Thursday's Frosty Mug
by Kyle Lobner on Feb 16, 2012 9:36 AM CST
in Milwaukee Brewers News
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Some things to read while catching up on your reading.
We're still two days away from the official start of spring training in Maryvale, but as of yesterday Gord Ash reported that 19 Brewers are already in camp getting ready for the 2012 season. There's still a chance this could be the Brewers' last spring at the facility: Their lease expires in April but the team holds a series of three two-year options to extend the deal if they can't find a better alternative in time.
Not that long ago, guys like Jeff Suppan, Braden Looper and Dave Bush were competing for the #2 spot in the Brewer rotation. But times have changed quickly, and Zack Greinke and Yovani Gallardo have given the team two bona fide frontline starters. Ryan Smith of Cream City Cables has more on the development.
With that said, Shaun Marcum isn't bad either. He was listed as an honorable mention on Albert Lyu of FanGraphs' ranking of baseball's top five changeups in 2011.
Of course, Greinke and Marcum are both still on pace to be eligible for free agency this winter. MLB Trade Rumors says the Brewers will almost certainly receive compensation if Greinke departs, and could possibly get draft picks for Marcum too.
Brewer Nation's "Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers" series continues today with a profile of Kameron Loe.
It's a little too early to set your DVR, so I guess you'll have to mark your calendar for now: The Brewer episode of MLB Network's "30 Clubs in 30 Days" series will air on March 19 at 7 pm.
"I'll be in Arizona," however, is an acceptable excuse for missing the show. EAS Sports Nutrition is giving away a three day trip to spring training to one lucky fan on their Facebook page.
In the minors:
- The Brewers shuffled their minor league coaching staffs a bit yesterday when Huntsville pitching coach John Curtis resigned due to a family matter. Former Wisconsin pitching coach Chris Hook will take his place with the Stars, while former Rangers minor league coach Dave Chavarria will be the new pitching coach for Wisconsin.
- J.P. Breen of Disciples of Uecker has a look at potential starting rotations throughout the organization this season.
- 2011 Wisconsin Timber Rattler Casey Medlen was the guest on this week's Bernie's Crew podcast.
- Erick Almonte (in Spanish) is on Twitter. He's been added to the list.
If you spend any time at all on the internet you're probably already familiar with and sick of the "Sh*t (insert group of people here) Do" meme which continues its slow crawl across our collective conscience. With that said, I did laugh a couple of times at Nyjer Morgan's contribution to the collection.
For my money, this video is a better use of your time: Grim Spandango is back as Fake Doug Melvin with his rendition of "You're My Deputy," a parody of Jewel's "You Were Meant For Me." Personally, I think it's the best one in the series.
Around baseball:
Giants: Re-signed outfielder Justin Christian to a minor league deal.
Orioles: Released pitcher Clay Rapada.
Red Sox: Signed pitcher Ross Ohlendorf to a minor league deal.
Twins: Signed infielder Alexi Casilla to a one year, $1.4 million deal to avoid arbitration.
If Livan Hernandez pitches in the big leagues in 2012 it'll be his 17th major league season, and the Astros will be his eighth team. Despite the fact that he's made over $50 million over the last two decades, though, his wages with the Astros this season will likely be garnished to help pay off nearly $500,000 in delinquent bank debt.
Today in former Brewers:
- High Heat Stats remembers a game in 1993 where Mike Fetters faced six batters and threw six pitches. That's only happened twice since 1988.
- Craig Counsell was a part of Carson Cistulli of NotGraphs' valentine for his wife.
This morning's edition of Today In Brewer History remembers one year ago today when the 2011 Brewers officially opened spring training. Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times notes that it's also the 59th anniversary of a four team trade that brought slugger Joe Adcock to the Milwaukee Braves, the 32nd anniversary of Harvey Kuenn's emergency amputation of his lower right leg and the eleventh anniversary of the death of longtime Milwaukee Brave Bob Buhl.
