Jim French Stepstool
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Everything posted by Jim French Stepstool
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Gilbert had really good movement on his pitches, and had one of those nights where he seemed to put everything exactly where he wanted it. Bad combination. Unpacking the offense tonight, the biggest thing I came away with was Turang & Yelich K'ing a combined seven times, in a game in which the M's used a LHP for exactly one-third of an inning. As good as the home team threw the ball--and they threw it really well---that's a performance we can't afford. Yelich can be so confounding sometimes. The ultra-high BA days obviously are over for him, which is fine. But it's difficult to imagine a hitter as productive as he can be put up so many ABs where he reminds you of the days when pitchers used to hit for themselves. 2018-2019 are over, but he needs to figure out a way to be something north of completely lost, which is how he looked tonight on way too many pitches. That said, I thought our approach in the 9th was very, very solid (outside of the AB from Yelich). Collins turned in a piece of work vs Munoz that has rewarded him all season, and this time it didn't. I feel bad for the kid.
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2025 Minor League Transaction Thread
Jim French Stepstool replied to Jim Goulart's topic in Brewers Minor League Talk
I know he didn't get many innings in w/Milwaukee, but Zastryzny has been an asset in both his Brewer stints. Hope he makes it back here. A nice option for the "closer for the starter role" as they used to call it, coming in to close out the 5th or 6th inning. -
He's had a couple knocks (one a bunt) so far, but I would be pleasantly surprised if he doesn't struggle some due to the long layoff & little or no spring training. That said, having him available on this roster is going to pay dividends even after Frelick returns. Being able to call on someone who can play an elite CF is valuable.
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And in a purely non-statistically driven vein, let me say right here & now that any analytics that prove that Joey Ortiz isn't an elite defensive shortstop can eat my shorts.
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Bauers to IL.... Black Recalled
Jim French Stepstool replied to Jastro's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
Yeah, that's what I was getting at. Maybe "jerking around" is a bad definition on my part for keeping him off the roster & eventually on rehab while waiting until 9-1 when he may actually be ready before then. Save for Vaughn getting hurt or falling off the face of the earth, that's what I expect. -
Bauers to IL.... Black Recalled
Jim French Stepstool replied to Jastro's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
That's what I wonder about in all this. For those who like theorizing about jerking around with the IL, that might wind up being a textbook case. For all his recent struggles, it seems they like Bauers as a bench piece so I'm not 100% convinced he's never coming back as some have theorized. -
I like people who are overly obsessed about launch angle & exit velocity. I think they're funny. This guy thinks his team should have just maintained their cushion in the standings & then steadily expanded it. Instead, while still winning games at a decent pace the lead is only one game. He's annoyed by that. Some analytics can be interesting, even at times significant. But those who overly obsess on them forget how baseball can't be defined in a neat, analytics-driven statistical package like FB & BB can. Regarding todays' game, I think it would be a wonderful day for Yelich to watch Kershaw throw from the comfort of the dugout. His ABs vs LHP yesterday were embarrassing.
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Perusing the comments, I'd just like to say that I had zero problem with Durbin bunting. The placement, yeah; that missed. But I understand what he was trying to do & just got it too close to Freeman. He's going to have the type of career where he might go deep or hit one up a gap & then follow it up w/a well-placed bunt, a walk, or even letting a pitch clip him in a billowed sleeve for a HBP. He's made himself very, very valuable. And as for Ortiz, knowing this organization & what they base success on I'm not sure they'll make a deal involving a SS if they aren't certain there won't be a significant drop defensively. Not saying they should or shouldn't. Just sayin'. Especially in the here & now with Frelick sitting, it feels real good having Perkins back on the roster.
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I hope that damned pitching lab is out in the middle of a desert somewhere, a mile underground with sensors & fighter jets protecting it. What this organization does with other folks' former pitchers is nothing short of astounding.
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Very good point. If you gotta play these guys this isn't the worst time to do so. Even with all their injuries they still can be very formidable but they just haven't been hitting on all cylinders. How teams come out of the chute after the ASB is always interesting. Even with all the other talented hitters in their lineup, it's refreshing to face them w/o Muncy. He always seems to be pure clutch.
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Wisconsin Basketball Off-season Stuff
Jim French Stepstool replied to Jim French Stepstool's topic in Other Sports
Thanks for the update!! I neglected to mention Bielauskas in my initial post. From what I've heard he doesn't have the physical maturity to play inside in the B10 quite yet, but has a very high motor and like you said really attacks the boards. My guess is Garlock & Greppi will both be in front of him for minutes this year, but we'll see. It sounds like Hayden Jones was very impressive in the FIBA U-19 tourney. -
Really happy to get the first two w/o Ashby. He's a great answer to the first 4-5 spots in the Nats' lineup & this isn't a great opponent to have to face with only one LHP in the 'pen if you get a short start like yesterday. He might not be needed, but maybe Quintana is available for an inning today. I think there's way too much b****ing among fans when the so-called "Sunday lineup" is rolled out, but I'll admit it's a little strange with the ASB coming up.
