TheCrew07

He runs very well for a C if that's where he sticks, his 60 time was 6.75. Cutter Dykstra was one of the quickest players at his SPARQ testing and had the highest overall score with Lawrie coming second. For those interested, Dykstra's 60 time was 6.58, so while Lawrie isn't "elite" he definately runs well. An average time is about 7 seconds, so he's above average speed wise, though most teams would expect position players to be at least 6.7 to 6.8 as the average time gets skewed by Pitchers/Catchers. Edit. I noticed on the SPARQ site that Lawrie's Vertical Jump was 31.5" so I have no idea where the newspaper reporter got that 46 number.

Have you cleared the cache in your browser? If so then search your computer for a lmhosts.sam file, you'll want to open it with Notepad, scroll down to the bottom of the file and delete any lines for Google. Some programs actually create static IP entries in that file for Websites, and when the site moves you can no longer connect to it. I had that happen to me because I was foolish enough to run the installation disk when I signed up with Road Runner... when Ezboard moved their servers the first time I couldn't access my message boards anymore. I haven't worried about static IPs in so long I totally forgot about the hosts file and it took me about 4 days to figure out what was going wrong. If it's not either of those things the problem possibly gets much more complicated.

Now that you mention him, it's odd that he's not back yet, I thinking mid June early July for his return.

For me the best thing is peace of mind. I've been engaged to (narrowly avoided marrying the wrong woman) and seemingly only date very selfish women. I'm a "do-whatever-you-want" kind of guy. If you want a girl's night out... great go have fun... I don't get jealous about things like because I learned a long time ago I'm not able to force someone to care about me. I want her to have her freedoms because come football season I don't have time to do all of the little things that a relationship requires, I need to be able to put in the 40+ hours a week into football without the nagging... it's not that I don't care, it's that I've made a commitment to the kids and parents... I'm actually surprised how few woman understand that and don't spin it into "what about me?" It's like in some weird way giving someone freedom actually equals or gets interpeted as indifference on my part, even though it should be clear that's the not case. I find that many of my friends regardless of gender would rather be anyone, no matter horrible the match is, than be alone. I've always been fine on my own, I don't need to have someone just to have someone around, so I've never really understood the other point of view. They want someone so they aren't lonely, but the significant other makes them miserable and strangely they end up feeling more alone in the end. It just seems like a pretty destructive cycle to me.

Excellent work as usual gentlemen, and usual I'm not going to nitpick rankings that pretty subjective anyway.

While Lintz gave up 3 HRs today and Frederickson, Adams, and some others have struggled, there have still been some very nice perfomances out of the draftees... Bowman, Luetge, Wooten, Odorizz, Scarpetta (esentially a 2008 draftee), and Romanski hasn't made an appearance yet that I can find as a pitcher, though I could have missed it. I guess it depends on what your expectations were for each player. Lintz hadn't given up a run until today which ballooned his ERA from 0.00 to over 6.7 and makes his entire season effort to this point look crappy, when he's actually pitched pretty well. I'm looking for about a 50% success rate from pitchers as they move as I've stated before, so I'm happy pulling 1 out of every 2 guys. I'm still really excited about all of those young pitchers, where as a guy like Seidel is someone whom I've been getting concerned about. The college guys who are struggling thus far worry me some, but for every 1 of them there is another that's pitching well. I try not to get too high or too low on guys till AA. I thought I had learned my lesson previously with this, but for whatever reason I still took Brewer's struggles the first 60% of the season pretty hard.

