TheCrew07

I have no issues at all dismissing PAP, it's garbage based on flawed assumptions and analysis. However we aren't talking about PAP, we're talking about developing a pitcher, a pitcher who happens to be our franchise, hasn't pitched a full season in the majors in his career, and is coming off a season with only 24 IP. It doesn't matter that the injury wasn't to his arm, it only matters that he pitched 24 innings, so he's no longer stretched out to pitch 190-200 like he was on pace to be able to do going into last season. In some ways it's good because he had a relatively easy season while he's still at high risk for injury, but as far as being a workhorse this season, he's just not stretched out enough. Furthermore, I'd like to see some proof the assertion above as his Game Logs do not bear that out, in fact they prove the opposite. Only once all season did have a Game Score (think of QB Rating in football, only this actually makes sense) over 80 with a pitch count of over 125, and he followed it up with with a dismal 55. In fact both times he's had a GS over 80 (cruising) on the season he's fell back into the mid 50s in the following game. Only once all season did he go over 110 pitches with a GS of least 70 and follow it up with another 110+ pitch 70+ GS game, that was June 26th and July 1. He was very close another time, on April 24th he went 106 pitches with a 76 GS and followed that with his best outing of the season, he went 116 pitches with an 88 GS on April 29th... However in his 3 subsequent starts after the April 29th game he went 53, 53, 30... after the July 1 game his next 2 games were 40 & 34. Is he getting hurt? Nope... is he pitching effectively after being pushed deep? Nope. I'm not sure what you're basing your beliefs on, because developing pitchers might be the single hardest thing to do in Baseball, less than half of the pitchers in any pundits top 100 pitchers stay healthy enough to have a career. The game evidence and research also doesn't support your conclusions, so I'm left with the notion you're just pulling the idea out of thin air and refusing to back off of it in the face of overwhelming evidence. Finally, and this really seals the deal for me personally, what exactly are we riding him towards this season? It seems very unnecessary to push him hard in a playoff race given his important to the franchise, let alone a season where it appears the breaks aren't going to go our way. Game Score Start with 50 points. Add 1 point for each out recorded, (or 3 points per inning). Add 2 points for each inning completed after the 4th. Add 1 point for each strikeout. Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed. Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed. Subtract 2 points for each unearned run allowed. Subtract 1 point for each walk

Establish your fastball Manny plsthx!

I'm splitting hairs here, but Jeffress is exactly the type of power arm every organization would love to have, Jeffress throws much harder than Drabek and 98% of the pitchers in the game at any level... too bad his personal issues keep getting in the way of his baseball career.

Final: DSL O's/Brewers 7, DSL Red Sox 3 DSL O's/Brewers Box Score So I admit, this is the first DSL box score I've looked at in weeks, this Link Report is likely part of a grand conspiracy spearheaded by Mass to force me to care about the DSL. I have a hard time getting excited about kids that aren't even states yet, though I do recognize some former AZ Brewers on the roster. Abreu with a hit going 1-4 but that's a pretty uninspiring average he's carrying thus far, .186. Javier was the DH, he continues his impressive stint in the DSL going 2 for 3 with a BB, I say bump him to AZ to help that offensively challenged team, and challenge him a bit.. No Arias today, I'm somewhat disappointed he was bounced all the way down to the DSL. Linares picks up another S, I'd like him to walk less batters and strike out more, a 28:19 K:BB ratio isn't all that impressive in 38.2 IP. DSL O's/Brewers Game Log