Today is also 1970's Brewer Bobby Darwin's 69th birthday. Plunk Everyone notes that his 37 career HBP are third all time among batters born on February 16.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to round up some outlaws.
Drink up.
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"Hella Fancy" cat food.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
Over at Channel 4...
Lance Allen has a write-up that basically says everything we’ve already known or speculated: Braun is convinced he’s not any any fault for his failed test, but even if that’s true he might be suspended anyway, and the Brewers know about as much as we do and won’t find out any sooner than a public announcement (or if Braun tells them first). But he’s also got a couple quotes from Gord Ash about the team’s perspective on the situation.
And one of them is "Lance".
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
It is missing a “y”
"I agree but dont agree"
by juggernaut400 on Feb 16, 2012 11:14 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
When I interned there...
I spent one day in the sports department with Lance. It felt like I was cheating. I had been working so hard and putting so much in with the news department that working in sports was like a vacation. I actually felt guilty about how much fun I had, and I spent the rest of my internship in news, ha.
Do they all have fake names over there?
I had always heard that, in news, if somebody has 2 first names, it’s probably an alias. TMJ4, at least for a while, had half of their reportering staff using 2 first names.
Not all of them.
But John Malan definitely has fake hair. Lauren Leamancyk certainly was using her real name. Heather Shannon might actually have been her real name, as well… but I rarely worked with her so I can’t say for sure.
At a dinner a few weeks ago
Doug Melvin told an acquaintance that the team is not very optimistic about the outcome of all of this.
I’m really surprised nothing has come out yet.
Makes sense.
The prudent course is to plan for the worst and hope for the best.
by mpbMKE on Feb 16, 2012 11:24 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Isn't that really the definition of contingency plan?
Something every business should have?
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
"Something always good seems to happen when he's in there. Numbers matched up good."
~RRR
by Charlie Marlow on Feb 16, 2012 2:30 PM CST up reply actions
Most businesses don't have contigency plans if their main product, or producer...
Is suddenly unavailable.
Get a ife broseph
"This isn't a business plan, it's an escape plan."
“So long suckers, ehehehehehe”
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
I know that neither one of us can actually prove this
but I think that is completely false.
I’m in the restaurant business, and I know exactly what to do if I run out of my main product.
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
"Something always good seems to happen when he's in there. Numbers matched up good."
~RRR
by Charlie Marlow on Feb 16, 2012 2:47 PM CST up reply actions
But I doubt Coca Cola or Miller have a plan for what to do if they run out of water.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
Eh
I’m pretty sure that’s a commodity that’s considered infinite. I bet they know what to do if they can’t source their wheat, hops, barley, sugar, caramel color, flavorings etc etc. I will pretty much guarantee they have main suppliers and then a list of backup suppliers in case they cannot get product from their main suppliers.
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
"Something always good seems to happen when he's in there. Numbers matched up good."
~RRR
by Charlie Marlow on Feb 16, 2012 2:52 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah, a baseball player is a little bit less renewable than water.
Braun could very well get hurt. and miss an entire year. The contingency plan if that happens is most likely, “Well, if that happens, these two guys will take his spot in the lineup, and on the field, but basically we’re screwed.”
Right, everyone has plans
But even contigency plans can significantly hurt business, otherwise they’d be using those plans in the first place.
If your restaurant is known for having good burgers, and the price of beef skyrockets, you have a plan and place to cover it – but your business would likely suffer. Sort of like Braun – they have plan to cover it, but its probably going to hurt the product on the field.
Get a ife broseph
Its not apples to apples
but that’s why you buy futures.
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
"Something always good seems to happen when he's in there. Numbers matched up good."
~RRR
by Charlie Marlow on Feb 16, 2012 9:27 PM CST up reply actions
Absolute lack of water is different than a shortage.
My point however being that certain contingency plans are unnecessary by virtue of being too incredibly unlikely.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
Which is why it's a wild tangent, ha.
But my fingers were itching to have a good macroecon discussion.
