JJHardy7

As far as I have heard, Ben was always a class act, and I wish him well. One thing that I don't like about this current regime is how they treat their homegrown players (Jenkins, Sheets, Hall, Hardy, etc.)- kicking them to the curb, while acting as apologists for the mediocre to bad 'talent' that they trade for or overpay for on the free agent market. This practice is common everywhere in business, where new management wants to bring 'their own people in', but in this case, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I guess I don't get this. Jenkins was at the back end of his career, Hardy and Hall struggled, and everyone else kicked Sheets to the curb in 2009. Honestly, based on a lot of your other posts you don't agree with a lot of what the Brewers do. That is fine. I guess I just don't feel the same way about the treatment. The Brewers offered Sheets arbitration after 2008...I don't think that is kicking someone to the curb. I think the key is keeping the key homegrown players...like Braun and Yovani (and I guess Hart too)....just like the Brewers did. The Brewers also did the same thing with Sheets at a point and time as well. The Brewers can't afford to overpay for players that aren't performing regardless of whether or not they were homegrown.

Yeah, I can agree with this. I don't believe the hype that he'll be a multi-all-star player but I don't think he'll be a disappointment like I feel Glenn Braggs was. Is there hype about him being a multiple all-star? I'm not saying he can't do it. He just seems to fit more in the mold of being a solid everyday player who maybe could get an all-star appearance or two. I don't think there is much hype of him being a Braun or Fielder type. Can someone fill me in?

How are the Yankees going to be able to use him when they already have Teixeira under a long term deal? Please don't say "DH", either. $$$ talks. Prince may want to play 1B, but if a team offers a lot more money he'll sign to play DH and maybe play 1B a few days a week. He said the ONLY thing that he would miss was his teammates. Cool. But it's kind of dickish. I agree, but it just one interview. It could've been an honest mistake. There just isn't any loyalty in sports. I recall Fielder being a questionable draft pick and the such, but now he's looking to rake millions. If he's smart he'll go to the American League so he can DH. If he had the year he is having in NY or another major market, he'd be getting ripped a bit. He's not having a bad year by any stretch, but he isn't having the type of year he's had in the past.

I think his injuries have been overblown a bit because wrist injuries aren't really that common. Injuries are injuries though. I know excuses have been made for players (one being Sheets and how freak they were), but if you can't play...you can't play. I know I haven't been on the Weeks bandwagon and one major reason is injuries. He looks to be a very good player when healthy...there is a fair amount of risk though. I have begged Rickie to be resigned for a long time. Of course the organization blows it and misses out on our future #4 hitter. It makes me sick. Have all of your ideas worked out? I think you need to list them all out so we can look back at them and see how well they would've worked out in a few years...

I would ask Doug which is it? We hear teams don't want to trade good prospects, teams don't want to trade good ML pitchers. Teams are getting deals done and the Brewers have been in the position to trade ML players for prospects and prospects for proven ML pitchers over the last couple years but haven't done much and tend to say there are no deals to be made or no one is willing. CC Sabathia?

JJhardy7: I believe that write up was by John Hollinger, who has always been more bullish on Gooden because he has a decent PER and is a good rebounder. Obviously, Maggette scores really high on PER as well. It was. I just think it means this isn't some crazy signing that experts are proclaiming was awful. Will it work? We'll see, but given again what others got in the market I don't think it was a bad signing. I'd prefer it not guaranteed or fewer years, but this is a much better player IMO than Danny G. That contract was ripped on immediately. I do wish we would've signed Zaza over Danny G back then.

I've made an allusion to the Gadzuric contract in comparison to Gooden's. Gooden is by far the superior player. However in today's NBA the most important thing is to not have bad/unmovable contracts. FWIW, ESPN Insider lists the Bucks as the 2nd best off-season and even notes Gooden's deal isn't bad compared to other comparable players that received deals this off-season. Again, not saying Gooden is an all-star, but I actually think it might be good 'value' given the craziness of other deals. It's easy to knock it, but just look at what other comparable players got in terms of money...

