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JohnBriggs12

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Everything posted by JohnBriggs12

  1. JohnBriggs12
    I doubt we'll see Counsell (he just played 10 or so straight) or Dillon (for who?) or even Gabe (why would Cameron need a day off?), but it's about time to give Rivera some action.
  2. JohnBriggs12
    In a perfect world, a guy like Sheets, who if he stays healthy the rest of this year has missed about 25% of his possible starts (or 1 full year) over the life of his last contract, including last September in crunch time, would feel some sense of loyalty to the franchise that drafted, developed and paid him handsomely, and suffered through a variety of injuries, and at least say something like "I hope something can be worked out". No, it's the world of major league baseball, where money talks, and players lose all sense of anything beyond the bottom line. When a guy's going well, like Sheets is now, all they get told by people within their circle is how that is going to pay off. But as Bill Hall has learned, if you struggle after signing a deal, you're better off just keeping your mouth shut. I hope Sheets goes out in a blaze of glory as a Brewer. Maybe that will erase my lasting image of him calling out trainers last September while warming up before an inning.
  3. JohnBriggs12
    A torn ACL is not a minor injury. Granted it's not his arm, but Gallardo will have gone nearly a year without pitching and it's a tall order for him to come back and intitially be as sharp as he's been. I don't know how you can eliminate Villanueva as a candidate based on 4-5 bad starts when he came into the season with a 3.01 ERA in 12 starts. He certainly deserves another look. Without Sheets, they have money to spend for another pitcher either via trade or free agency. Look for them to make a FA run at somebody a rung or two below Sheets, like a Derek Lowe and they might be willing to take a salary dump via trade.
  4. JohnBriggs12
    How about Marcus Thames' streak of 9 straight hits being HR that was broken the other day? How Branyan like is that?
  5. JohnBriggs12
    ERA isn't the only measure of effectiveness. Sheets has a better WHIP (1.04) than Volquez (1.17). In fact, Hamels, Sheets, Wainwright, Dempster, Webb, and Peavy, all have better WHIPS than young Mr. Volquez. Volquez does lead in K's but is K/BB ratio of 2.44 is well below Sheets' 4. You might start a rookie if no veteran is deserving, but there are several veterans having outstanding years, including Sheets. Another factor is availability, and Sheets figures to make starts on 6/29, 7/4, and 7/9, meaning he'll have 5 days of rest for the July 15th game. Volquez figures to start 6/26, 7/1, 7/6, and 7/12, so he'll have 3 days less rest.
  6. JohnBriggs12
    DiFelice will be sent down. As decent as he's been, he lacks an out pitch vs. lefthanded hitters who are hitting .421/.421/1.053 against him. Stetter had 2 bad outings over a month ago. He's fanned 18 in 12 2/3 innings. He's very valuable as 2nd lefty.
  7. JohnBriggs12
    No. The reason he'd want the Atlanta job (which I believe he'd take in a heartbeat), is for family (Wife) reasons. She would not let him pass that job up. It's been their home even after 6 years as Brewer manager. I think it's understood by everyone involved that it's a done deal.
  8. JohnBriggs12
    As good as LaPorta is, he is redundant. He's a righthanded corner OF on a team with one under contract through 2014 and another under Brewer control for 3 more seasons. That plus the Brewers also have another good prospect in Cole Gillespie and just drafted Lawrie who is a catcher in name but a corner OF potentially. Gamel is indespensible for one simple reason. He's a lefthanded hitter and the only premier one (Nelson nothwithstanding) other than maybe Taylor Green in the system. If Fielder ever gets dealt, you need to replace him not with another righthanded stick but with a lefthanded bat. Gamel fits that bill. In 2-3 years, it would not shock me to see Gamel at first and Green at 3rd as the two lefthanded hitters in the Brewer lineup. I'd also consider Salome as expendable because LuCroy is coming on fast plus the aforementioned Lawrie. So the two guys I wouldn't deal for Sabathia are Gamel and Escobar. Escobar to me has a higher ceiling than Hardy. I'd give Cleveland the choice of any other player in the system, then after they select one (presumably LaPorta), I'd want to be able to protect another, then let then make their second selection. I'd also throw in Bush because Cleveland will need a pitcher back and Bush will command $3-4 million in arby next year, which to me is money that could be used elsewhere. Having a rotation that inlcludes Sheets and Sabathia, not only makes playoffs likely, it makes World Series well within reach. Next year can wait. If this opportunity presents itself, you have to go for it.
  9. JohnBriggs12
    I can't see the need for a lefty hitting OF at this point, and I think based on Maddux performance this year, you'd be buying high. Really where have they missed Gross? Branyan's given them that extra lefthanded bat and much to my surprise, even Counsell's contributed offensively in the last month. Maddux has done well, but he's been basically a 6 inning, 4 or so ERA guy for the past several years, and considering his ERA now is in low 3's, it's likely he'd do no better than around 5 the rest of the year and the Brewers have several guys fully capable of that or better. I can see adding another lefty bat in September, maybe even Gamel, but not now.
  10. JohnBriggs12
    I can't see the need for a lefty hitting OF at this point, and I think based on Maddux performance this year, you'd be buying high. Really where have they missed Gross? Branyan's given them that extra lefthanded bat and much to my surprise, even Counsell's contributed offensively in the last month. Maddux has done well, but he's been basically a 6 inning, 4 or so ERA guy for the past several years, and considering his ERA now is in low 3's, it's likely he'd do no better than around 5 the rest of the year and the Brewers have several guys fully capable of that or better. I can see adding another lefty bat in September, maybe even Gamel, but not now.
