phxMILWfan

Ok I need the story on Mike Nicolas...

Not sure if anyone else checked out Rob Neyer's chat during game 7 of the ALCS but someone asked him his opinion on the Brewers chances of signing CC. His response was to reference some bank robber and to say that the Brewers will not sign CC. He said that CC will consider the offer for a few seconds and then sign else where. That the offer from the team would be just to save face with the fans. I think it's time we all start accepting that he won't be back.

All I want is to be able to turn on my tv and watch classic baseball games. If this channel is it, I'm thrilled. I agree with an earlier post about how ESPN Classic shows poker and bowling but no baseball. There are hundreds of thousands of hours of footage of baseball games, just throw them on and let us enjoy.

Didn't he also draft Escobar, Hardy, TGJ? All very sound defensive players. Is it possible that the player developement aspect is lacking but the drafting isn't? Just wondering what everyone thinks.

In all honesty unless you're extremely limited as far as time out here, theres games every day and the stadium doesn't matter one bit. Don't worry about trying to see them "at home" or anything like that. Do we have a "tips to ST games" thread yet?

Where can I find quotes or more info on some of the managers? So far I've only wikipediaed them...

His mustache. I also hope it's Bobby Valentine or Davey Johnson. Maybe Mike Hargrove. Anyone else I'm ambivalent about at best, and I'd be pissed if it were Brenly or Macha. Maddux should be canned also, IMO. What do you have against Maddux? I've never heard anyone say anything bad about him before. Seems to get a lot out of a little...

Yeah the way things went down with Yost and DM sending him an email and all his talk about feeling bad about firing him... How Yost got them this far. I wouldn't be surprised if he walks. The logical replacement for DM is Jack Z but this makes our organization all around weaker. I have had pleanty of frustrations with Yost but is there anyone else that makes more sense for this team than him? In the end I think Sveum will be retained. I don't want them to even think about Mattingly. I've never been sold on him. I think that if they don't keep Sveum the chances of CC resigning become slim to none... which is probably what they already are but I'm just saying. Even worse.

I know what CC has said about wanting to hit but I don't know how much that would factor into his decision. We need some sort of list that handicaps the odds of CC going to each team. No clue how to go about doing that though. Dodgers, Angels, Astros, Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Brewers all seem to have a chance at him. What about the Orioles, Blue Jays, Rangers though? I know certain teams are the typical spenders like the Mets but after Santana would they have anywhere near the amount of money it would take to get CC?

I think we can match any offer in the short term. People need to understand that a ny, chicago, la team is going to come up with a long term offer we can't even think about touching. 7 years 150 million and he's gone. I don't blame him and I will always root for him. Just hope he doesn't land with the cubs. Does anyone know if the cubs can afford him after they've paid Zambrano? I think that if he lands in Chicago that would be the worst case scenario. CC, Zambrano, Dempster, Harden, Lilly devestating.

Your not just having to replace fielders bat in the lineup but think about the decline in numbers Braun, Hardy, Hart would have from not having that big bat in the middle of the lineup for other teams to pitch around. I think Braun enjoys the fact that other teams have to pitch to him. If they lose Fielder, Braun gets pitched around and sees a decline in production like Fielder saw from 2 years ago to this last year. I know defense is important but I think people are overlooking his importance in the lineup. Fielder should not be dealt. Go into the year with what we have left after CC and Sheets leave. It will be okay.

I know this thread is for pitching but since you brought Prince up rluzinski, I don't understand trading him. You have him under control for 3 years and he adds alot to the order. I think it would be a mistake and set us back further than not having the young pitcher he would be traded for. I don't think bringing in Gamel to play first or whatever move would follow that keeps the team as competitive.

I've always been a Sheets fan but I would be shocked and disappointed if he was resigned. I also don't think it's wise to resign Sabathia. He's great, atleast one of the top 5 pitchers in all of baseball if not the best but an organization in a small market like Milwaukee can't afford him at the back end of his contract. An injury or ineffectiveness to a 20 to 25 million dollar a year player would cripple the team. Who knows what kind of effect him pitching so much on short rest at the end of the year will have on his performance next year. I also don't want to see them sign a free agent pitcher like a Derek Lowe. See Jeff Suppan for why that would be a mistake. You over pay to get free agents to come to Milwaukee and the model of growing through the draft works. Take the draft picks for the free agents that are leaving and don't lose any of your own trying to sign a 30 something year old pitcher to big money. Gallardo, Parra, Bush, Suppan, McClung/Villy isn't horrible. They should still be competitive and if the team is near the top of the division in July maybe we make a trade then.