Final: Helena 5, Missoula (D'Backs) 4 Osprey tripped by Brewers in 11 innings, 5-4 Missoula takes 1-game lead in North on road for final 5 games of first half MISSOULA, MT - The Missoula Osprey and Helena Brewers battled like two teams fighting for a playoff berth when they met for the final time in the first half on Tuesday at Ogren Park Allegiance Field, and 2,058 witnesses to the struggle had to wait until the final out to see who would come out on top. The Brewers scored twice in the ninth, and added a run in the top of the 11th, to beat the Osprey, 5-4, and snap Missoula's five-game win streak. The Osprey (19-14) took a 4-2 lead into the top of the ninth, but lost a ninth-inning lead for the first time this season, then could not solve Brewers closer Michael Fiers (1-0), who pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit while collecting five strikeouts to get the win. The Osprey snapped a 2-2 tie in the eighth with a leadoff home run by Keon Broxton, his fifth roundtripper of the season, and a RBI single by David Nick. Helena (17-16) scored in the first, but the Osprey would score on a RBI single by Ramon Castillo in the third inning, and a RBI single by Paul Goldschmidt in the fifth, to take a 2-1 lead. Miguel Pena gave the Osprey a chance to win the game, thanks to his best start of the season. In five innings of work, Pena allowed three hits and two walks, but surrendered just the first-inning tally and struck out four batters. Pena combined with Osprey relievers Chase Anderson, Adam Worthington (3-2) and Bradin Hagens to strike out 13 Brewers. Missoula pitching fanned 24 Brewers in the two-game series. The Osprey had 12 hits, but also stranded 12 baserunners in the setback. Castillo finished with three of the Missoula hits, while Bobby Stone and Errol Hollinger each had two safeties. The Osprey will now head out on a five-game road trip to close out the first half of play, beginning with a two-game series at Billings against the Mustangs. Left-hander Keny Sosa will get the start for the Osprey on Wednesday, while the Mustangs will counter with right-hander Tom Crabbe. The Osprey will open the second half of the 2009 season at home on Monday against the Helena Brewers. Tickets for any remaining game this season can be obtained for all Osprey home games by calling the Osprey at (406) 543-3300, stopping by the Osprey Team Store at 412 W. Alder, or ordering online at www.missoulaosprey.com. Helena Box Score Very entertaining comeback win for the H-Crew, after the 3R HR put the Nationals up big I switched to Steve for his call of the game. Maybe it's Steve's influence but Mike Brownstein is quickly becoming one of my favorite players. Garfield goes yard, what an excellent pick he was... The top of the lineup with Prince and Brownstein continues to produce, Prince with a single and 3 BBs, Brownstein with 3 singles. Krieger has big power, but his lines remind of Katin, he had a 2B to go with 4 Ks on the evening. Paciorek who's mostly struggled in his career with a big evening, 3 hits including a double. Krestalude pitched well, but Fiers was dominant once again picking up the win with 1 hit vs 5 Ks over his 3IP, and he blew the side away in the 11th. Helena Game Log Helena Top 9th Pitcher Change: Adam Worthington replaces Chase Anderson. Defensive Substitution: Henry Zaballa replaces right fielder Bobby Stone, batting 3rd, playing right field. Cameron Garfield homers (2) on a fly ball to left field. Shawn Zarraga walks. Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Cutter Dykstra replaces Shawn Zarraga. Joseph Paciorek grounds into a force out, shortstop David Narodowski to second baseman David Nick. Cutter Dykstra out at 2nd. Joseph Paciorek to 1st. Chadwin Stang strikes out swinging. With Joshua Prince batting, Joseph Paciorek advances to 2nd on defensive indifference. Joshua Prince walks. Mike Brownstein singles on a fly ball to left fielder Keon Broxton. Joseph Paciorek scores. Joshua Prince to 3rd. Mike Brownstein to 2nd on the throw. Scott Krieger strikes out swinging. Helena Top 11th Cutter Dykstra walks. Joseph Paciorek singles on a ground ball to shortstop David Narodowski. Cutter Dykstra to 2nd. Chadwin Stang hits a sacrifice bunt. Throwing error by third baseman Raywilly Gomez. Cutter Dykstra to 3rd. Joseph Paciorek to 2nd. Chadwin Stang to 1st. Pitcher Change: Bradin Hagens replaces Adam Worthington. Joshua Prince grounds into a force out, third baseman Raywilly Gomez to catcher Errol Hollinger. Cutter Dykstra out at home. Joseph Paciorek to 3rd. Chadwin Stang to 2nd. Joshua Prince to 1st. Mike Brownstein out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Henry Zaballa. Joseph Paciorek scores. Chadwin Stang to 3rd. Joshua Prince to 2nd. Scott Krieger strikes out swinging. Missoula Bottom 11th David Narodowski strikes out swinging. Henry Zaballa strikes out swinging. Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Alan Santiago replaces Adonys Canelo. Alan Santiago strikes out swinging.

