danzig6767

Durham hasn't had an OBP under .350 since 2001 except for last year when he had injuries dogging him. One reason i like his chance to keep getting on base well is Durham has always drawn walks at a very good clip and except for last year, has always carried either a very solid or above average batting average. Sure anything is possible, but everything about Durham in his career numbers looks to me that a .335 OBP is far more unlikely than a .350 OBP or higher. I wouldn't just go right to a strict righty/lefty platoon with Weeks and Durham, but i do like the option of having Durham to play against tough righthanded starters say twice a week unless Rickie finally shows there is a reason to think he's breaking out of his year long hitting funk.

Aside from whether this pitching platoon is a good idea, how else can you explain three straight years of such a wide gulf between the home and road pitching stats by Dave Bush? It may not make rational sense, but the fact remains that Bush has been an above average starting pitcher when he's at Miller Park since we acquired him and he's been a miserable pitcher on the road. Since it's been the case in each year Bush has been a Brewer, i have a hard time believing that what park he's pitching in doesn't in fact have a sizable effect on how Bush pitches. Like Ned and Maddux though, i have no idea why this is the case and why the effect is so dramatic.

You actually think Cameron is either overpaid or way overpaid? Once you remove quality youngsters playing CF for other teams that haven't played long enough yet to get paid equal to their actual performance, good luck trying to find a veteran CF's that play very good defense and can also carry an .800 OPS for less than six million dollars. A small total of only 8 CF's in baseball are carrying an OPS higher than Cameron and one of them, Aaron Rowand, is basically tied in OPS. This offseason, three other veteran CF's were available in free agency, Rowand, Hunter, and Andruw Jones. With the glove, i'd stack Cameron up with Hunter and better than Rowand and a fat A.Jones. Rowand= 5yr/60 million--12 million per year Rowand has a .804OPS Hunter = 5yr/80 million--18 million per year Hunter has a .782OPS A Jones= 2yr/36 million= 18 million per year Jones has a .513OPS Cameron=1yr/6 million = 6 million Cameron has a .801OPS The CF's in baseball with a higher OPS Sizemore= Absolutely not available to Doug Hamilton= Traded for the possible CY Young winner in the NL McLouth= Cheap youngster because it's only his fourth year, no need for the Pirate to shop him Ankiel= Another guy still cheap because of limited service time and Cards had no reason to shop him Granderson= Fabulous and unavailable young player for the Tigers Beltran= Very good veteran CF making 15 million per season DeJesus= Very solid all around player tht many teams inquired about, but KC didn't want to trade The Brewers had a very bad need to improve their defense and after shifting Braun to left and Hall to 3rd, a CF was a real need. Cameron isn't the best defensive CF in the game, but he's still in the upper tier and as i pointed out above, the list of CF's with a higher OPS isn't long. Every CF with a higher OPS is either a younger cheap player under cost control than very likely wasn't really available for us to get or there is Beltran with a huge contract. I also showed the much bigger contracts and performance to date of the three other veteran free agent CF's who were available. As for Kapler, his hitting numbers were terrible his prior three seasons. If there is a thread prior to the season where you were calling for him to be signed and that he'd have an .850 plus OPS, i'd love to see you point it out. So, looking at what the other CF's in the game are producing, what the veterans not under cost control get paid, and who was realistically available in CF, i'm having a hard time seeing where your problem with Doug signing him for 6 million comes from, much less trying to imply Cameron is overpaid even in the slightest.

My initial gut reaction is that this isn't a good idea because it will get both McClung and Bush out of their routines of starting every fifth day, but it's hard for me to believe that it's just some random bad luck in regards to the splits for Bush. The guy has been not just bad on the road, he's been miserable last year and this year, in 2006 he was pretty bad on the road also. You look at his splits since coming to the Brewers and it's crazy how not just is there a big gulf in Home/Road ERA, there is a large gulf in the secondary stats. After seeing him pitch so well at home and so terrible on the road for three straight seasons, i there any logical thought to buy into random luck as the cause vs he just sucks as a starting pitcher on the road for whatever the reason? As for McClung, i do still feel some worry whenever he's starting a game, but since the start of June, Seth has started eight games and only once didn't allow three runs or less. The one start where he gave up more than three runs was against the Twins and i still remember that game because he was getting pinched badly, the strike zone was about the size of my mouse pad. If i had the choice, i'd prefer McClung went to the pen and Bush pitches every fifth day, but who knows, maybe this can work out well. FWIW, it's hard for me to feel confident that Suppan gives us a better chance every fifth day than McClung does, but i do understand that a big paycheck will be the trump card since neither guy is clearly better than the other.

The odd thing about this year for Weeks is just how consistently poor his hitting has been all season. If you look at the split stats for most everyday players, you'll usually see some fluctuation from month to month with peaks and valleys. Even last year, his OPS per month was .859 .677 .724 .422 1.019 .981 That above with hot and cold months is fairly common, this year so far Weeks has posted .690 .696 .684 .670 If you wanted to say anything about Weeks this year, he's been extremely consistent, unfortunately it's been consistently below average.

