BruisedCrew

Are you talking about Davis? I guess we don't know what the status of his wrist injury his. Even though they may say on TV that he is available to pinch hit, he might not be able to swing without aggravating the injury. But, there's no reason to let the other team know that he can't or wont be used. Bianchi got a double to trigger the rally in the 9th and Yuni followed by whistling one right at the SS so it's hard to complain too much about them getting ABs with no more infielders available.

I know RR doesn't like to walk hitters, but wouldn't walking Adams make sense? Edit: Oh, well. He got away with it.

The Pirates defense just booted away a 3 run lead in the ninth inning of their big game against the Reds. Mercer threw away what should have been the last out of the game and Alvarez failed to come up with a grounder that allowed the 2 tying runs to score.

4 HBP in his last 2 starts, including 1 against each opposing pitcher. Still has more total walks and HBP than IP. Is that the definition of "poor command"?

The whole day game-night game thing is a puzzler. Once you throw in the other variables (home/road, getaway day or not, sun causing shadows or not, etc.) there probably isn't enough of a population size to draw statistically significant conclusions. But, I do wonder sometimes if the Brewers are more inclined than other teams to give regulars a rest in day games after night games, and if that is a factor. It is worth noting, though, that the Brewers' best two teams in the last 10 years performed pretty much the same during the day as at night. The 2011 team was 31-21 (.596) in day games, virtually the same as their overall percentage of .593. In 2008, they were 36-28 (.562) compared to their overall percentage of .556. While their day game record this year is awful, it isn't that hard to find other teams in recent years with similar records. There are some really awful teams (like the last few Astros teams) that have won less than a third of their home games. Just last year, Ned Yost's Royals were 16-37 in day games en route to an overall finish of 72-90, which is about where the Brewers are headed this year. While looking into this I came across this article from last September which discussed day-night disparities for teams from 2008 up to September, 2012. http://www.baseballnation.com/2012/9/1/3284591/fun-with-day-game-stats As you can see from this there are several teams with disparities between their day and night records that are similar to the Brewers' spread. If there's an explanation for this, it would be interesting to hear it. But, I'm probably inclined to think more that it's just one of those things. Maybe a more thorough study would show that weaker teams have worse day game records relative to their overall records than stronger teams because weaker teams have less depth and weaken themselves more when they rest a regular or two. Or, maybe it would just find that it's a random variation of chance

You said before that you wanted Roenicke to look like he gives a crap. Maybe he decided to do that by using one of his most reliable relievers in a close game against a pennant contending team instead of throwing a tantrum over a call that the umpires got right and that wasn't likely to make a difference anyway because the runner was likely to score eventually even if he was sent back to third with nobody out. Kintzler threw 30 pitches the night before, and he didn't look that going doing it, and he's had multiple injuries in his career. He should not have been used last night unless the game went many extra innings. That was just stupid. Roenicke's comments after the game explain why he used Kintzler in that situation instead of one of the other relievers who hasn't pitched as much lately and who hasn't been used late in close games much this year. He said "It's hard right now if we're in a tight ballgame against these teams who are trying to play for a spot in the playoffs and we're saying 'you know something? We haven't pitched him in a while. Let's put him in there and see what he can do. I don't know if that's fair to do that. We're trying to do whatever we can do to win games." So, Roenicke's desire was to use the pitcher that he thought gave his team the best chance to win because the game was important to the Cardinals, Pirates, and Reds. Personally, I think that's what a manager should do as long as it isn't to the detriment of his own team or players. As for Kintzler's multiple injuries, he has thrown 69 IP this year, the same number as last year between the Brewers and the minors. Suggesting that using him the day after he threw 30 pitches in a game increases his chances of being injured in the future is pure speculation. He pitched in a lot of games, and threw a lot of pitches, when he was called up to the Brewers last September, including pitching effectively on 3 straight days in late September, so I think he has shown that he can handle the workload he is being given now. The bottom line is that there WAS a good reason to use Kintzler in that game, that reason being to try to win a game that had a bearing on playoff spots. It may be your opinion that he shouldn't have been used, but, in my opinion, that move was not "just stupid". If this is one of the examples that you are using to support why you hate Roenicke, and why you think he is a terrible manager, you are really reaching.

