rickh150

If I had to give RR a grade, it would be high. He seems very likable, willing to calmly explain his views and rationale for making moves. He seems to be a thinker, which is good. Also, we're in first place and most of the guys seem to enjoy playing in Milwaukee and for this manager. Yet, what puzzles me is the stuff that happens on the field lately. Here's a list from the current road trip: 1. McGehee and Betancourt swinging 3-0 2. Morgan/Weeks taking off for 3rd when the ball is hit to short 3. Betancourt caught stealing at 3rd for the 3rd out 4. Weeks running through stop sign at 3rd Now, there is more that have been corrected this season like getting thrown out at home with no outs. That is much better. Yet, I'm not hearing questions posed to RR by reporters on what is said or told, if anything, to these players who mess up from time to time. Everyone makes errors and mental mistakes, but I don't like losing for not being smart. When is it ever ok for a .220 hitter with a few HR to swing 3-0? When is it ok for a non stolen base threat to steal 3rd with 2 outs? I would like to know what is being done behind closed doors, if anything. Not the specifics, but just if things were handled. That question needs to be posed to our manager. It is THAT important . I can't emphasize it enough. Are these major blunders being ignored and forgotten, being chalked up in the "oh well" column, or are these situations being talked about, dealt with individually? Is there a 10 minute meeting with individuals, quizzing them on situations that come up during the game? Are things being taught? In lower levels of baseball, a kid could be told to sit the rest of the game for swinging 3-0 or not following your 3rd base coach. My hope is that these errors are at least being talked about in the clubhouse and not simply ignored. I don't want these things costing us the division.

Didn't he go 3-0 with a 2 something ERA? Why is he being overlooked for the bullpen? Again the Crew brings up someone else (Scarpetta) instead of him. Why?

I like Bill Hall Star's idea the best. That might work, but then forget about signing Marcum and Greinke. What I'd rather do after 2011, as of right now: 1. Offer Prince (only)20 million for next year, and trade Hart (we have some upcoming OF, even Gamel) and/or Wolf. Don't pick up Yuni's opton of 6 million Get a better and cheaper SS from the trade(s)..This would keep next year affordable. Overall, a 20, 30(ML record), (player option years here after)20, 20, 20, 20, (20-mutual option)....... salary stucture might get it done....50 over 2? 75 over 3? 150 over 7 years? Perhaps we could defer some of this money like Braun's contract. 2. Sign Greinke long-term, backloading the contract. 3. Trade Marcum.... I know, I know, he is our best pitcher. Yet, how long can he keep this great pitching up not being a hard thrower. Trade him at his highest value for a younger AAA type pitcher and/or positon player/reliever. Overall, I don't want to get to ahead of myself......... 2011 is pretty fun. Let's fully enjoy it.

Braun in the 2 spot and Fielder in the 3 will give them about 20 more AB each for the year. Big monster reason to switch. We have no 2 hitter. This would also get rid of a hated scenerio of Fielder coming up in the first(or other innings) with one on and two outs and the pitcher pitching around him. It would also give Braun the idea that he has to be a run producer and run scorer, putting him in more running situations (he's still not running in the first with 2 outs and Fielder up no matter who's managing) Weeks, Braun, Fielder= Molitor, Yount, Cooper?????????? It worked in 82. Maximize the upper half of the order as much as you possibly can because the bottom is shaky. Don't waste Braun and Fielder's at bats. Weeks Braun Fielder McGehee Hart LuCroy SS CF

Don't we have to try and get something for him. I mean, if and when Fielder walks, we won't be getting much of anything for him. Don't we have to try and get something for Weeks before the season starts? Or are we so all in this year that trading Weeks isn't even an option?

How many times did it happen last year? We were forced to bat a lefty off the bench against a lefty. This issue should be becoming a priority now that starting pitching and the bullpen have been addressed.

Why no news of any progress? Could it be that he told Melvin that he's waiting until season's end to talk, and THAT motivated Melvin to make the Greinke trade. It makes sense to me, especially since the local media hasn't been talking about Weeks for a couple of weeks now.

Podsednik to Milwaukee? 1. He has a nice lifetime OBP,.340ish I believe. 2. He could start in CF, backup the other positions, and most importantly, bat second. 3. He's a lefthanded hitter, has played in Milwaukee and enjoyed his time here. 4. Scotty can bunt, run, and provides some professionalism and hustle. 5. He won't cost that much, and a two year contract probably would get it done. Call it an upgrade over Dickerson. The Angels appear interested, but maybe we could have an edge now that we are viewed as definite playoff contenders.

