rickh150

I'll take Dillon over Weeks defensively any day, and I know that Dillon isn't great at 2B. Weeks doesn't have many errors this season to his credit, but how many times has he goofed a double play this year, or put it in the dirt for Fielder, or lost the ball going from glove to hand, or more recently not charged a routine ball behind second, double clutched and let a man get on. Weeks does not have loads of baseball instincts at 2B. He might make a flashy move here or there, but a steady surehanded defender, he'll never be. Offensively this season, each has a down batting average. However, Dillon seems to hit the ball hard, with line drive outs, consistently. Weeks strikes out waaay too much, and pops up to the right side of the field frequently. Both have decent OBP, but for a guy that plays rarely I'm sure Dillon could be even better. I know that I'm not the lone Dillon fan on Brewerfan.net, not saying that I hate Weeks. Weeks hustles, he tries, he surely does have a quick bat and skills are there, sure. However, his leash has gotten shorter in my book, if not Ned's. My eyes are telling me the Brewers would be better this year with Dillon at 2B. Maybe I'm wrong, but for me Weeks gets only July to get going.

50% If the Brewers get CC, or when the Brewers get another SP this season, the message is clear-win now. Thus, you are not willing to wait for your .210 hitting, weak fielding 2B to maybe come around. My guess is that he gets July to turn things around, and hopefully he does. If not, Dillon/Counsell have been better with the bat and glove this season, or a rental 2B is possible and wouldn't cost more than a front line SP.

Next scenerio-Late innings again, 7th inning on Mon., Brewers down by one, pitcher spot up, man at second and two outs. Typical Yost move, Ned brings in Hernan I., a guy just called up hitting .270 in AAA to face Oswalt. Granted, being left-handed is the only positive here, Ned still leapfrogged better options in Dillon, Kapler, and maybe Craig C. Remember, a walk at least would bring Hart up with two men on(Dillon's OBP is over 400).............why Dillon and Kapler get this lack of respect for hitting so well this season is beyond me....seriously, how can you not get Kapler in the lineup more, or at the very least get him an atbat a game. Next scenerio- Last night with a one run lead late in the game, I believe, Hernan bats for the pitcher again bypassing Kapler and Dillon with a man on 1st, no outs. Ned has him hitting away, which I don't agree with, but is plausible. Once again, hot hitting Kapler and Dillon do not see action in a key spot, while a guy not on the Brewers roster last week is. Are media types asking the whys and how comes with these situations?

Great points, endaround and JohnBriggs.........thank you for the specifics in those games. I agree that burning through your bench in the 7th is debatable, but in my opininion something that Ned needs to do more early on-bat Bush and Parra if it goes extras. Did either of you see quotes on Ned from these moves/ non moves? I rarely read about him defending any of his baseball moves beside pitching decisions. If a lefty comes in to face Branyan in the 7th, Yost can still pinch hit Cameron

Scenerio #1-2 Good points, but when key situations arise, and most of the time the average fan can feel them late in the game, Ned lets .220 righty strikeout hitters(Hall, Cameron) bat against righties and lefty strikeout batters(Branyan) bat against lefties Scenerio #3- 8th inning...........Kapler isn't going to bat again...put the gloves in... if it goes extra so be it Scenerio #4 Weeks D? The moves mentioned are not personal knocks on the players. I would just like to see more logical moves made putting people in the right position at the right time of the game.

I don't want this to be a bash Ned post; there is one of those already. What I'm hoping for is some clarification as to why he does the things he does in late inning situations. I've been asking the same questions all season( and last season) to myself and others watching the games with me. I have yet seen anything in print from Tom H. or the Wisconsin State Journal to answer these questions- seriously, our postgame press conferences questions have pretty tame baseball questions; thus, I am posing these questions abroad. Hopefully, someone has seen something somewhere in print as to why Ned pulls some of these late inning moves and non-moves. If you have, please give the site. If you haven't and have some decent reasoning to argue my point, by al means............ Close game, 7th inning, runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs, Hall batting facing a righty....Ned leaves him in. Rather than play the numbers, which at times he brags about, and bat Branyan who has been dominant against righties, he leaves the .150 batter against righties in...........Why? What is so perplexing, is that he has been platooning those two in starts anyway. Why not let the hot man bat in a KEY situation? Close game(sorry, can't think of score- within the last couple of weeks),Russell facing a lefty with a runner on 3rd and one out, Ned fails to make the proper move of getting a likely strikeout against a lefty and putting in a contact man of righty Dillon or Kapler. Even if a righty comes in from the pen, I still much would rather have that matchup than Russell verses a lefty- easy decision. Now these strike a nerve.......... the past three games in Colorado, in two of those games the Brewers had a late innig lead.....by one and by three I believe. Neither game did Ned play his best outfield late. On Friday with a three run lead in the 8th, Mike Cameron was still sitting on the bench as two near diving catches were not made in center, allowing the Rockies to come back and win a heartbreaker. On Sunday, after Kapler made the last out in the 8th and would not bat again, Gold Glove Cameron once again stayed on the bench to watch Kapler make an error that put a man in scoring position in the bottom of the 8th. Finally, what is still unbelievable to me, is that Rickie Weeks plays the 8th/9th inning when the Brewers have a lead. Announcers keep bringing up his low error totals and praise him for improvement. I give him credit too, but he's not Craig C. in the field. Weeks still struggles with the routine double play throw, and it has cost us this year in the 9th already. What's maddening is Ned pulling Joe Dillon Sunday after his error in the late innings for Craig. Although I totally agree with the move, that move has not been made with Weeks this season. Does Ned believe Weeks is a better fielder than Craig? Or is he afraid to make the move because of how Weeks will respond? Please, someone...........are the answers out there? Have some of these questions been asked and answered already. Many of these shown situations have happened numerous times over the at least year and a third and have cost our beloved Brewers games and in my opinion the playoffs last year. Help me out if you can.......