And as we speak I'm doing a literature review on residential water demand
I know water is still under the purview of economics :)
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
Sure they do.
Just by a hundred thousand cases of Bud Light, pour ’em into a vat, and add beer/soda as desired. No one would notice the difference.
"fortunate, but also lucky"
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Feb 16, 2012 7:39 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Should, yes.
In fact, I’d say “plan for the worst, hope for the best” is a good strategy for anyone to use for just about anything. But not all organizations are run that way.
i was thinking it would be awesome if it was resolved
and braun was innocent, but nobody knew and he just reported to spring training. and then, obviously, he’d get asked about it and say something like “why would i tell you the results of a confidential process?”
by Capt Science on Feb 16, 2012 12:11 PM CST up reply actions
backtocali has moles all over the Brewers organization!
Solve for X: 5.5 (Fielder) + 0.3 (McGehee) + 0.5 (Betancourt) < X (Gamel) + 3.6 (Ramirez) + 1.1 (Gonzalez)... X >= 1.7 fWAR!
Draft Comp
Isnt part of the new CBA, regarding draft compensation for departed free agents, that you only get picks if that player is on the roster for the entire season? If true, the only team that would get comp for him would be the Brewers, meaing that you wouldnt get any extra value for him in a trade deadline deal, if they so decided.
Heck, if the whole extension thing doesnt work out, and Braun does get suspended, maybe they would deal him preseason, but then agin, we are dealing with Doug Melvin here. Yankees might offer Manny Banuelos and Mason Williams plus a third, and the Sox might offer up Wil Middlebrooks and Ryan Lavarnway to go along with an arm. Both of which could greatly increase the teams chances going forward from what they are now.
You are correct about having to stay at the same club all year.
I think it will be interesting to see how teams deal with this when you combine that with the qualifying offer threshold of around $12.5 million.
I should also point out that you only get 1 pick at the end of the 1st round
If you have a FA that leaves after you have a made a qualify offer. So therefore keeping him to the end of the season is not likely to garner much in return.
After a 96-win season
Spend the entire offseason trying to replace one of your stars and building a contender for the following season.
Then, halfway through spring training, suddenly give up and trade your ace.
Great plan!
by Cheeseandcorn on Feb 16, 2012 11:48 AM CST up reply actions 3 recs
Its a great plan
If your biggest star is on the shelf for a third of the season, and you have no hope of retaining your 2nd biggest star past this season.
I know its a “perfect world” what if, and the not even the sensible world applies to DM and MA, but playing for it all didnt work out too well this year, and they have less in the tank this year, so you can rebuild now with a few nice trading chips, or you can really rebuild starting in 2013 with even less to offer. Its all a matter of how badly you want to win (or lose post 2012).
You really are a miserable person.
by The Left Button on Feb 16, 2012 11:59 AM CST up reply actions 13 recs
lol...
"fortunate, but also lucky"
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Feb 16, 2012 7:40 PM CST up reply actions
No hope to retain Greinke?
Really? Really? Really?
by Noah Jarosh on Feb 16, 2012 12:04 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
I think he's talking about the "if Greinke doesn't sign an extension this spring" scenario he mentioned earlier
But who knows, he may actually believe the Brewers have no hope to retain Greinke anyway.
by Cheeseandcorn on Feb 16, 2012 12:14 PM CST up reply actions
They senselessly built a 96-win team.
That senselessly won their division played in the NLCS. What a bunch of nincompoops.
by mpbMKE on Feb 16, 2012 12:06 PM CST up reply actions 8 recs
Its sort of like putting together a risk profile for a financial client
Are you willing to accept wild swings in returns, for greater results; or would you rather have consistent, stable returns with a few blips up or down once in a while.
The more conservative approach for a small market team like the Brewers would not have been to obliterate their farm system for one years worth of returns, thus greatly diminishing expected success for the years going forward, which is exactly what they did. My contention at the time, and still is, that without a pennant, or WS title, it was a failed approach.
