Jim French Stepstool
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Everything posted by Jim French Stepstool
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All season I've been beating the drum for keeping Chourio in a "less stress" spot in the order, even when he started heating up. No denying the talent, but at age 20 I thought it the wise thing to do. Ummmmm, yeah. Nevermind. The specialness of the kid is really coming through. Even on some of his outs, you can see the comfort level. Painfully slow, and still not a constant, but Hoskins appears to be getting there. Not only the power, but laying off & fouling off breaking pitches he had no chance on awhile ago. A really magnificent idea on the bunt right after the triple in the seventh. But a really lousy bunt. Would like to know if the idea was Turangs' or the dugouts'. Maybe not pitch to Ozuna the next two days.
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I certainly wouldn't have minded Paredes. But say what you will about Morel, if Tampa wanted a ML-ready 3B with some HR pop back in the deal we had nothing to offer. I'd like Wade but have no idea what he'd cost.
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Trevor Megill to 15 Day IL with Lower Back Issue
Jim French Stepstool replied to wiguy94's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
My theory is that we just put these guys on the IL to satisfy our front office fetish to pick up bullpen arms every deadline. Seriously, with Megill out my immediate concern right now is Williams. He seemed to have little idea where the changeup was going yesterday, and was visibly upset by it walking off the field. The last thing we need is a rough outing or two, followed by a "It's still spring training for Devin" refrain. -
I'm good with him getting some ABs, especially to spell Contreras for what's to come. But underneath the HRs & impressive early production there's a LOT of strikeouts which underlines that he probably isn't some kind of 6-or-8-week answer. By this time tomorrow I'll guess we'll be minus a catcher.
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I kinda felt the same way about him as a player. He was a hard worker & showed great toughness in light of the injuries he sustained, but overall left me wanting a bit. Maybe due to the high draft status. As managerial material, I panned his appointment at first but he's grown on me somewhat. Not many opportunities to hear what he has to say but what I have heard I've liked. And they say Murphy was adamant about him in that role so there's that. If he's a leader he'd certainly be a quiet one, in the mold of a Yount or a Cooper. At this point, if something happened to Murphy & he was thrust into the first chair it might be a bit concerning.
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True, & I'd be OK with it. I just wonder if their focus has turned away from that just a bit in light of adding a pen arm & Yelich being out. But the last 24 hours before the deadline is an eternity. You certainly can't rule anything out.
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It's looking more & more like we won't be picking up another starter unless something unexpected falls into our lap, which is doubtful. I wonder if there are concerns about Sonny Gray in STL, he's been cuffed around pretty good in recent starts.
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Sun. 7/28 - All Eyes on Misiorowski
Jim French Stepstool replied to Jim Goulart's topic in Brewers Minor League Talk
I agree re 40-man. Just talking about him being bumped a level to AAA. The more experienced, AAAA-types might give him a little better challenge AFA taking tough pitches & sharpening the location & command even further. -
Maybe I grazed over it too quickly. I thought it also factored in the ability to get around the bases & score runs, in addition to SB.
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Something like that would absolutely skyrocket an OPS for Yelich, you would think.
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Sun. 7/28 - All Eyes on Misiorowski
Jim French Stepstool replied to Jim Goulart's topic in Brewers Minor League Talk
That's the thing. At 24 you would think he'd be on a faster track as long as the performance is there, which it obviously is. Maybe when some smoke clears after 8/1? -
Good piece. I mentioned awhile back that everyone in the NL Central had their "Gee, that team really sucks!!!" stretch except us. Then it finally happened just before the break. All considered, I thought it was impressive they went that long w/o such a stretch. They're beaten down some, I'm sure. So is everyone else. An interesting sequence coming up, not only trade possibilities but IL stint conclusions, BP decisions, etc. Maybe at the end of it all Murphy will prove to be our Columbo--Rumpled, slow-talking deliberate kinda guy who doesn't know what he's doing---except he did, all along.
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Sorry but I don't see better options than keeping him there. He's shown me (and the team, apparently) enough earlier in the season to warrant it. Maybe if Ortiz' approach hadn't fallen off a cliff---maybe if there were enough baserunners out of the bottom third of the order to give Chourio opportunities w/baserunners---Maybe if Tyler Black could field a position---or WE were the ones that acquired Chisolm---- Yes, if this continues, it would suck. And if it doesn't, then something else. Sure, there's some subjectivity. With the lack of experienced options there kinda has to be. And maybe the leash, and the patience they show, is a little extended by the position the team is in right now in the NL. If ever there's an organization that's in perpetual 'stay the course' mode, it's this one. Big picture, it's served them well. But many of your points are valid. Well done.
