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JohnBriggs12

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Everything posted by JohnBriggs12

  1. JohnBriggs12
    Hall has a right to be upset. He's certainly done no worse vs. expectations than Hardy or Weeks and they haven't been benched. Plus he's 9 for his last 24 with a 6 game hitting streak which is an odd time to bench a guy.
  2. JohnBriggs12
    How do you figure? He's got 9 HR (including 6 vs. right handers) vs 14 all of last year. His slugging % is 100 points higher than Hardy and close to what it was last year. His OBP is only slightly off his career rate. His K rate is about what it was 2 years ago and his walk rate is slightly better than his career numbers. He's doing no worse vs. expectations than Hardy or Weeks, but they haven't been benched.
  3. JohnBriggs12
    Billy just has to be patient. Branyan's never been able to hold on to even a platoon for very long.
  4. JohnBriggs12
    I pointed out this winter that Hall is a natural SS, and that he did not have much experience at third base. He should get better, but to expect him out of the box to be great there was really asking a lot. As for his splits, coming in to this season, he was hitting .262/.310/.461 vs. righthanders. I don't think he should be pigeonholed as a platoon player based on 133 ABs. He still has 6 HR vs. righthanders and more rbi, 16, than Hardy has total.
  5. JohnBriggs12
    I was wondering where Shouse (or even Villanueva) was that inning. Mota is not a guy who goes multiple innings very often and to expect him to do it back to back days is very wishful, and darn right Yost type thinking. Maybe not a full fledged Yosting, but close.
  6. JohnBriggs12
    Dillard posted some good numbers as a starter at Brevard in 05 and Hunstville in 06. I recall someone saying that he projected as a reliever in the majors though. He didn't have huge strikeout totals and it was thought he would add velocity out of the pen. Last year, his first at AAA, was kind of a transistion year from starter to reliever and he struggled some. He's shown good control his entire career (not sure where gbpacker40 got the idea of control issues). He's walked just 2.01 per 9 innings in the minors. Last night was a revelation. Consistenly in mid 90's throwing strikes. And the Brewers wasted a month with Turnbow? Sure it was mopup duty but he looked as poised as could be out there. Probably helps that he's nearly 25 and his dad was a major leaguer. That makes 3 now with Fielder, Gwynn and now Dillard.
  7. JohnBriggs12
    It's certainly not too late to be buyers, only this time of year there aren't too many sellers out there. If they found a seller, they could buy now and still sell in July.
  8. JohnBriggs12
    I agree with shelmark. The system going into this season was really devoid of top line pitching prospects at the upper levels. There were no Gallardos or Parras waiting for their opportunities like a year ago. Starting pitching is so hard to come by. Young guys, even the top prospects with great stuff, struggle. Veterans are struggling all over. It's why a guy like Suppan who's never been great but who manages to put up innings year after year makes what he does. That's why I don't think the Brewers should give up on a guy like Villanueva who's had some success at this level but has hit a rough stretch. They really don't have better alternatives and he's probably more likely to turn it around than a guy coming out of nowhere is to succeed.
  9. JohnBriggs12
    "Catching every day when the temp is below 60 is much different than catching when it's in the 90's." But his production has already fallen off. .265 with no power does not justify catching virtually every day in Siberia, no matter how patient a hitter he is. If he were still hitting .300 with one or two multi hit games a week, then sure ride the hot bat, but at this point in his career he is what he is, capable, dependable, middle of the road starting catcher and middle of the road starting catchers rest once or twice a week.
  10. JohnBriggs12
    Not only do you get better production out of Kendall if he's rested, you have to keep Rivera sharp. He's had 5 starts in almost 2 months. Nobody can stay sharp offensively or defensively playing that infrequently. Yost is deferring too much to Kendall wanting to play everyday. As my original post stated, Kendall remembers when he was successful playing every day in Pittsburgh. But he was in his 20's and on a team that had nothing around him and they had to have his bat in there. That's how he got that big contract. This current Brewer team has enough bats, that they can live with Rivera starting a bit more frequently and it's not like Rivera can't get hits now and then. He's got 6 RBI barely playing. While still useful and capable of being a number one catcher, Kendall's not the same player he was 6 years ago.
