Brewer Fever

That Garland/Hall swap that Melvin turned down sure looks good right now. Garland would easily be our number 2 starter. Passing on that trade is going down as a huge mistake.

No. And if allowed to expand further, I'd say it was because of one man whose last name rhymes with toast and has too long of leash.

The story is now up on the JSOnline blog... http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/archive/2008/05/10/gagne-admits-he-doesn-t-deserve-closer-s-role.aspx

If the guy is that down on himself and lacking that greatly in confidence, there's no way it just started today. How does the manager not fish that out if him by now?

I came here expecting this to be the hot topic, but I've yet to read about it on the internet. I was listening to the 540 postgame and they played the audio of Gagne speaking to their reporter CJ Nee (sp). At one point during the interview Gagne said he doesn't deserve to be pitching the 9th. He also said the when he goes out there he cannot see anything but bad outcomes. Saying that it's not pitch selection, execution, velocity, etc. He just has no confidence. He expects bad results on every pitch thrown. Looks like Gagne just made the decision for Yost. Yet another instance where the players have to tell Yost how they should be used. Where is the communication with this ballclub? (added reply number to amended thread title --1992)

These players are known for their hard work and good attitudes. I don't remember them being touted as guys who ignored fundamentals and ran into tons of mistakes. They all developed at every level along the way. And now they're in the majors and not only has the development stopped, they now don't listen to their coaches and play poor fundamentally. Did they all suddenly forget how to play and become bad team players? This coaching staff is poor at teaching and poor at leading.

Since when is a SS a great call with the bases loaded? Playing for 1 run when your closer is struggling? Isn't a better idea to try and give Gagne a little more cushion to work with. It's a good call with a runner at 3rd only maybe. But you've got a Cardinals bullpen walking everybody and a chance to break the game open. It was a dumb call and Yost got the result he deserved.

I find this thread extremely depressing. This is the kind of thread that filled this place 2-3 years ago. And it's the exact kind of thread we wouldn't see if the current team was winning. No knock on the thread starter or its participants. It's just a reminder of when all we had to be excited about was the future.

http://www.mkesports.com/files/QuickSiteImages/Ryan_Braun.jpg

I essentially said that eartlier tonight. I have the same feeling I had while watching Turnbow last Wednesday night against the Cubs. I turned to my wife and said Turnbow will not be heading to Houston with the rest of the team. Like I said before, I think Doug Melvin is an intelligent man. He's a very patient man, almost to a fault. But the one thing he's shown is that when the obvious move needs to be made, he pulls the trigger. Of course obvious as it relates to Doug Melvin, is the equivalent to a punch in the face. But at least he shown he's willing to make the hard decision.

Another instance I just recalled was from a couple weeks back when Bush basically said he needs to stop listening to all the advice he was getting to pitch differently. If that's not an admission of a lack of faith in the coaches, I don't know what is.

A perfect clue that this coaching staff led by Ned Yost does a poor job preparing players is their track record under him against players making their debuts. That would require doing a little extra homework for Nedly. He's probably busy tinkering with his fantasy Nascar roster.

Are you kidding? Could it possibly be that the players receive no good instruction, preparation, discipline to help them improve as ballplayers? Every team we face appears to have a discernable approach at the plate and on the mound. Our players look like they're up there guessing. Believe it or not, coaching staffs are there to provide more than a lineup card. The Brewers have never fielded a team that improved fundamentally under Yost. Given that, is it such a leap to think he's poor at preparing them for an opponent?

See that's just it. If Doug Melevin is sitting there right now thinking if we lose 3 of 4 to St. Louis then Ned is gone, then why wouldn't you pull the trigger now? If you have those kind of doubts about your manager haven't you already admitted he's a problem? Do you guys recall what Ron Wold did after just one 8-8 season under Ray Rhodes. He saw the team's discipline in decline and he acted immediately.