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No, I didn't. That's why I originally answered the question with a question. See above answer to @yourout. A high OBP guy might also be someone you want a little deeper in the order if he has a knack for driving in runs, so it isn't etched in stone. But it's a starting point. I also like to look at pitches per AB, and the innate ability to foul off tough pitches. Speed is a plus but you don't have to be a burner. Ability/willingness to draw walks. Being able to bunt a runner over if late & a close or tie score, especially since 2-hole hitters are often the best hitter on a team nowadays. For the same reason, ability to steer the ball to the right side if a RHH. A lot of the above can't be quantified by stats. In a nutshell, I like someone who can be a 'pain in the ass' to a pitcher, make him earn his outs. Turang was terrific at that. The last 20 or whatever games he hasn't been. I think they're best served riding him out up there. You don't. That's what makes this board tick. I guess. The above, is the perfect leadoff hitter constructed out of my lab. Not the only way to go. Paul Molitor was great at the job & doesn't fit that description much at all.
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In a vacuum, I agree. The problem lies when you have a high OBP guy that you'd rather get up with runners on base. Like Yelich before the back started up again.
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To replace OPS? Nothing. I think OPS combines two stats that are drastically different when talking about a hitters' prowess & therefore the combined number is meaningless to me. I want more specific detail if looking at what a hitter brings to the table. Like I said, I have two numbers I can view. I don't need them combined into a third.
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Damn..........😲. That means he's been an OF for........seven, eight games? didn't think it was that many.
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Not Wiemer-bad, but too much movement right now, causing him to make up his mind waaay too soon. Look at (I think it was) his last at-bat. He battled, but chased at least three pitches I all but guarantee he would've taken for balls in May.
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That was a function of getting a guy that's been putting up some pretty good ABs lately (Bauers) and someone who is showing signs of seeing the ball better (Hoskins) both in the lineup while still being able to DH Contreras. Worked out well. The obvious drawback is Bauers in LF, but IMO he's been serviceable when out there.
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I'll be honest. When I first heard of the OPS stat many years ago and found out what it meant, I laughed. When critiquing a player as a hitter, I might want to look at his OBP. I might want to look at his slugging %. I'm probably in the minority but I think combining those two numbers into a 3rd is silly. I think it glosses over way too much detail. Two players can both have an .800 OPS, but be drastically different as to how they arrived at it. It's never been an important stat to me. To each their own, I guess.
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I don't agree with all his moves but I see the logic behind most of them. I don't know if you're referring to Mitchell getting thrown out, but I definitely think you run there. I WAS questioning Junis not getting a 3rd inning, unless that makes the difference between him being available on Wednesday. Some of the running on 1st & 3rd situations are IMO too aggressive, although that usually comes down to who's at the plate. I agree with @nate82 about the Sanchez AB. I also would've let Mitchell hit, but I get it. Not all, but many of these decisions in-game aren't slam dunks. They're 60%-40%, 55%-45%, and hunches that are based on stuff we couldn't possibly know about.
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Are the guys leading off, in that spot because their OPS is .700 or better? Or because they're best suited to the leadoff spot compared to the rest of the roster? Turangs' OPS, after today, is .698. If it raises two more points it won't make him any more suited to the leadoff spot. Or any less, for that matter.
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You can have a relatively high OPS & be effective in the leadoff spot (Schwarber is probably a good example) but I don't think it's a prerequisite. Some people put most/all of the emphasis on 'getting the extra AB' when looking at the leadoff spot in the order. I don't. If Turang continues to struggle getting on base up there, yep, it's a negative. He has to get better, that's the most important thing. I agree with @nate82, there isn't exactly a boatload of options.
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Yeah.........equating a low OPS with why someone shouldn't lead off, that's a new one on me. The only others that fit up there are either not in the lineup, or also not hitting.
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Would it be absurd to think Pena could start 2025 in Carolina? I know he isn't turning 18 until this fall, but my goodness, his performance in the DSL is ridiculous. And only K'ing once every 13-14 PAs, that's the type of stuff you used to see 70-80 years ago (not that I would know😁).
