colbyjack

17 seems pretty good for a guy that is on the short side therefore limiting his overall potential. BA usually is all about the tools. Nothing new with Dykstra's writeup, or Komatsu's for that matter, but it was nice to see both Nieves and Peralta make the list. Nieves' velocity as we've heard/guessed before was up in the 90-91 range while Peralta was 93-97. Add two more talented players to the list of those slated to play at Appleton next year, giving most of us a chance to see them first-hand.

I know Mass and David Weiser have covered this, but how many years is this now for the Brewers being affiliated with Huntsville vs. Oakland? I know many of the Huntsville fans are still hung up on the days of the A's prospect machine, but the Brewers have fielded some incredibly impressive teams there as well, with this year's adding to the intrigue. I'm happy to see the affiliation continue, although I hope the folks in Huntsville have started to forget about the A's finally. Today in the Syracuse, NY paper (Post Standard) the Brewers were mentioned as a team that might bring it's AAA team here in 2010. I don't know what the Nashville situation is, but from this thread it seems the Brewers aren't happy there. I'm pretty sure Mass has noted in recent weeks that the Brewers signed their last PDC with the Sounds under the impression that they would be able to get a new stadium built. Since that hasn't happened, I'm sure the Brewers will investigate any and every possibility they can when their deal is up two years from now.

You've been pounding the drum about how bad Nashville's stadium is over the last week JJHardy, and I'm with you. I was there last year and I could not believe how a city the size of Milwaukee could have such a poor AAA stadium. Allow me to echo Mass' thoughts regarding the Power. I'm going to miss John's regular comments, and pictures, and as successful as that relationship seemed to be given how well the team played, how nice that stadium was and how many nice things you seemed to here from both sides about the other, it never seemed like a natural fit. I can't really recall more than a handful of random first-hand observations on the Power (outside of John's) from Brewerfan.net users from the Power's home park. So many people here have been to both Nashville and Huntsville more than just a couple of times, it often made me wonder why more didn't make the trip to Charleston. Looking at a map and trying to figure out a way to get there, I do know there is no straight shot, from almost anywhere outside of Pittsburgh and Baltimore, so that may play into it, but it is still curious that so few people that frequent Brewerfan.net had much to offer. I do think their quick agreement with the Pirates means the Brewers hooking up with the T-Rats is a matter of when and not if, and that means a heck of a lot more first-hand observations, when everyone will be given the chance to be a prospect expert http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. Back to the WV folks, John in particular, good luck with the Pirates. They haven't exactly been churning out prospects in recent years, and hopefully they can resolve their signing issues with Pedro Alvarez (for you, not Brewers fans).

RyDogg, if you need some help I'd be happy to trade services with you. I can't help you with the printing (aside from suggestions in the Milwaukee area), but if you want a snappy logo and overall design let me know.

One of the greater qualities a GM, or anyone in any mangement position, must have is the ability to identify working talent to build a successful staff around him. One thing that has made Jack Z. so successful is hiring so many quality talent evaluators below him, and recently two of his crosscheckers have been hired by other teams to serve as their scouting directors. So he clearly has an eye for people that also have an eye for talent. Overall I agree with the premise that being a great scouting director does not mean he will be a good general manager, but he certainly has had the success to be given such an opportunity to prove himself. I personally think such an opportunity for him would likely come from a re-building ballclub, such as the Pirates, but you never know.

As much as I would love to see the team take a radical approach towards pitching and defense (target a guy like Orlando Hudson in FA, bump up Escobar, move Hardy to 3B, move Weeks, Hall and Fielder for pitching), I think the current lineup is going to be kept relatively intact. The top 5 in the lineup for most of the season (Weeks, Hardy, Braun, Fielder and Hart) are going to be 26, 26, 25, 24 and 27 when the 2009 season opens. That means none of them have hit their baseball prime yet. Without a doubt, third base needs to be addressed. I still think Hank Blalock is the best fit in a strict platoon with Hall, that is if he becomes available. If so, give him a one-year deal similar to Cameron or even Gagne with an option for a second. Gamel and Escobar would be best off for a good chunk of '09 at AAA to make sure they're as close to as ready as possible when they do make it for good, as Gamel in particular would provide good depth should Blalock's health continue to be a problem. I would suspect the lineup could be significantly different in 2010. Of the players that are available, or at least ones that could be, I would really like to see either Brian Giles or Bobby Abreu brought in. Yes, they're both old, but they both have the exact type of offensive approach that the team is desparately lacking. Such a move would probably mean Hart moves to CF while Cameron moves elsewhere, and this is also assuming one of Giles or Abreu even becoming free agents (although reports out of SD and NY may lead one to believe that either or both may indeed become available). I think Ibanez is going to get too crazy of a deal, especially for his age, otherwise I agree with JB that he's another bat the Brewers lineup could really use. Obviously the team needs to address the bullpen, and I hope Melvin studies some of the best bullpens in baseball to determine how they were constructed. It seems as though the Padres always assemble one of the more successful bullpens in baseball (even before they moved into Petco) on a fairly reasonable budget (outside of Hoffmann). A starter is likely going to be needed, although I wouldn't rule out a return to the rotation for Villanueva.