So would you rather have the 96 win, no title team in 2011, an 85 win maybe WC team in ’12 and then 70 win teams for three straight years from ’13 through ’15? If you are ok with one really good, but not great year, one mediocre year, and then 3 really bad ones, you are a risky type of “investor.”
Interesting comparison, considering MA's background.
And his reported windfall success in that field.
So, were the Oakland A’s of the early 2000s or Minnesota Twins that followed them the model franchises, because they won a fair amount of games for several years in a row without ever being a realistic World Series contender? Because if that’s the model, I want no part of it.
Risk aversion is a viable strategy if you want to slowly build a stable investment portfolio. You probably won’t get rich doing it, but you shouldn’t go broke, either. Baseball is different—no one cares about the team that’s steady, they want a winner. If the cost of winning a lot of ballgames and having a real chance of getting to the WS for a couple years is having a few years of rebuilding in between, that’s fine. I want my team competing for the WS when they can.
by mpbMKE on Feb 16, 2012 12:31 PM CST up reply actions 9 recs
I was in the middle of writing a similar post, but you nailed it
Basically, if you play it safe in investing, those little gains will add up over time, and you’ll gradually accrue (possibly significant) wealth.
But little gains don’t add up from year to year in baseball. You can’t carry the surplus from an 85-win season over to the next year – it means virtually nothing more than a 75-win season. The only things you can carry over from one year to the next are flags – they, of course, fly forever. And I’d much rather have a team that played for pennants than one that considered a string of 80-85 win seasons a worthwhile goal.
by Cheeseandcorn on Feb 16, 2012 12:39 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Except in the case of young talent
“But little gains don’t add up from year to year in baseball. You can’t carry the surplus from an 85-win season over to the next year – it means virtually nothing more than a 75-win season”
This is not the case if you have an 85 win team with a bunch of 23, 24 and 25 year olds, because A) they are much much cheaper, and B) if they are even remotely impact level players, they will increase their production every year until peak levels or leveling off.
And this point is where the “what if” Brewers were in play in 2013 and beyond. They may only win 82 games this year, but get better and better every year building up to that contending level team (and as I mention before, if you are an 85 win team continually getting better) you will always have a chance, much more than a 78 win team or worse.
Your underlying assumption is false.
That they’re only an 82 win team. Similar projections said the same things about the team last year, and they won 96. I’m not going to accept projections as fact, because they’re historically worthless.
by mpbMKE on Feb 16, 2012 12:57 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
As of right now, I personally feel they are an 85 win team
and expect them to contend.
But if they could get the same sort of return for a motivated buyer in July for Greinke, and the team is struggling to contend, or a big injury occurs, the smart thing to do will be to deal him, but I wouldnt see it happening.
One point on the Sabathia post….the difference is that the Brewers dealt known commodities in Escobar and Cain and gave away more than they got back in the Marcum deal. There is always that risk, but that is what small market teams must do to remain financially viable. This past season they made some money, and will have to repeat that performance and then some to do the same this year, but that strategy is VERY far from sustainable.
MA’s strategy is definitely to make money in the selling of the team to make his profit. That value is already there, he has helped to build it up, but a guy who is running this smart in a business sense would also want to make money year over year as well. And maxing out the payroll is the exact opposite way to do that. My guess is that this is more hobby/fun for MA than it is about business. Not that the business part of it isnt important, but it isnt the main focus.
Except
Under you plan, those same 23-25 year olds would eventually be traded for prospects right before their peak.
backtocali seems to have this odd belief that players peak at age 24, in about their second season
And become useless as soon as they hit age 27 or arbitration, whichever comes first.
by Cheeseandcorn on Feb 16, 2012 7:02 PM CST up reply actions
I get your statement
The problem that I have with the strategy is that if you can account for some luck (good or bad) an 85 win team could easily be a playoff team.
as I had pointed out last year, with stricter emphasis and reliability on the farm system, they would have had a much brighter future going forward, and have achieved the same results.The model for any franchise, large or mid or small, is through drafting and developing players well, not from signing free agents to big contracts, or dishing out large sums of money for players either at or past their prime.
