TheCrew07

I fine with them staying in A+, I'd just like them to get stretched out to 100 innings this year if they plan on using them both as starters, otherwise we'll run into service time issues before they hit the majors. I realize they aren't all that far away being in A+, but I'm more concerned with building them to up 150-160 innings prior to having them on the big club so we can get 180-185 innings out of them that first year. While both have had 2 surgeries, the most recent for both was relatively minor by comparison to the original. Rogers is almost out of time, he was drafted and pitched in 2004, next season will be his last prior to FA won't it? Braddock was a 2005 draftee and he pitched that season so we have 2 years of him remaining as well. Mark just needs to pitch and get those walks down, Zach has been as dominant as a pitcher can be, his K:BB ratio is nearly 10:1, he could probably use a better challenge regardless of how many innings he's pitching. The only problem being time is the one luxury the organization doesn't have in either case. If Braddock doesn't get 100 innings this season he's going to have to be pushed pretty hard to get enough work the following 2 years to get there anyway. I'm not sure about Rogers, he needs to quit giving up BBs, he needs time on the mound, and I doubt he'll be ready for 2011 regardless. The AFL is probably a reasonable guess for both players assuming a healthy, so they'll pick up some innings there as well. Rogers will have around 22-23 innings at the break, Braddock is pitching a bit more regularly as a reliever and will be around 25-26 by the break. I'd like to see the pace increased, even if it's just another IP per outing because the weather has been a major issue all season and I don't faith they'll get all their games in. Everything above is moot though if they want to use both kids as relievers... if they are RP I cease to be concerned about the innings threshold.

Your arrogance is astounding, there's no better way to put it. Sabmertrics has changed some game strategy and has given us some very powerful tools for player analysis, but it has not and will not change how the game is played. Baseball has been played for well over 100 years, and it's always going to come down between the mind game between the pitcher/catcher and the hitter. There's no way you've stood on a pitcher's mound with your constant refusal to accept what's painfully obvious, these are basic fundamentals of throwing.. it doesn't matter if it's a baseball, softball, or football, it's pretty much all the same from your feet to shoulder, the arm actions and follow throughs are the only difference. His fastball isn't under 90 mph because of mechanics, his fastball is under 90 mph because he's aiming it. There is a huge difference between throwing a ball and trying to aim a ball in there, the latter rarely works. I have tons of footage of QBs who throw great in pre game and then get tentative and try to guide the ball to the reciever in the game. I've been on the mound and aimed my pitches, I'm sure countless others on this sight have been too and know exactly what I'm talking about. I see young QBs and HS pitchers aim their throws constantly, I see it at T-Rat games occassionally, but you don't see it very often at the highest levels of professional sports. Countless people on the site can see it, his teammates, coaches, and GM can see it, Uecker talked about it on the air during the Atlanta game only he used the phrasing "for some reason he starts to pull back"... the annecdotal evidence is overwhelming... I know it's fun to bag on old baseball cliches and what not, but no matter how times or different ways you post it, your opinion is no more true than the first time you posted it, and it is woefully innaccurate. None of those pitchers is Manny Para, and as a coach you absolutely have to learn the body language of your players because most of them aren't going to be honest with themselves or with you. Maybe you've never coached, maybe your job doesn't require you to "read" people... I don't know. I do know what I see, I know what the player and everyone around him has said, I know my personal experience on the playing field and as a coach... maybe you just don't like some of us and dismiss our opinions without giving them their due diligence? A long time I listened to a very wise man speak about player development at a conference, he talked about 2 scales... 1 physical, 1 mental. He said almost every athlete at the professional level has physical ability of at least a 7 on a 10 scale, the only thing that separates out the players is where they fall on a mental side. This is why the draft is such a crap shoot, regardless of the sport, the teams just never really know how players are going to react to outside influences of money and fame in additon to their determination, confidence, and will to succeed. Occassionally there will be a player of 6 skill physically, but he manages to have a good to great career because he's a 9 or 10 mentally. He went on to say that there are many players who have physical ability in that 9 to 10 range, but very few have the mental ability of a 9 or 10... hall of fame players come when exceptional talent meets exceptional mental make up. A player's true talent is the sum of physical gifts + or - the mental. It's been over 10 years now, and I still think back to that presentation almost every day. The speaker was the late Fritz Shurmur... who got more out of his talent than most. There's an excellent article linked here some place, or maybe it was BCB, about Ian Kinsler and the mental side of baseball, but what's true of baseball is true of any sport. Maybe the people that scouted, drafted, and developed him will be more convincing than the rest of us are. If I can locate the article I'll link to it. edit. It was BCB, here's the post.and here' a direct link to the Kinsler article.

