colbyjack

You seriously don't have any issue with all the games he played at 1B? Playing at 1B helped his development? It may be nitpicking, but you said that the Brewers had been playing Brantley out of position for years. It really only was one year that he played at first base (2007), partially due to organizational need, and partially due to the fact that he doesn't receive very high marks for his defensive abilities. And he did so less than half of the time. I never thought it was a huge issue, and actually I had more problem with Brantley's status as a prospect since no one seemed to think his potential defensively as a centerfielder would ever be that great, which is why he was playing left field (and subsequently first base).

Jim Callis does a nice job tackling the Andrus vs. Escobar question in yesterday's edition of Ask BA:

Brantley doesn't profile anywhere other than CF unless he finds a power stroke and Sizemore is such a stud he has flexibility. Actually, Brantley has major questions about his defense in CF. Just because he doesn't profile to hit like a corner OF doesn't mean he can't play there, and the Indians are the perfect team for him to find a place in LF since they do receive above average contributions offensively from Sizemore. Brantley and Sizemore definitely can co-exist, but why get cute trying to pigeon hole who fits best where offensively vs. defensively? And I think it is unfair to say that the Brewers played Brantley out of position for years. The scouting reports certainly don't suggest that.

In Tom's defense, I'm not sure what kind of answer you're looking for here. One with some insight, not just pointing to the fact that Escobar is on the cover of Baseball America. He can either be more honest and say he doesn't know Andrus that well (which he did by the way he answered) or skip the question altogether. He's also basically admitting to not reading the publication. If you're a regular BA reader, you should have some sense of what kind of player Andrus is even if you've never seen him play. That's their objective after all, to increase the knowledge of such players. The Rangers system is one of the best in the game, and Andrus is one of their best players. He's the one forcing the Rangers hand having Michael Young move to 3B. There's plenty of room for more commentary, even in a chat format. And if you read some of the other chats, you'll know that there are plenty of local correspondents that have a solid understanding of the minor leagues. Bill Ballew quickly comes to mind. To cut Haudricourt some slack, it was only one question that I brought up to pick on him. Overall it's clear his knowledge of the system is improving, and he answered a ton of questions today. I'd love to see Adam McCalvy handle the Brewers correspondent position for Baseball America, who seems to write with more passion and doesn't just go through the motions. It was also nice to have John Manuel handle the team a few years ago, which gave us a sense of what the chats could be like (even if we didn't agree with his assessment of Will Inman http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif).

homer, Jim Callis has talked about how they form their 2012 rosters in the past, as it is some kind of combination of the players in the system and how long they are under contract for. Haudricourt mentioned in his chat that he didn't have Weeks in CF when he submitted his 2012 projection. As for the chat, there is an interesting amount of questions from people from across the nation, who don't necessarily appear to be Brewers fans. I'm not sure why that is, although I know we have been hard on the Brewers top prospect list chatters in the past. However, this Q&A really bothers me. Keep in mind these chats are for subscribers, meaning people have to pay to participate in these: I'm sorry Tom, but that's an incredibly lazy answer.

We've already seen the top 10 list, but the Brewers are up today, highlighted by Alcides Escobar's picture on BA's homepage: http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/aescobar09428309bb.jpg And the top 10 (list only, scouting reports for subscribers only): http://www.baseballameric...rospects/2009/267436.html Tom Haudricourt will be chatting about the Brewers prospects with subscribers starting at 1:30 pm. Just a friendly reminder, ask very specific questions and go easy on him, as he gets really grumpy when challenged.

Based on the Brewers drafting history, no, I don't think any moves in compensation picks would make the Brewers more likely to pick one player vs. another. Just look at last year's draft. The Brewers weren't cheap, as they budgeted appropriated and were able to sign each of their extra, early picks for slot value, but they didn't go above and beyond to get a player that had slipped. The Brewers typically sign a player or a few players in later rounds for above slot value, comparable to a bonus a player would receive in the third through fifth range. Steve Moss, Omar Aguilar, R.J. Seidel and Shawn Zarraga are a few of the players in recent years that signed for early round money as much later picks (I think Seidel was the highest drafted of that group in the 16th round IIRC). Of course, everything could change since the team now has a new scouting director, but I'm guessing we'll see much of the same logistically moving forward. In other words, I'll believe it when I see it, as there seems to be a group of people every year that seems to think something like this could happen (and calls the team cheap when it doesn't). As for whether or not it's a good idea, I don't think it would be any greater of a risk given the Brewers status as a small market club (although that could be argued with a payroll around $80 million), although spending more money on a player that has fallen may mean that the team has to skimp on one of their other early picks.