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Wisconsin Basketball Off-season Stuff
Jim French Stepstool replied to Jim French Stepstool's topic in Other Sports
So the team will be playing twice in the Fiserv in Milwaukee this upcoming season, even though the two D-1 schools in the city both come to Madison. On 12/19 they play Villanova. This is one of many neutral site (or semi-neutral) games that third-party promoters have been creating in recent years, and there will probably be more in the future. Easier to create attractive matchups when you don't have to go into a teams' home arena, and I'm sure the guarantees are pretty damn lucrative. UW has a similar game in November when they play BYU, not on their home floor but in Salt Lake City. It's expected the Cougars will come to Milwaukee the following season. The other Milwaukee game, if you can call it that, is an exhibition--not a non-conference game, an exhibition--On October 24 vs Oklahoma. Teams have played these so-called 'secret scrimmages' for years. It was just a matter of time before promoters stuck the cash IV into these, too---sell it to TV if you can, print tickets, hold it in an NBA arena. And from what I heard second-hand, the courtside seats are around $300 with many of the others going in the 50-$100 range. For a glorified scrimmage. No thanks. -
All of a sudden Contreras is hitting & Chourio is starting to find more holes, too. It's massive if that keeps up.
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So glad someone brought that up. Changed everything. Otherwise Turang is more likely pitched to, and if he makes the second out Durbin might get walked leaving it up to Ortiz. And with us having tied the game I don't think we'd have seen Siegler PH for him, either.
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I didn't expect it either, but the deal there was Bauers is more likely to pull the ball & get Monasterio to 3B than Collins was. So he DOESN'T pull but Monasterio makes it to third anyway. Baseball.
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IMO it would take more than that For Ramirez. If you're correct then that definitely has to be explored.
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I enjoy your posts, but you lost me there.
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It's hard for me to get a handle on exactly what Myers would bring back. But larger picture, it just astounds me how unbelievable this organization has been at decision making & identifying talent. As late as 2022, Myers pitched for three different organizations (AAA) & went a combined 1-15 w/a WHIP over 2 & an ERA well over 7. Placed on waivers by one team; released by another. And now we're speculating about him possibly bringing in one of the biggest bats on the market. I say build a force field around Hook, Henderson & the pitching lab & cover the whole thing with a golden dome.
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Jacob Misiorowski is an All-Star
Jim French Stepstool replied to wiguy94's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
Listening to his comments since arriving here, the kid is about as perfect a blend of confidence, yet humility, that you can get. He's incredibly easy to pull for so I'm happy for him. But this is like the opposite of the Kershaw selection. Legacy pick vs media-driven, eyeballs-tuning-in pick. But mostly happy for him. -
Priester following an opener has worked really well in the past, and this seems like a good lineup to do it against. Flip side, this means only one LHP available in the BP all weekend, unless Halls' outing is brief enough that he can come back Sunday. Maybe Quintana could be used for an inning on the last day before the break w/3 days off but I'm guessing no.
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I guess I just look at how important run prevention is to this team, and has been for years. Right now they're very strong up the middle in the INF. IMO, an immediate move of Turang to SS & Durbin to 2B would make us something less than that---not horrible by any means, but not as good. And it's hard for me to picture them downgrading defensively, even if it's a just little bit. If I'm wrong, you're correct that it would need to be a substantial acquisition. And my gut tells me they aren't excited about getting into a prospect bidding war for Suarez. And I'm not sure what Bregman would command on the trade market; he has opt-outs so they'd almost certainly view him as a rental. Agree re Shaw; not any kind of a parallel. Just pointing out a specific instance where moving a chess piece around the INF was somewhat doable. Talk about being an idiot---I was a catcher, and never built up in HS either.😕
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We'll see I guess. He certainly did come up as a SS, and a very good one. And we all know what he's doing defensively at 2B. He was moved to SS well into spring training IIRC, and then had the arm issues, which he hadn't had before the move, or since (did the longer & more overhand type throws factor in? We don't know, but I think it's reckless to just dismiss the possibility). Certainly there are players out there that might tempt one to make such a move if acquired, but that requires a desire or willingness to move him off 2B & I just don't see them moving a couple people around like that in-season. To me that's the stuff you more likely see in March (or in 2018 when you could shift anywhere & hide a Travis Shaw at 2B). I believe a splashier INF acquisition (probably on the unlikely side, but who knows?) simply cuts into the PT of a Durbin or Ortiz while sending a Monasterio or Seigler back to N'Ville & when Ortiz plays he gets PH for late in games when necessary. At the end of the day yeah, people might not remember how good a SS Turang was. I just feel how good he is at 2B RIGHT NOW trumps making a shift.
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I thought this thread would be locked after we traded pitching (Civale) for a bat (Vaughn). Seriously, I don't know if there's a SS out there that has a glove like Ortiz, or is a good enough bat to be worth downgrading the position defensively while giving up prospect(s). Maybe Kiner-Falefa, as someone mentioned earlier? If a move like that has the added benefit of strengthening the bench & the price is right, maybe. I do know there's no way Turang is being moved to SS in-season, or probably ever. I still say Perkins would be a welcome addition if the guy can ever get/stay healthy.
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Hadn't seen him play much with Chicago, but watching him both on the field & at bat the last few days he seems like one of these guys with a low heartbeat, which can serve you pretty well on the diamond. Even in his postgame interview on Monday, pretty low key. Can't wait for the "players with at least one RBI in each of their first three games as a Brewer" graphic.