Podsednik to Milwaukee? 1. He has a nice lifetime OBP,.340ish I believe. 2. He could start in CF, backup the other positions, and most importantly, bat second. 3. He's a lefthanded hitter, has played in Milwaukee and enjoyed his time here. 4. Scotty can bunt, run, and provides some professionalism and hustle. 5. He won't cost that much, and a two year contract probably would get it done. Call it an upgrade over Dickerson. The Angels appear interested, but maybe we could have an edge now that we are viewed as definite playoff contenders.

Did Hardy just get traded? I wouldn't mind having him back for the right price.

Odd title, I know. Seeing the Brewers have Fielder for next season, there is no need to get him, or give up anything for that matter. However, I'm very concerned over the lack of trade value Fielder has this off-season, seeing the Brewers lacked any great offers this mid-season. So my question today: If Fielder wasn't on the team and you, as GM of the Brewers, could get him for one season, what is the most talented Brewer you would give up to get him? I want to point out these bits of info before you get too heavy in thought.: You would only have him for ONE season, seeing he is destined to be a free agent.You would have to pay him an expensive 15 million in arbitration, give or take.There are other cheaper/ less talented FA 1B out there- Dunn, D. Lee, Overbay etc.You could go with current Brewers to play 1B: Hart, McGehee, Gamel.Sadly, I don't think the Brewers could get much for him. I really don't know what I would be willing to give up. I wouldn't even give up LuCroy, Cain, or Escobar. To answer my own question, the player I would be willing to give up from the Brewers organization would be Zach Braddock. The Brewers are stacked with relievers coming up the system. So, maybe the Brewers would be better off keeping Fielder for half the year/full year and looking to trade Lawrie and Gamel for SP. Maybe one or both of these guys and an A pitcher could land a Cain or Grienke. (edit: cleaned up code in list --1992)

I'm very thankful for FoxSports and all its great coverage before, during, and after games. Brewer fans get to see about all the games on TV. I still have to remind myself that this hasn't always been. Thinking more about it, this year probably will have more games televised than any other year in Brewers history. Wow! My minor concern of the day focuses on stats that aren't Brewer friendly. Bill and Brian are supposed to, I'm sure, promote the Brewers name and game and not draw attention to some of the team's deficiencies. For example, FSN didn't say that Kotteras was something like 1-24 in throwing out runners during midseason play. I learned of this from a Brewers ESPN Sunday Night Game. So, here are a few finds that I am looking for. Maybe some of the stats experts can help: 1. What is Kotteras's throw out rate NOW? 2. How many sacrifices do the Brewers have this year, and where do they rank in all of MLB? 3. About every game we hear how great the Brewers pitchers are with the bat(HRs and BA), yet how many sacrifices do our pitchers have and where do they rank in all of MLB? 4. How many SBs and SB attempts do the Brewers have with 2 outs, and where do they rank in all of MLB(I'm sorry, but Macha has to learn to send speedy guys with two outs when singles hitters are up.)? Thanks.

Around 2004, I met Gorman on the Field Level Concourse on the 1B side. He was just walking past(probably from Gorman's Grille), and I had him sign the ball I got from batting practice. He was one of my favorite players as a kid, and I was a bit shocked to see him. I wanted to say/ask him something, and if I had more time to think I probably could have come up with something better than(not word for word)..."Hey, I still remember your last at bat in the World Series(he struck out against Sutter after fouling about 10 off), and that was impressive." He looked at me as if to see if I was making fun of him, but then, I believe, he knew I was sincere in my appreciation of that long at bat, not wanting to give the World Series to the Cardinals. "What was it, something like 13 fouls?" Gorman replied. I said my thanks and parted ways.----------(If anyone can recall, I still want to know how many pitches he saw and fouled off.) In 2005 or so, I also got Jerry Krause's autograph (former GM of the Bulls) during batting practice behind home plate, once again on a baseball from bp. I think he was a baseball scout at the time. The most unique thing here was that after he signed, he said, "Thank you" very sincerely and gave me the ball. He still doesn't get his due for those Bulls championships, but Jerry did make his share of blunders at the end of their run.

Bo Ryan of your and my Wisconsin Badgers....................... His teams overachieve. That's what I want in Milwaukee. I would like to be pleasantly surprised with how great our team has become.

He might be in Milwaukee a year from now. Performance is everything. If he tears it up, the Brewers won't be able to keep him down.

I'd like to see him pitch in Appleton yet this year. The Timber Rattler site isn't extremely helpful with projected starters(unless I'm not looking in the right place). Or are the Brewers shutting him down for the rest of the season?

