futurebrewerfather

Sorry if I missed it, but... When is the deadline for Cleveland to make their selection?

I'm also hopping he doesn't get near Milwaukee anytime before midseason next year. I still have nightmares about Nick Nuegabauer (sp?) being wasted when they rushed him. But I still don't get it when people talk about trading Prince or even JJ this offseason. Prince is locked in as our property for 3 more years, so why rush it? We don't have a major league ready 1B to replace him. And don't say Gamel, since he has yet to play the position and the Brewers are still hopping he can play 3rd. So why would we trade him?? JJ is having another solid year and I think he is signable long term. Although I agree Escobar will probaly be our SS of the future, maybe even next years opening day starter, I see JJ playing 3rd if Gamel can't handel it (JJ at 3rd, Escbar at SS, Gamel in right, Hart in C) or even at 2nd with Rickie becoming the odd man out, if Gamel can play 3rd. But back to the original subject, Jeffress seems to be steadily improving, which is very exciting and we still have some exciting pitching a year or two behind him. But please don't rush them.

So you wish we had guys hitting .207 & slugging .353 all over the diamond?? I don't think we'd have the record we do if that was the case. Heck, JJ & Kendell are out slugging him. That being said I still like Rickie and think he is better then those #'s, we just have to find a way to get that talent out. But if this is the real Rickie...then we need to start looking for real options soon.

Rickie looked great tonight (Monday), but he always does after coming off the DL or just back up from AAA. I'd like to see Weeks succeed, and I believe that he is better then the #'s he's put up so far in his short career. But at some point you have to start asking "Was he overrated, just a great college player, or is there something the Brewers could do to get the "real" Rickie Weeks to show up? So it got me to thinking about what can we do to get Rickie to hit like this for an entire season, and I began to question where he hits in the lineup (this is not meant to be a "How stupid is Yost" thread, there are more then enough of them, or a "Who should be the leadoff hitter" thread, just bare with me for a moment). Yost really wants Weeks to be a lead-off hitter because he says that Weeks has the perfect tools for it (and we don't have too many other options). But what if, maybe even SUB-consciously, Weeks just can't hit as a lead-off hitter? Braun is an excellent hitter, yet it seems for some reason he just can't hit clean up. It seems to psych him out. Maybe the same thing is going on with Weeks while hitting lead-off. I don't know how to get the stats of Weeks when he's hit somewhere else in the lineup, compared to when he hits lead-off (if someone else does, please post them), but just from my memory, it seemed like in the past Rickie would either come back from an injury and hit somewhere else in the lineup "to get the feel back" or would get dropped in the lineup until "he got the feel back", and during those times he'd rake. But once he "earned" his way back to lead-off, his numbers starting dropping again. I think Rickie has serious talent, but I think at lead-off he's forced to worry about taking some pitches, looking for some walks, & just trying to get on base, instead of just looking to drive the ball with authority, which is his game. I'd like to hear what others think. Am I onto something or am I reading to much into his struggles.

I'm certainly not proposing trading either one of them at this point. We need to be sure of what we have in them first. The only way I'd move one of the two is if it was a requirment to get something big in return, and even then, I'd have to think it over awhile. I was more comparing the two from this early point in their careers, my thoughts are Angel has more stud potential, but LaCroy is more a sure major league starter someday.

I thought I had heard he had a cannon for an arm. Am I remembering that wrong or does his throwing out less then 25% have more to do with his footwork? I would think footwork, and to a lesser extent, calling a game is something that can be taught over time. A strong arm and power bat are something you either have or don't have, so I'm still hyped on him. But I think although he seems to have more upside and star potential, he could also bomb, whereas LaCroy seems to be more of a sure thing, but without the superstar potential. i.e Do you want to be conservative or roll the dice for the big payoff? (That reminds me a little of having a solid 1B a few years ago, but deciding to roll the dice on a upcoming Rookie First Baseman)

Bare with me... What's ISO??