Robert, I agree with everything you're saying, and typically agree that closers are made, not born. I guess if you're not a fan of teams developing short relievers you can take some comfort in the fact that the Brewers are really only doing so with a few prospects, and those prospects have been enjoying success in the roles that they're being developed. In addition, Dillard was developed as a starter up until two seasons ago, and so was Pena. It has been rumored that the Brewers have considered developing Aguilar more as a starter because he does have a pretty good changeup, but I also know he has a history of arm troubles dating back to college. For him it may be that he can't go more than a few innings. Wooten is somewhat of a different prospect, one that was used as a set-up man and closer throughout college and will continue to be developed in that same role. His stuff however is fringy, but not well rounded enough to start. I like Wooten, but it will be interesting to see how he fares against higher level hitters. And they haven't used a high pick on any of these players. Pena was an international signee, Dillard signed via the DFE process, while Wooten and Aguilar were taken after the 10th round. And since other teams have had proven success developing players exclusively as short relievers, I'm glad the Brewers are doing so as well.

Well put Toby. My opinion has also changed over the years when it comes to evaluating relievers as it pertains to prospect status. I still think it's a little crazy to draft a projected closer or short reliever early in the draft (unless you have a handful of early picks), but being able to develop a few bullpen arms from within is an overlooked area of team management. I look at the Twins, who have developed a couple of pitchers almost exlusively as relievers in Jesse Crain and Pat Neshek. Both have been among the team's top prospects over the past several years. Of course overall the Twins are good at developing talent, from starters, relievers and positional players, but hopefully the Brewers get to that point as well where they are internally addressing all aspects of their team. Mitch Stetter is a good start, and Dillard, Aguilar, Pena, etc. may be next. I agree that players being groomed exclusively as relievers in the lower levels of the minor leagues are more difficult to get too excited about (Omar Aguilar is a good example, since we knew how good his stuff was but needed to see him be productive against more advanced hitters before getting too excited), but I don't think that applies to someone like Wily Peralta, who isn't being groomed exclusively as a reliever. His talent/status is more in line with Jeremy Jeffress' IMO.

I thought I wanted to drive the Impala into the ground, but the car lost power when is over-heated due to the gasket problem when I was going 55 mph on the highway. That was not fun, and I'm very glad and fortunate that my son was not in the car with me when that happened. And that's one of the bigger reasons why I'm considering trading the car, is for safety. I don't mind driving it to and from work, as I actually enjoy the way the car drives/rides. The reason I wouldn't sell the car privately is due to ease. I know that sounds lazy, but I really don't want to deal with it. And it's the 3.4 engine. Thanks to all for the feedback so far. lodiness, I'm going to PM you the details, thanks for the offer.

The Cubs system certainly doesn't look nearly good as it did a few years ago. Josh Vitters is a nice hitting prospect, but he's several years away from making an impact. They haven't been shy in recent years trading some of the top players for proven talent. http://www.baseballameric...rospects/2009/267407.html

Gindl's a lefty, leaving first base as the only opportunity for him on the IF. I'd say that will never happen, but Ron Belliard has played a little (no pun intended) first base during his career.

