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JohnBriggs12

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Everything posted by JohnBriggs12

  1. JohnBriggs12
    Anybody know what Mark DiFelice throws? Sad to think he's now in top 7 or 8 in depth chart.
  2. JohnBriggs12
    Really the only hope is that Parra, who's got the stuff, very quickly becomes an above average starter and that Villanueva, who career in 197 innings has an ERA under 4, with good overall numbers, can put up similar numbers over 30+ starts. That's a lot of pressure on two young guys. We know what Bush and Suppan can do, and they aren't likely to get any better than they've been. The depth has been decimated as well. It's a horrendous blow. The two most important guys needed to stay healthy were 1. Sheets and 1A. Gallardo.
  3. JohnBriggs12
    I'd say this makes Brewers a longshot to win division now. Not impossible, but onus is squarely on Sheets to stay healthy and others to perform to their peak. I can't see teams giving up quality pitching at this point. Maybe later as teams fall out of it, but not know. This also brings into question 2009. Typical recovery time is 10 months but often it takes 18 months for full recovery and this is his push off leg. Will be tough start tonight for Villy with this happening to his buddy.
  4. JohnBriggs12
    First of all, Ryan went into this season with more strikeouts (168) than hits allowed (156) in his pro career and 7.8 per 9 innings. It's not like he doesn't strike anybody out. Secondly, hitting bats anywhere but the sweet spot is a good thing, not a bad thing. Besides strikeouts, you get a pretty good idea of a guys stuff by hits allowed, and he's allowed way fewer than 1 hit per inning his entire career. Third, I had guys tell me Villanueva was a fringe prospect 3 years ago because A. He didn't throw hard. B. He gave up too many HR and C. He was pitching in friendly Florida State League. How'd that turn out? Finally, I'm not saying he should be in the top 20 here, but if David Welch is number 40, Ryan certainly belongs around that number because Welch is same age, strikes out around the same rate, and like Ryan doesn't allow too many hits and has reached AA at the same juncture of his career. Only difference is one is a starter, and one is a reliever.
  5. JohnBriggs12
    6 for 16, 2 for 2 SB, 3 runs scored, .450 OBP is nothing? Not only that, he was 7 for 13 at Nashville, so for the year he's got 29 AB's and 13 hits and since I know walks are so important, he's also walked 4 times. As for Branyan, get real. No major league team even offered him a spring training invite this year. Wow, a 32 year old is hitting well for 80 AB's at AAA. Whop de do. He's still fanned 25 times in 80 AB's against mostly has beens and unproven prospects. Last September for St. Louis (as they fell out of the race), he was a whopping 6 for 32 (.188), with 1 HR, and 2 RBI and 15 K's. You could DH Mike Rivera and get better production than that.
  6. JohnBriggs12
    Your anti Tony Gwynn bias is showing endaround. What has Tony Gwynn done this year that causes you to make outrageous statements like this?
  7. JohnBriggs12
    It wouldn't make sense to bring up either Nelson or Branyan. In Nelson's case, he'd be getting his first taste of major league pitching. I wouldn't want him doing that in the starting lineup against the Red Sox. As for Branyan, what do you do after the interleague games? You'd expose him to waivers to send him back down. Not that he'd be likely to be claimed but I think they are looking at him strictly as an extra bat for September. The logical choice is Dillon vs. lefties. You could play him at first and DH Fielder once or twice too. Against righthanders, stick Gwynn in LF, DH Braun. Both scenarios, allow some rest for the guys who you don't want to take out of the lineup any day.
  8. JohnBriggs12
    DFA'd means Brewers have 10 days to trade, release, or assign him or he could refuse assignment and become FA.
  9. JohnBriggs12
    "Melvin can trade him to a team..." I can't think of any team out there that would want him. Even the indy leagues would think twice. "So being one of the best set up men in baseball really hurt the Brewers." You must be one of those fans that stops watching the Brewers when the Packers start playing.
  10. JohnBriggs12
    "Ryan is a 25 year old right handed reliever with a 6/8 K/BB in AA." Ryan is 24 (doesn't turn 25 until end of May) and has allowed 3 hits and no runs in 14 innings of relief in his first ever time at AA. His WHIP is 0.79. Opponents are "hitting" .070 against him. Had he been a higher draft pick, no doubt he would have been promoted faster but I don't think you can penalize him for that. AA is full of legit hitting prospects and he's getting them out. That may not make him a top 25 guy, but most certainly should put him in the top 50.
  11. JohnBriggs12
    Turnbow should never be back in a Brewer uniform. I'll be very disappointed if the Brewers decide to assign him rather than doing him a big favor and releasing him outright. I'd like to thank the Cub hitters for not mailing in AB's the other night with the game well in hand. They unknowingly did what seemed impossible. They forced Melvin's hand in ridding the roster of a guy, who although likeable etc, has done more harm to this team since July 1, 2006 than any other single opposing player much less any Brewer. The numbers say it all. The memories of our anguish as he walked another hitter in crunch time will linger a long time.