If i remember correctly, Braun swung at every single pitch thrown to him. No surprise there.

I don't buy that it's always or almost always posturing. Sabathia very well could end up loving his teammates, liking the city, and really wanting to stay if the money is right. The problem obviously with the Brewers though is the money part. Pro athletes often truly do like the team and city that they are playing for, but once free agency hit, if that team is only able to offer say a 4yr/80 million dollar deal and another team offers a 6yr/130 million dollar contract, that extra 50 million dollars is the trump card that decides things. There is also the players union factor in which they pressure high profile free agents to take every last dollar so that it sets the bar higher for future free agents. I could see Sabathia being willing to at least listen to an offer from the Brewers after the season, but the odds are extremely high that the money offered just won't be enough.

Are you positive the team intends to do this? I just question with a playoff berth on the line if the team doesn't take a chance and leave Parra in the rotation all year, even if that means him throwing 20-30 more innings than they would prefer. If they do, obviously they would monitor closely how Manny is feeling.

Maybe his velocity is up a bit, but Bush is a softer throwing pitcher that relies almost entirely on command for success. Sabathia and Sheets in most starts can leave pitches over to much of the plate and not get burned bad because both have fastballs in the 94-98 range and Sheets has a filthy curve while Sabathia has a filthy slider. Bush though if he has a few guys on base, he can't hang a curve or groove a 87mph fastball over the middle of the plate without getting burned badly for it. Nearly every starter in the game that lacks special stuff are walking a tightrope each time they take the mound. When i watch Bush pitch, if he keeps his fastball on the corners and down at least when he misses the corners, he usually cruises through the lineup. When that fastball splits the center of the plate or his curve just spins belt high, the ball finds the bleachers. Hopefully Bush and the coaches found something that has improved his command, but my guess is that Bush is simply in a groove like a hitter gets in, look no farther than JJ Hardy. It's no coincidence that the majority of the better starters in the game have high end stuff, thus it allows them to not have their best stuff some nights and still can manage to go say 6 innings with only 3-4 runs given up. When guys like Bush or Suppan though miss their spots, things can turn ugly in a blink. As great as Bush has been pitching, it would hardly be a surprise if he got shelled in his next start, his margin for error is slim.

The thing is though, Mark really isn't paying off the "team's debt load", he's paying off his and the ownership groups debt load because they are the Milwaukee Brewers. If you say buy a company for 150 million and assume a 25 million dollar debt, you basically are paying 175 million for the company. If you then pay off that debt over three years and then decide to resell the company, it's roughly worth an extra 25 million because the new buyer doesn't have to take on that 25 million dollar debt that you did. So if Mark is able to pay off all the debt he assumed when buying the team because all of the revenue coming in allowed for it, he's just pretty much choosing to eliminate his own debt vs putting the profits in his pocket. Either way, the bottom line is still the same, he's worth more money because of it and raises the value of the franchise. If you're 20,000 in debt and i gave you 10,000 dollars, you choosing to take that 10 grand to pay off debt vs putting it in your bank account doesn't mean you aren't still ahead 10,000 dollars. I think you're taking this debate the wrong way and thinking we don't like Attanasio as the owner or that we hate he's making a ton of cash off the team. I'm very very glad he's the Brewers owner and also feel he has every right to make the money he's making. He not only has shown a willingness to spend money on the team, i like how smart he's been in the way he's transformed unprofitable parts of Miller Park into places that are always full of fans. While Attanasio obviously want to make a nice chunk of change off the team, he's shown me that he badly wants to win and will allow Doug to spend when it makes sense. In the draft, he doesn't make Jack Z find players who will sign cheap, we sign our picks. With the fans Mark sure seems very open and personable. I have no real complaints with Attanasio and am glad he bought the team. With that said, i just believe he's been and still is making more money off the Brewers than he wants to admit. Nothing more to it than that.

Fixed for Ned's and Doug's sake

I posted in the silver lining thread after the last Mota outing that the one bright spot could be that the Mota experiment was finally over, unfortunately not. I guess we won't hear Ned talk about how Mota battles and weasels out of all the batters he puts on because "he's been there before" and doesn't give in. Way to much putting value on experience over being able to get hitters out. An ugly ugly thought, we are paying Gagne/Turnbow/Riske/Mota about 20 million dollars this year to be the back end of the bullpen. relievers.

I also strongly question that the Brewers would lose money this year, even if we miss the playoffs. While i obviously don't have access to their financial books, i'd bet that any technical loss reported, it would include paying another sizable chunk on the debt. Money is rolling into the franchise in large amounts and has been the last few years. So Attanasio can yearly take millions out and pay down debt from the operating profits and thus claim less "profit" each year. Then eventually Attanasio will have either paid off all or most of his debt, it's not really the teams debt because he is the team, and at whatever point he sells the team, Mark pockets way more cash given there is little or no debt left. BTW, i don't care he's been making lots of cash off the team, i'm very glad he's the owner and he has every right to make money. I do think though he likes to downplay the amount of money he has made since buying the team.

