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Introduce me to the Brewers.

Hi guys, 

I am a Mariners fan here in Seattle. Earlier today, I joined a league on Baseball-manager-online, and I chose to be the Brewers. After thinking about it, I do not have an NL team, and the Brewers would possibly be a smart team to follow. The Mariners now have Zdurencik as GM, who is currently working hard to reverse the failures of Bill Bavasi. Of course, it will take more than a season to do so. It seemed like he did a great job as the scouting director for you guys. 

So I am asking if you guys would like to introduce me to yourselves, and the team, and basically tell me what I should know about the team that the MSM tends to miss? 

0 recs  |  Comment 37 comments

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Welcome to the fan base.

As it turns out, we talk about the Brewers a fair amount here, so if you want to learn about the team, reading the site is a pretty good start.

"The reports are that he is getting better. The definition of better is nebulous."

by KLSnow on May 22, 2009 8:50 AM CDT reply actions   1 recs

+1

It's always appropriate to post anything related to Kafka.

by Dionysus0 on May 23, 2009 1:34 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Some basic points about the Brew Crew

Milwaukee is a high powered hitting ball club. The starting pitching is average, the bullpen is currently ranked #2 in runs allowed in the NL, and our Closer Trevor Hoffman is the all time saves leader and hasn’t dissapointed yet. The Brewers as you probably know are a small market team, so they cannot afford high priced players. However, the Brewers have one of if not the best farm systems in the MLB. When our 2B Rickie Weeks went out injured for the season after having a breakout season, Matt Gamel and McGehee both stepped up from AAA and had immediate results. Although we don’t have the attitude or leadoff hitter without Weeks, Milwaukee still has power and is not a team to overlook.

by Jabooty on May 22, 2009 11:25 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

Best farm system is not true

At all. Right now, with Gamel up, we rank as probably one of the top 20, but not really any better than that.

We’re WAY below teams like Florida, Oakland, Texas, and Atlanta.

by cwolf20 on May 22, 2009 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

We HAD the best farm system

Until we called up or traded away everyone.

You're not laughing with me.

by Awesomo on May 22, 2009 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'd say we still have a rock solid farm

but the top prospects are either at AAA (escobar), in the majors (gamel) or fluxing around A ball (lawrie) and a few years out of the majors. There’s hardly anyone at the AA level. We only really lost 2 prospects last year, so that doesn’t completely deplete us from having a good farm.

I’m sad that we lost Jack Z, but it looks like he made a strong pick with Lawrie.

by PagsBrewCrew on May 22, 2009 2:42 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Actually, two of the most significant prospects are at AA

The Brewers’ two biggest holes in the near future appear to be at 3B and C, and unlike their higher-up brethren in Mat Gamel and Angel Salome, both Taylor Green and Jonathan Lucroy appear to be able to stick at their respective positions.

"I didn't realize his velocity was that high," said Macha, noting that radar readings aren't flashed during exhibition games.

by battlekow on May 22, 2009 3:06 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

how many PBs/questionable WPs has Salome given up this season?

how’s he doing gunning down runners? Any other problematic areas with his game this season?

by PagsBrewCrew on May 22, 2009 3:23 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Did Green get called up from Wisconsin already?

by Wayfaerer on May 22, 2009 7:03 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yep

"I didn't realize his velocity was that high," said Macha, noting that radar readings aren't flashed during exhibition games.

by battlekow on May 22, 2009 7:09 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

he lost the other T in a unfortunate gardening accident

The police said it’s best to leave this one unsolved

"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."

by Hyatt on May 22, 2009 2:17 PM CDT up reply actions   1 recs

He was planting grapes

It was a terrible graping

Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, ""That’s all they need is another home run hitter".

by tcyoung on May 23, 2009 3:37 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

he's the grapist

it’s what he does! he grapes people!

by warwick5s on May 23, 2009 3:57 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Then why is he going to tie them to the radiator?