One more thought, "we should be thanking them" isn't that what 14,000 people did at the summerfest grounds the day after the season ended? I don't think anyone should let the actions of a few affect their opinon of a whole group of people. I know some people have booed but as a whole the fans thanked Corey Hart by voting him into the all-star game. That little all-star game bonus will be nice for Corey, along with the experience and exposure he got. It also thanked him by giving him more leverage come contract signing time. Perhaps if poor performances being booed bothers you, you should cheer your head off next time Corey strikes out on 3 pitches in the dirt he had no business swinging at. Or when Mota or Gagne blow a late lead stand up and scream about how great they are so the players won't hear the boos.

I'm not normally a big fan of booing, especially your own team. I don't boo my own team but I understand some of it. Guys that give their best every day don't deserve it. I think that Corey Hart should hear it from the fans though. After some of his comments this year and horrible play. I don't think he hustles in the field as much as he used to. Watching the game with my wife we comment on when JJ or whoever happens to be hitting in front of Corey gets walked on 4 straight pitches that Corey won't make the pitcher throw him a strike before swinging. Sure enough he's hacking at balls in the dirt against a pitcher that hasn't been getting it over the plate. I don't agree with booing Suppan because I don't think it's his fault. He is who he is. Management just over paid for him. I don't agree with the comment that the players shouldn't be bothered with coming out and thanking the fans, the same ones who have been booing them an hour earlier. 3 million fans walked through the turnstiles, surely all of them didn't boo those players. A few people making noise shouldn't rob genuinely great fans of an oppurtunity to say goodbye to their favorite players for the winter. I know that the last game of the year the players usually come out and throw hats and batting gloves, that type of stuff to the fans. Maybe it's different after a home playoff loss but I understand some of the fans looking forward to that. The we should be thanking them comment doesn't make much sense to me either. Thats what the fans were doing by chanting their names and applauding for twenty minutes after the game. The fans just wanted an oppurtunity to applaud the players. Not too much to ask for in my opinion.

I understand rluzinski's point. My biggest issue is how people view #4 and 5 starters. I've always been disappointed with that. From Ned sending the Dave Bush's and Wes Obermueller's out for another inning when taking them out after 6 innings 1 or 2 runs would do wonders for their confidence. How many times have we seen a Dave Bush type hit for him self in the bottom of the sixth, make an out, then give up a hit to the first hitter and then get pulled? It was maddening. If these types of pitchers would be removed in a positive way, they feel better about their start and the bullpen comes in to the bases empty. I thought one of Ned's biggest faults was this scenario. I see other managers do it too, don't want this to turn into a Ned bashing thread. I hope I've made my point about back of the rotation starters being treated as such and appreciated for what they bring to the team instead of complained about because they aren't staff aces.

Exactly what I did. Didn't miss a pitch or a play. So many commercials that it worked out okay.

LETS GO CC!

Awesome performance by Balfour. Cabrerra trying to show him up and he struck him out and told him to sit down!

Game 3 starter is Dave Bush according to TH http://blogs.jsonline.com...bush-to-start-game-3.aspx Feel free to move this to another thread.

Game 3 starter is Dave Bush according to TH http://blogs.jsonline.com...bush-to-start-game-3.aspx

I understand what everyone is saying about Nelson for Hart but Nelson hasn't been in the bigs long and thats a tough environment for him to hit in. I doubt he has seen anything as nasty as Lidge's slider. Sveum made the right call.

On the bright side, they got their first playoff game over with, Lidge threw 35 pitches and the heart of the order got to face him. We avoided the shutout. CC goes tomorrow. No one should have expected a win today. They learned something and tomorrow will be a better day.

Not that it is a big difference but 101 pitches

I believe in this team. I don't think its over yet. Villy and Stetter have done a nice job. Lets see what happens here. After the excitement of Sunday we can't get down on these guys now.