Final: Fort Wanye (Padres) 4, Wisconsin 2 Rattlers can't keep TinCaps from #70 By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers FORT WAYNE, IN - The Fort Wayne TinCaps rode the pitching of Simon Castro and the bat of Blake Tekotte to a 4-0 lead and held on for a 4-2 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Tuesday at Parkview Field. The TinCaps picked up win #70 on the season with the victory. Tekotte gave the TinCaps (70-31 overall, 25-6 second half) a lead right away in the bottom of the first. He drilled the second pitch from Rattlers starting pitcher Wily Peralta over the wall in right for a lead off homer and 1-0 Fort Wayne lead. Castro held on to that lead for five innings. The Midwest League leader in strikeouts allowed one hit and struck out nine without giving up a run. Castro now has 119 strikeouts on the season. Peralta struggled with control and walked six in four innings, but only allowed the homer to Tekotte before leaving the game. Fort Wayne added a run in the bottom of the seventh. Tekotte reached on an infield single against Evan Frederickson. He was sacrificed to second and stole third base. After an intentional walk to Jaff Decker put runners at the corners, Justin Baum drove in Tekotte with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead. Then, the eighth inning showed the difference between a team that has lost 11 of their last 13 games and a team that won its 70th game of the season. In the top of the eighth inning, Wisconsin (47-53, 13-17) got a chance with two outs against Fort Wayne reliever Nick Schumacher. He hit John Delaney in the helmet with an 0-2 pitch. Delaney walked off the field under his own power and was replaced by pinch runner Pete Fatse. Derrick McPhearson drew a walk to put the tying runs on base. Juan Sanchez worked the count to 3-2, but Schumacher struck out the Rattlers shortstop for the third out. In the bottom of the eighth, Frederickson got the first two outs, but walked the number eight and nine hitters to bring Tekotte to the plate again. The TinCaps centerfielder blooped in a single to right to drive in a run. Daniel Robertson followed with an RBI single for a 4-0 lead. Frederickson walked one more batter -- the eleventh of the night by a Rattlers pitcher -- to load the bases with two outs before being replaced by Nick Tyson. Those two runs were huge. Erik Komatsu and Brett Lawrie started the bottom of the ninth inning with singles against Fort Wayne closer Brad Brach in a non-save situation. Corey Kemp doubled to drive in both runners and bring the tying run to the plate. Brach strangled the Timber Rattlers rally with a strikeout, a fly out, and a strikeout to close out the game. Four Fort Wayne pitchers combined to strikeout 15 Timber Rattlers. Rattlers pitchers walked 11 TinCaps batters. Game two of the series is Wednesday morning. RJ Seidel (0-0, 2.08) gets the start for Wisconsin. Stiven Osuna (8-6, 3.84) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the TinCaps. Game time is 10:05am CDT. Wisconsin Box Score As ugly as you would guess from the summary. Peralta and Frederickson combine for 11 BBs, Peralta has walked 13 batters in his last 3 outings covering 12.1 IP. Frederickson has walked 8 batters in his last 6.2 IP. No multihit games and only 1 XBH, the double by Kemp. This club has been struggling in all facets of the game lately. Wisconsin Game Log

Final: Brevard County 4, Fort Myers (Twins) 1 Miracle Site Summary: July 28, 2009 - FORT MYERS -- Mark Rogers was perfect in his four innings and the Fort Myers Miracle offense never got going in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Brevard County Manatees. Rogers, who was a first round pick of Milwaukee in 2004, is averaging about two and a half innings per start this season after missing the last two full seasons due to injury. On a strict pitch count, Rogers left the game despite having retired all twelve batters he faced. Rogers went four innings with four strikeouts before giving way to lefty Lucas Luetge. Luetge (5-5) logged four frames with four hits, one unearned run, one walk, and three strikeouts. Omar Aguilar recorded his fourth save in the ninth. Tyler Robertson (5-7) turned in a strong outing of seven innings with seven hits, three earned runs, one walk, and six strikeouts. Henry Arias allowed one run in an inning of work while Loek van Mil worked a perfect ninth with one strikeout. Allan de San Miguel had the only RBI on a single in the fifth inning. Fort Myers managed just four hits against Brevard County. Eric Farris was 3-for-4 for the visitors, while Logan Schafer went 2-for-4. Santos Arias gets the ball in the series finale on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Brevard County Box Score As noted in the summary Farris and Schafer with nice days at the plate. Gindl went 1 for 2 with 2 BBs. Wheeler finally starting to get it going after one of the longer slumps of the season, batting .406 over his last 10 games. He went 1 for 4 with a 2B today... I have no idea why Brewer would be batting 3rd, but it's all good in a win. Luetge isn't pronounced like one would think, I have no idea how to spell it out phonetically, but I was surprised to hear the Fort Meyers announcer pronounce his name. Lots of discussion above about Rogers, this was obviously his best outing in 3 years. Rogers earned this nod Brevard County Recap

