windiv07

For the sake of MLB in Milwaukee, I certainly hope so. He has already shown he has the stones. Besides...who here thinks we'd have made the playoffs with Yost at the helm?

Wow, I leave town for a few days and look what has happened...a blown 4 run lead in the ninth at Wrigley, we are on the verge of being swept again in Cincy, and suddenly we have gone in the short span of 3 weeks from Wild Card shoe-in (6.5 games ahead) to Wild Card longshot (2.5 games behind). I can certainly understand how some would give up on not only this season (the most disappointing collapse in this ball club's history) but seasons to come. Particularly since we have no injuries to blame this on. As for me, I am a fan so I will be here, and I will be back next year. That said, I reserve the right to demand justice be served for the abbysmal product we have seen in September of 2008. From Sveum and his coaching staff to Melvin, this cancer must be removed. It is clear to me they cannot handle the responsibiliies of a MLB pennant contender. Too many years and no playoff product in Milwaukee say all that needs to be said.

I made a mistake in chat last night when I suggested having Shouse throw one pitch to the first hitter and then bringing in Torres. Here's what the MLB rulebook says about that: Also, I inadvertently used the word "Tubby" just prior to Prince's second HR last night. For purposes of further clatrification, it was intended as term of endearment (reminiscent of the character of the same name on the Little Rascals). That often does not come thru in the brevity, velocity, and sponteneity of chat. So I guess I can understand how Prince or anyone else rooting for him along with me might take offense to my typing that without this explanation at the time. I therefore hereby apologize (albeit belatedly) and pledge that I will not use the term "Tubby" nor mention Doritos in the dugout in reference to Prince Fielder anymore.

Nothing has changed but the names on this coaching staff.

Better him than Wendy Selig. After watching Yost since he bought this team, anyone would learn the fundamentals by inversion, exactly what NOT to do in baseball.

I remember a Sunday in June of 2006 when the Royals were in town for the final game of a 3 game series. The Brewers were going for the sweep with a 3 run lead in the top of the 8th. Buddy Bell had stacked the Royals lineup with 8 left handed hitters against our RHP starter who was by now over the 100 pitch mark. Shouse had 3 days rest and was warming up alongside Turnbow (our closer then) while the Brewers were batting in the bottom of the 7th. Yost actually brought Turnbow (NOT Shouse) in at the top of the 8th to face the first of 8 consecutive left-handed hitters and by the time he yanked Turnbow, the game was tied and the bases were loaded. Then he brough in Shouse and Bell simply PH righties until KC had the game in the bag (by several runs). I began to count the number of times similar pitching moves (defying the fundamentals of baseball) were made by Yost that season...dozens. I have since been mystified that this club has kept him on as manager this long. I say roll the dice...anything is better than what we had.

Nice 'AFTER', FTJ, Here's the 2008 pre-season preview 'BEFORE'

Not sure who's inside...possibly yesterday's starting lineup for the last 18 consceutive innings. I know who was driving though (he's still behind the wheel): http://images.yuku.com/image/pjpeg/ec5153a8980739b24dbbe43084302ebb1dda3e6.pjpg

Well said FTJ. Yours is an entirely reasonable appraisal of the talent scale of the current 2008 Brewers roster. As I have said many times (like you when experience has borne this out) in years prior, never underestimate the Yost factor...particularly late in the year. And I'll say it again.

May it be so by Spring. Oh PLEASE may it be so.