If Billy Hall goes 1-4 with a single, but acually gets on base a second time because of an error, is his OBP .250 or .500 for the night? Does he get credit for being on base, even though he got on base once via error?

These issues frustrated me this season: 1. Bullpen mismanagement- At the end of the season I'll give him a break because whoever he through in there was lousy. Yet, there were times when there was a hot pitcher or two in the pen- Villanueva, Shouse, Wise(early in season)- that he did not go to and went to other question marks. Aquino was put in a terrible position in April and cost us big games. Needless to say not putting in Cordero in the 8th in a few games really cost us. How about that 6-2 game against Philly when he let Turnbow in forever, not going to Cordero because there was just one out in the 8th and not two. Please. I could go on here for a while. 2. Starters left in too long- Some pitchers had enough, and they would be trotted back out to pitch another inning. Suppan/Bush would get shelled in the 6th and be asked to go out in the 7th. Many times this backfired. Yet, at the end of the season, I understand the dillema for Yost, being that the bullpen was terrible 3. Too many different line-ups 4. Not knowing when to bunt 5. Yost lack of taking any responsibility for the season- You and your team collapsed terribly. 1st three months= +14 Last three months=-10. Don't tell us how much was accomplished...not yet anyways. I'd prefer it if he would be honest and say how disappointed he was that they couldn't get to the playoffs and that they'll try to do it next year instead of saying how much a 83 win team accomplished. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the season and the players always played hard, it seemed. Yet, take some blame Yost. Minus 10 in the last 3 months hurts

How much is shipping? The convenience cost is like $6 a ticket and that's refundable. Yet, how much does the Fed EX cost?

"Hey Now, hey now......don't dream it's over ...hey now .. heheeee now.." - courtesy of Crowded House

Griffey is old and gets hurt....way too risky. Isn't his salary for next year like 14, 15 million? No way does Doug try to do this. If he did TRY to do it, Ken might block it anyway.

Over the past few years, I have been amazed at the sheer number of fans at Miller Park. For the smallest market in MLB, we have a very nice following. Now, after a great first half of the season, hopes are high and the fair weather fan is coming out to more and more games. Yet, what bothers me at some games is the lack of common baseball knowledge and cheering knowledge, in general. Although I'm no expert on the topic of baseball cheering etiquette, some common things happen over and over again that make me shake my head: 1. The Wave- Since when is the wave done when your team is behind? Or when there is a tense moment in a close game with runners on and a full count? The Wave is done when the home team is, first of all, winning. If the Brewers are losing by 4, why are we so happy? Second, the Wave should be done during a less tense portion of the game, preferably with a big lead. There are some times that fans actually want to watch the game, and maybe even stand and clap, instead of waiting for the Wave to come by. 2. Make Noise Sign- Whoever runs that sign at Miller Park should be educated. Never put the Make Noise sign on when our batter is down 0-2 in the count, or other useless times of the game. Baseball people are able to sense big moments in the game- runners on, 3-2 pitch of a tight game, or 2 strikes on a batter with 2 outs in the 7th or 8th of a close game. Get the crowd going with the Make Noise sign then, or with some clap sounds- preferably the slow clap- at KEY moments. The Brewers need to find someone in house who has a feel for the game to run the inning visual/sound effects. 3. Getting Up from your seat DURING THE INNING- Alright, if the other team is batting, it's borderline ok. But when Prince is up with a 3-1 count, and the kids and dad in front of you get up to get a hot dog, they are out of line. What is there, like 17 breaks between innings, and another 3 to 6 breaks for relief pitchers? Get your refreshments and use the bathrooms then. Show some courtesy. Maybe I'm in the minority here with these opinions, but the Brewers should try to educate the fans on just how this thing baseball works. I know that there is a class at UWM on Brewers baseball, but not everyone or close to everyone will be there. Instead, have a baseball etiquette/ cheering message on the video board once a game. Hand out flyers on how to cheer and when to cheer.This is a community sport, and it should also be taught the whole community in some small way to our fan base that continues to grow.

