone but I was down on the Brewers hitting HRs because we became very hit or miss. It was either a 10 run outburst including multiple HRs per game or we'd score 1 or 2 runs with none or one HR. Maybe my memory is failing but it never seemed to be where they consistently put up 4 or 5 runs per game. The thought being there is more than one way for a team to average 5 runs per game. The Brewers were the team that scored 9 runs one game and 1 run the next. I for one would rather score 4 runs one game and 6 runs the next. Both teams average 5 runs per game, but the second scenario will win you more games.I agree wholeheartedly. The Brewers have a lot of team speed. It wasn't so much the lack of stolen bases though this team should have at least 3 guys with 20 or more (they had none in 2010), as Macha's reluctance to use the hit and run to move runners and stay out of double plays. Part of running more involves constructing the lineup in a way where you don't have a speed guys batting in front of the pitcher. I also can't remember a single suicide squeeze in the two seasons Macha was at the helm. Yes they need starting pitching help though not all of that has to come from external sources. The guys they have are capable of better and they have less dead weight than they had going into last season. It was clear Peterson's methods were starting to have an effect late in the year. But the offense has been far too dependent on HR and poor at situational hitting. You won't beat good pitching too often playing like that.
  14. JohnBriggs12
    I'm okay with Roenicke. He's got the pedigree to be a manager. Scioscia's one of the top 2 or 3 managers in the game, so working under him is a plus. Negatives are that like Macha, he comes in with very little first hand knowledge of the Brewer roster or the NL Central. Thankfully, the return of Sveum and Peterson should ease that transition if he's willing to seek out their counsel in that regard. I don't think Macha did that much when he arrived. I remember Roenicke as a player, and I recall he wasn't nearly as good as his brother Gary who had some good seasons with the Orioles.
  15. JohnBriggs12
    Hiring "name managers" sometimes works. Sometimes it doesn't. Lou Piniella didn't do anything for Tampa Bay and though he got the Cubs to the playoffs for 2 years, how did that end up? My concern is that Valentine would be more a marketing tool for a team that's a tough sell than anything else. The last time the Brewers tried marketing the manager was 1993 after the team lost Molitor and Bosio to free agency. They had Garner doing ads saying how 2nd place was not satisfying etc. How did that work out?
  16. JohnBriggs12
    What? Sandoval had 1,900 minor league plate appearances. I assume you mean by "major flaw", you're talking about plate discipline? First, Sandoval is Venezuelan. You won't find too many guys from there who ever took a lot of walks. They get noticed by swinging the bat. More time in the minors isn't going to change that. Second, he didn't just make the team better, he was one of the best hitters in the game in 2009. No doubt 2010 has been a humbling experience for him especially sitting for 4 of 5 World Series games.. He's certainly going to have something to prove in 2011. Yeah, he's overweight but so is Fielder. There is no denying his talent though. His best position is first base and the Brewers may have an opening.
  17. JohnBriggs12
    Personally, I would have liked to see Sedar considered for the managerial job. I think his congenial nature masked the fact that he is a smart baseball man. I think with Sedar in charge it might have had a similar effect as the hiring of Harvey Kuenn back in the day. For years, nobody considered Kuenn managerial material either, but Dalton finally recognized that his team wasn't responding to the traditional style of Buck Rodgers. But I never expected Melvin to think "out of the box".
  18. JohnBriggs12
    Did I miss something? Did Iribarren ever steal 70 bases in one season? Farris did. As to his so-called lack of hitting prowess, I seem to recall he hit around .350 in the 2nd half of 2009, then jumped 2 levels where he hit a respectable .274 in a season interrupted by over 2 months on the DL. Now he's hit safely in every game he's played in the AFL (currently hitting .413). I don't recall Iribarren ever being voted the top defensive player at his position either. On the other hand Farris has. Why they haven't given him more than a handful of games at SS is puzzling. My guess is he could handle it. He's certainly quick enough to cover ground and he's a solid fielder. The only question I suppose is his arm strength.
  19. JohnBriggs12
    Did I miss something? Did Iribarren ever steal 70 bases in one season? Farris did. As to his so-called lack of hitting prowess, I seem to recall he hit around .350 in the 2nd half of 2009, then jumped 2 levels where he hit a respectable .274 in a season interrupted by over 2 months on the DL. Now he's hit safely in every game he's played in the AFL (currently hitting .413). I don't recall Iribarren ever being voted the top defensive player at his position either. On the other hand Farris has. Why they haven't given him more than a handful of games at SS is puzzling. My guess is he could handle it. He's certainly quick enough to cover ground and he's a solid fielder. The only question I suppose is his arm strength.
  20. JohnBriggs12
    I think the postseason is too long now. Frankly when my team isn't playing, I lose interest quickly. Late October and November isn't baseball season any more than June is hockey or basketball season and I have no interest in those sports at that time of year either. Who the heck cares about watching yet another level? But they could easily squeeze in the games. Expand the rosters by 1 or 2, and schedule some doubleheaders, which for decades were a tradition. When I was a kid growing up, I loved going to Sunday doubleheaders. I felt shortchanged when we went to single games.
  21. JohnBriggs12
    That's an interesting viewpoint. I couldn't disagree more at least as far as the "should" part. To me, along with SS, catcher is the one offensive area where there is the most room for improvement. I certainly don't see them going out and signing a veteran SS just yet. But even if Lucroy improves some which I'll grant he's likely to do, they still will likely have no better than the 4th best catching in the division. Behind him, they have very little. The problem besides the limited production from Lucroy/Kottaras duo, is they are very susceptible to right handed pitching and that was with Fielder. Assuming Fielder gets traded for pitching, that leave Gamel or a middle of the road type FA bat as your only LH bat in the lineup. Pierzynski, even last year had a lot more pop in his bat than Kendall of a few years ago did. As far as luck goes, Pierzynski's BABIP of .278 was well off his career mark of .301 and was lower than Lucroy's .287.
  22. JohnBriggs12
    How much can a 34 year old catcher coming off a bit of a down year command? Two years, $10-12 million maybe? Given the Brewer payroll, I don't think he'd blow the budget too far open and he'd be the type of signing that would immediately improve the team.
  23. JohnBriggs12
    I like Lucroy as much as anyone, but I don't think he's a guy that you want out there 5 days a week right now. He hit the wall batting just .211/.282/.237 in September in part because he was being used a lot. Other than having a decent eye, and some pop, Kottaras didn't do enough to earn more playing either offensively or defensively. Given the lack of left handed bats which might get worse if Fielder goes, doesn't it make sense to try to get another lefty bat in the lineup somewhere? Catcher seems to be to be the logical spot too. Lucroy hit just .241/.299/.291 vs. righthanded pitching. The best available is Pierzynski. True he's he doesn't possess much of an arm, but he's certainly able to handle a pitching staff, get key hits and drive opponents nuts. He's older too but compared to Zaun, he's still a kid. Now he's not going to come all that cheap and he's going to want a situation where he's the clear number one. But at 34, he'd probably settle for a pure platoon situation. Cora as manager (should he get the job) might be a lure as well. Would 2 years of A J set back Lucroy? Maybe a little, but he'd still benefit being around a cagey veteran.
  24. JohnBriggs12
    RockCoCougars is correct about them needing a lefty bat, but I'd prefer one of the FA, LaRoche or Berkman over an untested Gamel (who I'd trade).
  25. JohnBriggs12
    What your suggesting involves creativity. Melvin is a lot of things, but creative is not one of them. As for Giants, didn't we learn there's nothing wrong with the Giant offense in that July series when the outscored the Brewers 36-7? Any thought that they'd pony up for Fielder had to end way back then.
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