I had hoped I had made it clear that I wasn't trying to diminish Sabathia's value in my first post I probably missed the mark there, or any rental player's immediate impact or role on the team. I'm speaking specifically to the idea that 2 draft picks replaces the lost talent, which I don't think is that cut and dried. I understand what you're saying my friend, but they aren't adding more prospects in my opinion, we're hoping they are at least breaking even... Take the Sabathia trade... Jackson is what he is... LaPorta has the chance to be something special, I was really into Bryson (though shoulder injuries scare me), and the PTBNL is going to be someone who's a very good prospect. So essentially you have to replace LaPorta and PTNBL with similar quality prospects. I just don't think it's as easy as you make it sound.. If you want to revisit the Linebrink trade, will Frederickson ever have the success that Inman and Garrison are now? I know he's infinately more projectable and a LHP, but I don't think he's certain to ever pitch a MLB inning, while I'm confident that barring injury Inman will at least get a shot. Again my concern is plugging holes on the MLB roster. In my opinion the position players most upgradable in no particular order are 2B, 3B, CF, and C... I know the rotation is upgradable as is the bullpen, but there aren't really any projectable top of the roatoin inhouse options ready at this point, and Pena hasn't pushed for a MLB roster spot at all. I have no doubt Gamel will fit somewhere, I would like JJ to move over to 2b but with LaPorta gone maybe they'll try to lock up Prince and trade JJ instead for pitching. Value wise it makes more sense to me to trade Fielder for Shields, than Escobar, Lucroy, Jeffress, and Brantley for Shields. Again I understand what the team was doing going after Sabathia, but I would have much rather aquired a young top of the rotation pitcher for that same prospect package, which is just as possible given the proper circumstances. Again I know that deal isn't going to be avialable every year, but as I've speculated the Rays are shopping Niemann who's probably a solid #3, rumors persisted about Cain's availability all off season last year as well, so it's entirely possible to aquire young pitching giving the proper circumstances. I don't know how to say it any more plainly, but trading for rentals is not getting the maximum possible value out of your prospects. It doesn't matter what the other players do, in my opinion rentals are a low value move. I guess I ask myself this question, was the trade worth it? I try to remove emotion from the equation and look at it as objectively as possible... was giving up LaPorta and 1 of (Green, Lucroy, Brantley, etc), and a healthy Bryson for a rental player better than aquiring someone that would help the rotation for years to come? On paper, being as objective as possible, I have a hard time coming to any logical conclusion where a rental player is in the best long term interests of the club. If Toronto had made me the same move would I think they got the best value or would I think Cleveland got the better end of the deal because I have no emotional attachment to either team? I love CC, I've been trading for him in video games forever, I've wanted him on the Brewers for years... but value wise I cannot sell the trade to myself as the best possible value. I want to believe it was because I'm so biased towards him, but in my heart I believe it's not good value, and I'm not going to try to convince others that was the best deal for the Brewers. If the Brewers make the playoffs many fans won't care, in fact it's probably fair to say that regardless many people won't care, the Brewer's made a move and "went for it", and that's all many fans are interested in. The only circumstance I would get behind a rental is when I think the window is closing on a team, and I really didn't feel the window was closing on the Brewers. Losing Sheets didn't have to mean a step backwards given the proper moves elsewhere, and I still firmly believe that 2010 would have fielded and still may field a better Brewer team than this year's team. X, I respect your opinions a great deal. You come off very honest, geniune, and you always offer well thought opinions on whatever subject you care to comment on. I dont' see where we're ever going to agree on this subject and I hope I'm not rubbing you the wrong by refusing to accept your point of view. I understand the perspective you're approaching the issue from, I simply dont' agree, nor do I expect you to adopt my perspective, we're two different personalities... At the very least it's always an interesting debate.

Wow that's too bad for Cleveland and Bryson. LaPorta hasn't exactly been raking for Akron either... he's still sporting a 538 OPS (insert small sample size argument here) and hasn't played since July 27th.

X... I thought we agreed to disagree about this already... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif I understand what you're saying, it's just not that simple, the Brewers are always taking on salary and pushing the maximum limits of the payroll with what you propose. It's far better for the Brewers to be sellers, I look at what Oakland has typically done... they ride out a guy and then flip him for more quality. I don't see how any team can be stock piling young talent when they are constantly trading away the players at the upper echelons of the minor... who fills the holes created by injuries or free agency? More rentals? My point about a guy like Green which you may have missed, it's that there is no ready replacement for his value at this time, he can fill either 3B or 2B and is a left handed Cirillo. I've been on record for years as not being a big fan of Hall's, and Weeks is starting to wear me down as well. There is nobody between those guys besides Gamel (who may or may not stick at 3B) and Green, and there's nobody between Green and maybe Lawrie if he doesn't play C. No offense to Wilson and Farris, but they simply don't excite me much. I was intrigued by Trejo but he got hurt, and Marseco has been playing well but most college players do well in Helena. Where would the options be to replace those MLB guys? I'm sorry but Durham isn't not my idea of a capable replacement, but that's what we're looking at when the upper levels of the system are thin on talent. edit. Totally forgot to weigh in on Jack Z... I couldn't agree more, Z is a stud, one of the best at what he does... but what happens when he's no longer there to replace the talent? That's my biggest fear... I have faith in Z, but I"ll be nervous the first draft after he's gone, I hope it's never, but he's too good at what he does to be a scouting director forever.