This seems like a no brain-er to me. Would you rather have a guy that it appears is trying to get better and play in a way the helps the team or a guy that seems only concerned with his own stats. A guy that will make the routine plays, which are about 98% of the plays he'll have to make, or a guy that will blow a good number of those plays, but make a great one once every couple days so he can be on the Top Ten Plays of the Night on ESPN. I'll take the consistent team player and Hardy. But here's what I don't get from a few of the posters that say Hall has a right to be upset since his best year was when he was a starting SS. Hall is not being sat down because of his D at 3rd, no matter how if'y it's been. He's being sat down because of his bat and what feels like a K every 3 out of 4 AB's, and trying to swing for the bleachers every time (and then giving the Ump a dirty look when he K's). I know that you're "comfort level" in the field will have some impact on your performance at the plate, but I find it really hard to believe that if Hall was given the everyday starting SS spot he'd suddenly become a better hitter. Let's be honest; Hall only had ONE GOOD YEAR at the plate. He hit way over his career #'s (but still struck out too much for my taste), so to say that is the kind of player he would be if he could just go back to being a starting SS seems to be an awful big stretch. Now Hardy isn't doing too much to defend his argument either (all though I would like to see his numbers after a month in the #2 spot), but even so, I don't see this as being a tough choice.

I have 2 tickets FREE to a good home for tonights game (Wednesday September 26th). There are in Section 416, Row 11, Seats19 & 20. There not the best seats in the house but they are FREE!! You would have to pick them up at my house in Oak Creek, just off 27th St between the Rawson and Ryan Rd exits. I'll give you an exact address when you call. They are on a first call first get basis. If you want them (and can use them) give me a call- Lance at 414-807-1540

Surprising: I have to go with Hart. Braun is better, but I expected him to be very good (maybe just not this fast). But even though I thought Hart could be a decent everyday starter, once he got the playing time, he showed me he was more of a complete player then I thought, and seems to have some more potential to add over the next year or two (could be a .290, 25HR, 25SB, and a very solid glove). Pitcher wise, I'd like to say Yo is taking off FASTER then I had expected, but it is too early for me, so I'll go with Villy. I didn't expect him to be this good out of the pen and this early in his career to be the guy we lean on in the tough situations. Disappointment: Weeks w/o a doubt. I havn't given up on him, and won't unless he fails all next year too. But, I expected a much better year w/ the bat this year, even if the wrist isn't all the way there yet. At least hit .260 w/ 10-15HRs, and a bunch of doubles. As for dissappiointing pitchers, I have to say Soup. I didn't expect an ace or even #2 from him, but after those first few weeks, he doesn't even look like a #5. If he wasn't a vet w/ a big contract, I think they'd have already moved him from the rotation. Just my humble opinions

The other night I heard the announcers say Braun has a chance at the Rookie Triple Crown (most HRs, RBIs & best Avg of all Rookies). Has this ever been done before? Who, When? Also, has a Rookie ever won the major league batting title? I know when Braun got drafted the majority of the talk was if his D would be good enough to play 3rd, and the secondary talk seemed to be he had a great bat. But were the projections saying he would be this good with the wood? I also think that Braun's success has people expecting too much from LaPorta too fast. I'm reading posts that already have him penciled in for '09 and even a few that say he could be up next year. Don't get me wrong, I hope and expect very good things from him, but not even considering he's playing a new position for the 1st time, just because the Brewers felt he was the best bat in the draft and "advanced" doesn't mean he's a lock to fly right thru the system like Braun did. I think Braun is the exception not the rule.

Personally, I don't care if they draft a guy from WI, IL, or anywhere else. Just draft the best player available. If you start listing a guy higher in your rankings just because he's from your home state (or any certain state), you're going to hurt yourself in the long run. And if another team has one of your "homestate" players listed higher then you, so be it. Trust your own rankings. I know there is Marketing involved, but it'll be a lot easier to market a lot of good guys from other states then some avg guys from WI.

Someone at work told me that if they continue to have problems, they've talked about doming it off and putting turf in Anyone who would have said that is just making it up! They have no idea what they are talking about. Hold them accountable and ask for their source. When they start to studder, just walk away.

Apparently the Brewers just moved Dillard out of the rotation in Nashville, because they see him as a reliever in the bigs. If that's the case, it looks like they must still think Parra has a chance at starting in the bigs or they would have moved him too. It looks more like the Brewers want to continue to increase his innings pitched from past years and see if it could still work out.

I read another post where a poster said "The Brewers no longer viewed Manny Para as a big league stater because of past injuries". I hadn't heard that anywhere before. Has anyone else heard that? If that's the case, is it common for a team to start a pitcher in the minors, knowing they plan on using him out of the pen in the bigs?