rickh150

I liked Melvin's deals, almost all of them. I really thought that was a strength of his Over the last decade. Rarely did we get fleeced. When you look at DS's deals/FA pickups, it is hard not to like what has been done so far, either. Approaching the deadline, it will be interesting to see DS at work. I thought Melvin had a great personal quality. Other GM's genuinely liked the man ( or so it seemed) because he had care of helping the other team get value and fill gaps. We'll see if DS has said quality to get together and get BIG deals done, and for our favor. From first and second impressions of him, he seems like a guy fairly easy to meet and greet. Yet, to me, he does come across as "much smarter than you" in some smug replies, at least with the media. We'll see how his first deadline goes.

LOL softball team that is funny oh wait you are being serious. Sadly, I am being serious. A dozen players that hardly follow MLB make less unforced errors at 3B in 10 seasons than one professional MLB player in 3 and a half months. Villar's running into outs IS THAT BAD! At this pace, he will have roughly a game and a half worth of unforced outs by himself at season's end. Again, some are ok. It shows he is trying to get that extra base ( more reward vs. some risk). Most other times, as said and repeated often, he's playing without a brain.

The "OK basketball coach" (really?) with no MLB experience would take care of this problem. The grizzled, veteran MLB player and savior manager Counsell....hasn't and, looks like, won't....probably won't deal with it either. Funny, you didn't deny this. Sedar isn't the guy calling decisions to steal 3rd with two outs on the bases. Counsell sends in or relays the signs (or lack thereof) to Sedar. He calls the shots. Oops, basketball reference.....

Bo Ryan would have absolutely none of this BS on his teams. I contend that if he was running this team, Villar would learn quickly not to steal 3rd with two outs. Also, telling Villar not to steal 3rd base with two outs should have been done a long time ago. That it still goes on, make or caught, signals Counsell's stupidity or lack of manager control on the team. Only conclusions to draw. Another close game lost! Repeating myself....... My softball team, not made up of many huge baseball fans, did not make as many unforced errors at 3rd base in a decade as Villar has made this season. Something is wrong. Fix it now, Counsell.

Get serious, coaching staff! Yes, sit him for a game, that is if he is not following signs! If he hasn't been told not to steal in certain situations, shame on Counsell! Yes, shame for putting selfish stat in front of team goal.

So........ If Davies pitches this weekend and stays in the majors the rest of the season, what is his MLB service time. Anyone have the calculations? Do we actually get another year of his services before FA?

Outs on the bases: You couldn't care less? Sounds like Villar's attitude... To me, I care about shooting ourself in the foot time and time again with zero change. Sounds like Altuve needs to clean up his baserunning too. Good try in trying to justify stupidity. Villar, having a great season, not arguing that. I'm not upset when he gets caught stealing second, especially when there is two outs and he is trying to get into scoring position. Hustle plays, same thing..... There is a time and place to try to stretch singles to doubles, doubles to triples. The reward is great enough to take on the risk. However, the man hasn't a clue how to decipher when to go or not and sadly needs to start being held accountable for the same mistakes time and time again..... Five unforced outs at 3B???? Not including stolen bases? And we're just at the All-Star break? This is a great season for all players, including the young good ones like Villar, to be taught.

Breaking them down: 3 at first, 5 at 3rd (!!) and 2 at home. By comparison, Lucroy, Braun and Carter have made a total of 8 outs on the bases. Everybody that is defending Villar, read this info again! Ten unforced errors on the bases! Five at third! I have played ball for decades and cannot remember any whole team of mine getting chucked at 3rd 5 times in one season ( unforced). Great info! Source?

Happy with Villar too overall ..... Just clean up the simple, selfish, little league mistake of taking 3rd with two out! The other with him is getting chucked at 3rd on a routine grounder to short.

Risk/Reward.... Then no risk is ever taken. Runners from 2B stops at 3B on a base hit to the outfield. No one tries to steal a base. No one stretches a single into a double. There is a time and place to risk an out, and there are definite times, unbeknownst to Villar, when you don't.