Final: New Orleans Zephyrs (Marlins) 6, Nashville 1 Nashville Site Game Summary: NASHVILLE - The Nashville Sounds began their homestand on the short end of a 6-1 loss to the New Orleans Zephyrs on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series. The loss was the sixth in the last seven games for the first-place Sounds (55-48). The victory was New Orleans' third in a row following a 13-game losing streak for the Z's. Nashville second baseman Hernan Iribarren went 3-for-4 on the night to account for nearly half of the club's seven knocks. The game started following a 33-minute rain delay. New Orleans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Manny Mayorson drew a bases-loaded walk from Nashville starter Lindsay Gulin to plate Dave Matranga. The Sounds evened the score in the bottom of the frame against Zephyrs reliever Jay Buente, who had replaced injured starter Clay Hensley. Nashville batters produced three straight one-out singles, the last of which by Joe Koshasky brought home Hernan Iribarren from second with the tying run. AUDIO: Joe Koshansky RBI Single Hensley departed after only one inning of work after suffering a left groin strain while warming up to start his second frame of action. Gulin's wildness haunted him again in the third when the left-hander walked the bases loaded to open the frame then, after inducing a grounder that forced a runner at the plate, walked Matranga to force in Andy Gonzalez. Reliever Matt Ginter took over on the hill and worked out of his inherited one-out, bases-loaded jam by inducing an inning-ending double play grounder from Buente. Gulin (5-7) took the loss after he walked a season-high nine batters in his 2 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on one hit during his shortest outing of the year. Z's right fielder Jai Miller increased the visitors' lead to 3-1 in the top of the fifth with a two-out solo homer off the clubhouse building in right-center. The blast, which came against Ginter, was his ninth of the year. New Orleans finished off the night's scoring with three eighth-inning runs off Ryan Houston. John Raynor and Mayorson offered RBI singles before Cameron Maybin added a sacrifice fly. Buente (3-0) picked up the win in relief for New Orleans. He allowed one run on four hits in three innings of work. The clubs continue the series with a 12 p.m. matinee on Wednesday afternoon at Greer Stadium. Left-hander Chris Narveson (3-3, 3.91) will make the start for the Sounds to face New Orleans southpaw Andrew Miller (0-1, 11.57). Nashville Box Score Salome absent again, this just hasn't been his year. Another dismal offensive performance by this club, Escobar and Gamel go 0 fer... Gamel Ks twice. His Ks this season are a little bit unnerving for me personally. Gulin as noted above was atrocious but somehow limited the damage to 2 runs after walking 9 in 2.1 IP. Axford with a clean inning though he walked a batter, hopefully his peripherals fall back in line with what he was doing earlier in the season. Nashville Game Log

Helena comes back to tie it up in the 9th, tune in!

All Game Summaries coming prior to the AM.

Why wouldn't Toronto want Feliz? I didn't know what to make of that rumor from the BC broadcast...

Steve interviews strength and conditioning coach Nick Miller. They discuss many issues near and dear to my heart including the proper nutrition of athletes, a good listen.

That's why important to identify your players... Fielder was going hit, the same way Braun was going to hit, the same way Gamel is going to hit. I would have been looking to lock up 2 of the original wave, Braun made a ton of sense, and Yo makes a ton of sense. Going forward I hope they offer Gamel a deal, and again I hope they offer Yo. Beyond them looking ahead I'm not sure who I'd lock up, I'm not sure any of those guys will be special, but they'll be above average, players like Cain, Gindl, and Green. If Parra begins approaching his potential I hope they'd lock him up as well. It's the easiest way to control cost and extend a player's stay will the organization. If those things don't interest you that's fine, but that's how I feel about it. You seem to be taking it like I'm attacking Melvin and that's not my intention, I would would rather tweak the way he does things. Just like in the fire Melvin thread, I think he's above average, but he needs to change his approach to FA and pitching or we're always going to struggle to get over the top. I don't know if Hardy would have signed in 2007, but I would have offered and made it public.. he had no track record and has had some pretty crappy luck with injuries, he might have jumped at the long-term security. Additionally for the Brewers it would have made sense to reclaim a year of lost service time with him.