I don't think I've seen Watten pitch yet? Hmm... edit. Nope, no video on him, I'll have to catch his next start at home, I thought I had everyone now... darnit. Aguilar has been pretty bad so far this year, yikes. Other WI pitchers not getting enough love are Meadows and Ritchie, Ritchie is actually consistently over 90. Dennis 1 for 1 with a 3B and 2 BBs, the BBs are good to see, his ratios stink. Escobar 2 for 3 with another 2B... who says he doesn't have gap power... haters. Krestalude's peripherals stunk but can't argue with the results. Free Zach Braddock!

If you think he's a sub 4 ERA pitcher then I guess there's nothing to discuss. His BB/9 is 3.6 and his K/9 is 6.5 and his H/9 at 8.1 is the lowest it's been in since he was 29 years old pitching in Milwaukee. His K/BB ratio falls in between Looper and Suppan, he doesn't have great stuff, and I don't think he'll maintain his Hit rate or his ERA. The previous 2 seasons his hit rate was 9.9, but he's still giving up more than 1 HR per game even though his hits are down this season. Maybe he's found one last year good year in the sun, maybe he's been lucky as you stats guys are so fond of saying, but there's no way I'd want him back pitching in Miller Park. His stuff and peripherals are around the same level as Looper and Suppan, so yes he's a back of the rotation starter who is having his best season since 2004. When I say "back of the rotation" I mean 3, 4, 5... I'm really only interested in acquiring arms that have the potential to be 1s and 2s. I'm not willing to bet on a 33 year old having another near career year when it's all said and done even if it is a contract year. He's a 2.5 WAR player in AZ, I'm not so sure he would be that good in Milwaukee. Let's say he would pitch at the same level all season and approach 3 WAR, are we going anywhere in the playoffs with Yo, Bush, and Davis headlining the playoff rotation with an up and down offense? Will Yo even be effective late in the season after pitching so few innings last year? With Yo being unknown on the back end of the season, Parra being ineffective thus far, who can we hang our hat on? That's why if you're making a move with the playoffs in mind, then it's has to be someone with talent enough to be the 1... if they want to make a move with the future in mind then I'll happily take a young #2 type pitcher, but it's too early in the season for that type of deal, and I think those deals work better in the off season anyway.

I have no desire to see Davis a in Brewer uniform again... ever. I'd rather go with one of the young kids than give up something for another back of the rotation arm. If they want to make trade, get significant talent, don't let prospects go for DD types.

Manny needs to go to Nashville and I don't care if Melvin thinks it will totally destroy his confidence. He's not figuring it out, in fact he's getting progressively worse. I don't like our options in Nashville, I knew we'd be thin with SP this year, but I didn't expect Parra to absolutely suck either, in fact I expected him to post an ERA under 4.0... shows how much I know. Send Parra down, I don't care who comes up, Dillard/Cody/Burns... right now Manny is an automatic L for this team. I'm not ready to permanently give up on him yet, but damn...

Should be good weather for you... Kemp and Dennis for sure as position players. Watten will be your SP and I believe he'll be facing Kenny Smalley of Kane County who's the current ERA leader in the league.

What's wrong with Pennywise and/or punk? I listened to quite a bit of punk back in twin cities days, mid to late 90s, and didn't fully appreciate Pennywise till about 3 years ago. I use Bro Hymn Tribute on every other highlight film, I edited the start to the guitar. The kids love this song, the goofs are always singing the chorus in the shower, it's become an athem for us. Less hate of Pennywise!

WI loses, the WI pitchers have no room for error, Scarpetta's wild 4th inning pushes him to 1-5 on the season with an ERA under 4. That's some tough luck.

I think he just doesn't like it when I'm in the stands filming him. edit. I was wondering last night if Jeremy Barfield was Jesse's kid, turns out that he is. I guess how many Barfields can there be? The KC pitchers had some interesting comments about him as well.

Kane County Top 4th Dusty Coleman strikes out swinging. Steve Kleen singles on a ground ball to right fielder Michael Vass. With Grant Desme batting, wild pitch by Cody Scarpetta, Steve Kleen to 2nd. With Grant Desme batting, wild pitch by Cody Scarpetta, Steve Kleen to 3rd. Grant Desme walks. With Jeremy Barfield batting, Grant Desme steals (19) 2nd base. Jeremy Barfield called out on strikes. With Franklin Hernandez batting, wild pitch by Cody Scarpetta, Steve Kleen scores. Grant Desme to 3rd. Franklin Hernandez walks. Carlos Arrieche flies out to center fielder Juan Sanchez. Three WPs in one inning with 2 walks? Huh?

I made comment, you wished to debate it, I have no interest in doing so because the issues are very complex and elaborating requires me to trash the kid and his family which isn't my place. I also have a vast amount of respect for Battlekow and the work he puts into getting all of the interviews, news items, his contributions to the discussions in the minor league forum, in addition to the work he puts in at BCB and I didn't want him to think I was lashing out at him in anyway. I voiced my opinion, that's it from my perspective. I don't always have to write a book to defend my opinions, especially when the interview is filled with obvious red flags from start to finish.