That’s how he grapes people!!

Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, ""That’s all they need is another home run hitter".

by tcyoung on May 23, 2009 4:42 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

He's going to tie up your family in the basement

and grape you for decades and decades

"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."

by Hyatt on May 23, 2009 5:47 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

sounds good

but a lot of people are still working on Rickie instead of Ricky

"He had some firsts," said Brewers manager Ken Macha. "His first homer, his first Major League start, his first error and my first gray hair."

by molitorfan on May 22, 2009 6:19 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Well, we can pretty much forget that conquest for a season.

Opening up a chance to work on Mat.

:) + Suppan = :'(

by NoahJ on May 23, 2009 12:25 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Bleh. I can never spell his name.

I can never remember where the two r’s go. Mat is a bit easier to spell than Iribarren, though.

:) + Suppan = :'(

by NoahJ on May 23, 2009 3:36 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Just remember that they increase

One r, then two. Or remember that it has the word “barren” in it.

"I didn't realize his velocity was that high," said Macha, noting that radar readings aren't flashed during exhibition games.

by battlekow on May 23, 2009 6:14 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

How about that Mat Gammel kid?

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on May 23, 2009 6:43 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah, our farm system isn't top in the league.

But our’s along with St. Louis’s are the best in the division right now.

---
http://www.balkingtraditionalism.blogspot.com
http://www.rightfieldbleachers.com

by Jack Moore on May 22, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Also...

McGehee was already on the MLB club, not AAA. We certainly still have the attitude, though. Braun is far more cocky and visible than Weeks ever was.

by cwolf20 on May 22, 2009 12:23 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Here's the rundown position by position

GM and Front Office staff: Doug Melvin and Gord Ashe currently run the team, took a lot of heat by not allegedly doing enough for the pitching staff this year, but it’s proved to be average. There is goodwill towards them currently.

Manager: We are still feeling out Macha. He’s made some good moves, some we’ve questioned, but the sample size is too small. We hate Ned Yost.

C: Jason Kendall is the Antichrist and deserves to be beaned every time he goes to the plate. I’m still debating his right to exist at the moment. He rarely contributes, and should be treated like a special olympian when he does both offensively and defensively, mostly because that’s how he plays. Mike Rivera had a decent time last year in a very limited role last year.

1B: Price is awesome. He’s fat, but he can hit the ball a really long way. Oh, and if you ever watched a broadcast, you’d know that he’s never hit a grand slam. Defensively he’s surprisingly agile, but is not good.

2B: Rickie was having a breakout year until his unfortunate wrist injury. Craig Counsell is filling in for now.

3B: Bill Hall hasn’t hit well for awhile. He can no longer hit righties, but crushes lefties. Mat Gamel has just come up. He can hit according to his minor league record, but may be the worst defender I’ve seen. I’m including Braun’s rookie year there.

SS: JJ Hardy got off to a rough start, but he can carry a team for a 2 week period of time when he gets hot. A lot of people want him to be the #2 hitter, but his skill set hasn’t proven as such. Alcedes Escobar is coming up and is very slick defensively, but JJ is Solid.

LF: Braun is the best hitter on the team, is solid defensively, and would be the best hitter in the division if not for Pujols being the best hitter of the decade. People don’t like his swagger, but fuck them. Get him out, and you won’t have a problem. He has a couple of nicknames, including “The Razor” (my own creation his rookie year, didn’t stick, but here’s hoping), The Hebrew Hammer (meh), and The King of Swagger, which could be the worst nickname for anyone, ever. Worse than Fat Elvis.

CF: Mike Cameron got off to a really hot start, but has cooled off since. He has solidified the defense in the OF. He also originated the Untucking that has led to the criticism of the Brewer’s flair. This isn’t chachke’s guys, this is the MLB. No one has flair.

RF: Corey Hart looks like a new born baby. He is good for 20/20, and has drastically improved his walk rate. I personally think he doesn’t hustle all the time in the field.

