bsglorydays

Madrx, I think Niemann would be a nice target for the Brewers. As you mentioned, he is out of options. Barring a bunch of injuries in spring training, Niemann definitely does not have a rotation spot and likely won't make the bullpen either. He also has had trouble warming up quickly over the course of his career, so he is better suited as a starter. He's had a nice minor league career (career ERA of 3.58 and 9.12 K/9) and really has nothing left to prove in AAA. The question is what it would take to get him. He's had some injuries, but he could be a good risk to take if the price is right. If he doesn't make the Rays, they would have to pass him thru waivers and TB would get nothing for him. If the Brewers could offer a decent prospect with options remaining, they might be able to get him. At best it could be a steal and at worst Niemann would add depth to a thin rotation and/or pitch in long relief. Adding Niemann also would not change the financial outlook of the team in terms of players payroll, since he will make the league minimum or close to it. The Brewers would still have the flexibility to add a player during the year if they need to try to make a run.

Attanasio made an Angelos decision this week when he fired Yost. Sure, Yost was probably going to get canned at the end of the season anyway. But, what Attanasio did (I'm not convinced a "baseball man" like Melvin would not have made the move, so I'm saying it was Mark A.'s decision) set the team back in the next few years, in my opinion. Here's why: Let's say the Brewers miss the playoffs this year, and they open a managerial search. If there is a "quality" veteran manager on the market, why would he want to come to the Brewers? He could be having a great year, but a couple of bad weeks (none of which could be pinned on the manager - its not like the Brewers were losing a bunch of close games) could cost him his job. The Brewers made a managerial change for one reason and one reason only - to shake up the team. Making that move in mid-September was a bone-headed move that will cost the team this year and beyond. They are already too far removed from the firing to get any benefit from it for this year. If anything, you could argue that Iorg coaching at 3B - the result of Yost's dismissal & Sveum moving to manager - has already had a significant impact on one loss (Thursday's game vs CHC when he sent Hardy home with nobody out, only to see Hardy get gunned by 20 feet).

Brewers fans weren't the minority at MP the last 4 days, it only seemed that way because the Cubs took it to us big time. It was probably 60/40 Brewers fans, but you wouldn't know it, because we sat on our hands for 4 days. If you were watching on TV, it also gets skewed because Cubs fans snatch up the expensive tickets behind home plate (in a way, we should be thanking them for that). I'm tired of listening to people say that they don't go to Cubs/ Brewers games because Cubs fans are "obnoxious" or whatever word you want to use. The bottom line is this... if the Brewers play well, you will not hear the Cubs fans. Cubs fans think we're obnoxious, too, when the Brewers win. Its perception. There are no better games to be at than Brewers/Cubs or Brewers/Cardinals...rivalry games... no matter what ballpark they are played in. If your team wins, you have no problems. If the other team wins, you're gonna hear about it. When 2 teams are so geographically close together, the crowd is going to be split. If you are going to complain about the number of Cubs fans at games, do something about it - come out of hiding and buy tickets.

In Braun's case, it would take a 7 year deal to buy out 1 year of free agency. He's still 6 years from free agency, if my math is good. That's not happening. I could see a couple years of arby bought out, but not free agent years.

The only way this makes any sense for the team is if it is very cost effective. Ryan Howard winning his arby case could be one reason to look at locking up players like Braun and Fielder, if and only if you are getting them at salaries below what you project they will make in their arby years. Otherwise, it is pointless, IMO. These guys are already under Brewers control for their first 6 years, so there is no reason to throw a bunch of money at them, especially (in Braun's case) after less than one year of service.

Last year, Saz's tickets went on sale the same day as the individual game tickets (or very close to it). So, in another week or so, you should see something on their site, I imagine. The Saz's package was well worth the $70 bucks last year, IMO.

If Sheets stays healthy, the Brewers are most likely in contention, IMO. There is no way you trade your best starting pitcher if you are in contention.

I'm not quite sure how Sickels came to the conclusion that Yo will be an ace early in his career and then morph into merely an innings eater in the not-so-distant future. The only reason he gives is concerns that Yo could have weight issues to deal with. Of course, in the comments section following the article, Sickels does admit that it is more of a "gut feeling".

So, no new inductees?