Macha made reference to that last year that he didnt look to do any extra work on his fielding, even when asked by Randolph to do it. Money is implying that Gamel isnt as dedicated to his craft as the coaching staff/organization as they think he should be. I've seen some of the opposite. I think this year stinks because he got hurt. Now that he appears healthy hopefully the defense will come as well. I'd love to see Mat stick at 3rd, but I understand he's going to have to be solid there. Hopefully Mat can get it all figured out the rest of the year. It looked like he was on the right path this ST (working on his craft) before the injury. My guess is he was taking it easy in fear of an injury, but hopefully that is all behind him. These comments are coming from people that have watched both players play in almost every game over the last 2-3 years. I like Heether too, but these comments certainly didn't come from me. Heether kind of had the same following Chris Barnwell had when he was there. Great guy and you wish him the best, but Gamel's future is a lot different (potentially) than Heether's. Again, I wish Heether the best and really wish he would've been called up a few times when he was in the organization.

He seems to be unwilling to put in the extra effort that is needed to make him a MLB player. Where does this come from? Gamel has put in the time. It may just come down to him not sticking at 3B.

I wished they would have focused less on the game and more on the behind the scenes stuff. The best parts for me were probably when Peterson addressed the pitchers and when Koterass made a mound visit to basically give the pitcher a rest. The link above states that the Brewers didn't want everything taped. So it makes perfect sense IMO why they did what they did. They didn't want everyone to know their plans/strategy/etc.

I don't think it's the size of the contract that bother's people (especially seeing what Darko and Amir Johnson got) it's the length and guaranteedness that seem like overpaying. Gooden's been around for awhile, how good is he going to be in five years? No one want's to have another Gadzuric-like contract. I'm not saying I love the deal, but like NDOG is saying it's not that much money on an annual basis. Also, the Danny G comparison is just off. Gooden has been much better than Danny G. I agree that I'm not sure how good he'll be in 5 years, but he should be solid the next few years. That annual salary won't kill the team. He can always be dealt as well...

In regards to the lack of runs in some games, I guess it boils down to what other teams are doing. If we're on pace with winning teams/most of the league, it isn't a big deal. I just wish JS would provide all of that information. Except that the Brewers basically need to treat Parra like a newly-called up prospect, letting him succeed & fail, to find out if he can be a viable starter. There is absolutely nothing gained from sitting him down, and you lose out on any chance to see if the lefty with the 95mph heater can pan out for you. Taking him out of the rotation would be indefensibly bad, there is absolutely nothing this team is playing for besides player development at this point. With regards to Manny, the state this team is in is a bit of a luxury, since the Brewers can actually just let him keep starting & not get hung up on whether or not he got shelled his last time out. Not to go to off topic, but the Braves feed spoke about Parra and his 'stuff' and they feel he'll figure it out. It just might not be Milwaukee. In other words, I don't think Parra is a guy that doesn't have value. The Brewers just need to figure out if they need to deal him (because he won't improve) or if they have to just let him keep starting. I'd vote to let him keep starting.

Braun has an .824 OPS and .364 wOBA with awful defense. Edmonds has a .769 OPS and .341 wOBA with good defense. It's not really surprising that Edmonds is more valuable this year than Braun. What if Edmonds played every day? I also don't understand the defense issues...I know around here Edmonds was ripped over and over before the season regarding his bad defense. Now somehow he's good at defense? I don't get that at all... I noticed on the Brave's broadcast that Gomez was sort of grabbing at his upper thigh/butt area. Not saying that's why he was removed early though. I saw this too. It also looked like Casey pulled something at the end of the game as well on that broadcast.

