3and2Fastball

That bomb he hit off his back foot yesterday was something else. Almost looked like a beer league softball swing, but the ball went a long long ways

Sports are fun. But I must admit I used to take an extra delight in a player like Barry Sanders who would dominate opponents and then just hand the ball to the ref, no dancing needed I'll also note that Mike Trout doesn't seem to need to showboat. Kid puts his head down and runs hard. Having said that, I don't have a problem with MLB players having fun, flipping bats etc

It is a good article, interesting to read and I think the conversation is good for Baseball. I don't think it is quite so simple as to Gossage being "right or wrong" on every topic he is bringing up, I think there's plenty of in-between there and as I said it is a good conversation to have. Speaking from the standpoint of a youth Baseball coach (I coach both a 13U Travel Team and am an assistant on a high school team) I do see a generation of youth players who seem a little entitled and who have to be pushed more to have a work ethic and who are prone a little more to mimic the antics they see on TV. I am 50 years old for what it is worth. I do not feel like MLB players should be held up as role models, by the way. That was a mistake that way too many in my generation made. MLB is a sport, obviously, but it is also a billion dollar entertainment industry. The players call it "The Show" for a reason. And the players who make it to The Show are the elite of the elite. I've attended Baseball workouts and practices featuring MLB utility players that is just mindblowing how good those guys are when you are standing next to them on a field. A player like Elian Herrera (just as an example), his talent is absolutely staggering, unbelieveable. When you see 12U B Team kids grandstanding and doing batflips because they hit a 200 foot pop-up HR off of some kid throwing 50 mph, that is just ridiculous. And it is up to coaches like myself to teach these kids the right way to play. I think if you are good enough to make it to MLB you have earned the right to do what you want on the field within the context of what the current crop of MLB players says is OK. They still police themselves

I'd like to see Garza start in the regular season Opening Day Do everything you can to boost his confidence. "He's our veteran starter", "he knows how to get things done" whatever.... Hope that he can have 3 months of very solid pitching. Do tons of PR on his turnaround, hype up his "comeback player of the year candidacy etc etc.... and then if it works out you can actually trade him at the deadline.

If Hill plays at 3B, who is going to platoon with Scooter at 2B?

Control issues? The kid is 17 years old throwing 102 mph!!! His changeup is 90 mph.....I would roll the dice that the Brewers can teach him control

Brewers Spring Training Games on FSN-Wisconsin Date Day Opponent Time March 7 Monday San Diego 2 PM March 10 Thursday San Francisco 2 PM March 11 Friday Texas 2 PM March 12 Saturday Colorado 2 PM March 16 Wednesday Chicago White Sox 3 PM March 18 Friday Cincinnati 3 PM March 19 Saturday at L.A. Angels 3 PM * March 20 Sunday L.A. Dodgers 3 PM March 21 Monday L.A. Dodgers (split squad) 3 PM* March 21 Monday at Arizona (split squad) 8:30 PM+* March 24 Thursday Kansas City 3 PM March 26 Saturday Arizona 3 PM March 27 Sunday at Cleveland 3 PM March 29 Tuesday Cincinnati 3 PM

Heard that Riley Pint threw 102 mph last week. At this point I think he'll need to punch a nun in the face on National TV in order to drop to Pick # 5. Who's gotta smack talking nun we can borrow?

Martin Maldonado!

You also have to factor in who the Brewers got for Parra. Zach Davis has some real potential.

That is a good point. I think when we talk about Hill + Scooter being an upgrade and losing Lohse being an upgrade (and various other comparison/contrasts with the Brewers of 2015 to try to support how they might be better) needs to be tempered with how much better many NL teams look to be including the Cubs/Diamondbacks/Giants/Mets. While the Brewers might be better (although that certainly isn't a sure thing) their competition in general will be better too. We look like we have a good shot at winning the various series vs the Braves/Phillies/Reds..... and that's about it

To get it as wrong as it was cannot be explained by good health and playing over their heads. Like i said all models have flaws. But yes overproducing 2 years in a row can just be a complete fluke. I don't think the Royals are a 76 win team but I also don't think they are a 95 win team. They are a mid to high 80s win team that just had things go their way last year. That is possible. Personally I think the Royals are just way ahead of the curve in analytics: emphasizing contact hitters, athleticism, defense and relief pitching in ways that were ahead of the times in most sabermetric calculations. They zigged when everyone else was still zagging, and have a World Championship to show for it.

What I like about Stearns is that he is saying that the Brewers will consistently need to keep replenishing the farm system & MLB roster w/ controllable young talent. Melvin went the opposite way once Weeks/Fielder/Hart/Braun etc got to the Show, transforming the Brewers into a team that extended it's own stars consistently (Bill Hall as an example of the worst type of mistake) and signed free agent, aging pitchers (Looper/Suppan etc). That plan ultimately backfired, longterm, and brought us to where we are today as one of the Worst 5 MLB teams

I'd like to see Jeffress closing. Anyone know why his velocity fell off? He was over 100 mph when he first started playing with the Brewers, seemed to be cruising mid 90's last year.

100% correct in my opinion. He is still a Top 10 RF or Top 10 LF in the game even if he never regains his MVP contention status. He also has a history of great success in the postseason. He profiles as a difference maker DH or LF on a contending team. He has trade value

I think the concern about Santana is legit and I have similar concerns. The thing is, this was much more about getting a catching prospect in the system than it was about making room for Santana. Giving Santana fulltime work in 2016 is the icing on the cake of this trade. You want to know, sooner rather than later, exactly what you have in Santana. By the time the Brewers are contending, Santana may be in his arbitration years anyways. The Brewers have a lot of OF's in the pipeline, it is hardly "Santana or bust". Trent Clark is the kid who will likely be pushing for a starting spot in 2018/2019

I like this trade. Nottingham is intriguing. There is a shortage of top flight catchers in MLB these days. There are a few strong catching prospects in the 2016 draft, but they are presumably much further away from the show than Nottingham would be. This trade allows the Brewers to have more flexibility in the first few rounds of the draft, allows them to see what they have in Santana fulltime in his natural position, and adds to the pitching depth in the minors, on top of obviously bringing in Nottingham as a catching prospect.

I know, right!!!? If he ends up being even halfway decent, the fans at Miller Park will love him based on name alone

Lucroy was Rated as the #3 Catcher in MLB on MLB Network's "Top 10 Right Now" show last night. In my opinion that might be a little high considering the down year and injury concerns, but it still shows that he is a highly valued player. (Bill James ranked him 6th)

so.... still nothing? No new rumors? All quiet? re: Gallo. His ceiling is very high. Could be another Rizzo (or better). Could be another Chris Carter. Worth rolling the dice on, in my opinion.

Bob Uecker talking alarm clock! Love it!

Not only is he reportedly 32 years old, but theres lots of games in his rearview mirror, too. There has been at least one season where he played a full season of Cuban winter Baseball and a full season of Japanese Baseball. Fulltime Cuban leagues plus Caribbean Series tournaments plus World Baseball Classics etc, and most of those playing middle infield.

It'll be interesting to see where he ends up. His talent is, by all accounts, legit, but he's on the wrong side of 30 His 22 year old younger brother would make sense for the Brewers

How does Clint Coulter fit into the future OF? Or will he be a 1B?

Yes, me too. I keep showing up here fully expecting to read about a Lucroy trade. Still think it'll happen before Pitchers & Catchers report, and honestly any minute now! Trea Turner for Lucroy straight up is my dream trade but I'm hardly expecting that.