The funny thing about Kapler and Counsell being mentioned is that it isn't too crazy to think that one of them (Counsell) could be a coach on this team next year.

Here's the remaining schedule. The Pioneer League is up Thursday: http://www.baseballameric...rospects/2008/266854.html I submitted one question to today's chat: Q: Did Cody Scarpetta just miss the cut due to innings pitched? Any thoughts on some of the more high ceiling AZ Brewers such as Shawn Zarraga, Luis Guerrero, Blake Billings, Hitaniel Arias and Jose Garcia? A: Scarpetta fell short of innings and I never did get to see him pitch, but check out those K/9 totals at both levels! Of the other Brewers you mention, the one that drew the most comments was Jose Garcia. The AZL staff at the Brewers complex like this 17-year-old. He's got a solid body and power potential, but he's still very raw. Arias is even more unrefined. Good body, some power potential, but many years away. I got some favorable comments about Guerrero and Billings, but really nothing on Zarraga.

This is horrible. Dale Svuem can't even coach 3rd base. This reeks of desperation and the only thing this solves is the the front office not wanting to have to answer to fans after the season, rather they can say, "well, we tried to go in a different direction before it was too late." Goodbye Playoffs! Goodbye 5 years of hard work and building! We had our shot. Doug Melvin had better be the next head to roll. This organization is essentially giving up and starting over 15 days early. I agree that the move reeks of being desparate, but I don't think 5 years of hard-work have been thrown out the window. I mentioned this on the minor league forum the other day, but this team hasn't been built as if it's 2008 or bust. It's not like they have to start over just because Yost is no longer the manager.

I think the timing of this is especially interesting now that Yost has been fired two days later, with an opening for a third base coach and for a bench coach. It reinforces the idea that something was said or done for him to get the boot.

Dale Sveum will serve as the interim manager, while Simmons is being re-assigned to an advisory role.

BA kicked off their top prospect season today with their annual league-by-league lists, starting with the Arizona League. The information is for subscribers only, but RHP Jake Odorizzi made the list as the league's 7th best prospect while Seth Lintz was ranked the league's 15th best prospect. Nothing new as to why they were there, as Odorizzi was praised for his easy arm and overall athleticism, 93 mph FB and slider while Lintz was hype for his 90-93 FB and true 12-to-6 CB. Odorizzi had a dead-arm period that he had to fight through while Lintz obviously struggled with control. At 21 and 18 innings respectively, they had by far the fewest innings of any other pitcher on the list. I'm not sure what the cut-off was, but I'm guessing Cody Scarpetta at 15 innings just missed being eligible. Former unsigned Brewers draftee Terrell Alliman was 19th on the list as a member of the Angels organization. Friend of Brewerfan Bill Mitchell compiled the ist, and will be taking questions (again, for subscribers) at 2:00 pm CST.

While a no-hitter obviously has emotional/sentimental value, the Cubs did us a favor in two regards: One, they beat the Astros, as we need the Astros/Phillies/Mets to lose as much as they can since it's clear we're not catching the Cubs, and two, they brought revenue to Miller Park. I personally don't have a problem with the no-hitter tonight, it's the losing that blows. If the Brewers would have split their series with the Phillies this weekend everyone would be thanking the Cubs right now. The Brewers need to take care of their own crap right now, and hopefully that starts on Tuesday when CC takes the mound in Wrigley, and hopefully having CC and Sheets toss the first two games of that series will mean something.