  11. JohnBriggs12
    I suppose they'd have a better chance of getting Dillard to AAA off the 40-man than Pena. They're both already on the 40 man, and they both have options correct? I would think Dillard would get the call on better control and more consistent performance to date than Pena. I was kind of surprised he didn't get the call over Difelice earlier. I'm not so certain they won't send Difelice back so he can keep stretched out because they are contemplating something with Bush.
  12. JohnBriggs12
    During last night's game, Bill and Brian discussed how few catchers catch virtually every day like Kendall has this season and in the past. The guys who have in recent years you can count on one hand if not one finger. We all know Kendall was an iron man for Pittsburgh. But that was when he was in his 20's and he had to play every day on that team because he arguably was their best hitter at the time. But time and all those games have taken their toll on Kendall somewhat and at age 33 (soon to be 34), he's not hitter he once was, and he's certainly not among the top hitters in this lineup. This year after a hot start, he's cooled considerably. In May, he's hitting .226/.314/.290. Overall his numbers looked pedestrian: .265/.343/.347. Those aren't numbers that tell me he has to be in there every day. We haven't even reached the hot weather and he's already wearing down. This is not to knock Kendall's contribution to this point. He's thrown the ball much better than anyone thought he would and he's contributed offensively. But he's not an elite catcher or hitter that has to be in there 150 games and he might be more effective with the bat resting once or twice a week instead of once every two weeks.
  13. JohnBriggs12
    While I won't pin it on Yost, I'm ever irritated at the amount of guys who slapped themselves on the back after winning the first two games from one of the worst teams in baseball.
  14. JohnBriggs12
    I'd argue that Bush is every bit if not more deserving of a demotion to the bullpen as Villanueva.
  15. JohnBriggs12
    OK so he should survive this trip should they pick up 2 wins in the next 5. But the upcoming homestand features 3 pretty good teams. I don't think he could survive a 3-6 or worse homestand. Should they go just 4-5 at home, he would be series to series on the next road trip. This team played terrible in Colorado last year. A repeat could mean a new manager on June 9.
  16. JohnBriggs12
    Worst trade of all time in my book occured June 14, 1975. Johnny Briggs for Bobby Darwin. At the time he was traded Briggsie had a .447 OBP, and .432 SP for an OPS of .879. Furthermore, outside of Darrell Porter, he was the lone lefthanded power threat on the team. Darwin on the other hand had an OPS of .650 on the day of the trade, and ended up striking out 54 times in 186 AB's for Brewers and never showed anything near the power he had done as a Twin. At the time of the trade, the Brewer record was 28-28. After the trade, they went 40-66 and Del Crandall lost his job. Briggs who felt his career was resurrected in Milwaukee after years of platooning in Philly, did not like leaving the Brewers and retired after the 75 season at age 31.
  17. JohnBriggs12
    Counsell gets one big hit in 6 weeks and suddenly he's the answer? Branyan isn't the answer as a guy I'd want in there vs. all righthanders either though in a partial platoon where the lefthanded hitter gets 2 starts a week, I could see Branyan over Counsell but that's not saying much. Can Irribarren play third? Sometime last winter I suggesting signing Eric Hinske because he was essentially Gross with the ability to play 3B. He's doing so well now, Tampa isn't going to give him up.
  18. JohnBriggs12
    Somehow, I seriously doubt that 25 years from now if Braun has say 10,000 career AB's with career averages of .316/.356/.622 and keeps at his rate of 1 HR every 13.68 ABs, and 1 RBI every 4.8 AB for career totals of 731 HR and 2,083 RBI, that there are actually going to be guys sitting around saying stuff like: "If he only walked a few more times, he' be a hall of famer". Braun's approach is that he's up there to hit. That may mean fewer walks, but it's an approach that just got him $45 million and I doubt he's going to change soon. At some point, guys just won't pitch to him but right now that means they'd have to intentionally walk him and batting in front of Fielder, that's not going to happen. Now, don't misquote me and say I said he's a Hall of Famer after one year, but those averages will get him and anyone else in the HOF if kept up over a long enough period.
  19. JohnBriggs12
    Getting back to the Gagne "injury", I find it very interesting that Pena who hadn't pitched since Sunday, was not used to protect a one run Nashville lead in today's game. I'm betting he's being called up.