Who do you want to be a Brewer for the long haul, er say 10 years? If you could only pick 5 players, and that might be all the Brewers could afford, who would they be? I'll take our first four in our line-up for the next 5- Hart, Hardy, Braun, and Fielder. Finally, I'll take Gallardo to hopefully be a #1 or #2 pitcher for the crew.

With the Brewers track record as of late in the draft, there are two thoughts of reason on the subject. One, why not trade some young prospects for a great talent. In a year or two, Jack Z. and Doug will replace them anyways. Two, don't trade these great prospects because almost all(Braun, Fielder, Hart, Yo) come up and contribute right away. Put me in the former category(one). Not trading Braun, Yo, Hart, etc.... was the better move. I'm for getting us over the hump now. Who knows, it might be another 25 years until we're in first at the break again. Plus, Cabrera always could be traded again for prospects.

I'm in the group that wants the Brewers to make a big splash in the next couple of weeks. Miggy would do that and then some. Putting him in left and batting #5 would make the line up look plenty tough followed by Hall, Estrada, and Weeks/Graffy. Miggy would still be under Brewer control through 2009, and he could also be used as trade bait, if needed in the off-season. What will it take? For the cost conscious Marlins, good young players at a cheap price might turn their heads. Let's start with Mench, who could play everyday for them in the OF for the next 3 years. Throw Tony Gwynn in there for another quality bat. Then add Manny Parra and Cody to finish the deal. For where the Marlins are at payroll wise, this might look good to them, although they would need a 3B. For the Brewers, it would solidify the line-up and then some. The Brewers would have 4 good- great OF this year and could let Jenkins walk at the end of the year, putting money to Miggy, or trade Miggy at season's end and put the cash toward re-signing Cordero, if reasonable. Miggy could also give Braun a day off or two at third. What's more, it gives the Brewers a veteran great bat down the stretch. It would be the Brewers version of getting that over the top guy, ala the Packers with Reggie White.

Since Coco probably will command more than the Brewers are willing to spend, it makes good sense for Doug to get a big time set-up man or closer now. Not only will this help the pen for this year's pennant run, it will also allow the Brewers to have a nice pen for next year once Coco leaves for greener pastures. Also, the Brewers would have to pay through the nose to get a good closer on the open market this off-season. I'm also guessing that they're not too comfortable with any one else in their system to close for next year. I'm not surprised about the Otsuka trade talks. He has two more years of arby left and has experience. Chad Cordero from Washington also makes a lot of sense to me. He also has 2 years left in arbitration after this year. I'd imagine that Tony Gwynn is the trade bait, maybe along with an arm from a crowded, yet talented AAA.

cbssportsline.com Overall ERA: Villy 2.83 Wise 2.87 Gallardo 3.38 6th inning ERA: Capuano 14.85 Vargas 16.43 Suppan 8.56 Sheets 5.17 7th inning ERA: Bush 14.14 For those making any argument for Yost's use of the bullpen yesterday, here's your sign and stats. Gotta love the fan that is supporting Yost's decision to save the pen on the brink of a 4 day rest. I love the argument of overusing the bullpen especially when Yost used our most important reliever, Cordero, on 6 consecutive days. Pitchers also can go multiple innings, taking up the 6th and 7th, for those worrying about the 7th. If the overuse of bullpen pitchers is such a problem, bring up another pitcher(Parra, Balfour), send down Gross, and use Dave Bush as the last man off the bench to hit. How many times do the Brewers use all the men off their bench? Once, maybe?

Wise, Villy, and Gallardo are having great years thus far and are great options to pitch the 6th and 7th. Don't look now, but even Spurling has a great ERA. For whatever reason, the SP's struggle in the 6th. A multitude of people believe Yost leaves them in, 90% of the time, at least two batters too long. When I would take the pitcher out, he has Maddux call the bullpen and make a visit to the mound. Next, he could easily use a crop of 3 middle relief men, maybe four, to routinely get up in the 6th to throw in case of trouble. We are losing games or being taken out of close games because the SP are giving up huge amounts of runs instead of being pulled in the latter innings for a great alternative.