I'm still looking for the John Sickels 50/50 list (top 50 hitters / top 50 pitchers), if anybody wants to share it.

Okay thanks guys! I'll keep digging for the rest of the lists.

Does anybody have John Sickels' (minorleagueball.com) 50/50 prospect lists for this year. If so, could you please post them or send them to my inbox? Thanks in advance. For those who are unfamiliar, Sickels ranks the top 50 hitting prospects and the top 50 pitching prospects in separate lists. At his blog recently, he reviewed his lists from 2007. His 2008 lists are out there somewhere, but I haven't been able to track them down.

Actually, that's well put - in that, it illustrates that no matter what happens, if the Brewers lose, Yost somehow mishandled the bullpen in the minds of many here.

To anybody who thinks Yost mishandles his pitching, I hope you saw Cecil Cooper blow a chance for the Astros to at least tie the game in their (offensive) half of the 9th tonight. Scenario: 3-1 Cubs lead, no outs in the bottom of the 9th. Loretta leads off with a single that should have been an out (it caromed off first base). He's replaced by a "faster" player (notice the use of speed in this inning). The next hitter gets a hit to left center and then ends up at 3rd base on an error in the outfield. 3-2 Cubs, runner on 3rd, still nobody out. The next hitter, Luke Scott, swings at the first pitch and hits a "cue shot" off the end of his bat to 3B. 1 out, runner still at 3rd. Cooper summons a PH, Orlando Palmeiro, who walks. He's replaced at first base by another (assumingly faster player, since Palmeiro is not exactly slow) pinch runner. 1st and 3rd, 1 out. The only thing that can hurt you now is a double play. Who does Cooper PH with? None other than a backup catcher, Eric Munson, who runs like Johnny Estrada. He promptly grounds into a (predictable) double play. Game over. It can always be worse.

Its hard to blame the manager when he goes with the "best" guy and that guy doesn't get the job done. The fact that Turnbow pitched yesterday means absolutely nothing. He was obviously available today or he wouldn't have been used. Nobody is rested at this point in the season, but I'm sure (I hope) they all want the ball and proclaim themselves available every day. If anybody but Turnbow or Linebrink would have been used and got the loss today, Yost would have been bashed for that, too. Linebrink pitched last night, too, so take your pick. Using Turnbow to start the 8th was the right move IMO. That said, if somebody else was already warmed up in the pen after the 2nd walk, I would argue that Turnbow should have been pulled at that point. But, I don't know if anybody was ready or not. I'll take my chances with Turnbow vs the likes of Josh Phelps any day.

Ned's not looking over his shoulder at Kremblas. This happens all the time with many, maybe all, teams. In this particular case, the Brewers are rewarding Kremblas for another good season at Nashville. The benefit is, Kremblas has managed / coached many of the current Brewers, so he is definitely an extra set of eyes. But, to think that Kremblas is with the big club to put pressure on Yost or as a tryout of some sort is a bit out there IMO. I don't doubt that Kremblas will one day be a manager in the major leagues. I also don't doubt that he would be on a short list of candidates if the Brewers were ever searching for a manager. But, last I checked, the Brewers are a first place team and also about to end a long streak of non-winning seasons. Managers don't get fired for that.

I'm not sure where Yost, DM, MA or anybody else said they didn't like the fans. That's a new one. Jeffyscott, I'm with you in not liking the move to use Aquino, but who would you have used? He was the only guy that had warmed up at that point - you can only have 2 guys warming up in the pen, and Shouse and Aquino were the guys. Let's also not forget that a chain of events led to the use of Aquino. Its not like he was Yost's first choice: 1) McClung brought in in the 7th with a 3-run lead. McClung has pitched well recently and certainly should be able to survive with a cushion like that. He walks a guy, then gives up a single. 2) Linebrink brought in to bail McClung out. Gets the job done. 3) Turnbow comes in in the 8th and quickly implodes. Bases loaded. 4) Shouse comes in to face the lefty, but Cooper PH with Biggio, as expected. Biggio hits SF. 2nd and 3rd. Pence crushes lefties. 5) Aquino comes in. Had the Brewers wanted to use Cordero there instead of Aquino, it would have required a double switch, since the pitcher's spot was due up in the 8th. With Jenkins and Miller hurt, the bench was short, even with the expanded rosters because defensive replacements had been brought in - the right move IMO.