Wilson's batting line is the strangest in the entire organization... for a while I thought Escobar might temporarily have more HR than 2B as well.

I wouldn't debate the control issue between the 2 pitches, but you seem to be hung up on this year's stats, when I'm talking about their body of work as a whole. As far as throwing his 4 seam by hitters, that might work at A+, but he's not going to blow away AA hitters on his FB alone. His last 2 starts have been encouraging, but I would have taken Braddock over Jeffress in 07, and now that he's healthy and looks like himself again I'm right back where I started. All things being equal I'll take the LHP, but they aren't equal Braddock has much better control and still throws in the mid 90s. Talent wise they are 1A and 1B, if Braddock's numbers decline rapidly as a starter I'll cede the point, I just don't think that's going to be the case, Braddock when healthy has gotten the better results of the 2. edit. Ha, I'm happy we agree on something at least!

Huntsville getting no hit thus far and losing 3-0. A HR barrage for BC, Gindl is 3 for 3... perhaps the slump is finally over! Every start but Farris and Wheeler has a hit. Bowman with excellent peripherals once again. Scarpetta with 2Ks in 2IP, no hits yet for WI. 0-0 to the bottom of the 2nd. Iribarren with another hit, he just keeps on hitting. Cody gives up a home run in the 1st and Nashville down 1-0.

Unfair? How is it unfair to prefer a pitcher with much better control who also happens to be a LHP? I've been campaigning for the gloves to come off Rogers and Braddock for some time but I hardly see how 3 more MPH on his fastball is going to help Jeffress command his pitches better? I'm no big fan of Rogers' peripherals either, I just find it encouraging that he's been effective in a limited role and his velocity is still comfortably in the mid 90s. The only way Jeffress is a better prospect is because he's closer to MLB with the conventional 20 inning bump per season if he gets himself straightened out, but Braddock's health issues the past couple of seasons aren't entirely his own fault either. As for Butler, we'll have to agree to disagree, I'm not certain how what round a player would have been taken in is relevant to their prospect status? What is succeeding? Being an adequate #5? A solid bullpen guy? I don't see Bulter as a top of the rotation starter, I certainly could be wrong. If we only get 1 or 2 pitchers out of Braddock, Jeffress, Rogers, Scarpetta, Odorizzi, Peralta, Arnett, Heckathorn, and Frederickson we're in grave trouble as an organization because that's an awful lot of raw talent that's flamed out in a hurry. Of that top tier of talent we'd better get 3 for the rotation in the next 5 years at a minimum, and that's completely dismissing the rest of the promising arms throughout the organization, one of those guys is going to surprise us as well. The pitching from A+ down is as stacked as it's ever been, even prior to this year's additions of Arnett, Heckathorn, and Hall in the first 4 rounds. Other starting pitchers who are still legit prospects include Bulter, Cody, Rivas, Bowman, Adams, Watten, Periard, Seidel, Lintz, Luetge, Lasker, Bucci, Billings, Nieves, Anundsen, and Wawrzasek. I'm leaving off the pitchers in this year's draft from Hall on down until they are all signed, but the system is very deep. Throw all those pitchers in the 2 lists in a pot, apply the somewhat standard 1 out of 5 methodology, and we're still in awfully good shape rotation wise. Some of those SPs will probably end up as relievers, but our relief pitching is already really solid as an organization as well, without the additional SP depth. I really like where the system is at pitching wise as of today, and my hunch is that it will look even better this time next season.

Had to infer... nay, that was a personal choice. I'm not going to rip the kid to shreds nor did I want to appear like I was taking issue with Battlekow's work when that wasn't my intent, so for once I was intentionally vague. I'll just say that even though I wanted a projectable HS LHP I won't be heartbroken if he doesn't sign and leave it at that.

What makes you think that was the only part of the interview I had a problem with?

Maybe they are just trying to aggravate me again, the report certainly isn't timely and he's been making slow/steady progress. He's another pitcher that could explode through the system if he puts it together...

There is no trading of players that are on DL, unless it's as a PTBNL after they are healthy, and there's no way Peavy is a PTBNL.

Hmm... I'm not so sure I like this kid at all.

I would suggest Pinnacle then, it's much more cost effective than it used to be. It's very intuitive, there's ton of help available including tutorials, and if you're still stuck drop me a PM. I learned mostly by trial error myself.

I expected Lasker, but we're new territory with the DSL, with the those players gone there is a greater need to fill both R rosters. He's got plenty of time being a HS draftee.

An interesting pitching day up and down the MiLB side of things.

I just checked out your website, I like it. Feel free to link up any of the videos I've posted here that you want to, it's all good.