Just because the team decided to go for it doesn't mean it's 2008 or bust. I agree that this year is the best chance the Brewers have had in years, but really that's not saying much. Losing Sheets and Sabathia in the offseason also sucks, but the Brewers will get Gallardo back. I'm not saying the outlook looks brighter for 2009 versus this year, especially when the team is amidst a horrible slump at the worst possible time of the season, but again, this team was not built solely for the 2008 season. And that is somewhat besides the point. If Yost is canned I envision the team finding someone with some kind of existing resume at the big-league level, even if it is someone internally such as Sveum or Simmons. I still think it's crummy to see Kremblas canned, but again, the story as it read above just reaks of something we don't know about.

I thought the same thing as mothership, something was said or done that pissed someone off. The Brewers have been loyal to Kremblas, even if they haven't given him the opportunity to coach at the big-league level, which I'm sure has frustrated the guy. I'm happy to see that he'll have a chance to do so somewhere else. As for Kremblas in Milwaukee, while the big-league Brewers are crumbling hard and fast, this team is being assembled for the long haul, not just the 2008 season, and whoever the next manager is I hope they have experience. Kremblas needs to go to a young team similar to how Ned started with the Brewers several years ago, or even how Eric Wedge started with the Indians.

I offer up my summer all-star team of players I had the opportunity to see play this summer in my most recent column: http://www.pgcrosschecker...rt/2008/summers_best.aspx PGCC also has released their top 250 players eligible for the '09 draft. That subscriber-based, so I won't bother with the link, but it's no surprise that Strasburg is #1. I'm happy to see Purke at #4, although he's #2 on my list. Kyle Gibson (their #2) is a little further down my own personal list, as he does have arguably the filthiest slider of any '09 draft eligible, and he does have a projectable frame, but I'm concerned about his FB and FB command. The velocity is there, but it's far from an unhittable pitch. The '09 draft is going to be similar to the '04 draft, in which the college pitching will be heavy at the top, and as always, Scott Boras is going to play a significant role (Stephen Strasburg and Andrew Oliver are the known players aligned with the well-known super-agent).

Not too long ago I started this thread in July, looking ahead to high the Brewers might be drafting the following year, usually the only consolation prize we Brewers fans had on such crummy seasons. This year I add the list now, with the Brewers in a month-long slump with several teams hot on our tail. This list also points out just how good the Brewers are (6th best in baseball), would be the best team in the NL West or the AL Central, and makes a three-game lead seem much bigger than what it has been made out to be over the past week. So here's to the Brewers turning things around, starting this evening, to finish the year strong and to remind all of us just how little the draft order matters when your favorite team fields a winning ballclub. 1. Nationals (.384) 2. Padres (.388) 3. Mariners (.393) 4. Pirates (.411) 5. Royals (.428) 6. Braves (.442) 7. Giants (.445) 8. Orioles (.448) 9. Reds (.452) *9a. Nationals (for not signing A. Crow) 10. Rockies (.456) 11. A's (.459) 12. Tigers (.479) 13. D-Backs (.490) 14. Indians (.490) 15. Rangers (.490-72-75 means their winning % is just a few ticks higher than CLE/AZ) 16. Marlins (.507) 17. Dodgers (.514) 18. Yankees (.527) 19. Cardinals (.534) 20. Blue Jays (.541) 21. Astros (.544) 22. Phillies (.544) 23. Twins (.548) 24. White Sox (.555) 25. Brewers (.565) 26. Mets (.566) 27. Red Sox (.588) 28. Cubs (.603) *28a. Yankees (for not signing G. Cole) 29. Rays (.604) 30. Angels (.610)

As I and others have talked about before, TUSA was led by their impressive pitching staff, with LHP Andrew Oliver having impressive command on his 89-93 fastball while also having an ideal, sturdy pitching frame, and Kyle Gibson has arguably the most electric slider of any '09 draft eligible. Oliver needs to find a breaking pitch that works for him, while Gibson needs to rely less on his slider. Kendal Volz served as TUSA's closer, but likely will be groomed as a starter as a pro. He has a 93-94 FB and hammer curve, although I'm not a fan of his mechanics, which may be better suited in a short relief role. A.J. Griffin, a closer for San Diego, pitched at 89-91 this summer with a very good curveball. Like Volz his delivery is on the max effort side, otherwise I would like to see him tried as a starter given his prototypical workhorse stature and well-rounded repertoire. Anyway, those are my quick thoughts on a few of the pitchers that impressed me the most, as I wasn't able to catch either Strasburg or Minor, although I have seen both in the past. Here's BA's take on TUSA's top 20 prospects (subscribers only): http://www.baseballameric...team-usa/2008/266848.html Stephen Strasburg http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/sstrasburg08428309bf1.jpg