http://images.yuku.com/image/pjpeg/ec5153a8980739b24dbbe43084302ebb1dda3e6.pjpg

I pretty much lost all enthisiasm for Brewers playoff hopes (ever) in August of 2007 when the same thing happened 6 weeks earlier. For me this 2008 collapse is the second worst thing that has happened to the Brewers in recent history. I will say that it is indeed worse than the 4 similar collapses in the last 7 years (which makes this all so predictable). At some point, management must be called to question by the front office yet...it is as if nobody wants to question any in game situation and rather, we are quoted stat after stat that have no relevance to the outcome of a specific game that was lost by a particularly boneheaded move by the manager at a pivotal moment (the list grows almost daily). Either that or the 'blame the players' mantra is offered along with the diversionary innuendo 'why do you hate Ned?'. To me the worst day in Brewers' recent history was near the endof the 2007 season when, after two consecutive late season collapses (similar to this year) Doug Melvin expressed his undying long-term commitment to Ned Yost as manager on the basis of the aforementioned rationale. Yost will not win Milwaukee a pennant...history has proven this time and again. And no doubt we will soon hear the same speech from Doug Melvin very very soon. A cursory analysis of what changed (the payroll and the player talent level went up significantly) and what remained the same (Ned and his coaching staff along with a copious number of late season losses to eliminated opponents against AAA prospect pitchers juxta-posed against our own complete lack of success with AAA call-ups) give us all we need to know about what needs to be changed in this formula to get better results (gag) next year. I only wish this lesson were learned last year.

Anyone want my 2007 surrender towel. We are on the verge of surrendering the WC the lead.

My opinion of Ned Yost's managerial expertise has not changed. I have none because there is none.

He is on a crying towel buying trip These bonus handouts are for the 2008 game the Brewers are eliminated to go along with last year's 2007 surrender hankies...sort of a matched set.

Not me. But clearly Ned does, otherwise he would not have a middle of the road hitter batting cleanup.

There were empty seats tonight. Fewer were disappointed today than yesterday.

http://www.sportsline.com/columns/story/10957550 The official scorer has 24 hours to reverse his call. Did Ned seal the deal costing CC the no-hitter with his post game interview reaction, calling it a 'joke' and accusing the scorer of 'depriving MLB of a nice no-hitter'? Here's what CBS says in the aforementioned article: "Baseball rules gave Webb 24 hours to change his mind, and he declined. Good for him. Shame on the Brewers for even asking, and asking is a nice way of saying %%%**%*% and moaning and whining and crying. " Wow. This leaves me wondering: Had the Brewers (in other words, Ned) taken the high road after that game, might Webb have reconsidered?

A 15 game lead is more like what it is going to take to hang onto any wildcard hopes. Never underestimate Ned's ability to completely wreck a pennant race. Versus NY's right handed pitching closer Ayala, Ned waited until our final out to put in the one and only left handed pinch hitter of the final inning tonight (he had at least 3 left on the bench at that point). Then he burned a left-handed hitter up by pinch running Gwynn when there was plenty of right handed speed on the bench, bringing Weeks to the plate for the third out. Just wait...we are going to see more of this the remainder of the month.

Salome was not on the bench, he was in the tunnel. Here is my theory: Ned's mind (the mind of a backup catcher) was so focused on both the Sunday no-no appeal and at the same time working with Maddux to get every pitcher in his now (as of today) amply populated bullpen as much work as he (and the Mets) could possibly muster. How can anyone expect Ned to keep all of this and who should be batting for his starting catcher in a critical game situation all at the same time with all those new people in the tunnel and on the bench? That is why Doug (in an effort to overcome the same mental opverload brain-lock effect Tony LaRussa similarly has on Ned) brought in Simba (another catcher). Therefore, I blame Ted. It didn't work this time, Doug. It is a good thing we don't have a backup catcher named 'Ed' on the roster. The rhyme alone might be enough to push Ned over the edge completely. While I say this with tongue-planted--in-cheek, I suspect there is a grain of truth in all this which is what makes it so funny. That said, simple folk like me are easily amused.

This is why I come to this thread. Has anyone noticed how clean his cap is? Perhaps if he were a filthy, stinky, hairy Frenchman, he would not be worthless.

Well, Buster Olney is on this one. It is going to get interesting... http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280831123

Complete with all angles of replay, it is on appeal now with MLB. I think this is the first appealed no-no in MLB history. I like how the Brewers handled this and I think this kind of controversy is just what the doctor ordered for the stretch run in September. It brushes aside and exposes St. Louis 'untuckem controversy' for the pettiness from whence it was spawned. Dissed on the road by a local scorekeeper clearly trying so hard to help out a slumping homie that he posted a hit before the runner even reached 1B...and CC just shrugged it off. I expect the Brewers to win this appeal. What a season this has shaped up to be. A no hitter...that's right...Brewers pitching = a no-hitter. No big deal.

I'm not changing my avatar until then, either.

I wonder aloud if early shock treatment of a major management shakeup can snap this roster out of its doldrums.