adambr2

Meanwhile, Braun can't even get his full name to himself.

I like him at 2B. I think he'll have a much better defensive year than last.

Nice inning! What a benefit it is to have bats like Aguilar and Perez to bring off the bench.

Shaw! Another double and the lead!

He's looked pretty bad today. Hope he has a good one left in him late yet.

Keep the rally going Villar!

That would be a good compromise, but in the interests of it not being overused I would guess it would only be allowed on 3rd strikes.

He's been doing it his whole career among others. Its to the point, just hand it to the machines. The technology is there, and you get an actual consistent strike zone every time.

Tommy Milone is just a gas can. How does this guy even get a MLB deal, much less for $1.5M?

Watch Cravy get called up today.

Damnit Braun.

He doesn't belong batting 6th whatsoever. He was doing well at the top in spring training and for whatever reason Craig moved him down and he starts struggling. Where you bat shouldn't do anything to you. If he's that weak mentally he won't make it anyways. Maybe it shouldn't, but it does, and many hitters who did make it have attested to that.

Is Junior hurt?

He doesn't belong batting 6th whatsoever. He was doing well at the top in spring training and for whatever reason Craig moved him down and he starts struggling.

Well that's a crappy start.

Terrible call on Thames. That's not supposed to be a strike this year. Better practice what you emphasize.

I agree. Theo can get away with keeping Bryant down to save money, Stearns hasn't earned that same level of respect. It's not really a respect or seniority based issue. I highly doubt that Bryant thought, 'Well, this is potentially going to cost me millions down the road. Good thing it's a highly tenured and respected GM and not a newbie, or I might be upset about this.'

1) 2B Villar 2) 1B Thames 3) LF Braun 4) 3B Shaw 5) RF Santana 6) CF Broxton 7) C Bandy 8) SS Arcia 9) P Guerra Love the lineup, although I thought Pina would get the opening day nod, and I don't understand why Counsell has been tinkering with Broxton at #6, he doesn't seem well suited there, him and Villar were just fine at the top. Hey, it's never too early to complain about lineups. Go Brewers!

I think they should anyway. Reed is literally the 9th OFer on the 40 man if you count him behind Perez. He's a little fish in a big pond and there just really isn't a need for him.

I really don't have anything more to add after reading this. Nailed it in every possible way.

This is the same organization that let their biggest star of this century walk in free agency rather than pay him, yes? We paid ours. You're comparing apples to oranges here. The Cardinals and Brewers are at different stages right now. Where the Cardinals finished relative to the Cubs isn't really relevant since they still won 86 games and were in playoff contention. Also, that's a pretty bad deal for a 35 year old catcher who barely cracked 2 WAR last year, and I'm glad they did it.

And neither did Cravy. He said it out loud where media reporters heard him, and the media reporters published it; he didn't say it to Stearns. What if your friends or co-workers published your comments in the media? Cravy didn't Tweet it, he didn't post it to Facebook, he didn't take out an ad in the paper. He said it in the locker room where media reporters heard it, and the media chose to publish it. The media didn't have to publish it; players say many things that reporters don't publish. But reporters chose to publish it (probably because they knew it would get a lot of attention). He's upset because the difference between major league and minor league pay is $2500/day. If he gets called up six weeks from now when someone gets hurt, he missed out on $105,000. And remember, he was lucky if he made $2500/month in minor league ball before he made the majors. I can't understand why people don't think he should be upset. $2500/day is a LOT of money, especially when you put in several years of making very little to try to get to this point. I'm not saying he shouldn't be upset, but plenty of others are in the exact same position as him. You can be upset while still using tact. Yes, he's obviously losing out on a lot of money compared to MLB players. He's also going to make a lot more money compared to almost all his colleagues in the minors because he has a spot on the 40 man roster and the Brewer organization took a chance on him and gave him an opportunity in the majors. I don't envy the decisions Stearns has to make. They're not easy ones, but I can guarantee you he makes every decision on borderline roster players with the intention of having the organization's best interests in mind. Cravy is a borderline roster player -- neither his skills nor his past credentials are enough to guarantee him a spot.

[attachment=0]C8X1jyVXcAEkmLe.jpg[/attachment]

Sure they would. Guys get passed over for promotion for people they felt are less deserving all the time in the real world. Happened to me about 12 years ago, actually. Was I pissed, of course. I complained privately to family and friends, but certainly not to superiors, and I most definitely did not question their integrity publicly, because to do so would have threatened my career, as it would in many walks of life. Unless things have really changed that much, it is still not acceptable to do that as far as I know. Now Cravy will likely get the benefit of the doubt for his frustrations by the organization, and I understand and respect that. But he doesn't have a leg to stand on no matter how frustrated he is. He can report to Colorado Springs and collect his $86,500 a year for now and be called up soon and make an MLB salary. Or he can quit like he says and start over at 27 making nothing.

He'll make $86,500 this year at the least as a 40 man roster member with MLB experience. It's not like they'll be living in poverty. If he just goes to AAA and does his job, he'll be back up soon. It's not like we are going to use only 8 relievers all year. And every single payday in the minors he'll get tens of thousands less than he thinks he deserved, based on what he thinks was dishonesty from the front office. With a new baby at home, he's got responsibilities beyond just being a good company soldier. His goal isn't to avoid poverty, it's to be a major league pitcher, which he thinks he has earned. This is the first time Stearns' awesomeness is questioned, and I'm fine with it. That's life. Could the initial Spring Training conversations been handled better, probably. I can't really say having not knowing exactly what was said. I can't also say what Counsell wants as far as his bullpen structure either. I really do think players and agents should be familiar enough with the MLB game by now to know that all MLB roster plans are subject to change based on your team direction, keeping depth in the system, and a million other factors and constantly moving parts. What I do know is that Cravy is a marginal MLB caliber talent, like a million others out there, good enough to carve out a successful career as an AAAA type player, not good enough to ever really be missed if he was gone. Cravy has responsibilities now that go beyond being a good company soldier? Yeah, he definitely does, but as a marginal MLB talent, he better be a good company soldier if he wants to carve out a career as a MLB reliever to support his family.