And he's running on Molina.... Double dumb.

Just happened again..... If Cardinals third baseman catches ball, Villar is out at third, inning over. Carter then walked, Kirk base hit (which would have scored Villar from second anyway). Dumb baseball.....

Not sure.... Just a few is my guess on steals. Not the point, though. He shouldn't even be looking to steal it straight up. Reward isn't worth risk....Plenty of times getting chucked at 3rd when not stealing, especially on grounder to SS, however.

Selection process- a third fans' vote, third players' vote, third 32 managers' vote. Home field WS- love that the game means something more than an exhibition win. Change nothing.

Tired .... So tired of seeing certain Brewers mistakes. I can live with most, but always hate to see these 3 - runner out at 3rd for 1st out - runner out at home for 1st out - runner out at 3rd for 3rd out Now, I believe we have been better under Counsell with not breaking these as much as with RR (Gomez was the king of breaking these with no change and I mean none over time) Now, I see Villar routinely try and often succeed in stealing 3rd with two outs. It doesn't matter if we are down by 5 in the 8th, if a hot hitting Lucroy or Braun is up. Situation? Doesn't matter. The guy has the keys to the car with Dad's blessing and a pocketful of hundreds to pay the fines if caught. It doesn't matter if he's caught, almost caught, thrown out, he is doing the same thing night in night out to his benefit and the team's detriment. I absolutely hate this for any baseball team. One- because There is definitely a time not to steal. The risk isn't worth the reward (a runner can score from 2nd without a throw most often on any sort of hit with two outs). Two- a loose cannon on the bases hurts us more than helps us in key situations. Three- it shows us that the manager doesn't prioritize outs on the bases as highly as he should. Four- it looks like Villar truly cares about his personal stats and stolen base leader status MORE than making an unforced error on the bases. For me, it's an Easy fix to this one.. When Villar is on second with two out, a stop sign is put up by Sedar. Why not?

I watch Brewers games regularly and have been keeping careful watch on Defensive positioning of infielders, especially this year because of drastic shifts. Although difficult to keep track of on Tv (much easier at the ballpark), it seems to me the Brewers have not been giving enough credence to the DP this season. Meaning, when a runner is on first, the shift and over shift has kept us from turning two (or even getting one) on several occasions. While I can see the need for shifts without men on first, I don't like the shift, as much, with a guy on first. Reasons.... Two come to mind. 1. Inability for two players to cover 2B-----Short stop (for righty hitters) is often way in the hole not being able to cover second base if ball is hit to the Second baseman (vice versa for lefty batters). The double play is not being valued enough when only one guy is near second base. 2. DP's limit big innings----- The pitcher can get out of a lot of big innings (which has hurt the Crew a bunch this year) with the DP. The shift, although it can get us some DP's too, has hurt more than helped when a runner has been on first, in my mind. I have no numbers to back this. The Brewers are 16th in baseball defensively in turning two, very much middle of the pack. Just from watching regularly and taking mind notes, I think it has cost us runs (and perhaps a game or two) over the long haul. This isn't a specific topic talked about much, although the shift, in general, has been discussed nightly by BA and Schroeder/written about by bloggers. I'm interested in what others see and if someone has any info/site with more info on the topic.

The details of that story are murky at best. The original report was full of personal conjecture from the reporter. Putting him in the bullpen would do nothing to help him. He's never pitched out of it before and it would have been pointless to make him do so during a lost season. Lohse went to the bullpen to try and salvage his career. Totally different situation. And your comparison to Sheffield is ridiculous. Gary tanked plays and claimed racism to get traded. Garza just sucked. No, Garza made a federal case out of an obvious team decision. He was crying foul ironically to an organization paying him big bucks to pitch well. He felt that his starts were more important than a young guy getting a chance in September. He took his ball and went home. He deserted the team (and was allowed to do it). Tanking/falsely claiming racism or insubordination/desertion? At least in the same ballpark in my book.