Some projections for the 2012 Brewers is that of a .500 team (and thats with 162 worth of Braun). I personally see them (right now) as an 85 win team. But the team I had proposed last year sits now as about an 82 win team with a very bright future. So, if, in the end, the Brewers come away with no titles, no zack greinke, and horrible teams for the following 3 years, will it have been worth it then? The safe and stable approach, with high value home grown players, offers a much higher expectation for success over the long haul then the one or two year or nothing theory.
Its all great discussion on how to build a fantasy team
But then in real world examples of this, I think we got the Rays (who sucked for a while to build up high draft picks), and nobody else, right?
Get a ife broseph
by Supertramp on Feb 16, 2012 12:50 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
I’m sure the Indians felt that way when they traded Sabathia. The guy’s leaving, trade him for a couple high-probability prospects, and laugh our way to the pennant in 2-3 years. The problem with this strategy is that is fraught with so much more peril than trading unproven guys for a known commodity. Sure, we trade Greinke for somebody who looks like the next Greinke (Woo! Yahoo! We’re going to be great again in a year or two!), but is actually the next Ben Hendrickson (Hey, why does this crappy team suck so bad, and why didn’t they try to win when tehy had good players?).
by mpbMKE on Feb 16, 2012 12:54 PM CST up reply actions 5 recs
I don't understand how trading Greinke for prospects makes '13 any different than it would have been
All it does is start the rebuilding sooner.
by tcyoung on Feb 16, 2012 12:41 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
This is true
If they had never traded for him in the first place (or Marcum) though, they could have well been just as good last year, as well as $18 million richer. And then just as good this year or just a tad below current expectations.
The real reward would be that for a team that has two huge question marks in place prior to the spring training even starting (Braun) (Greinke extension) it could wind up being a disappointing season. A pragmatic GM might look at that and think of improving things for the long run, especially if a Greinke extension doesnt seem viable. And you get somewhat proven returns in guys like Manny Banuelos (a projected front line starting pitcher a year from now), you have extra money in the bank, and then you dont have to rely on your spotty track record of recouping in the draft.
Confused again.
How would they have been just as good last season without Marcum and Greinke? Because the pitching had been so good the two years before they were acquired.
by mpbMKE on Feb 16, 2012 1:42 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Key is to add up WARs of players that we do not know if we could've obtained instead
and the other key is to consider Zack Greinke a 1.8 win worse player than Daniel Hudson.
by Archibaldcrane on Feb 16, 2012 2:12 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Which is easy to do
when Greinke goes 16-6 and Hudson goes 16-12 in the same season.
lolwins
wait
by Archibaldcrane on Feb 16, 2012 2:14 PM CST up reply actions
Also Corey Hart needs to have the same value at 1B as in RF
and Carlos Gomez needs to not exist
probably some other stuff too
by Archibaldcrane on Feb 16, 2012 2:17 PM CST up reply actions
Again
All of those players were in A ball at the time of the trade, Tex was a much bettter defender…..A Hudson/Viciedo trade would have been more certain of a return, with a much sooner graduation to the major leagues.
Not a good comparision or argument on your behalf.
No
The rumored deal was Fielder for Hudson, then Melvin asked for Gordon Beckham as well, which at the time would have been ridiculous.
Damnit NoahJ
The rumored deal wasn’t Fielder for Hudson, it was Fielder for Hudson!
But if I were GM, the deal would’ve been Fielder for Hudson AND Viciedo, which definitely would’ve worked because WAR!
by Archibaldcrane on Feb 16, 2012 4:02 PM CST up reply actions 4 recs
OK.
The rumored deal, the one that the White Sox were rumored to have accepted, the only one that we know could have actually happened, was Fielder for Hudson, straight up.
by Noah Jarosh on Feb 16, 2012 4:07 PM CST up reply actions 4 recs
I’m just pissed off we didn’t trade Corey Hart for John Maine.