  12. JohnBriggs12
    Yes, but the fans got behind him in his last Miller Park appearance. I had really thought maybe that experience would turn him around. No he won't turn it around. We're not dealing with a mechanical flaw here or even a loss of confidence. The guy has a psychological makeup (not necessarily a flaw) that is not conducive to throwing a ball accurately from 60 feet in front of 40,000 people. That he was able to do it for over a year the way he did is remarkable not that he can't do it now. That was totally predictable once he melted down late in 2006. Unfortunately, the Brewers spend more money on stats geeks than they do on psychologists so they have failed to see this guy needs more than a word from a pitching coach. Most guys with this psychological profile get weeded out long before they make it to top of their sport. But some guys do and then it kicks in full blown. It happens to golfers quite often. Six or seven years ago David Duval was number 2 in the world. Now he can't make a cut on tour despite no physical limitations. Those that haven't experience anything like this have a hard time understanding it. I was a pretty good shooter when I played HS hoops back in the day. But free throws gave me fits even though my form was fine. There's something about standing there and being the guy who initiates the action.
  13. JohnBriggs12
    Turnbow is an embarrassment to this franchise and it's fan base. That he's been allowed to stick around this long is ridiculous.
  14. JohnBriggs12
    If Weeks makes that play on Theriot, they only score 5.
  15. JohnBriggs12
    It was 37 degrees during that game. He had trouble gripping the ball because of the cold. He was blowing into his hand constantly. Marquis had that problem to a degree as well. Also had a "teacup" strike zone to deal with. His curve was not only fooling the hitter, it was fooling the umpire who easily missed 3 strikes on that pitch alone. Plus he couldn't get a high strike on his fastball all night. The belly button was the top of the zone. All that being said, I think having a little wildness actually helps Sheets. Now you don't want him walking 7 in 5 innings, but Sheets sometimes gets in such a groove that hitters get a little too comfortable up there. Last night, they weren't quite sure where the ball was going. The gun readings on Chicago telecast were slow. Mota was throwing hard, and recording 91-92 on most of his fastballs.
  16. JohnBriggs12
    Inman and Garrison. They can keep Thatcher.
  17. JohnBriggs12
    Counsell has already started sliding down to what he is, about a .240 hitter who'll get on at about a .320 clip and supply little power. At 37, he's really not that much of a defensive upgrade either. One start a week along with 4-5 PH chances is enough to keep him sharp to the extent he can. He's shown in recent years, if he plays a lot, he tails off. He's okay to have around as a nice steadying player, but even he realizes if he plays more that it's not a good sign. As for Branyan, there's a reason he couldn't get a major league camp audition. One good month in AAA doesn't change that. If he stays consistent and puts up good power numbers, I could see adding his bat for the final month, but even then he should only be used in a favorable matchup.
  18. JohnBriggs12
    Interesting that Bush is facing his former teammate Josh Towers and that combined they have 79 major league wins.
  19. JohnBriggs12
    I think they should be called the St. Petersburg Rays. There is no city named Tampa Bay and unless their new ball park springs out of the bay, they aren't housed in Tampa Bay.
  20. JohnBriggs12
    He's been doing this since his days managing the White Sox. It started out not so much a ploy but Tony being what he is, a jerk and a bully. He learned over the years how to use that to his advantage.
  21. JohnBriggs12
    I still can't believe people are making a case for Turnbow. His WHIP since July 1, 2006 is a whopping 1.68. Yes at times last year he did all right as an 8th inning pitcher, but they've added 5 guys capable of doing that job at least as well when right since then (Mota, Torres, McClung Riske, Stetter). He's also not suited to mopup because he can't throw strikes and get any quick outs so he's limited to one inning if he's lucky. Not only can't he pitch well with any type of consistency, he's become a distraction. He's the odd man in the bullpen in more ways than one. Having your one time closer around who's struggled for the better part of two seasons, is just not good for team chemistry. I think they made the right decision with Bush. Parra will get over the hump on his innings. Lefties often take a bit longer. Dana Eveland is a perfect example. Eveland had the stuff to get major leaguers out when he was a Brewer two years ago. Now he is flourishing. Parra is more advanced than Eveland was then. He's on the verge of being very, very good. Bush has the maturity to handle a stint in AAA, and keep himself ready when needed.
  22. JohnBriggs12
    The Rays won't finish higher than 3rd. If the Yankees or the Red Sox need players to hold off Tampa Bay, they'll go get them in July. That's where the economics really hurts the small market teams and nobody's smaller than TB. I'm not sold on Toronto at all. Other than Rios and the ageless Matt Stairs, it's a very ho-hum lineup. Unless Rolen turns into the Rolen of 3-4 years ago, they will go nowhere. BTW, doesn't everyone still call them the California Angels?
  23. JohnBriggs12
    Lowe and Suppan were teammates albeit briefly in Boston in 97 and again in 03. Don't know if that would help but it probably can't hurt. Plus if they decided to bring Kapler back, he was a teammate of Lowe's also.
  24. JohnBriggs12
    I'd keep an eye on Derek Lowe. He's a FA to be and though not an "ace", he's pretty close. He'd likely only be available if the Dodgers fall out of contention completely. That's a real longshot but so are most of the other scenarios for guys on this thread. Lowe might be a guy worth pursuing in the offseason too assuming Sheets goes elsewhere. At 35 he won't command either in years or in annual salary anything too outrageous (like what Sheets might) and he'd be the ideal number 2 allowing the ascension to ace for Gallardo.
  25. JohnBriggs12
    They can't count on Sheets (or his surrogate) and Gallardo maintaining a sub 1.00 ERA, nor is it likely that Suppan can maintain an ERA under 3.50 so the assumption that as soon as they start hitting, they'll start winning is not entirely valid. They've wasted too many good pitching performances. The close games have put a strain on the bullpen and having to play every game where every pitch is big is draining mentally and it's only April.
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