I typed up a long post about my experience at the game last night but I wasn't logged in to Yuku and I lost it. Instead of retyping it I'll just simply say that I will never attend another Brewer/Cub game. Personally there's no value in the experience of coming down from Green Bay to watch a game to be completely miserable for 3 hours to get home at 1 AM. There are much better ways to spend my time, and at least when I watch on FSN I don't miss 20% of the pitches because Game Etiquette is even worse than usual when drunk idiot Brewer and Cub fans are constantly bantering and posturing back and forth. I wasn't surprised at all when the fight broke right next door in section 127 last night. I've seen plenty of losing Brewer baseball over the last 25 years, but I've never been that frustrated by my Brewer experience before.

I hope the Brewers do not waste any more pieces trading for short term "name" solutions.

For a college kid Cody Adams' lines aren't all that impressive.

Marek throws 98 mph, sits 94-95 regularly, and has a plus curve ball... Dillard he is not. edit. His numbers weren't bad a starter. just not great, his K/BB isn't great. Didn't het get the most money from his DFE class? I remember something about that. edit2. Whoops, he sits 92-94, here's a BA article about his signing, and he did get the most money in that class. Anyway, he's was one of the guys I looked at for one of my posts in the Transaction forum.

The Angels didn't need to do anything to have a rotation or a bullpen that's far superior to the Brewers. Here's their pitching stats sorted by ERA. I already liked their 1-9 before the aquisition. Marek is probably a second tier pitching prospect like Periard, he has nice stuff and throws hard, but his numbers aren't eye popping. He has top of the rotation potential. edit. Nevermind on the starter potential, they moved him back to the bullpen where he pitched in JC. I remember he was one of the hardest throwers in the draft class and was going to get a chance to start.

Salome is gracing BA's Main Page today! The article is subscriber content, Lucroy is also featured as they talk about the new found strength of the C position in the Brewer organization. Here's a snip-it on Salome. Mods if I pasted too much info please adjust according. \

Lame Atlanta.... The Angels and Atlanta basically completed a very similar trade to what RyDogg just suggested.

Lame... RyDogg just got me all excited about a trade on the Transaction Forum.

I would definately get behind that deal, Santana is probably the 3rd best pitcher on that staff but a solid #2 type. Similar deal as Shields, minus Shield's great contract but adding Kotchman. Maybe a prospect would have to go with Prince, but I like the idea quite a bit. In fact, RyDogg's idea might be my new favorite trade idea for the off season. Good organizational suggestion nate82.

I wonder if Taylor Green can hit MLB pitching?.... This is all happening a year or two too earlier... there isn't a replacement for him at this point. Even for next year about the best you could do would be to slide Hardy over to 2B and insert Escobar at SS. In the event that doesn't happen and Green gets traded to Cleveland, Weeks is the guy for better or worse. Durham may outproduce Weeks this season, but he's not coming back year, Weeks is the only longterm option in the entire orgatization at this point in time. I have no problem benching him, just like I had no problem benching Hall, though I would challenge TH notion that Hall has is hitting RHP... he's hitting for HRs, but always he did that, the problem is what he does inbetween the HRs. Some people smarter than me have suggested that Weeks just doesn't have the hand eye coordination to go with his tremendous raw bat speed, or maybe the pitch recognition...

Wow Bray with a very top top of the 9th for Huntsville. He was jinxed!

I think you're misinterpeting what people are saying. Green is 1-2 years away from being MLB ready today if he continues to hit, any draft pick next June is likely 4 years from the bigs making them 5 years away today. Our best case scenario is a player who only spends 2 to 3 years in the minors which still puts them 3 to 4 years away as of right now... regardless of thier talent level. Players that fly through the minors in less than 3 years pretty rare, and pretty special, I'm not going to base my opinions on the best or worst case scenario, I'm going to base my opinions on the average prospect who becomes an MLB player. When you push your talent farther back from Milwaukee, you shorten the current window. That's fine for many people who post here, they don't care about 2009 or 2010 they want to win today and go to the playoffs this year because it's been 26 years. I'm the opposite, it's been 26 years so what's another year? I want the correct player for the correct price, I'm willing to accept that the organization didn't develope enough pitching to go with the current crop of hitters and I'm opposed to dumping talent for short term solutions. Even if Jeffress and Braddock explode next year and put up Yo type numbers, we still won't see either in Milwaukee until 2010 at the earliest.

