mletto157

AA is a hitting prospect's dream. AAA has way better, almost-major-league-ready pitching.

You should never expect a sweep, of any team.

My 2 cents. At the same stage in his career Jose Reyes had practically identical scouting reports as Escobar has had the last two years. My guess is that when he's ready he'll move up and be the SS of the Brewers. Hardy will depend on Gamel. Either he'll hopefully move over to 3B, since in my opinion that would be his prime defensive position based on his range and arm; or he'll be traded. I don't understand the people that want him to move to 2B considering he has a plus arm and below average to average range for a SS. At 2B the arm means relatively nothing, so all that you look for is range. His offense will put him in the middle of the pack for 3B. He may lose value to the Brewers organization at 3B over SS, but most likely in this scenario he'll already have signed a contract with them... or else he'll have been traded. So since his salary won't change... why not maximize the team by sliding over (can you imagine that infield... no ground ball would get through). Plus, it's not like he'll forget how to play SS, so when his time with the crew is over he can go play SS for someone else if he thinks that's where his value is maxed out. You don't trade Escobar and keep Hardy though when you're a small market team like the Brewers. There's only so many guys we can afford to give them the money they're actually worth, and when you have a replacement waiting in AAA... you're most likely going to be the odd man out. We're not the Cubs. We can't just keep all the players we want because they're good. We have to make value based decisions on if X is really 10Mil better than Y for the next however many years. The Cubs, Red Sox, or Yankees can just say X is better than Y so we'll pay him what he wants... we're not that lucky. My guess is that next year we start the year sort of like it is now... Gamel comes up in May/June (if they really think he can stick at 3B). Escobar stays in AAA for a full year, and then the year after that JJ gets traded.

PostSeason, I must respectfully disagree with almost everything you have said in this thread. I understand trying to argue with you by pointing out statistics is useless as they've pretty much all been posted. From what I've seen here arguing with you is close to the same as arguing with my girlfriend. She just plain doesn't like some of the guys on the team, and no statistic will change her mind, because she remembers them striking out, remembers them only hitting solo home runs, remembers them missing that fly ball that cost the Crew the game... but doesn't remember all the "routein" balls that average CF's don't even get to. Doesn't realize he has been one of the best hitters with men on the Crew has had this year, and doesn't realize that a better percentage of his homeruns have come when he's hit with men on, than with the bases empty. Perception is what it is, and there's not much someone like me can to do change someone's perception. I will never understand how you can argue with statistics... but then again, I will also never truely understand women... I guess it's just one of those things...

That was an easy question. If you consider his career instead of just looking at the beginning of this year... Hall hits RHP & LHP better than Counsell. There's no reason Counsell should be starting more than once every couple weeks to give someone rest... if even that often. Defensive replacement for Weeks is really the only times I'd like to see him play at all. Not that I don't like him as a person, but he's said himself if he's starting this team is worse.

Crosby has actually been pretty decent at SS this year for Oakland; and has *I think* played in more games than anyone else on the team.

I think we should keep Gamel and Escobar in AAA for the full year next year if that's possible based on the moves they make this offseason. They would both benefit by improving their skills, Gamel mostly defensive, and Escobar mostly offensive.

The reaction was a perfect slap in the face to the pitcher and on the very next pitch nonetheless Actually it was two pitches later, the very next pitch he laid off a high fastball that didn't try to give him sweet chin music. However, I completely agree - the reaction was perfect. After those two pitches, I was seriously in awe when that pitch hit the bat.

I really hope no one misunderstands my understanding of what happened as acceptance. If you read the 2nd paragraph of my original post, I definitely don't feel what he did was acceptable in any sense of the word.

At no point in the whole process was that obvious. I guess I'm assuming that's what Prince was thinking when Manny grabbed his jacket. Now maybe not completely obvious, but given the context, and what people overheard, it makes sense to me.

So, I completely disagree that getting hit with the jacket had anything to do with anything. I didn't even notice the jacket, but even if it is true, I don't think it had anything to do with it. I'm of the camp that thinks that Prince wanted Parra to stay out there and when it became obvious he wasn't, Prince basically made him. I'm also with the people who think this was completely unacceptable. He is not some middle or high schooler. He is a professional athlete and should be held to a much higher standard. People who compare this with scuffels from when they've played on teams is a little odd unless they've played as a professional and were paid to play. They are supposed to be role models. I don't care what was said, you don't resort to violence with your own team when you're supposed to be a professional.

I'm perfectly fine with it. In every sport no one really thinks twice about it. I mean, come on... in the NFL defensive players celebrate like nuts just after making a routein tackle (not that I advocate that). A homerun is about the hardest thing to do in sports, shouldn't the players be happy about it?

I actually agree with one of the other posts a few back that says the management has been raving about AB to try and talk him up as trade bait... Obviously speculation, but it does make sense. I am also in with the bandwagon though that JJ would be great at 3B. His only knock is that he lacks range, and that would be minimized at 3B. By the way, where did someone hear that JJ raced and tied for fastest Brewer? He has never really had speed.......

Top prospect is sort of debatable. I valued Gamel higher than LaPorta anyway. If the trade had instead been Gamel, I wouldn't have been near as happy, and borderline upset.

Yup, it's 4. We get CC, Sheets, Parra, Bush... they get Lilly, Zambrano, Dempster, Harden

I'm in.

Jessica Alba... for sure. Though, the beer would be tempting.

The problem with Hardy moving to 2B is his incredibly strong arm... it would be a complete waste at 2B. I know Escobar is a defensive phenom, but is his arm as good as Hardy's? Because at 2B you need to have just as good of defense as SS, but you'd want the better arm at SS.

Shouldn't it be less of an innings count, and more of a pitch count? I mean, even when he's gone only 5 innings, he's thrown like 115 pitches...

I did... but the old saying is true "chicks dig the long ball."

Do it. Bill Hall, Tony Gwynn Jr, Angel Salome -- for -- C.C. Sabathia Please don't give up Gamel or Laporta though... even though I think that's more likely.

My girlfriend sat on the voting site from 8:45 PM until 10:59 PM voting with every e-mail address she could think of from everyone that was over watching the game. Probably got a good 150-200 votes out. Russell 'The Muscle' '3TO' Manyan was a write-in for 3B for every vote.

"but no one, and I mean no one can swing and miss like you can." Russell Branyan could, given a full year of AB. Howard is 2nd all-time in 3TO%, behind only the Manyan. When Russell Branyan does a keg stand, he holds the keg above his head.

Tavares can go for sure. Riske's line in AAA yesterday -- 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 K

I wrote him in 25 times yesterday... thinking about doing 25 more today on another e-mail.