Yeah and didn't Braun and Fielder bypass Yost and go to Skaalen about switching spots in the batting order. Perhaps the players have so little remaining respect for Yost/Sveuem that they figure they'll run this thing themselves. Seriously, what other not quite so subtle blows to the head does Doug Melvin need to see it's time for a managerial change?

The part I loved about that segment is the way she made it seem like such a well-thought and well executed system. My 5 year old nephew highlights the days on the lunch calendar for when he'd rather bring a lunch from home. I'm sure he thinks it's really neato that Ned highlights the names of players who have pitched consecutive days so he has a reminder. Sidenote: Don't many athletes have a tremendous memory of games. I swear Favre could tell you the 9th play he ran in the Chargers game this past year. Yet Ned can't remember without the use of a highlighter who pitched the last 2 games.

When would it happen? Well, I actually think Doug Melvin is a fairly intelligent man. The same goes for Mark Attanasio. And if they're watching this listless display I can't help but think it might just come tonight after the game. The worst knock on a manager is that his team shows no life. And that's what we've been seeing for some time now.

The worst criticism a team can receive is that it is lifeless. And lifeless is the most appropriate word to describe this team. There's no way this organization can keep Ned around.

Do not question the timing of the hat! Actually, I'm pretty sure Ned relies on the Magic 8-Ball.

I know exactly why Skaalen isn't getting a heaping amount of blame. You can only change coaches so much before even the casual fan starts to get the feeling that it might be the manager who is to blame.

Maybe they just aren't getting better. They're 75-85 since last year's 24-10 start.

Take away all the judgement calls, lineup tinkering, sending basebrunners, bullpen management, when to pinch-hit, and all general feel for the game type stuff that managers do and make your evaluation of Yost real simple... Overall player performance is not improving. Yes, the talent level has definitely increased, but the same poor overall fundamental play is the same as when Ned arrived in Milwaukee. Every aspect of this team is either flat-lining or regressing. The still run the bases poorly. They still play poor defense. They still have no obvious approach at the plate. The pitchers still walk far too many hitters. They still don't know how to move a runner over. They still grossly lack in situation hitting. They still try and pull every outside pitch. They still strikeout way to much. That's all in spite of bringing in far more talented players, many of whom didn't carry these warts in the minors. New faces, same mistakes and same poor results. The one constant...Ned Yost. Put it this way. In the business world, if every aspect of your business was either flat or worsening, would you sit back and not hold your managers accountable? Especially if this all took place over the span of 5+ years! The Brewers win totals have risen over the years, yes. Clearly because the talent level increased. And definitely not because they play more fundamentally sound. I'd venture that the Tyler Houston's and Eric Young's ran the bases no more poorly, or moved runners over with no less success. You don't even have to agree that Yost makes tactical or in-game mistakes. All you have to do is take a moment and realize that no matter the personel, he and his constantly reshaped staff are not overseeing any improvement in the fundamental aspects of the game. And in many aspects there is decline. I can't comprehend how Mark A. can sit back and watch his investements take step after step backwards and do nothing about the man whose job it is to make them better ballplayers. It is a glaringly imperfect match to have a manager who shows no ability to develop young talent manage a team that will forever have to rely on young talent.

Isn't it telling that Yost's ejection inspires absolutely no signs of life from his team.

Under Ned Yost this team continues to play undisciplined baseball. The fail to move runners over, fail to score with runners at 3rd and less than 2 outs, swing at pitches in the dirt time after time. They try and pull everything. They continue to play shoddy defense. Pitchers walk far too many hitters by failing to be aggressive and go after hitters. They take leads early in the game and then start swinging for the fences as though the game is in hand and they can pad their home run numbers. Does anyone think these players aren't hard workers? I don't get that impression. It's clear that either this coaching staff doesn't know how to teach fundamentals or they don't have the teaching skills to get through to these players. Enough is enough. These players are either plateauing or regressing under Ned Yost's watch.

His greatest value comes from the fact that he's yet another new face on this coaching staff, and takes the organization one step closer to realizing that the real problem wears uniform number 3.