Even if the Brewers stole 30 more bases this year(and thrown out 15), they probably wouldn't be a .500 team. THAT being said, I have not been impressed at all at the Brewers running game. I see many flaws and have many questions for our team and manager while watching the Brewers from my couch at home and my seat at Miller Park. Here are a few flaws/questions: 1. How come Weeks only has seven, count'em seven stolen bases? -------------- He supposedly is fast. He is our lead-off hitter and has a respectable OBP at .373. This segways me to #2. 2. How come Brewer players rarely steal on the first or second pitch? I wish that I had a stat to back up my statement(I wouldn't be surprised if there was a stat on this somewhere with the quality of fan at brewerfan.net) on this one. Yet, from my possibly slanted view, I see Brewer players waiting until later in the count to go. Now, I know some counts are more beneficial to running... 2-1, 3-2..Still, if a Brewer has the steal sign, steal the base early. A hit now scores one. It boggles my mind to see Weeks standing at 1B to end the inning or any one with speed not running when there are two outs(except when Fielder is up, maybe.) Weeks always should be on the move when Hart and Braun are at the plate with 0 or 1 out. 3. How many times do you see a fast Brewer(Weeks, Braun, Hart, Escobar) stealing a base and then having the ball fouled away? Are we on the same page here? Some times, that base is stolen, easily. Yet, our player likes the pitch and fouls it away. I know, this happens all around baseball. Yet, I think it happens here more. This brings me to #4. 4. Do we have a steal sign? I hear Schroeder talking about how Gomez has the "green light" anytime that he is on the bases. Yet does he ever have the "red light" in situations? Is there a sign that says that a runner HAS to run on the next pitch. Does the "go" sign, if there is one, change with the pitch count. This would really be interesting news to here from Macha or Randolph since I can only remember once or twice that a double steal was attempted. I feel Macha is very uninterested in the cat and mouse games on the bases and prefers to ignore it with the belief that "it is better to be safe at first, than sorry at 2B." These questions have been with me all season and last. Some were with me with Yost, as well. To answer myself, the easy answer is that the Brewers shouldn't be concerned with stealing bases since they hit home runs. And also to answer myself, the Brewers have the second(?) most runs in the NL, and pitching is the real problem, so take a chill pill. However, having an organized running attack can help win games. If Weeks can steal second more, if Brewers can steal early in the count, if Brewers have the heads-up to lay off a pitch early in a count to have a SB, and if the coaches can organize a double steal or hit and run in ideal situations with speedy guys on base, double play batter at the plate, and/or ideal count,,,,,, I would be less puzzled, and the Brewers might win an extra 4 or 5 games.

This is a crazy topic. I am soooooooooooooooo glad that we have Braun through 2015. He could under perform every year and still be one of our best hitters. They should look to extend his contract after the 2012 season!!!!!! For now, give him a day off here and there, three or four over the next two months. He's the best thing the Brewers got going for them.

It sounds and looks as if Melvin is getting many calls on Fielder and Hart. Yet, I've heard no reports on teams wanting BOTH of them. Is this because teams dare not ask for the fear of what they might have to give up? Or is it because Melvin dares not ask for what the Brewers really need....a proven #1 or #2 pitcher? I believe a package of Fielder and Hart makes sense. Still, I am worried what kind of a whole that leaves in our line-up. Yet, with what we get back in return of the two and a big 1B free agency crop, plus a budding hitter in Lawrie(RF please), I have grown more comfortable with this idea. Trade ideas---Hart and Fielder for............... 1.) Cain and Kung Fu Panda- This would give the Crew a legitimate starting 2 with Yo. Also, Kung Fu could play 1B, and he'd be cheaper and under Brewers' control for many years (4+, I believe). Wouldn't the Giants do that? Throw Counsell in to play some 3B, if necessary. Their hitting has been the problem. This would make them a complete team. 2.) Garza and Upton, plus - If the Brewers and Rays would exchange cash to pay for Hart and Fielder this year, it might work.The Rays could spin Fielder this off-season if worried about contract. Garza would be under contract for 3+ and Upton for 2+. Upton and Garza are better than what has been shown this year. If a good hard throwing AA or A pitcher could be added, I would do this deal. Maybe this wouldn't and couldn't work. Yet, I'm for getting a proven pitcher. If Fielder or Hart can't do it, maybe Fielder AND Hart can.