What gets me is that I think that the majority of Brewers season ticket holders- full or partial- don't realize the amount of money that they will be handing over for playoff tickets. Last year for Detroit and St. Louis, it was about double the price in the Division Series, a little more for the League Championship, and World Series tickets were between approximately $60- $300. The Brewers organization was being quite hush hush or vague about 9 game plans and playoff tickets for good reason. They are now also being hush hush about prices to playoff games for good reason. Why scare or push people away from games because of cost? Overall, they could be more forthright with the fans. If we get to the playoffs, some people will be very surprised to learn what their loyalty suddenly costs.

Melvin has indicated over the last 3 months that multiple inquiries were made on Mench and Turnbow. Also, with Rivera's good year as a cheap back-up, it may come down to Miller, along with Mench, Turnbow, and a prospect being turned for something...eh, maybe anything. Melvin, in a recent interview, said that the Brewers are way over their budget. Yet, what puzzled me was his comment on how the Brewers were not forced to dump players. I really appreciate Melvin's skills and trade maker, but he has not been real straight with the media over his few years here. In fact, his words are more and more proving to not carry much weight. His actions are bold and calculated, but he does not usually tip his hand one way or the other. So I'm calling him on this one. He's in dump mode. The Brewers are over budget and these extra pieces of the Brewers have no clear cut role. Turnbow can go somewhere to be a probable closer. I don't think Ned wants to pencil wildness into the middle innings in Milwaukee. We might even get a hefty return for him. Mench is experienced and has put up good numbers. Right now, he's a platoon, at best. We need more. He'll also be under contract for 2 years. Miller could be a valuable back-up for a number of teams looking for a vet. Throw in Hendrickson, who has run out of options, and the Brewers might be able to swing a nice return, a return, or eh, nothing.... but the money, regardless of what Doug might say. EDIT: Removed excessive punctuation in subject line -- Brian

With saved money from this trade, the Braves could get into the Zito/Schmidt/Mulder sweepstakes.

Tim Hudson brings many things to the table to like: 1. Contract- 3 more years 32 million( not cheap but Brewer do-able. We offered Lee more for more years) 2. Inning eater- stability (rarely misses starts) 3. A legit number 2( even with a down year last year, strikeouts were up considerably. Braves might undervalue his worth right now) 4. Sheets could be moved for mega parts next off-season, if needed or wanted 5. The move would energize the fan base. Here's the deal, though. To get you have to give. Billy Hall's stock is really huge right now. I also have a feeling A. Jones will not be with them much longer, so Hall might fit their thinking in center or at third- Chipper can't be there forever. -Hall for Hudson. Maybe throw in a Hendrickson/Inman type. We would have a legitimate starting rotation, possibly the best in baseball. -The Crew could keep Mench or Jenks around for another year, if need be to make up for some of the lost production in the OF. - Hart could be in center until Gwynn or Gross matures( Yeah, Gross- he's young and his numbers are very underrated) - Especially if Graffy signs, we have a surplus of infielders, so Hall wouldn't be as needed anymore for back-up. - Our budget would be OK. With Hall due some hefty raises in the next few years, Hudson's salary wouldn't be a huge hit to the Brewers payroll. This post has been long in coming. I really like the idea of a top notch rotation. This move would do it. I would think that the Braves might take trade, or look hard at it. Seriously, who wouldn't take a hard look at Bill Hall?

Brewers Get Estrada!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Brian Giles- limited no trade, remaining deal would be for 11 million in 2007, 11 million in 2008, and team option for same in 2009. I believe if he is traded, a clause in his contract moves it from 9 to 11 for all three years. The guy walks, good for our number 3 hitter before Fielder and Hall. He makes contact and will hit for more power at Miller Park.(Mench, Davis-Woody Williams got away,Turnbow) Carl Crawford- 4 million in 2007, 5.25 in 2008, 8.25 in 2009, and 10 million option in 2010(same as above, throw in top pitching prospect/ cash, if needed, not Yo) The Brewers and Mark A. line is that they want to be competitive on a yearly basis. Great plan. However, if you are the Milwaukee Brewers and other low revenue clubs, it is more and more looking like these clubs have to really take a shot for a four or five year period. There is simply too much money out there, especially in the Brewers division to compete yearly with Houston, St. Louis, and Chicago. Granted that means trading some top prospects, the Brewers shot a 2007, 2008, 2009,2010, 2011- the Weeks and Fielder years. Building up and tearing down like a less harsh Marlins style, might be the only way for us to do this. So, if that means trading away some youth to get us a Crawford or Giles, or picking up a Schmidt, maybe we should really look into it. Hey, we have to start competing for the Wild Card at least, now! Our window is closing.

Hardy is not quick. He has great hands and an acurate arm, sure, but I can believe that his range is the worst because of his lack of quickness and lateral agility.