Keith Law- ESPN chat

by molitorfan on Sep 29, 2007 9:06 AM CDT

This is from a Keith Law chat on espn.com Friday afternoon. Just in case anyone thinks calling for Ned's head is irrational, look at the second question. I am sure we will have many postmortems during the off season, but I agree that Braun has to move to the outfield and Hall should move to third. Also, I would bet that almost every season preview of the Brewers next year will mention Ned losing his mind and plunking Pujols.

Alex (Princeton): So, what series will you be watching this weekend? Brewers-Pads, Rocks-DBacks, Mets-Marlins or Phils-Nats? Which teams do you think have the best chance of surviving and making it to the NLDS?

Keith Law: (2:16 PM ET ) All but the Brewers-Padres series - I think the Brewers are finished, and Capuano was 83-86 when I saw him last month, which is good news for the Padres.

Shawn (MN): Now that the Brewers are basically done, what do you think they should be looking to add in the offseason? Any good middle relievers going to be available? Any starters they should be targeting?

Keith Law: (2:22 PM ET ) I believe more in developing your own middle relievers, rather than edwading them on the free agent market. I think their top priorities are as follows: 1. New manager. 2. Getting everyone in the right positions, which to me means Braun in LF or even CF, Hall at 3b, and deciding on Weeks at 2b or CF. 3. Catcher.

Chris (madison): Keith, Rickie Weeks has a 1.000+ OPS since being recalled in mid-August. He has hit more than half his season's HRs (8) in September. He has a .235 BA, but a .375 OBP (.490+ OBP since July). Is he FINALLY showing what he can do once he gets healthy at-bats? What kind of ceiling do you give him, if he has one?

Keith Law: (3:30 PM ET ) I wrote in a chat right after my Chicago trip that I thought Weeks was going to be a star. The only thing holding him back is his defense.

Poll

What is the #1 priority of the off-season

Improve the bullpen

20 votes

Move Braun to the outfield

8 votes

Fire Ned

31 votes

Root for the Pack to make the Super Bowl

4 votes

Have lambadomy to erase the Cubs' celebration from our minds

1 votes

64 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 7 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

You know

I don't like changing guys around much in the field, and for that reason alone, I don't want to mess with Bill E. Hall or Ryan Braun. But having said that, I really liked Hall better in the infield.

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Sep 29, 2007 10:57 AM CDT reply actions

I liked Hall better

when he didn't have a position.

If A-Rod hits A-Bombs, does Fielder hit F-Bombs? It's dumb I know....

by Adam P on Sep 29, 2007 11:30 AM CDT reply actions

Heh

Get everyone in the right position, which means decide on 2B or CF for Weeks? If you're going to say definitively for the other guys and then talk about how you called Weeks a budding star, don't you already know your answer to where he belongs?

Anyway, I share roguejim's dubiety about moving guys around in the field. I think Braun/Weeks/Hall will turn out fine where they are.

Daily Ryan Braun leaderboard watch and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Sep 29, 2007 11:38 AM CDT reply actions

new positions

Back in May, before the Brewers brought up Braun, I was pleading for the return of Hall to third - where he would then replace the pathetic Craig (with the season on the line, couldn't we come up with a better PH with the bases loaded?) and Tony (OK, he did better - of the 2, let's keep him even if he takes half of the 2008 season to recover).

Braun to LF seems a great idea, but it may be a season too quick. I'm in favor of letting him try to improve his fielding in 2008. He was an IF all his life. Hall can be a utility man, and play cF against LHP's. Let's try Tony Jr. out there, at least against righties.

by richars freimark on Sep 29, 2007 11:47 AM CDT reply actions

Braun to OF

People throw that around, moving sub-par IF defenders into the OF to hide them. While in theory the OF is easier than the IF, Bill Hall showed us this year that the transition is tough and the player might be worse as an OF than an IF.

What if we move Braun to LF and Billy is still in CF, and both of them are running in circles and taking the longest route possible to fly balls? Then what do we do?

I'd say leave Braun be for now. Unfortunately, the time to switch his position was in 2006, so that Billy could have taken over 3rd at the beginning of 2007 and Braun would have been up right away in the OF.

"The ship feels like it's sinking, but our guys are in the boat, pushing the water out." - Ned Yost, 8/28/2007

by craigholl on Sep 29, 2007 2:56 PM CDT reply actions

That reminds me

Wasn't Corey Hart our third baseman of the future? Jeez, we only have so many outfield spots to go around. :)

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Sep 29, 2007 11:35 PM CDT up reply actions

He played 1st base in the minors too...

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Sep 30, 2007 12:08 AM CDT up reply actions

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