paul253

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/mlb Im getting tired of all these national publications just automatically assuming, and almost advocating, the Sabathia go to New York. That line, "That Sabathia made his final three starts on short rest means he fully invested his body into a Brewers team he knows will not invest financially in him" is a low blow to the Brewers. They gave up two of their best prospects to get him, and will offer probably more than they can afford to resign him, yet they make it sound like the Brewers are going to low ball him. Its like we have to apologize for being in Milwaukee.

Corey Hart had better learn how to bunt in a hurry because he'll sure as heck isnt doing anything else. That at bat in the final game of the season when he came up with the bases loaded and two outs was pathetic. Or wait? Maybe there was just one out.....I remember screaming at the tv when he came up...PINCH HIT!!!!!!!! Strikes out on 3 pitches, none of which were even close to strikes. I dont mind the team not bunting, but to watch them swing at the pitches they are swinging at is very frustrating. It seems like every player is where they are based on pure ability. Imgaine if someone actually taught them something.

I was just trying to make a point that guys like that are not that hard to find and they do not have much value unless they have great speed or OBP ability. Well Brantley did have 28 stolen bases, and his OBP was darn near .400. He slugged much higher than either Counsell or Kendall, and hit for a much higher average. He struck out once every 15 at bats, compared to Kendalls once every 11 at bats and Counsell's once every 6 at bats. Plus, Brantley's walk to k ratio was almost 2:1, whereas Kendall and Counsell's was much closer to 1:1. When purely looking at more walks than strikeouts you can include all three of them together, but to me, thats where the comparison should end. I realize he hasnt gone above AA, but he proved himself very well there.

I dont get it, agent.....do you know who it is or not? If so, why cant you just tell us?

It should be noted that Taylor Green (the other rumored guy) had more walks than strikeouts this past season while showing nice pop. He also is a lefty bat that seems to be able to play 2B or 3B (not SS like I initially put) which are needs as well. Both guys fit needs for this team and both would be unfortunate to lose but totally worth CC and the playoffs. As for the guys this thread is looking at Cain really intrigues me because he looks to be able to play CF well whereas Brantley sounds like he struggles out there. Thats true, although Brantley's K:BB ratio was almost 2:1 whereas Green had i believe 2 more walks than k's. Brantley also had 28 stolen bases to Green's 4. Brantley's average was like 30 points higher, and he had a higher OBP. Green slugged a lot higher and had more extra base hits and probably plays better defense, from what i've read on here.. Don't get me wrong, Taylor Green is a good good player, but I think we needed what Brantley would have brought to the table much more than we need what Taylor Green would bring. I'm really disappointed Cleveland took Brantley.

The more I see of Cain, the more I like him....but I am so pissed we lost Brantley. I am so tired of this all or nothing offense, and Brantley is exactly what we needed. Gillespie reminds me a lot of Corey Hart....solid numbers in the minors but kind of flying under the radar because of higher profile prospects like Escobar Gamel and Jeffress. Man, its hard to argue against the Sabathia trade, but of all the prospects that we really needed, I consider Brantley the one we needed most! A left handed, contact hitter with speed. He wont strike out, he wont try to pull everything, he'll take a walk.....nobody on our team meets that. Cleveland got a nice return for Sabathia.....a true win-win trade.

Hey all, My brother has 2 tickets to game one that he is trying to get rid of, which includes a parking pass. I have no idea what he'll accept, but he is taking offers. I am almost positive they are in section 421, but I dont know what row. If you're interested, you can email him at brewers.playoffs@yahoo.com. They are actually in 423 row 9.

The more I watch this team, the more frustrated I get. Its not even the lack of "small ball". Its their complete inability to score the important runs. They've been doing it all year long, and tonight, in the most important game of the year, nothing changes. Bases loaded with one out down by a run in the 8th. Hardy tries pulling a ball and hits a weak grounder to third, forcing out the runner at home. Next hitter, bases still loaded, Hart swings at a slider nowhere near the strikezone. Next pitch, a weak grounder to short ending the inning. This team is way too aggressive and its killing them. Braun cant lay off the high pitches. Fielder cant lay off the high pitches. Cameron cant lay off the high pitches. Hart and Hall cant lay off the low and away pitches. I never thought I'd say this, but i wish more people would approach an at bat like Rickie Weeks. He'll take a pitch or two at least. Opposing pitchers arent even throwing strikes, and the Brewers are constantly bailing them out. I'd love a guy on our team like Ryan Theriot, someone who gets hits, doesnt swing as hard as he can, and gets on base. But the fact is, unless you replace everyone, nothing will change. Braun will always swing at the high pitches....same with Fielder, same with Hart. The more i think about it, the more i think it is coaching that is failing. If they cant get the players to stop swinging at balls, then they'll never see strikes and they'll continue to get themselves out.