I don't see Lincecum's delivery/mechanics with Wheeler. It has become more popular to compare certain types of pitchers (Michael Palazzone comes to mind) to Lincecum, those that have that more violent looking delivery although ones that clearly generate velocity from the bottom up. I know the jury is still out on how Lincecum will hold up long-term, although that may spark a new debate about how many innings he has pitched early in his career. As for the rest of the analysis, when I saw Turner in Cedar Rapids last February, everyone raved about how easy Turner's delivery worked. As Blazer noted, being long isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially given how simple Turner makes it look. And yes, it was difficult to get a true read on Givens in the Aflac game since he was in and out so quickly, and I agree with the growing sentiment that his future lies on the mound, not as shortstop. I'm sure there will be some online hitting experts ready to tear into his swing http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. And Slade Heathcott needs to channel his frustration much better before I applaud him too much for his competetiveness.

No he's not having the same great year as 2007--that may never happen again. Yes, compared to that season his season has been disappointing. But even with this horrible slump he shares the 8th highest OPS among NL 1B with, ahem, Derrek Lee. True, and biedergb already did a good job responding to your point, but we're talking about arbitration here, and Fielder definitely cost himself several million dollars with Ryan Howard's season last year and record amount awarded through the arbitration process being the benchmark of what many, and I'm sure Fielder included, expected this upcoming offseason. I think it's a very interesting discussion because we are going to be hearing a lot more about this between now and January, which may very well make Fielder a popular name in trade rumors and proposals. I could easily see the Brewers offering like $5.5M and Prince asking for like $9M. I don't see any way that this doesn't go to a arbitration hearing this offseason. That's risky, because an arbitrator chooses one of the two figures, there is no common ground in the process, which is usually why you see the two sides come to an agreement before the hearings, which usually is the middle ground.

That's a good call John, one I was thinking about the other day. I would say $7 million is the max he could expect this offseason, and if he doesn't get his body turned around, he could be looking at losing a lot more money in years to come. It's funny, because all of the things we were worried about this guy even before the Brewers drafted him (conditioning and defense) are starting to come back and haunt us (surprise surprise).

Lowe is also a Boras client. He'll go to whatever team gives him the contract that we the fans will shake our heads at the most. At 35 years old, I'm sure he knows this is his last chance to really cash in. If that doesn't become as big of an obstacle that it usually is, I too would be all for Lowe coming to Milwaukee, as losing a draft pick doesn't bother me as much since in that scenario (losing Sheets & Sabathia) the team would be picking up 2-4 other early ones.

Lowe is also a Boras client. He'll go to whatever team gives him the contract that we the fans will shake our heads at the most. At 35 years old, I'm sure he knows this is his last chance to really cash in. If that doesn't become as big of an obstacle that it usually is, I too would be all for Lowe coming to Milwaukee, as losing a draft pick doesn't bother me as much since in that scenario (losing Sheets & Sabathia) the team would be picking up 2-4 other early ones.

Lowe is also a Boras client. He'll go to whatever team gives him the contract that we the fans will shake our heads at the most. At 35 years old, I'm sure he knows this is his last chance to really cash in. If that doesn't become as big of an obstacle that it usually is, I too would be all for Lowe coming to Milwaukee, as losing a draft pick doesn't bother me as much since in that scenario (losing Sheets & Sabathia) the team would be picking up 2-4 other early ones.

Yeah, that's dumb. I'm pretty surprised by that move. I don't care if the team has an unsettled problem at 3B, and I don't care that Gillaspie is relatively polished as a hitter. At least when Ryan Zimmerman did this he tore up the minors and was already a Gold Glove caliber 3B. Gillaspie has some issues on D' and obviously didn't enjoy anywhere near the success, and I haven't even touched the financial aspect of it. I think this is another sign about how desparate the Giants are for bats.