SoCal Brew Crew Fan

At least he can't send Mota back out there...

One of three things is gong to happen here...

Braun = The Franchise

Did Willie Randolph set him up to fail by throwing him out there the day after going 2 innings too?

Sheets is the 7th inning guy in his starts

Is anyone warming up?

After Weaver's last start...this debate is probably over.

Very true, but with a very small and early sample size, there is no way the Brewers pick up that option. The Brewers might like him enough to sign for less, which may or may not be more or less than he could get on the open market. The only guarantee is the $750k.

I just don't see any options to signing Sheets...even with all of the risks involved, we need to do it. By shifting Cameron and Gagne out in '09, or getting Cam to resign for less...they could afford it. With the added costs from the arby guys like Fielder, there won't be much room for much else, but I would do it. Sheets is the ace, and a rotation of Sheets, Yo, Soup, Parra and a fifth with a pen anchored by Torres, Riske, Shouse...maybe Villy depending on whether he starts or not...is strong. The bet becomes they stay healthy, our lineup rebounds and the defense improves with age. It's by no means clear cut, but I'm willing to take that chance. Take Sheets out of that rotation and replace him with Bush/Weaver/McClung types...that's not a recipe for a strong run. There is no one close in the minors and there won't be any better deals in free agency. It is a chance that could blow up...no doubt, but the Brewers are close enough that it's worth doing. Their only other option is a significant trade...and not the top 3-5 underperforming guys that people are sick of on the board like Hall or TGJ. It would have to be a guy like LaPorta or Fielder...that's not an easy thing to swallow.

McClung has vastly exceeded my very modest expectations this year...I have to tip my hat to him. I still worry about his lack of movement on his fastball, but his control has been very good. Both McClung & Bush have been fine recently. The problem with the rotation is having one of these guys as a #5 is tolerable, but to really make a run you wouldn't want these guys making 40% of your starts. As for Weaver, maybe he's a little better now, but is he a step up from Bush or McClung...probably not. Is he at least equal to those two which would open up a spot for one of those guys in the pen, thereby improving the pen...maybe.

He was probably thinking Hernan or Counsell and wanted to save Counsell in case he needed his D or bat later.

...or McClung who kept us in the game or Torres who has been lights out. We got Tavarez off the scrap heap, what do you expect? Mota has been fairly effective outside of Colorado and we got him for a 300 lbs. catcher we were going to cut. He's not perfect, but he's been fairly strong IMO.

If the Brewers brass really read these threads, several things would happen immediately - Every night would be Russell Branyan bobblehead night, Ned would get fired on a daily basis, only to get re-hired the next day so he could get fired again and the starting lineup would consist solely of players currently at Huntsville...except for 3TO.

Sign Sheets now!!!

I liked Denver better when it was our Triple AAA affiliate

I believe that some fans miss that Suppan is pitching very close to his historical numbers, so what he has done for the Brewers should be no surprise. He was given a substantial free agent contract that represented his market value at the time. Perhaps the amount was inflated due to his outstanding postseason appearance, but his performance with the Brewers has been right on plan. I seriously doubt Suppan is going anywhere. The biggest question the Brewers have to ask themselves is do they re-sign Sheets. He is the ace and the Brewers have nothing in his league. If they let him go, there is nothing on the free agent front that can replace him. It would purely be a bet on the younger arms picking up the slack. As optimistic as I am on Yo, Parra & Villy, they will need the ace to make a serious run in '09.

6 game roadtrip with Benny on each end...this sets up well.

Our starters have been so good...some of our bullpen guys actually need the work...including CV. Day off tomorrow with Ben on Friday. He'll be fine.

With tomorrow's day off and Benny going Friday, we might not need more than a couple relievers before Saturday. Our starters have been so good lately, it caught me off guard that Ben's start has come up again so quick. Just a few weeks ago it would have been...thank god Ben's out there to give the pen a rest...and we need a win bad.

That HR by 3TO reminded me of when Brett Favre showed up at the end of "Something About Mary"...just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any better...

The division will be tough, but it's not insurmountable. We do have the head to head, mainly at MP and so far have done ok against the Cubs. I do think the Cubs are better than last year so a collpse is unlikely, but they won't stay this hot forever. I would also expect a couple Wildcard teams to heat up. The Cards or Astros may not be able to keep it up, but the Mets and Phils might. Either way, it's more on the Brewers. As naivin points out, is this starting rotation good enough to get the Brewers 88-90 wins? If the last week is any indication...yes, but I'm still not sold.

I really hope this settles down for a multitude of reasons - 1) Billy Hall seems like a great guy. He's taken the hit and moved positions several times. He never complained until recently and has done everything that was asked of him. I sure hope he doesn't get booed...that would only make things worse. Count me in as a "Billy the person" fan. 2) I like the platoon. I'm still skeptical of Branyan (please don't kick me off the site for that), but the guy has performed enough at AAA and so far in Milwaukee to warrant the shot. We need another lefty in the lineup too. If Branyan cools off and Billy can get his stroke back to 2006 levels, great. Yost never said this platoon was set in stone. For now, it could really work. 3) While Dillon would probably be fine in the platoon, I think he's valuable off the bench. Our starters aren't going to keep this pace up forever...we'll need good PH off the bench. Dillon is very effective in that difficult role...he's a good contact hitter. 4) We wouldn't maximize value by trading Hall. Despite how well Gamel is doing, it's still a long way from Huntsville to Milwaukee so sending Billy off to dump his contract makes no sense. I'm not sure I want to go into 2009 with Branyan/Dillon as my 3B. If something comes along that works, great...if not...Billy's got to lump it. If he gets his stroke back, hopefully much of this will be forgotten. 5) JJ & Weeks...yes, they haven't performed up to expectations either. If there was a lefty hitter at Nashville stroking it like Branyan at 2B or SS, maybe things would be different...it is what it is. I have no problem with how Yost and Melvin have handled this. They have shown more of a sense of urgency here that I appreciate.

Perhaps they should all gather in the infield and bow to the God 3TO, thanking him for the bountiful harvest of Wheat, Ham and Korn.

I thought today's performance was better than his last one. In the Braves game, he benefitted from a big strike zone. Not today...he earned this one. As nice as it is to see the bats starting to crank, starting pitching will hold the key. I'm still skeptical on Bush long term, but he is the clear #4. at this point. McClung is really the one that doesn't belong as a starter.

The last two pitches missed badly. Yost also had some questioning last time for allowing Sheets to pitch 123 against the Pirates. There was no reason to give the Astros any chance to get back in the game or to waste Sheets. If they didn't have Thursday off, he probably would have been yanked earlier. Yost was spot on. He was also right to make the decisive call right out of the dugout...just get it over with. I'm sure Ben was pissed at him...good for him. The guy is a competitor, but Yost was right IMO.