I know we have had car threads in the past, but I have somewhat of a unique situation that I wanted to toss out to see what everyone thought. I have a 2000 Chevy Impala with 95,000 miles. Last September I had to replace the gasket, a common problem from GM vehicles from '98 to '03. Since then I have never been comfortable driving the car, having read a ton of online reviews of people sharing their horror stories with Chevy's, and in particular, the Impala. While I could drive the car longer distances, I don't trust taking it on longer road trips (2 hours +) with my family. Now it is basically a commuter vehicle, to and from work. However, it still runs well, although I know it probably is going to continue to have problems once it gets over 100,000 miiles. If I trade it in now I can probably get somewhere between $2,000-3,000 for it, but that number is going to drop significantly over the next year when I do hit 100,000 miles. The car is paid off, and has been for a few years, so that's a bonus. There is a used yet newer Subaru Outback with low miles I'm interested in. The vehicle was a rental car, and was stolen according to the CarFax report. It said vandalism and mild to moderate damage was sustained, but the car appears to be in excellent shape, and the original warrantly from Subaru is still in effect (3 years/36,000 miles basic, 6 years/60,000 miles drivetrain). It has nice little inside touches like heated seats and I even like the color. Due to the history, I'm fairly confident I can get a good deal on this car, since it has sat in the lot since last September and there was a note on it saying they were taking it back to auction within the next week. Not to mention, car dealers are more desparate these days. However, I have a second child on the way, and at some point in the next 2-3 years I may need to get a bigger car, like a mini-van, SUV or a crossover so I can join the world of soccer moms. My other car is a CRV. If that does happen, by then, if I were to still have it, my Impala would have close to zero trade-in value, while both CRVs and Outbacks have great re-sale value and are known to last a long time. So, do I drive my car into the ground as much as I can, dealing with the potential for more maintenance problems, yet without car payments, even if I can't (or choose not to) use it for any and all driving situations, or do I take advantage of the little trade-in value is still has right now and get a better, safer vehicle not only for myself, but for my family?

The omission of Cain, Lawrie, and Lucroy on someone's ballot have to be accidental, right?? I think last year there were actually fewer players that appeared on everyone's list. I agree that those players deserve to be on there, but everyone is entitled to their opinions, which is the beauty of the fan poll.

Yes that is a typo. I'll see if Brian can fix that for me.

Wait no longer...thanks to Brian for getting this up so quickly, and I look forward to reading the reactions to the results. http://www.brewerfan.net/...wArticle.do?articleId=287 Also, while clancy had Chris Cody rated the highest at the #4 spot, Cody did receive four other votes: One at #9, #13, #15 and #17. The second top 10 vote has caused me not to be too hard on clancy for that vote, and I hope he turns out better than the collective memory of Jeff Pickler, Jeff Housman and Raul Cassanova http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. Thanks again to everyone that participated.

I guess I'm curious to know if Swisher does rebound and return to his career averages, is he worth the trade by the possible dip in defense in CF, regardless if it's Swisher or Hart playing out there? Again, the walks are nice, and having a switch hitter in the lineup would also be a nice addition, but I'm not sure if it's worth it. Also, not that this matters too much, but doesn't he have a pretty bad reputation? I know Ozzie Guillen butts heads with a lot of people, but I seem to remember his getting some negative press about his attitude.

Have their been any stories in your area about where the Pirates plan to have Pedro Alvarez make his debut? I would imagine past low-A, but that would be pretty cool for you if you had the chance to see Alvarez, even if it were only for a month or two.

I'd defiately hope the Brewers are in position to make a play for Halladay. He is an outstanding pitcher. I absolutely agree. It's a fun topic to think about, and if possible, I hope the Brewers pounce on this. The Brewers don't make the playoffs without Sabathia, and I would trade the right collection of prospects for the chance at winning the World Series each and every year. Keep in mind that Peavy will also continue to be available. There could be a couple of avenues the Brewers could pursue, and these are the types of deals Doug Melvin is talking about when he mentions he wants to retain some payroll flexibility. Does anyone know why the Jays are looking to trade Halladay anyways? Are they trying to rebuild and salary dump? Hasn't Halladay made it known that he doesn't intend on extending his current deal and plans on testing the free agent waters after the 2010 season? With the way the Yankees, Red Sox and even the Rays are built, the Jays may be better off trying to get as much as they can for Halladay now. I don't think they would be stripping down necessarily. It could be similar to the Indians situation.

I'd defiately hope the Brewers are in position to make a play for Halladay. He is an outstanding pitcher. I absolutely agree. It's a fun topic to think about, and if possible, I hope the Brewers pounce on this. The Brewers don't make the playoffs without Sabathia, and I would trade the right collection of prospects for the chance at winning the World Series each and every year. Keep in mind that Peavy will also continue to be available. There could be a couple of avenues the Brewers could pursue, and these are the types of deals Doug Melvin is talking about when he mentions he wants to retain some payroll flexibility. Does anyone know why the Jays are looking to trade Halladay anyways? Are they trying to rebuild and salary dump? Hasn't Halladay made it known that he doesn't intend on extending his current deal and plans on testing the free agent waters after the 2010 season? With the way the Yankees, Red Sox and even the Rays are built, the Jays may be better off trying to get as much as they can for Halladay now. I don't think they would be stripping down necessarily. It could be similar to the Indians situation.