  20. JohnBriggs12
    The timing of this move is curious to me. I knew they were looking at finding a chance to see what McClung could do in a starting role. But once Riske went down, that meant McClung would be used in more critical situations in relief. They held a meeting a week ago last Monday where they decided to stick with the rotation. The next day, Villanueva recorded a win and a quality start over the Dodgers. Apparently all that performance earned him was one more start where all he had to shut down the Red Sox in Fenway to keep his rotation spot. Besides the shoddy defense of Fielder in that game came at the worst possible time for a young pitcher. I think they are better off committing to a guy like Villanueva, and living with him through a rough period just as they have with Parra. I just think the payoff is so much bigger if he survives a down period and recovers than it is sticking a journeyman like McClung in there for 5 or 6 innings every 5th day. I may be wrong and McClung could give them a spark, but you don't want to lose (in the sense he loses confidence) a 24 year old who at times has done some real good things in his 2 years in the big leagues.
  21. JohnBriggs12
    He's allowed 1 run in his last 10 appearences (10 innings). I'd like to see him be effective over a little longer period though. If Gagne were DL'd, I'd bring back Stetter. He's shown he can get big league hitters out if he throws strikes and I think the mental break was all he needed. Then after another couple of weeks if Pena keeps dominating, bring him up and send down Jackson. Having said that, I don't think anything was wrong with Gagne physically. He was running up his pitch count and they wanted to get him out of there and needed a way to give Torres more time.
  22. JohnBriggs12
    It's a little unfair to suggest Villanueva's been "killing this team" as one poster suggest. He's one of many who have underperformed. He had quality starts in 3 of his last 6 starts, one of which was just last week, then he gets drilled by the World Champs (who do that to a lot of pitchers in Fenway), thanks in part to Fielder dropping an easy throw to start an inning. But they want to see what McClung can do as a starter and that means moving somebody out, and basically Bush was marginally better in his last start so it's Villanueva that loses out. I think we'll see a lot of changes over the course of this season. Personally, I think Villanueva if given time would post decent numbers and be a quality starter. Had Gallardo stayed healthy, it would have taken a lot pressure off the other guys too. We'll see what McClung does.
  23. JohnBriggs12
    Al's pretty much on target. Over 44 games, luck (good or bad) plays a much larger factor than it does over say 100 games. Many teams and players with rather ugly stats undoubtedly can attribute at least some of that to bad luck, and or not yet having their expected stretch of good performances figured in to balance off normal bad stretches.
  24. JohnBriggs12
    Ryan Howard is hitting .187/.290/.404. which makes Bill Hall's .199/.271/.404 not look so bad. Brett Myers is 2-5 with a 5.76 ERA, and 15 HR allowed in 59 1/3 innings, more HR allowed than Villanueva. Chuck James has an 8.22 ERA in 5 starts. Barry Zito is 0-8 with a 6.25 ERA. Edgar Gonzales is 1-2 with a 6.60 ERA in 6 starts. Eric Byrnes is batting .217/.284/.373 Justin Verlander (yes that Justin Verlander) , Nate Robertson, and Kenny Rogers are a combined 5-16 with an ERA of 6.24. Ian Kennedy is 0-3 with an 8.38 ERA in 6 starts in which he's gone a total of 25 2/3 innings, barely 4 innings per start. That's just a few guys struggling as bad or worse than some of the Brewers.
  25. JohnBriggs12
    You could go through recap game by game and add up his assists and putouts which would allow you to figure his fielding percentage. I did that about a week ago and he had 10 errors in 103 total chances or a .903 fielding percentage. He hasn't made an error since so figure at least 2 chances per game over say 6 games played, that would put him at 10 errors in roughly 115 chances for a fielding percentage of .913. For comparison, Hall isn't a whole lot better. He has 8 errors and a .926 fielding percentage. As for range, who knows, but the pitching staff at Huntsville has the second best ERA in the league and that would be tough to maintain with a statue at third base. I don't think you can discount having one of the all time best defensive third baseman as manager at Huntsville. That's one reason I'd like Gamel to stay all season at Huntsville. If he can cut his error total in half from last season to this, I think he will have turned the corner into a serviceable defensive player, and with his bat, that's good enough for me.
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