Well he isnt exactly Craig Counsell....he does have 20 home runs

As far as Edmonds goes, his numbers are down....but an OBP of .367 is pretty good. Im not concerned about his power numbers because more power is the last thing we need. Defensively he's not what he once was, but he's still gotta be considered above average defensively. I dont think theres any way he'll get close to $10 million a year, maybe $5 million for a year. If you're paying Kendall $5 million, why not Edmonds for a year? I'd agree with HTR though, I'd gladly go with a Gwynn/Kapler platoon if it means keeping Sabathia. And if Brantley is still here, he may be ready by the allstar break.

What about Jim Edmonds? His production is down, but he's had a good year in Chicago. He plays a good centerfield, and I cant imagine he'd ask for $10 million...plus he's a left handed bat.

That sucks......of all the players, I want Brantley the most. He's our future leadoff hitter.

We're not the Cubs. We dont have that kind of money. I hate this statement, although I agree with it. People bring up Carlos Lee a lot, but i dont think the Brewers ever offered him a fair deal. Wasnt our highest offer like $12 million a year? I know this might sound a bit selfish, but i think Attanasio owes it to the fans to resign Sabathia. The team collapsed last season yet not only did they raise ticket prices, they also raised parking prices and I believe prices for some food items. We respond by buying over 3 million tickets and having 20 something consecutive sellouts. We all know ticket prices are going up again next season. If he doesnt reinvest that right back in the team, I am going to be irritated. Our offense is fine but we just cannot develope a pitcher. Right now you have a very real chance to resign one of the best pitchers in the game, and if you don't it signals to your fans that nothing has really changed. Without an "ace" next season, our chances are not great. I also agree with JohnBriggs about Cameron.....I dont think we should pick up his option. $10 million for him is too much, you can find a decent one year replacement for probably a quarter of that, and then you'll have guys ready, possibly by mid season next year. It frees up that money for a year on Sabathia. Along with Counsell, Gagne, Turnbow, and Sheets coming off the books, that frees up close to $30 million. Let says even $20 million of that goes into raises for current players, thats $10 million to begin with. The bullpen will consist of guys like Torres, Villanueva, Riske, McClung, and probably Stetter and Dillard, which is fairly decent, cheap pen. Plus in a year Kendall's contract is off the books, and in two years Suppan's mammoth salary is off the books. Meanwhile guys like Hardy and Hart will be replaced, probably, by cheaper guys like Brantley and Escobar. Gillespie and Salome, maybe Cain will be up. Braun is signed to a very reasonable contract. Its not like our team salary is going to skyrocket in the next few seasons.

And for foolishly asking unprepared players to do so in the game. The main reason I would think they are unprepared is because they dont practice it enough. I realize some of the power hitters havent bunted for years, but they should know how to do it.......I cant see many scenarios in which I'd ask Fielder or Braun to bunt, but Hart, Hall, Hardy, Weeks, certainly all of the pitchers should be able to do this.

It IS assumed that bunting will be success, or it should be, because they are all professional hitters and should know how to bunt. You cant expect 1000% success because sometimes bad things happen and the fielders make incredible plays, but I think 75% is a fair expectation. If the players cant bunt, the blame should lay solely on the coaching staff for not emphasizing it enough in batting practice. As fun as it is to watch players hit upper deck shots in BP, it really does the batter no good. Beside, if someone argues a strikeout isnt really that bad, cant you turn it around and say a bunt in which the runner at 1st is forced out is no different than a strikeout because the result is the same? If he bunts into a double play, it could also happen when swinging away.

hey Jason...ill actually have access to 4 tickets....2 in section 434 and two more, but im not sure what section yet cause they are my brothers, but they are also terrace level and i assume will be better than section 434 because he's had season tickets longer than i have. I also have parking passes to each game. i have not really decided what to ask. I guess if you want to make me an offer, and this goes for anyone else, go ahead and send me a message and i will kinda do the secret ballet thing where i take the highest offer. I'll definitely let you know what section the other tix are in asap.

I'll have some extras....if you're interested send me a message....i think i have 2 sets of 2, both in the terrace level.

Neither have I, but then again, I dont usually see people that far out of the baseline. The rule of thumb for second base is that if you can touch the base with any part of your body you're ok. Theres no way, even had he slid, that Beltran could have reached home plate.

They just showed a highlight of Carlos Beltran scoring the tying run against Chicago in the 8th inning. Looking at it twice, I noticed right away how far Carlos Beltran ran out of the baseline to avoid the tag. He was, in my estimate, at least 6 feet away from home plate, before coming in from behind it. Looking at the catchers reaction....the throw beat Beltran by plenty, and the catcher, Soto I believe, immediately turned and almost lunged to where Beltran should have been, and since he wasn't there, Soto kinda lost his balance, which allowed Beltran to go even further out of the baseline and come in from behind. I know its a tough call to make at this point, but I think he should have been called out. I don't know how you can expect the catcher to tag someone who is that far away from home plate. (edit: title change to avoid the need to move this to non-Brewers IGT --1992)

Calling for bunts from many of your best hitters like Hardy and Hart every time a runner is on base with no one out is flat out stupid I think this is the epitomy of the anti-small ball argument. Nobody is suggesting you do it every time. But there are definitely situations where scoring more one or two runs is more important that going for the big inning. Nobody seems to argue about bunting when you're down by one in the 9th inning. And this situation, right now......tied at 1 in the 4th innings.....1st and 2nd nobody out.....why not bunt to advance the runners? The run expectancy goes down, very slighty (1.53 to 1.43), with runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out from 1st and 2nd with nobody out, but you get the lead. Also it depends on the part of the lineup you're in, obviously you wouldnt have the number 8 guy bunt unless you were going to pinch hit. But a double play kills the inning, and what Corey Hart did, which ended up with guys on 1st and 3rd with one out, lowers the expectancy from 1.42 to 1.15, a significant drop. In some games it important to get the lead, more so than trying to score 5 runs.