No, Garza made a federal case out of an obvious team decision. He was crying foul ironically to an organization paying him big bucks to pitch well. He felt that his starts were more important than a young guy getting a chance in September. He took his ball and went home. He deserted the team (and was allowed to do it). Tanking/falsely claiming racism or insubordination/desertion? At least in the same ballpark in my book.

So Garza at home is better than having him in the pen? This is the guy you want in the rotation? I am coming to terms of having him back, but what he did last season was a new one for me... Can't sweep that one under the rug. Would like to, though. But I blame management too. That wasn't handled well. Peralta hasn't been great or good; however, Garza hasn't been a major league caliber pitcher in a while either. This will be interesting to see how the rotation is used for the rest of the season, especially with Hader doing so well.

There is no chance that the Brewers simply let Peralta go at season's end. He will be affordable and could easily bounce back. For what it's worth, he still throws hard, is in his prime years, and has decent control. He was the MVP in his last start, as well. I see him back with the team in August and September..... Then we'll have him for an additional year, as well. In my mind, he's STILL one of our best pitchers, even though his stats say otherwise. Garza on waivers?

Play Broxton almost every day. The three-headed lefthanded outfielder should get some at bats, not most of the at bats, filling in elsewhere. Why Counsell is jerking this guy around is beyond me.

Baseball is an individual sport not much team about it. The team can't help a batter hit and a team can't help a pitcher pitch either. Baseball is jut not a team sport like basketball, football, hockey or soccer. Baseball has more in common with singles tennis than it does with other team sports. When a player is playing for themselves in baseball that is a duh statement to me and rather pointless. Baseball is a team sport. It isn't tennis. The organization's philosophy, the atmosphere in the clubhouse, the spot in the order, the manager's decisions of where and when to play, teammate support, and the coaches' side sessions do help a batter hit. A good team defense can make a pitcher look good instead of bad. A good team offense gives Garza a win even when he doesn't pitch great. Here's the issue... Garza pitched badly last year. Counsell gave him more than enough time at the major league level to get right, which didn't happen. He arguably pitched worse than Lohse, who was moved to the pen at season's end. When he finally was told that his starting spot was being given to someone else, he had a very public temper tantrum, complained about the decision, didn't want to pitch in the bullpen, and ultimately walked away from the team for the month of September..... And he took his full 12 million dollar contract with him, still getting paid every last cent.... No apologies. He left bitter, loathing Melving. Time away maybe would help, right? Nope. He comes into spring training with more crazy talk of pitching for self. To me, he was pitching for self from the beginning. He better be, but he better not be ONLY pitching for himself. How about doing what is best for the team? Go to the pen. Help the team there. Mentor a youngster call-up in September. Do what the team asks you to do. When you struggle or Greatly struggle AND obviously hurt the team every 5 days in starts, the average starter realizes the writing is on the wall and changes need to be made to the staff! He somehow felt that the organization owed it to him to let him pitch whenever he wanted, regardless of results, regardless of how well other pitchers were doing, regardless of the Brewers place in standings and wanting to see young guys like Lopez and Davies pitch. I put his attitude in the same category as Sheffield and Sterling Sharpe. He wanted his way regardless of what was obviously best for the team. I hope Garza does well in the coming months. He is a Brewer. I hope he has become a better pitcher. If he has or hasn't, I hope he has learned from his incredibly selfish mistakes.

Checked on Cotts Contracts.... Peralta's service time is listed as 3.033 before season started. Even if he's down a week or two, that should be enough time to get another year of service! I take back my earlier comments... Go Garza!

The other person that immediately comes to my mind with a similar situation was JJ Hardy. He was sent down and we gained another year of his services. Then we flipped him for Gomez, partly because of his newly added value. Will we gain another year of Willy by having him in the minors? Anyone have his current MLB time? If it was exactly 4 years coming into the season, we should get another year of his services (thru arby).

And.... Is Garza " pitching for himself"? His actions last fall and comments this spring are filled with selfish, not team, ambition. Sad thing is, out of everybody in the rotation, he is going to get a longer leash than anybody, in my opinion. They won't gave the stones to move him out of the rotation because of the drama and headaches he caused.....