There were rumors Cain was available this offseason... While he's not someone I'm specifically interested in it's all about finding teams that match up well. Again I point to a team like TB, who has pitching to spare, or like Toronto. If Shields is truly equal in value to Fielder, I think it's entirely possible to pick up young pitching talent. If not then we're screwed and we won't do better than Suppan's in free agency till some of these young pitchers pan out. That may be the reality, I don't think it is, and I'll continue to hope that it's reasonable to flip bats for pitching until proven otherwise. I'm getting tired of posting the same ideas over and over but I have several very long posts about rotation solutions that aren't rentals in the trade forum. Just this last off season the Rangers acquired outfielder Josh Hamilton from the Reds for RHP Edinson Volquez and LHP Daniel Herrera. That's a pretty fantastic deal for both sides, it's possible the Brewers could flip Fielder or Hart in the same matter. The simple truth as I see it is that fans want name recognition... Sabathia, Halladay, etc... I'd much rather get Lincecum's or Volquez's when they are cheap and on the verge of breaking out.

I agree with mothership on this. While there's no garuntee that prospects will turn into anything at MLB, I like the idea of established prospects over draft picks. Especially ones that hit left handed (Green and to a lesser extent Brantley) and fill a position of need within the organization. I fully expected prospects to get dealt for pitching, but I was rooting against rental players, I've stated many times that when I'm trading I want maximum value... which in my mind means multiple years. When trading for MLB caliber players I'd rather move expendable MLB pieces (for example the theory Hall and Hardy for pitching to be replaced by Gamel and Escobar, yes I know Gamel isn't MLB ready yet, I'm talking theory here) , when trading for prospects I'd rather move prospects that are blocked first. I realize that's not always going to be possible, so I'm okay with Sabathia, even though I don't want to move Green or Lucroy as well Laporta... basically we're giving them one side of their infield, both corner spots in the infield, or a C and 1B for a better shot at the playoffs. If the PTBNL is Brantely or Gillespie that changes my whole outlook on this deal, but to give up the kind of depth we did for a rental is tough for me to swallow personally. I have no complaints with what Sabathia has done, who could have anything negative to say about 3 complete games in 4 starts... I just would have preferred a younger multi year guy. X and I had a similar conversation earlier in the year, to me trading away prospects for picks just keeps pushing your talent farther away from MLB, and sooner or later the Brewers are going to miss on a pick, maybe one of or both of Frederickson or Dykstra are already a "miss", we don't know. For me it's not so much even how the guys we trade away do with their new team, though I think that factors into the equation, but what else we could have gotten for those same players. I would have much rather had Inman, Garrison, and Thatcher available as pieces of the puzzle for this season. I guess my bottom line is simply that I hate giving up depth for rentals, unless a major hole created by an injury needs to be plugged mid season.

sbrylski06 posted this in the Long Term Rotation Ideas thread I started, I don't use Fan Graphs much so I wouldn't have found it on my own. It's their Trade Value Chart for the current year. I liked trading Prince much better when we had LaPorta, but the organization went a different direction. If we're going to trade Prince it's reasonable to look at the guys around him on the value chart. I'm not saying the chart is 100% dead on, but it's a good place to start. I've said it a buch of times of but TB has tons of pitching and arguably the best rotation in MLB as it stands. Niemann is expendable now, Price could be traded in the off season (1 year rule), Shields is extremely cheap and under control with team options till 2014. I like James Shields the best, who coincidentally sits right at 29... most of the pitchers people have been mentioning don't even make the list... I think the Blue Jays and Angels also match up well. I know people like KC's pitching depth, personally I'm not interested by that system. If Prince goes for prospects I wouldn't mind a deal for a Neimann type who's MLB ready and in AAA, and a top of the rotation prospect like Price. In a deal like that we'd pickup a solid 3 type for 2009 and then a pitcher who could be ready as early as 2010 if need be. Or you could trade Prince for a Niemann type and a 1B prospect, and so on. There's lots of possibilities straight up with different organizations, and the combinations are pretty limitless if it's a 3 team deal. Prince is going to be moved at some point, or at least I hope he is. While I like the idea of extending our bats, Fielder is way too risky a long term sign for me. People tend to view 1B as not having much defensive value but I've always held a contrary opinion. I'm not saying the 1B should have great range and a great glove, but he damn well better be able to dig some balls. Subtracting Prince defensively is the classic addtion by subtraction... just about anyone would improve the entire infield defense if they are a competent reciever at 1B... I love Fielder's offensive production, but with his weight and defensive issues he'd be a guy I'd be looking to sell high on.

Is he saying that Errecart is the top prospect in the organization? Or was he just throwing names out there by position?