  11. JohnBriggs12
    I can't see the need for a lefty hitting OF at this point, and I think based on Maddux performance this year, you'd be buying high. Really where have they missed Gross? Branyan's given them that extra lefthanded bat and much to my surprise, even Counsell's contributed offensively in the last month. Maddux has done well, but he's been basically a 6 inning, 4 or so ERA guy for the past several years, and considering his ERA now is in low 3's, it's likely he'd do no better than around 5 the rest of the year and the Brewers have several guys fully capable of that or better. I can see adding another lefty bat in September, maybe even Gamel, but not now.
  12. JohnBriggs12
    Volquez is a rookie. His numbers are deserving, but he's still a rookie, has never been in that environment, and has a propensity for wildness (45 BB in 95 IP). He'd likely be hyped up and wild. Webb has been struggling a bit of late and Lincecum got lit up his last start. Right now, I'd say Sheets is the odds on to start for the NL with of all people, Ryan Dempster, the likely number 2 choice.
  13. JohnBriggs12
    I don't buy that has much to do with it. Branyan has been batting 6th in the order, not third with Prince up next. Pitchers/teams aren't just grooving Branyan fastballs right down the middle out of fear he'll walk and Kapler or Cameron is due up next. Russell to me is simply locked in and seeing the ball well and it also looks like the new stance is helping, when pitchers do make a mistake though, Branyan is crushing them. The amazing thing to me is how effortless his swing looks, yet he hits these absolute bombs that go way over the fence. I watch Prince swing and it's much more violent and hard, Branyan looks like he's slicing a single and the ball goes 450 feet. danzig, I think you missed junt4twan's point. It's not who's batting behind Branyan, but the fact that with so many dangerous hitters in the lineup, when Branyan came up, certainly he was not looked at as the major or even the secondary lineup threat. Now eventually they may adjust that but for the month he's been up he's gotten pitches to hit and to his credit he's hit them and hit them hard. But baseball is a game of constant adjustments. It will be interesting to see what they do to Branyan from here on. His history should have everyone cautious, but maybe this new stance is the key.
  14. JohnBriggs12
    Sabathia isn't going anywhere. The Indians, in case you haven't noticed, are only 6.5 games back of a very flawed White Sox team in a very winnable divsion for Cleveland. Unless they drop back to 9-10 games back by All Star game, I don't think they waive the white flag.
  15. JohnBriggs12
    I'd much rather have Jarrod Washburn than Arroyo. Washburn only has $9.5 million on his contract after this year, compared to $22.5 million for Arroyo. Plus Washburn is lefthanded. Yeah Arroyo pitches in a hitter's park but I'll take the guy who's unfamiliar to NL hitters. Besides trading withing a division can always come back to bite big time. As for Fielder, I wouldn't give him up for prospects period. That's not to say he can't be dealt, but I want top flight major league talent in return.
  16. JohnBriggs12
    With Hall signed for multiple years, we have to hope he finds his groove. Ned knows this. Everyone is pulling for him within the organization. One big hit will take a lot of pressure off of him. At worst, he's going to be a highly paid utility guy the next couple years. The Brewers need the real Bill Hall.
  17. JohnBriggs12
    His OBP is .358 I know Al was referring to his career stats but I agree with you Danzig, it's about this year and Grudzielank last 5 years OBP: .366, .347, .334, .331, .346, and this year's .361, all while never hitting below .294 or slugging under .400 are a significant upgrade over Weeks in 2008: .210/.325/.358.
  18. JohnBriggs12
    If Weeks is still struggling in late July, Grudzielanek is the perfect rental player. After all everyone has to be accountable including Weeks.
  19. JohnBriggs12
    About a week late. They could have used Stetter to neutralize the lefty dominated Twins lineup. Thankfully, he'll be around in Minnesota. Dillard's looked like he's throwing BP his last couple games.
  20. JohnBriggs12
    Marmol morphing into Derrick Turnbow is a possibility as the innings pile up.
  21. JohnBriggs12
    You don't mess with success. He became the hitter he is being aggressive. I get a little aggravated when he swings at ball four (which he does fairly often), but I'd still leave him alone.
  22. JohnBriggs12
    I think the original post which classified Gagne and Cameron as "get over the top" FA is wrong. Kendall was another "fill hole" FA. Both of those guys were "fill hole" free agents, not "get over the top". The market for closers dictated what Gagne cost. Melvin hedged his bet on Gagne by getting 3 other veterans, one of whom has been successful in the closer role, and that's mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned. As for Cameron, he's never hit for average, and he's not all that expensive. He hasn't been great, but he's not far off what could be expected. He was miscast as a number 2 hitter. Let's also keep in mind there are 90 games left. Nobody on this roster should be written off as a total failure.
  23. JohnBriggs12
    To all Cub fans: Objects in your rear view mirror may be closer than they appear.
  24. JohnBriggs12
    Branyan is becoming the definition of catching lightning in a bottle. After 10 seasons with 7 different teams where the most he could muster were brief displays of what is awesome power followed by longer periods of excruciating inability to make contact, somehow at age 32 he seems to have put it together. I certainly didn't see it coming, but boy I am impressed.
  25. JohnBriggs12
    Don't agree with that at all. Just the number of teams competing always makes the division more realistic than the WC. That plus the fact the Brewers have 10 games left vs. the Cubs and can control things and they are done with the Marlins for instance. If Zambrano's lost for any length of time, it makes it that much more realistic. Not only would it take their best pitcher away, it takes away psychologically as well. The worst stretch this season for the Brewers were the 2-3 weeks after losing Gallardo.
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