Solve for X: 5.5 (Fielder) + 0.3 (McGehee) + 0.5 (Betancourt) < X (Gamel) + 3.6 (Ramirez) + 1.1 (Gonzalez)... X >= 1.7 fWAR!
by SRB on Feb 16, 2012 4:12 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
by Yar Nivek on Feb 16, 2012 7:13 PM CST up reply actions 15 recs
Coming in late but...
…that had better make repeat appearances throughout the season.
by Zack Greinke's Paxil on Feb 16, 2012 10:23 PM CST up reply actions
Add up the WARs
and hire a soothsayer who would’ve predicted that Wainwright would shred his elbow in spring training and Volquez would fall apart and like eighteen other things that we didn’t know last winter.
We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.
"I was telling you all of this last year!!!"
...BRANDONJENNINGSSUX!!!
by TwoShoesMcGooze on Feb 16, 2012 2:57 PM CST up reply actions 9 recs
No.
We would not have been as good last year if we hadn’t traded for Greinke or Marcum. Stop saying this, it’s incorrect, you’re wrong. Stop.
by Archibaldcrane on Feb 16, 2012 1:46 PM CST up reply actions 4 recs
To Brewer fans perhaps
At best he was a 90 something ranked prospect. Not a top line rotation starter.
There's a reason these guys are called prospects,
because they’re not proven commodities. Greinke and Marcum have established track records and have proven they can get major league hitters out (which was the point I was really driving at).
Are you going to stick with that?
I saw him as a below average player being paid $9 million per year. It’s a good job if you can get it.
I saw him
as a pitcher with a 3.69 ERA who threw 212 innings and was the only other starter besides Gallardo to show up in the postseason.
We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.
by Rubie Q on Feb 16, 2012 4:17 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Thats who I saw too
But perhaps backtocali was only watching WMLW games. Everything looks like shit on WMLW.
by Whiffleball Tony on Feb 16, 2012 7:08 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
You should know by now...
… that btc doesn’t let actual performance interfere with his opinions on players. It’s that kind of thinking that allowed him to rise all the way to “associate scout” in the baseball world, assuming he didn’t lie about that. Too bad his “safety job” in “high finance” deprived major league baseball of the next Dean Taylor.
"fortunate, but also lucky"
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Feb 16, 2012 7:46 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Yeah Wolf was great last year
Weird to see him and Suppan in the same post, much less sentence.
Get a ife broseph
Much weirder that backtocali seems to be compaing Zack Greinke and Jeff Suppan.
Solve for X: 5.5 (Fielder) + 0.3 (McGehee) + 0.5 (Betancourt) < X (Gamel) + 3.6 (Ramirez) + 1.1 (Gonzalez)... X >= 1.7 fWAR!
by SRB on Feb 16, 2012 4:18 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Actually he was #17 (Baseball America) pre-2002
Solve for X: 5.5 (Fielder) + 0.3 (McGehee) + 0.5 (Betancourt) < X (Gamel) + 3.6 (Ramirez) + 1.1 (Gonzalez)... X >= 1.7 fWAR!
Not unless there was a time machine involved
Pre-2001: #83
Pre-2002: #17
Pre-2003: No longer eligible (50+ IP)
Solve for X: 5.5 (Fielder) + 0.3 (McGehee) + 0.5 (Betancourt) < X (Gamel) + 3.6 (Ramirez) + 1.1 (Gonzalez)... X >= 1.7 fWAR!
by SRB on Feb 16, 2012 4:17 PM CST up reply actions 5 recs
Always getting in the way of truthiness.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
Time Machines are part of BtC's alternate reality team
duh
by Archibaldcrane on Feb 16, 2012 4:21 PM CST up reply actions
It's like the rebooted Star Trek series:
it’s an alternate reality where Neugebauer’s dad died on the USS Kelvin and Neugebauer never made anything of himself.
We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.
It makes the Nyjer Morgan trade make sense.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
Nick Neugebauer would have infiltrated the entire organization
Through a combination of mind control, hypnosis, and poisonous kool-aid, appointed himself GM and moved the team to Beijing.