All ABOARD!!! Yep, you too. Get on board with this move. Elite pitcher Matt Cain has been mentioned on this board more than about anybody. Remember the Hart for Cain, and the Hardy for Cain, and the Fielder for Cain talk. It's been around for two years plus, it seems. Well, it's time to get this guy in a Brewers uniform. Here's why? 1. Timing - The Giants, in their minds, right now have a surplus of pitching. They believe that they are a couple of bats away from being a contender this year. The Brewers need pitching at the front of the rotation more than they need Fielder at 1B. The Brewers, in their mind, have a surplus of bats coming in the minors, not withstanding a top 5 offense in MLB. 2. Who else? - The Brewers would love a top of the rotation guy, yet few teams are even willing to look into trading one. The Giants might be in a unique situation where they have enough pitching to warrant a trade a big arm for a big bat. Why? They have two Cy Young winners on staff and budding young pitchers at the bottom of the rotation. Cain might be the only #1/2 type pitcher available from contending teams right now. A trade would give them more flexibility to sign more bats and potentially keep Lincecum in a Giants uniform(Cain '12 contract= $15). 3. Contract- Cain's contract would be affordable and long enough to justify a big move. Cain will have about $25 million left for the Brewers to pay from 2010-2012. My trade proposal- Matt Cain for Prince Fielder and Todd Coffey or Matt Cain for Corey Hart, Manny Parra, and Todd Coffey- I believer the Brewers can find an above average 1B this off-season via FA, and 1B or RF can be filled from within(Gomez, L. Cain, Gamel, Katin, even Lawrie). Brewers fans would love the idea of having Yo and Cain going 1-2 with Wolf and Parra in the back of the rotation. SF fans would love Fielder for this year and next plus in the middle of the lineup. Coffey gives the Giants another fairly dependable option in the pen for this year and next. If Hart is more their taste, add another hard throwing lefty might make sense. Parra could get tutored by Zito and Bumgarner.

In the spirit of the week, this topic needs to be brought up again. I'm sure that there are a few different threads out there with similar topics. Yet, with what happened in Detroit, most people with a moderate interest in baseball are talking about instant replay. What would some realistic options be for MLB? You and I both know that there is not going to be a dramatic and drastic switch in the way the game is called. Balls and strikes are off limits. Yet, change is coming with the new commisioner. Here is my take for realistic change: 1. Managers get one "challege", like in football. No flags, however. A manager simply tells an ump that he would like to challenge the call with a 5th ump looking at a monitor in the booth(or use 3 in the field and 1 in the booth)- safe, out, fair, foul, HR, not a HR(everything but strikes and balls). 2. If the call is reversed, the manager retains his challenge for the rest of the game. 3. If the call stands, the manager cannot challenge for the rest of the game. Also, the manager cannot leave the dugout to talk to the umpire for the rest of the game. Upon doing so, he is ejected. This could be possible. The game actually would speed up under such rules. No more 5 to 10 minute manager arguments. Simply have the play reviewed by another ump. This would also help umpires and insure themselves of possible embarrassment when blown calls inevitably happen. In the spirit of the week, this is my take on a reasonable step forward.

A second baseman's defense is highly under-rated. Turning Two is huge. Repeat. Turning Two is HUGE. It gets you out of innings with one pitch, it strands runners, and it usually is a gigantic swing of momentum. With Weeks, I cringed on dp grounders when he was the one making the turn. With Lopez and Counsell, no. You look at Weeks defensive stats, and they look rather good last year. Yet, there were a handful of plays, like many in prior years, when he couldn't make the turn or slung the ball in the dirt off his backfoot. Even turns he does make, the throw is rarely chest high at the letters. This is a problem until evidence shows it's fixed. Games, key games, are won and lost by second basemen's defense. That being said, I still am glad we have Weeks. He still could be a star in the making. His offense could shine for years and outweigh his defensive short-comings. I hope his defense does improve, and maybe it has. His range and fielding skills have, no doubt, improved over the last four years. However, if he still has problems early with turning two, I'd prefer to see Counsell in the late innings with a lead. It gives us the best shot to win. Sorry Ned, but it's true.

I'm sure that Doug Melvin knows this, but Brewers fans want a great pitcher this off-season. I hope he knows that another Suppan and Looper type additions are not going to be enough, that is to compete or at the gate. So I hope he knows that the FA market just won't get it done. He needs the trade. Marlins pitchers are looking better and better to me. Nalasco and JJ are quality, plus each has a determined salary through arbitration. If JJ can't stay healthy, it would just be a two year commitment. I believe it is worth the risk to trade a Gamel, McGehee, Gomez, etc., young, cheap players for some pitching. Even though we value young players to keep our organization going, we need to compete now when we can. Getting A-/B+ arm or two will help that. The Fielder/Braun window is closing.

For the 2 for 1 Loge Inf. ticket offer, how much would it still cost? Would it be the new season ticket holder price of $32 or the individual price of $39?

Halladay-----I'd give up Escobar, Lawrie, a minors pitcher of choice, and another low level player Why? 1. Without great pitching at the top of our rotation, and I mean great, we do not stand a chance. 2. We can still make a run this year and next. 3. Fielder could be had for some very good pitching after the 2010 season. 4. Suppan and Hall come off the books after the 2010 season(and Fielder, maybee) for a little payroll flexibility. 5. Sign JJ long-term after this season for a lower $$ total because of a down year. He's still a player in my mind, and he loves Milwaukee. Finally, I'd probably give up a little more than the offer just to get a #1 starter. Sadly, I don't think the Blue Jays would do it.