Did anyone else catch that union mention when discussing the No Trade Clause for Halladay? BTW FSN, how tough is it to spell H A L L A D A Y? At any rate, it sounds like when a player a gives up his no trade there is compensation expected, perhaps guaranteeing an option year or some such?

I guess you didn't read or missed the part about Fielder and Weeks, then Fielder +? I wasn't being extremist, what's so outrageous about having 3-4 position players signed to Braunesque type deals? I would like Yo locked up immediately as well. I'd rather pay those players than any reliever for 1.5 WAR, or Suppan for negative WAR...

Boo, Rogers goes 4 complete with a perfect game, I was hoping they'd let him go for the win.

Well since X had to jinx it!!! I've been listening in and he's hitting 97 on the stadium gun pretty regularly. Rogers hasn't walked multiple batters since July 4. He hasn't walked more than 2 since June 17. I realize he was only pitching 2 innings per outing, but it's improvement none the less. The WI feed is still in and out today, Nashville and Huntsville delayed. edit. Check that, Huntsville Postponed.

Where O where has Villy's change-up gone... oh where oh where can it be? I take the dishes up to the kitchen, come back down stairs and all I could do was rewind the DVR and laugh. The pitching has gotten to the point where it's comical, please settle in Villy.

We do understand... why aren't you considering the difference in timing and salary the player was making? There are finite windows in play here.

Butler is still on the DL isn't he?

The idea in itself behind the Hall signing wasn't bad, it's just that he had never performed at that level at any point in his career prior to '05 and '06. He also seemed to be guy the team was least committed to, instead of moving him out to CF he would have been pretty valuable as a trade piece. However he was a fairly popular player in Milwaukee, and again, Melvin hasn't demonstrated in the past that he'd aggressively move for pitching. In my opinion a better move would have been locking up Hardy mid-season in 2007, especially since Hall always seemed to be the odd guy out when the team was making roster decisions. I also would have offered Fielder a long-term deal after 2006. I realize of course, that I've always come down on the Hardy side of the fence and have never really liked Hall, but it's clear to me that the Brewers thought Hall had value, but they weren't committed to him at a defensive position. If I were Melvin I probably would have planned on Weeks and Fielder being my eventual core as they were moving up, but after 2006 (JJ's injury season and Weeks' first wrist injury) I would have been thinking Fielder + ? so when JJ exploded in 2007 he would have been my other guy. Once I was sure JJ was going to recover I would have immediately moved Hall and sold high on Billy, but that's just how I operate when I manage franchises in games, like OOTP for example, I believe in pitching first. I'm always wheeling and dealing for pitching... anytime a player busts out who's not "in my plans", he's moved for pitching. What do I do with all the pitching? I spin it back into hitting as they approach FA... I seem to need 8 starting pitchers to make it through a season anyway so the extra pitching never hurts. I realize it's just a video game, but that's the approach I take to roster management... and I have feeling that's how I'd work it if I had the opportunity in real life. Melvin is pretty conservative, he only moves a valuable piece when he has to due to FA or a player being blocked. I sincerely hope he'll change his tact some look to acquire some younger pitching, instead of buying rentals and signing FA pitchers, there's just not good value in those moves.

Peralta gives up a HR on the 2nd pitch of the game... the T-Rats staff has been giving up HRs in bunches lately.

T-Rats slightly delayed... should start by 6:20 PM CDT

Nor does him spending an extra make him more ready offensively... that would be a purely defensive move. Kendell's defense hasn't been good, his offense hasn't been good, and we have 2 C at AAA and AA respectively, we'll be getting young at that position.

Why would we want to pay for mediocrity with Washburn? I agree he helps for this season, but for the future it would be all about Morrow. Personally speaking I'm looking to get away from Relievers and Players of averagish talent being the highest paid players on the team.