I think that, as a whole on this board, I've read more snarky, cliche statements against Roenicke than in support of him. I also think I've read more snarky, cliche statements against Roenicke than well-reasoned arguments about why he is such a terrible manager. But then again, maybe that's just selective memory because I am thoroughly entertained by it all. In the initial feeling out period for RR, there was a lot of really great debate. Right around the time he started Kotsay in CF for a playoff game, the debate shifted as the RR supporters didn't have much to stand on besides the teams success or were just flat out ignored. It got to the point where there wasn't anything left to debate. One side hated the guy and could point to a lot of examples of poor decisions. One side liked the guy and would point to his record, or that players liked him, or that every manager makes bad decisions. Now they stink and the RR supporters have changed to say people are criticizing him now because of the record. But beyond that change, everything else is more or less the same and has run its course. One last point, BruisedCrew, I personally don't like when someone new comes on here and criticizes a majority of the posters with vast generalizations. If you want to debate something thats great, its what this place is for, but if you think you are better than the other posters here and discount their opinions its not going to lead to healthy discussion. I don't know how I was criticizing the majority of posters or making it sound like I am better than other posters. I was disagreeing with the one who repeatedly calls Roenicke a clueless idiot, which seemed to me to be contrary to the Fan Etiquette document that I looked at before I signed up for the forum. According to that document, this wasn't the place for people who want to call the manager or anyone else worthless, but apparently it is. Maybe you should change the rules to alert potential new posters that, over the last 3 years, it has been established beyond debate that Roenicke is a worthless, clueless idiot, so don't try to question it.

I think that, as a whole on this board, I've read more snarky, cliche statements against Roenicke than in support of him. I also think I've read more snarky, cliche statements against Roenicke than well-reasoned arguments about why he is such a terrible manager. But then again, maybe that's just selective memory because I am thoroughly entertained by it all. That has definitely been my observation. All it takes is for a runner to be thrown out on the bases or a relief pitcher to give up a couple of runs and the comments about Roenicke being an idiot come out. The funny thing is that I am pretty much neutral about Roenicke, but I find myself reacting to what I think are unfair criticisms.

When the Brewers aren't hitting, the same second guessers say the manager should do something to try to manufacture runs.On this board, no, they don't. It would be better if you addressed specific posts instead of throwing out blanket statements that are untrue. I suggest you spend a little more time reading here getting to know the people a little better. Even when things work right that does not mean it was the correct decision. A decision is right or wrong independent of the results. I understand that too. I've read enough on this board in the last month to see that it is no different than anywhere else. I can see countless posts about how Ron Roenicke is a clueless idiot in other places too. Saying that Ron's philosophy makes more outs than Yuni's bat doesn't strike me as particularly clever, but I guess here that passes as insightful analysis that should not be questioned. It doesn't take long to see that this line from the Fan Etiquette rules is just a lot of fluff: If you want a place to blow off steam by declaring players or team staff worthless when the Brewers play poorly, Brewerfan is not the forum for you. In my book, calling the manager utterly incompetent and saying that the team won 96 games and a division title in 2011 despite his stupidity counts as declaring a member of the team's staff worthless. I will withdraw my comments and move on.

You said before that you wanted Roenicke to look like he gives a crap. Maybe he decided to do that by using one of his most reliable relievers in a close game against a pennant contending team instead of throwing a tantrum over a call that the umpires got right and that wasn't likely to make a difference anyway because the runner was likely to score eventually even if he was sent back to third with nobody out.

Yes, I watch the games. Do you watch any other teams play with the same critical eye? When the Brewers aren't hitting, the same second guessers say the manager should do something to try to manufacture runs. If all you do is criticize when things go wrong, but say nothing when things work out right, you can easily make any manager look like an idiot. That is the definition of "second guessing". When a team has close to the worst starting pitching in the league and an offense that is average at best, the team is going to lose a lot more games than it wins and no manager is going to change that. Otherwise, Bruce Bochy must have gone from being a genius to being a clueless idiot in record time.

That is a cop-out, but used by a lot of his supporters none the less... It isn't the talent level that makes me question him on a daily basis, it is how he runs the "material he has to work with." He was incompetent when they went to the play-offs two years ago (they won in spite of his stupidity), and he is incompetent when the talent level is lacking. He is a terrible game manager, and I simply can not wait until Attanasio wises up and shows him the door. This is a typical rant used by a lot of people who are classic second guessers. When the team wins, it's despite the manager. When it loses, it's because of him.

Let's just say that I wholeheartedly disagree and leave it at that. Sure, he makes some decisions that can be debated, like any manager. But, I don't know what people expect Roenicke to do with the material he has to work with.

Segura was out with an illness last night.

I don't see the connection between Lucroy hitting well and trading Ramirez. If the Brewers can make a good deal for Ramirez, then go ahead and trade him. But, they really don't have anyone good to play 3B, and there's nothing wrong with having several productive hitters in the middle of the lineup. Put Braun, Ramirez, Lucroy, Hart (or some other good hitting 1B) and Gomez in the 3-7 spots and the Brewers could be back to being one of the best offenses in the NL.

Axford could thrive in a new setting. It's easy to forget that he was quite effective from mid April through late July, so removed from the wrath of the Brewer fans who only think of him as a failed closer, he could help the Cards. As others have mentioned, Axford wasn't going to be back with the Brewers next year anyway, so this is a no risk move. The Brewers can give whatever innings Axford would have taken to one of the September callups. I doubt if what the Brewers get in return will be anything of real value. The main thing they are getting is not having to pay Axford's salary for the next month.