I agree that Melvin sounds as though he's playing this whole situation with the Yankees really well. He picked the right offseason to play it cool and patiently, as I'm not convinced he's going to head into the season with the team that is currently assembled. You know he wants to add another bat, another arm and some bench help. It kind of sounds as though he may be messing with Cashman after getting dissed by the guy more than once this offseason. I'm torn on Swisher. It's impossible not to like his combination of power and patience, but as noted his defense stinks and I don't like how his BA is as low as it is. He is young enough that would likely cause me to make this deal, moving Hart to CF as noted (something Melvin has considered as others have mentioned), so it's not like that would come completely out of nowhere. Last offseason Melvin noted that the Brewers have never had a player reach 100 BBs, something Swisher has done in his career, plus Swisher would give the organization some depth moving forward should they choose to move Fielder. I could see this turning into something bigger, but it's interesting how the conversations with the Yankees won't go away.

Rigoberto Almonte was the player I had to look up. Mike, you're one of the lucky ones that have seen so many of the team's prospects play. Ever since the Brewers moved their low-A affiliate away from Beloit, first-hand reports are few and far between (although some here have been fortunate to take in some games), and fortunately that will change next year when most of us will have a chance to travel to Appleton to follow the young pipeline to Milwaukee. A good chunk of the players that I have seen in person on my list I was able to watch before they were even drafted by the Brewers, and I haven't seen them since they have been part of the organization. I saw Brewer and Jeffress as part of the 2005 Aflac game, Scarpetta at the 2007 Perfect Game Indoor Showcase and Odorizzi at last year's Indoor Showcase. Dillard, Gamel, Escobar and Salome are a little easier since they all had cups of coffee with the big-league Brewers last year. Same goes for Nelson, who I, and many others around here, also got to see play in Beloit. I got to see quite a bit of Komatsu at Cal State Fullerton and Gillespie at Oregon State following the college game on TV.

Web design is a good avenue to pursue. As a graphic designer, I know types like myself may very well go the way of the dinosaur if I don't start expanding my skills in the near future making the most of "new media" opportunities. So I wouldn't pursue graphic design alone given what you're experiencing. I would suggest trying to keep your job in pre-press, since there will always be some need for such skilled people, and try to take night/weekend classes in the meantime (or sign up for the dreaded third shift, if the printing company you work at, offers that if you can't find night or weekend classes). I'm not sure if you would need a degree, since your experience in pre-press could get your foot in the door for an interview, as long as you can prove you know what you're talking about when it comes to web development. If you're good with computer programs, I suggest picking up Dreamweaver and just playing with it and the tutorial. I know MIAD offers some post-bachelor night classes. There is also a graphic design placement agency in the Third Ward whose name escapes me at this point in time that offers classes for those interested in expanding their knowledge of the industry. I know I have the link at work, so I'll try to remember to provide that when I'm back in the office on Monday.

I wonder who that could possibly be, if they indeed have someone in mind. Keep in mind that the team had a fairly exhaustive search before they hired Brian Anderson for their TV job. I'm sure they had a few other guys that they liked, as I seem to remember Rick Schlesinger saying that they interviewed 100+ candidates for the position.

Great signing. Hoffman was my preference for the team's closer of those avaiable this offseason, so it's nice to see the Brewers make it happen. The money isn't going to break their backs, or at least it shouldn't. wow, as pessimistic myself and many on the board were yesterday, mark a ponied up and made it happen. I'm sorry to nitpick, but I'm not a big fan of having Mark Attanasio glorified every time the team makes a seemingly solid deal. Unless I missed something, why would we assume that he ponied up to make this happen? We've known for a while that Melvin has some money to play with, and hopefully he still has enough left to address other needs. As others have noted, hopefully this is the first move of a few to address all of the team's needs.