Yes, because by stating he might repeat A+ I was clearly implying he might as well pick up a job application at Mcdonalds because his baseball career is at a deadend. You didn't say that, but you did say he could spend his 5th year as a pro in A+...that isn't exactly saying he's well on his way to the majors/keeping his prospect status/etc. You point is well taken though comparing the two at a somewhat similar time. Any new rumors? I feel like there should be more, but even down here with all the Braves talk I really never hear Hart's name mentioned as a guy the Braves want. The Braves really are looking to add a OF though from the reports/sports talk down here.

I doubt he has much value at all. Really? I'm not saying he's playing at the level he has in the past, but I'd imagine he has some value...that'd be like saying Escobar has little value now...

In reading this post, particularly the last two sentences, I immediately thought of the Hardy and Overbay trades. I'd be fine with bringing back the same relative value for Prince. In other words, I think we got comparable value at the time of each trade. The Overbay trade was a pretty good one IMO. The Hardy trade could be a wash, but I guess Gomez could still turn it around. I think one problem is fans over value their own players. I'm not saying at bf.net we all do that, but Prince will be a completely different item IMO compared to trades made in the past few years. We and other teams more or less know what he is going to produce and he's done it at an elite level. Has DM made a big trade like this? Lee, etc. isn't really a fair comparison. In terms of selling, I don't know that the team's record has a ton to do with the important trades. I guess we could trade some of our veterans at any point. That really wouldn't bother me. A guy like Prince needs to be traded at his highest value. If that is this July, that is fine. If it is this off-season, I think we should wait. I just don't want to see us become buyers unless we go on a crazy tear. I wouldn't mind adding guys for little minor league value, but I don't want to see us give up some of our top prospects for anything.

Head has been a better 3 point shooter over his career compared to TD while also having more than double the 3 point attempts. I know TD went to Marquette and is from Wisconsin, but I don't know how much interest we should have in him as a backup PG. TD was waived by the Pacers. If we really have bigger expectations next year, I don't know if we can go with TD as a backup PG. I know we can go with 'anyone' to backup Jennings, but reality is he likely isn't going to be able to play every single game. I'd much rather have a better PG when he likely will have a few spot starts.

Take it for what it's worth, but I heard from a very good source that two guys they are looking at for the backup PG job are Luther Head and Travis Diener. TD was already mentioned by the local media, but I hadn't heard Head's name before. I hope if TD is brought in it is not to be the backup...3rd PG or whatever is fine. What's the deal with Luther Head? His stats look pretty good for a backup, but was he hurt over the course of his career? How is his defense?

Of course they were thrilled, their business is advertising and their responsibility is to their shareholders to maximize wealth. James business is putting a ball through a hoop and shuffling his feet on defense and his responsibility is to his family, fans and himself. He says yes or no - not ESPN or any other media outlet. He could have quietly done this with integrity like Durant did. He chose to make a circus of this - no one else. No one put a gun to his head. For the record I don't think ESPN (or the advertisers for that matter) is/are blameless either. I think they are perpetuating this type of behavior for the future, but ultimately the responsibility lies with the individual. I agree. My only point was the blame goes both ways. And I also think it is a bit odd to think his only business is putting a ball through a hoop. Clearly that isn't the case in regard to ads and endorsements. LeBron appears to be trying to establish his brand and I think he may have taken it a bit too far. Everyone wants to have an empire like Jordan. Back to more Bucks stuff...James signing in Miami could have somewhat of an impact on who the Bucks get a PG. I hope we got and contact a guy like Dooling before Miami does.

So that absolves James of being egotistical? My argument wasn't against ESPN. It was against James as a human being and his lack of integrity last night. I didn't say that. It is a two way street, but I just don't think LeBron begged to have this. For all we know, ESPN came to LeBron and asked him to do it this way. I've mentioned he should not have done it. So I'm not saying he should have done it this way, but at the same time ESPN was probably thrilled to do it/that he accepted it.