Fear of Harden getting hurt again in the next few weeks is the only thing that makes sense about this trade to me. Oakland is 8 games over .500 and while the odds were pretty strongly against them getting a playoff berth, it's not like they were under .500 and buried. They could have seen where they were at in late July and if the A's didn't pick up more ground, Harden would still have plenty of value given the many teams still with a playoff shot. It's not so much odd to me that Harden ended up being traded, more so that he was traded this soon along with a solid pitcher in Gaudin, for not exactly a bounty of great young talent. That fear of Harden breaking down very soon had to be the huge factor in Beane doing this exact deal right now because not a lot else makes a ton of sense about it. Then again with Gallagher, when it comes to evaluating pitching, it's hard to question Beane much. Many people like to heap praise on Beane for things like OBP love or him finding a skill being undervalued at the time in the market, but IMO, far and away his biggest reason for success with Oakland has been his great eye for pitching. In so many of his years with the A's, Beane either through the draft, trades, or scrap heap free agents, he puts together staffs that are productive and many times, very productive. Yea that big park helps a pitching staffs numbers, but overall, Beane just has an eye for quality pitching even though he has to find inexpensive pitching.

If i'm not mistaken, in his roughly 100 at bats, Branyan doesn't have a single RBI that hasn't come off one of his home runs.Am i alone in thinking this is a odd stat for a guy who bats 6th in the order and who is hitting a respectable .253?

The nice thing for the Cubs is that Harden isn't just a rental. Obviously Harden could get hurt at any point and next year, but with some luck, the Cubs get Harden for the playoff run this year and however many starts next year.

I've never been able to sleep good, if i sleep 6 hours in a night that's a marathon session for me, but my body has become used to not sleeping. I read a lot though, so some nights when i'm not tired at all even though i should be, i get my book out and that helps a bit. It's weird because i'm so used to little sleep, if on the rare night i sleep 7-8 hours, i usually feel tired and sluggish the rest of that day and crave a nap.

I browsed a few Indians forums just prior to the trade and after, i don't think i saw a single person on any of the boards who thought Cleveland shouldn't trade Sabathia if they couldn't sign him. The only debate i saw was over what they could or should get in return via trade, not that CC should have been kept because the team might get hot. They knew their team was toast this season. In fact, most i saw thought the trade was fair and were excited about what they read about Laporta. Of course there were a random few who thought we should have given up Laporta/Escobar/Jeffress, but they were the minority.

Yea because only the Brewers have games where they struggle score runs some nights vs a non-great pitcher. I've never seen anyone on this board complain about anything and everything like you do, even though the team has the best record in the game since mid-May. Look at the box scores nearly every night, you'll see at least one team or more get shut down by a non-great pitcher, but i guess it's only embarrassing when we do it. Dave friggin Bush only allowed one run in three of his last four starts, it's far far from only something the Brewers do. Oh well, carry on with your complaining, you seem to enjoy it greatly

I wouldn't have brought in my long relief guy when pitcher's spot is due up and I need guys to work the count and get on base offensively. Was Villy the best pitching option there? Yes. But if you can't count on a guy in that bullpen to get you one out, he shouldn't be on the freaking team. That wasn't why Ned didn't bring in someone besides Villanueva. He did it because the game prior the bullpen had to eat up six innings after the terrible start by Suppan. He's not going to have Mota or Gagne warming up in the pen in the fifth inning after pitching yesterday and Ned not even knowing if they' be needed. The bases were loaded, he's not going to bring Shouse in the 5th to face righty Atkins. Nothing was more important than getting Atkins out or take the chance of him knocking in multiple runs. CV was the common sense option given the situation, unless fans just want a reason to complain about something.

Perhaps he should have tried one. This isn't the time to be wasting at-bats on pitchers who never hit. I mean, pinch-hit Sabathia if you don't want to waste a bench player! And pitch who then? Take your long relief guy out in the 5th when only down two runs and after the bullpen threw 6 innings the game prior, just to save one out from the pitcher having to bat? I don't like Ned and feel weird defending him, but man the nitpicking on here gets silly at times.

There wasn't another relief pitcher up I'm no fan of Yost, but i can't blame him at all in that situation. He can't go getting up multiple relief pitchers early in games jut in case the pitcher starts getting in trouble, especially after the night before the starter left after three innings and the whole pen was used. Edit--I guess he could have done a double switch though and maybe take out Counsell, but either way, i don't have an issue there. I'm just glad Yost didn't try to squeeze one more out from Seth to avoid the pitcher batting and Seth serves up a base clearing hit.

What was Ned supposed to do, potentially let Seth blow the game open to where we are down 4-5 runs?

A lot of it is on Seth, but i hate umps that only call pitches right down the middle as strikes Some of those breakers were strikes to any ump ever. I am not excusing Clunger. I'm not disagreeing with you, a couple of the walks by Seth were total garbage because the strike zone is nothing on the corners, nothing at or above the belt, and knee high pitches are low.

A lot of it is on Seth, but i hate umps that only call pitches right down the middle as strikes