Mark A and Melvin rally around Yost for a couple of reasons: 1) They look at things with baseball logic, not with emotion like the fans do. Would you guys have fired Yost in April? The answer is no. Guess what... he is the same manager in September that he was in April. The difference is that the players didn't implode in April. 2) They can see what is happening: Yost is making sound baseball moves that aren't working. Putting Turnbow in in the 8th inning with a 3-run lead. Pulling Shouse when Pence is coming up, since Pence hits something like .350/1.025 vs lefties (maybe better), and going with the only righty that had warmed up at that point. Leaving Dave Bush in with a 4-2 lead when he has only thrown 77 pitches. Yet, when these moves backfire, people are ready to can Yost for "stupid moves". How about blaming the player for not getting the job done? I'm not saying that every move Yost makes is a good one. I certainly wouldn't endorse using Aquino yesterday, even though going to a righty was clearly the right move. You're never going to like every move a manager makes. Occasionally, a manager's move will win or lose a game, but those times are few and far between. But, I'm also not naive enough to think the manager has blown the season, when it has clearly been players not getting the job done. If certain guys in the bullpen continually blow leads, it is the GM's job to replace them. I'm not quite sure how to fix right fielders that can't make routine plays, though. 3 games have been lost directly or indirectly in the past 8 days because the right fielder has botched a routine play - Last Sunday, Hart misplayed a pop fly between 1B and RF which resulted in the runner scoring from first base on a ball that went maybe 180 feet, Thursday Hart misplayed a fly ball that was hit directly to him (lost in the sun/lights) which led to a 3-run inning for the Cubs, and Monday Gross was not able to play a liner hit directly to him which turned into a triple and scored 2 runs. I'm sure Yost screwed each of those games up somehow, though.

What can Ned do at this point? His decisions are not hurting this team. Unfortunately, there are some disturbing patterns that keep jumping up and biting this team... (A) Bad starting pitching puts the team in an early hole. Offense unable to put up enough runs to bail out the starter. (B) Brilliant starting pitching (like Suppan tonight), but our best relievers are unable to hold the lead. © Offense scores runs early, and fails to add on runs throughout the rest of the game. I'm sick of people blaming Yost for problems that are so obviously player-related IMO. I'd be curious to hear how Yost blew this game. Only the biggest of Yost haters could somehow blame him for this one. But, of course, if the players don't get the job done, it is somehow the manager's fault (as if he was up there swinging at fastballs over his head, throwing fastballs over the middle of the plate, failing to field comebackers to the mound, etc. It is the players that need to turn things around, not the manager.

I'd be surprised if the Brewers are approaching any sort of "record". Also, while Sunday's game was certainly a "bad" loss, it doesn't compare to the 5-run lead in the 9th inning that was blown by Wise and Cordero. 5 runs after 3 or 4 innings is not really what should be considered a "safe" lead IMO. A lot can happen in the remaining 5 or 6 innings. Throw in the fact that Capuano was on the hill today, and I was not shocked to see the lead evaporate - disappointed, but certainly not surprised.

Bunting once or twice or proving you can "beat the shift" would put an end to teams putting the shift on you. But, until you do that, the spray chart does not lie. Why should a team play the 3rd baseman straight up, when the evidence shows the hitter does not hit the ball to that part of the field?

I'm not sure "jaw jacking" gets guys to perform to the best of their abilities, but that's just my opinion. I'm sure Yost or Sedar will mention something to Rickie about the situation, but it will be done in a positive way. Jumping on somebody for a mistake is counterproductive IMO. It will be a good teaching session, even though Rickie obviously already knows what he did wrong.

I'm with you on that, JoeHova. XM should have more details shortly. As soon as I hear them, I will update. Still no link on any site not blocked by my employer. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif (can't get Rotoworld and some of the other ones that claim to be "fantasy baseball" sites)

One "late" trade just came thru: Matt Morris to Pittsburgh. (Edit: Posted in Rumors for now) So, it is still possible, though it seems unlikely at this point, that Melvin could have pulled something off.

Just reported by Ken Rosenthal and Kevin Kennedy on XM. Waiting for details of who Pittsburgh sent to SF. Believed to be Morris and cash going to Pittsburgh. Posted in rumors until link is available.