Its not always about giving up outs. Just because you try to hit behind a runner doesnt mean you are giving yourself up. Teams like the Cubs have plenty of guys who can get hits while still hitting behind the runner. Similarly, a bunt doesnt always have to be a sacrifice, as Hall showed last night. You can move a runner up and get a bunt single at the same time. I am just so sick of seeing the same scenario play itself out all the time, including once on Tuesday. They get a guy on second with nobody out and 3 batters later the inning is over and the guy is still standing on second because every one of our hitters tried to hit the ball as hard as they can, which never involves opposite field.

I like the playing for 1 run when down by one run or tied late in the game. Especially when the team's worst hitters with no power are due up like Kendall and Counsell. I agree with this but I want to add on to it. I like the idea of small ball to score first, because I think it's important to get ahead early on in the game and put the pressure on the other team. I also like it to increase a one-run lead, because a one run lead can evaporate with one swing of the bat. I also want to clarify that by advocating small ball, I am not suggesting we always "give up an out". If you have a guy on second with nobody out, I would like the hitter to go to right field to move the runner. But he doesnt have to give himself up....he can still get a hit to the right side. I'd like to get a guy who knows how to get hits to the right side so we dont have to always give up an out, it's not like I am suggesting we bunt every time we have a guy on first with nobody out. And as far as Counsell goes, he is a below average hitter and never will be anything more. I dont think using him is a good example because he's not really doing anything different when he moves a runner over, he is just, for the most part, incapable of getting a hit.

What about Morgan Ensberg on a one year deal? I agree with some others and I think Hardy is/should be the answer. Pay him a little more on a 4 year deal and move him to third. If he doesnt want to, then move him anyway, and let him walk when his free agency comes up, and I guess hope Green or Lawrie is ready by then. I also wouldnt be opposed to a Bill Hall/Mike Lamb platoon next year, though.

A runner on 2B with 1 out is NOT giving a better chance even at scoring just the one run than a runner at 1B with no outs. I could be completely misunderstanding what you're saying, so I'll apologize ahead of time if I am...but I dont see how a guy on second with nobody out is no more likely than a guy on first with nobody out. That chart you provided.....I have no idea how to read it, but from what it looks like to me is that if there is a guy on second with nobody out the team scores on average 1.14 runs per inning, and when theres a guy on first with nobody out the teams score an average of .89 runs. That would mean the team is more likely to score with the guy on second, wouldnt it? I admit, I hate strikeouts. They are useless and a waste of an at bat. I dont know how they affect runs scored. In the case of Cameron, the reason I dont want him next year, as I've said all along, is that he doesnt provide anything offensively that 3 or 4 guys dont already provide......25+ HRs, 70+ RBI, few walks, lots of strikeouts. He may be able to swipe some more bases than Hardy and Fielder, but probably comparable to Hart and Braun. Why pay him so much money for him to provide something we already have. Who do I want to replace him? I honestly dont know. I'm hoping Brantley has a big spring and maybe even Gwynn heats up. yet seems to value one run over multiple runs. Anytime you're happy and/or readily willing to give up outs to advance runners 90 feet, your chances at run scoring decrease The small ball philospohy is designed to get at least one run, but its also designed to keep tacking on runs. How many times have we seen the Brewers score 4 runs in the first and go scoreless the rest of the game because of their inability to get back to back hits? A lot of times, tacking on those 1 or 2 extra runs late in the game helps put it away, especially with a shaky bullpen, and we cant do that. It's harder to have the big innings later in the game because the other team will change pitchers 3 times to get better matchups. Our inability to hold leads killed us last season, if i remember correctly. Yeah the bullpen was bad, but they didnt add extra runs, which can demoralize a team. Then when we go into prolonged slumps, like we did in early September, we have literally offense because we cant even get that one run in.

Get on base, move runners over. That's the foundation of scoring runs, not small ball. Isn't that the definition of small ball? I remember thinking during thar brutal 4 game sweep in Milwaukee that the Cubs seemed to have more hits to the opposite field then the Brewers had total. The reason they score all those runs and have a higher OBP is because their entire team isnt swinging for the fences like our team is. And they are willing, if not prefer to, hit the ball to the opposite field, which is something we don't. While our hitters might be more talented, and have better "potential", their hitters are just plain better. That all being said...why spend $10 million on a guy, Cameron, that does exactley what everyone else does? Why not get some balance?