What I think is disgusting is a scorer ruling a dropped fly ball like that a hit.

Colleges bring in controversial figures all the time, so I could see there being no shortage of speaking engagements for him if he chose to pursue them. And that really is what I'm getting at--what do words mean to Ryan Braun? Did he say "I want to be part of the solution. . ." and expect that to be enough? Or does he really want to be part of a solution? Even if he doesn't start making public appearances or whatever right now, what is he planning to do, and when? It speaks of his character. Is he going to back up his words with actions? Exactly! Actions speak louder than words, so what's the point in demanding more words right now. Bring it up after he and the Brewers have time to sort through things a little bit.

It's a fair question, but do you think Braun would really have specifics about that right now? That seems like the kind of question that definitely can wait for an answer. It's also unrealistic to think that Braun is going to start on that kind of public effort immediately. Do you think a school would be dying to have Ryan Braun come to talk to their kids at a time when he has been painted as liar and Public Enemy Number One by the media? He has to let some time pass, and probably reestablish himself on the field, before he can be an adequate spokesperson for anything. Or, maybe he can team up with Lindsay Lohan so they can also cover the perils of alcohol.

They are vets, vets win games, make the team better, and provide leadership. It has been proven. Figaro has been used as a starter in Nashville, so it looks like the Brewers want to stretch him out. He really isn't competing for the same spots as Axford and Gonzalez anyway because if he was in the bullpen he'd be used in long relief. In Axford's case, as long as they're paying him so much they might as well use him in a season that's going nowhere anyway. Gonzalez, of course, is the only lefty in the pen. Figaro has had his failures too, so let's not act like using him in the bullpen would make a big difference. He can be back soon anyway when the rosters expand. When the starters go 4, 6, and 5 innings in consecutive games, the back end of the bullpen is going to have to get some work, and that isn't good for any team.

What if the total transparency Haudricourt wants would involve implicating other people? Like maybe there are a lot of other players taking PEDs from other suppliers, and they talk and joke about how the drug testing is a joke because it can't detect anything unless the test is administered within hours after the player takes something? I can see why a reporter might love it if a player squealed like this, but that sure wouldn't help Braun's reputation any. There are all kinds of reasons why telling the whole truth to reporters may not be a good idea, and they don't all involve the selfish interests of the person being interrogated. Sure, there are unanswered questions, but that doesn't mean Braun is obligated to answer them.

Nothing that Braun says or does right now is going to make amends or heal the wounds that are already there. All that the complete transparency that he wants would do is keep the story in the headlines. Those wounds are never going to completely heal, but the scars will become less visible with the passage of time if Braun conducts himself well on and off the field going forward. Continuing to pick at the open scabs right now is not going to speed up the healing process. Haudricourt shows how out of touch he is when he says that Braun should specifically answer the question of whether he used PEDs at any other time. Doesn't he realize that Braun can only answer that question in the negative without subjecting himself to more suspensions and other legal problems, including possible criminal charges and voiding of his contract. You might as well ask a convicted murderer if he has killed anyone else. And "What about the lawsuit by former friend Ralph Sasson who claims you used PEDs all the way back to your college days". Hello, Tom!! Sasson DOES NOT MAKE THOSE CLAIMS. He simply included them in a request for admission because he knew that media hacks would report them, but many of those requests are irrelevant to his case. Why should Braun be obligated to address every unsubstantiated claim made against him, including the claims made by unnamed sources? The question that I would like to ask Haudricourt is exactly how he thinks Braun answering all of these questions right now would help the healing process. Even something like Braun vacating his MVP award would be blasted by the haters as an empty gesture. Providing the details of exactly what substances he took, and when, and why may help to feed voracious appetites, but it wouldn't help Braun improve his status in the public eye.

ESPN was railing on Ryan Braun? /insert shocked face. And they would have been railing on him if he had faced the cameras too. No matter what he would have done, the media sharks (Tom Haudricourt included) would not have been satisfied and would have been demanding more. And the public that is bent on skewering him wouldn't have hated him any less. So, why feed them more material?

If that happens people will assume that he has found a way to cheat again. On the other hand, if he hits below his career averages, and/or has a number of nagging injuries, then they will assume that he has been on PEDs forever and can't produce or stay healthy without them. Of course, we have a live example of a player who never took PEDs who had a great career, made a miraculous recovery from a serious injury in 2011, hit like crazy for 2 months after returning, and then has had 2 seasons of subpar hitting and nagging injuries. So, what happens to Braun next year really won't prove anything except for what people want it to prove.

TJ Quinn reported shortly after Braun's suspension was announced that Marcelo Albir, a former teammate of Braun's from Miami, introduced Braun to Biogenesis. I wouldn't expect Braun to name names himself, whether in a prepared statement or in responding to questions from the media.