Yes, but the coverage that he could control - that unbelievably arrogant ESPN special 'The Decision' - was all him. He could have pulled the plug on that. I had no problem with any coverage up until then because it was for the most part out of his control. The guy is an egomaniac just based on that display last night. The spotlight is going to shift throughout the season from him, to Wade, to Bosh. In Cleveland he was 'the man', now he's a superstar piece to the puzzle in Miami. I'm sure ESPN hated having to air that 'special' last night... I agree it wasn't needed, but I'd imagine ESPN was more than happy to air it...

I couldn't agree more Fondy. While I am not a huge Lebron fan and the espn special last night was absolutely ridiculous, it is nice to see a superstar choose a team based on perceived chance to win a championship over money. I think it is going to be fun to watch Lebron, Wade, and Bosh play together although that will probably only last half the season since every nationally televised game will have the Heat. However, I can't really criticize the Cavs fan's reactions since it wasn't too long ago that I had a similar reaction when a certain QB left. I know a bunch of people are complaining about the coverage, but I don't know if that is LeBron's fault. It is the perfect time in sports right now to have some crazy coverage on this. There isn't a ton going on that the average sports fan cares about. It was rather pathetic to see/hear/read all about it. It was hard to avoid. I do think LeBron pulled a few stunts here and there. I think it is a bit different than anything we've seen because he's an Ohio guy. How many times does a player of this stature play for his hometown team? I know there have been a few, but how many leave for less money, etc? The one thing I didn't like is the fact that apparently LeBron didn't return any messages to Cleveland after the season. If he was a little bit more responsive, maybe Cleveland would have done a sign and trade. Even Amar'e Stoudemire wanted the Suns to get something back and they did a sign and trade. LeBron had to make his decision, but the Cavs are totally screwed now. Also, I really wish the NBA wouldn't allow players to contact teams and reach agreements before they actually can sign. I'm not saying any player would've gone to the Cavs, but now that most of the prizes are signed/agreed there isn't much left that they can do this off-season to improve the team.

trwi7, That seems more in line with what I heard from some of my friends/family. I don't think they have any connection at all to the Bucks or anything, but they were saying something like the last 2 years were not guaranteed, but I don't know if that is 100% accurate. This is really good news if true and IMO makes the Bucks off-season pretty strong. I just hope we land a backup PG.

The wrath for Escobar isn't just for his defense, which has been borderline brutal. It's also for his pathetic performance at the plate. Since May 25, he has had ONE extra base hit (a double on June 19). Going further, when he does get on base, he has made numerous baserunning mistakes- the speed merchant we were promised is on pace for 12 or so steals (I guess you can't steal first). I'm willing to give this guy the chance to play through this, but he has a long way to go to even become adequate. He has shown a few 'flashes', but they have been few and far between. Is he given the green light to steal though? I think Escobar does have good speed. I think it was expected he'd go through some hitting growing pains. That was the major concern when he was in the minors and was discussed quite a bit in the minor league forum. Escobar's OPS was .686 in April and .676 in May. That level of OPS isn't blazing, but if he can put together a few more months like that I'll take that. logan...you might be on to something in regard to the winter ball. It does seem like he's not hitting as well (relatively speaking) now as he was the first few months. I would prefer that he stay in the bigs the rest of the year, but no matter where he is I hope he starts every day. Hopefully he'll learn and use this year as a learning experience and maybe put together a solid second half. We need Escobar to be the player he can be.

I know they play two different positions but based on age and talent doesn't Durant's 5yr/$86M deal look like a steal compared to the Bulls just signing Boozer for 5yr/$80M? Also, is he that much more valuable than Gooden? What's the contract difference, roughly $48M? That just sounds obscene to me. Someone else (like trwi7) knows more than I do about this, but I thought the 'max' deals were somewhat based on years in the league/service. In other words, I don't think that Durant could sign a max deal for the amount these other guys are getting. I very well could be wrong, but I thought that is exactly why Wade, James, etc. signed 3 year deals last time they were free agents. This way they could have the service time to maximize their next contract.