SP: Gallardo has had 3 mediocre starts in a row, but is the ace of the staff. Parra has improved since going back to the long socks look. Dave Bush can pitch 8 or 9 no hit innings if he can get out of the first unscathed. Braeden Looper is the innings eater Jeff Suppan was supposed to be. Suppan is below average, and makes too much money for a 5th starter.

RP: Trevor Hoffman is lights out. Todd Coffey is the best around and has an amazing rack. Carlos Villanueva is too inconsistent for my tastes. Jorge Julio sucks. Mitch Stetter gets lefties out. Seth McClung is really big man, and can spot start here an there. Mark DiFelice has been stable as well. I may be missing someone but they haven’t been too consequential.

Bench: Casey McGehee is a backup infielder who will lose most his playing time to Gamel. Chris Duffy is speedy and a lefty. And now Jody Gerut comes aboard with another lefty bat.

If I missed anyone, screw them

"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."

by Hyatt on May 22, 2009 2:45 PM CDT reply actions   1 recs

Just saw that Duffy will be cut to make room for Gerut

making our OF situation just Gerut as the backup

"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."

by Hyatt on May 22, 2009 3:08 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

i thought you missed DeFelice but you didn’t:P

Also, a “Bench/AAAA” rundown:
McGehee and Craig Counsell are splitting duties at 2nd (with Counsell likely getting most starts), while Hall and Gamel will likely platoon at third, at least until Gamel gets sent down again. Iribrarren will likely be back to fill in at second or third from time to time, especially if extended play wears down Counsell’s knees and McGehee stops hitting well. Counsell is the best pinch-hitter for average off the bench when he’s there (challenging Ryan Braun for the highest “regular” batting average on the team), whereas Gamel is the best bet for power. Rivera (the backup catcher) is a good bet for both, but is underutilized due to his role of making sure Kendall is allowed to kill late-game rallies with a single swing of the bat. Jody Gerut is the new backup outfielder and a left-hander off the bench, who I can see forming a platoon with Hart if Hart doesn’t start increasing his quality of play, or occasionally spelling Cameron to give the old guy a day off to rest his joints.

by PagsBrewCrew on May 22, 2009 3:21 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

that sounds

like a good sig for the holiday weekend.

"He had some firsts," said Brewers manager Ken Macha. "His first homer, his first Major League start, his first error and my first gray hair."

by molitorfan on May 22, 2009 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yes!

That’s what I’m talking about

I don't hate Kendall like everybody else, I'm a non-conformist like that.

by Dikembe Meiztombo on May 22, 2009 6:46 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

I hope all the drinks you have tonight turn into O'Douls

"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."

by Hyatt on May 23, 2009 2:52 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

a little bit late here, but I agree

I think Johnny Estrada is still available if people would rather have him starting

by keephopealive on May 24, 2009 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Wow, that was just the in depth analysis I was looking for.

Thanks alot! From what I read about the team before, it seemed to have a great offense and bullpen, but not so good starting pitcher. The Mariners seem to be the opposite, or were, they can’t hit for shit, and the bullpen has been on and off, but have good starters and defense.

by Fin on May 23, 2009 3:58 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Carlos Silva once threw a 74-pitch complete-game against the Brewers

Even more impressive given all the strikeout aficionados in the lineup at the time. So, I guess sorry for making him seem appealing in free agency?

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on May 23, 2009 6:49 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

horrible game..

I unfortunately remember that game. A friend at work shares season tickets with a bunch of guys to the Twins and he has seats in the first row above the away team’s bench. Great seats, but of course this is the game I saw in those seats.

Brewers, Brewers keep turning up the heat.. Milwaukee Brewers..

by Aschen on May 23, 2009 9:26 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

I was on the first base line for that game as well. The one good thing you could say about it was that it was at least over really quickly.

by Trent Durrington on May 25, 2009 8:26 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

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