brewizard
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Everything posted by brewizard
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I think Hardy's slump and the organization's year-long indifference to him go hand in hand. Hardy was, arguably, the best player Milwaukee had down the stretch last year. He hit consistently during the late swoon and rocky playoff run. Hardy had played well for two years in a row when the team essentially left him in no-man's-land starting with this season. Without any pitching for a playoff run, the club should have traded either Hardy or Escobar last season and committed to the future at SS one way or the other. I think Melvin's 'wait-and-see' approach to this has been disastrous for the Brewers and for Hardy. Now, we're about to see how bad Escobar's bat really is, and that could be disastrous to next season's ticket sales. -
Dumbest move ever. Dumbest move ever. I'm nearing the point of DFA'ing all respect for Doug Melvin.
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Looper was never more than a stop-gap offseason acquisition. When Looper was the only starting pitcher to come to the team in the offseason, I know I had my own concerns about the competitive viability of the season. Nothing I've seen so far has changed my opinion on this matter.
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I'm disgusted at how an obvious need for the club - quality pitching with any depth - has gone unfulfilled for so long. Hanging on to "Fielder, Hardy, Braun, Hart, Weeks, etc," doesn't do us any good if the rotation is McClung, Burns, Vargas, and Dillard. A good team needs a balance between good arms and good bats. If the Brewers finish the season under .500, then we can reasonably predict that Melvin's window of competitiveness may have closed for good. He kept too many bats without acquiring enough viable arms through drafts or trades. He let the team get way out of balance during his window of opportunity. He stuck himself in a position where the only way to acquire pitching is to trade the only remaining prospects of value in the system. We can all see a thousand reasons why that is a bad position to be in. I've seen so many Brewers teams finish under .500, that I feel like a hardcore fan. As a hardcore fan, I think it is a terrible shame that the Brewers organization, under Melvin, has let the rotation get this bad. Now, I'm not saying 'fire Melvin.' I'm not jumping off any bandwagons... I'm just disappointed and more than a little heartsick that a decade's worth of careful drafting and team building has gotten us to here - a place where finishing a season at .500 looks like a legitimate goal again.
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If Melvin's plan was to understaff the starting pitching rotation through half a season and then, hopefully, pick up another starting pitcher at the deadline, then we can currently see exactly how flawed such a plan is. I have been critical of Melvin's inability to find/sign any other arms during the offseason. Perhaps hindsight is telling us that Melvin should have traded Hardy in the offseason when his value was at its peak. My guess is that Hardy's performance THIS season may have been affected by NOT-knowing what will happen to him. I read that Hardy and Escobar, who are friends, were texting back and forth the other day wondering which one would get traded. That can't be good for either one of them: "Does the organization want me or not?!?" I understand that the list of available pitchers this offseason was short. What more could Melvin have done? I don't know. But the organization - flush with big bats - is floundering on the rocky shores of an inferior rotation. If not Melvin's responsibility, than whose?
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We were spoiled by CC Sabathia last season. He almost singlehandedly got us into the playoffs when our own pitching staff was not going to cut it - when our entire team seemed like it was purposefully trying to lose the playoff spot. That said, the franchise has been eyeing 2007-2010 as the window of opportunity during Melvin's entire tenure. Melvin has consistently failed to get enough arms at any point to put the team over the top. The 2007-2010 Brewers teams really ARE like Melvin's Texas teams - heavy on offense, subpar defense, and not nearly enough arms to do any good. Up to now, I have largely admired the way Melvin (and Jack Z) has put together a contending team through drafting. But now I see that Melvin's stated strategy of always drafting the biggest bats is deeply flawed. Yes, he was able to trade one of those away for a half a season with Sabathia, but I'd have to say that making the playoffs was a fluke. The manager was even fired! Our lack of pitching depth became quite clear quite quickly in the first round of the playoffs, when our big bats went silent. Being a Brewers fan is frustrating enough. Melvin's ways won't work.
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Well said, Jay Zahn. Perhaps I oversimplified things when I said it is ALL Melvin's fault. The Brewers have an institutionalized pitching development problem. It is biting them hard right now. Weeks' injury, Kendall's Hardy's, Hart's and Hall's general poor play is also not Melvin's fault. However, the bench is weak and meek compared to last years' bench. And Melvin really didn't find suitable pitching help in the off-season. He was willing to throw big money at Sabathia, but unwilling and unable to land anything more than Looper. That IS Melvin's fault.
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The team isn't as good as they were last year. They had better arms last year. Yes, Hart, Hardy and Hall could be better. Week's injury is a major bummer. But everybody knew that losing Sheets and CC was going to hurt the rotation. The fact that we are still above .500 (barely) says a lot about the offense. Even with Hart, Hardy and Hall being less-than-stellar, this offense is good. It is the rotation that is the big problem. That is Melvin's fault. No way around it.
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Doug is at fault here. Ryan should have kept his mouth shut, but he is a first rate player. It is Melvin who brought the team into the season with a third-rate pitching staff. Melvin is at fault in this. Melvin made me lose respect for him. Ryan is just doing what he does...
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I have never met Happy Youngster. Thankfully. I find Happy Youngster's whole persona to be offensive and ugly. His aggressively delusional behavior makes me sick. Shame on him. Narcissistic personality disorder: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder
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But it might hurt his trade value...
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We all know he is streaky. He'll get hot. I have a feeling this thread will look pretty silly on June 1.
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After Yo's last two starts, I don't miss Sabathia and Sheets so much.
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Winning doesn't hurt the vibes.
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Yeah. I'm starting to fear posting because my signature is looking decidedly out of date. Hmm... What would Uecker say now? Hardy's so cold we could just throw a couple Millers on him? Something funnier, I hope...
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Baseball, like life, is static. It never changes. Honus Wagner is playing third base for the Pirates. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Honus_Wagner_%28crop%29.JPG
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Whew. That one was painful but fun!
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Agreed. I'm pretty sure we'll get a hot streak going sooner or later. I hope for sooner so that we have less losing to offset... But I must admit that I'm concerned. Who will become our losing streak stopper? 6-12 fast approaching.
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Is it me or is it quickly becoming clear that Brewers don't have any pitching?
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Todd Coffey - watching him pitch reminds me of the 2005 Brewers.
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Anyone else concerned by this? (Hardy's future in Milwaukee)
brewizard replied to paul253's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
I apologize. I did the 'eye test' on that. During the tense slide that cost Yost his job, JJ SEEMED to be the only one hitting. I didn't check the stats. I know nothing. -
Anyone else concerned by this? (Hardy's future in Milwaukee)
brewizard replied to paul253's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
JJ has put up several solid seasons now - something Billy Hall has never seemed to do. JJ plays the most solid defense on the team. JJ was the only everyday player not to offensively slump in crunch time last season. JJ has never been overpaid. JJ doesn't employ Scott Boras. JJ always leaves his game on the field. He has never once embarrassed the organization or created any off-field controversy -- which means: JJ is a fan favorite. He brings people to the ballpark. JJ has established himself as one of the top shortstops in the game and JJ hasn't even peaked yet. Hmm... I guess we have no reason to blow up at JJ Hardy. I think he's earned the right to say he wants to keep the SS job. If our fans and front office don't agree, I hope he gets traded to somebody who will appreciate him. -
Anyone else concerned by this? (Hardy's future in Milwaukee)
brewizard replied to paul253's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
This is a great discussion but the way I see it: Hardy ends up replacing Jeter in Yankeetown in 2010. I hope not, but I just think that's what is written on the wall. -
236. I just know it is 236.
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Macha Selected As New Brewers Manager (reply 667ish)
brewizard replied to Madtown Bomber's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
Dale is fine with me, frankly. I'm also a HUGE Davey Johnson fan. Fans loved the guy in Baltimore. The one thing I like about either Dale or Davey is the laid back, loose style. Ned drank too much coffee.