#notintendedtobeafactualstatement
#justasridiculousaswhatBacktoCalijustsaid
"Our attitude is we look at ourselves and we grade ourselves. And even if we don’t like what’s happening on the other side, we don’t make a — it’s not our business" - Tony Larussa
by mnbrewer on Feb 16, 2012 5:04 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Yep my mistake on that one
But he was a lot like Jeremy Jeffress, in that he threw hard and had a nice slider, but lacked consistency and the all important third pitch.
He was never a serious candidate for front of the rotation status because of his command issues.
You just made my point.
Manny Banuelos hasn’t made his MLB debut yet. He’s also listed at 5’11" and 155…
Until he's on the Brewers, his diminuitive stature is nothing compared to his potential.
Once he’s on the Brewers, it means he will be ineffective and frequently injured.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
by Yar Nivek on Feb 16, 2012 4:21 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
As an investor
I’d be thrilled that in 2011 my team exceeded expectations by over 10%.
Also, if by “consistent, stable returns” you mean 85 wins for five straight seasons, then I’d prefer the other option.
You aren't even trying to sound sensible anymore
"Our attitude is we look at ourselves and we grade ourselves. And even if we don’t like what’s happening on the other side, we don’t make a — it’s not our business" - Tony Larussa
by mnbrewer on Feb 16, 2012 12:08 PM CST up reply actions 5 recs
I'll trust Melvin over you
He’s done pretty well since taking over the Brewers. But then again, I’m a crazy person.
Get a ife broseph
by Supertramp on Feb 16, 2012 12:12 PM CST up reply actions 4 recs
...
...BRANDONJENNINGSSUX!!!
by TwoShoesMcGooze on Feb 16, 2012 12:47 PM CST up reply actions 8 recs
This is great
"Our attitude is we look at ourselves and we grade ourselves. And even if we don’t like what’s happening on the other side, we don’t make a — it’s not our business" - Tony Larussa
I know. It is so expressive for just a few seconds of silent video.
...BRANDONJENNINGSSUX!!!
by TwoShoesMcGooze on Feb 16, 2012 5:58 PM CST up reply actions
It also demonstrates the awesomeness that is Nathan Fillion.
The guy’s just fun to watch, even on a shitty show like Castle.
"fortunate, but also lucky"
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Feb 16, 2012 7:57 PM CST up reply actions
…shitty show like Castle.
Yup.
...BRANDONJENNINGSSUX!!!
by TwoShoesMcGooze on Feb 16, 2012 8:21 PM CST up reply actions
So every year your team wins 85 games?
Then once you get close to your “future contention date” or whatever in 2014 in your alternate reality, are you trading everybody you just traded for last year for someone younger as to avoid actually having too good of a team? Gotta keep it down around 85 wins to avoid too much fluctuation?
E: George 4 (5, throw, throw, throw, throw).
by Jordan M on Feb 16, 2012 3:42 PM CST up reply actions 6 recs
And also never win the World Series
even though winning the World Series is the only truly successful season.
We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.
Of course not
But then again, the alternate reality team would have been just as good last year as the reality team was, at a much lower payroll and much younger players.
And as the years went by those young players expectedly improve their performance until peak years, at which point they are already locked up long term at team friendly rates, or are shipped off when appropriate for younger prospects. Thus building up your base eyery year to the point that the departure of one player doesnt damage your prospects as much, and the gap can be made up with mlb ready prospects.
But then again, the alternate reality team would have been just as good last year as the reality team was, at a much lower payroll and much younger players.
stop saying this
by Archibaldcrane on Feb 16, 2012 4:03 PM CST up reply actions 7 recs
Yes. Please.
Saying it 1000 times doesn’t make it true.
We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.
by Rubie Q on Feb 16, 2012 4:04 PM CST up reply actions 5 recs
I thought this was a Saber friendly site
My team of 8 Matt Kemps and a rotation of replacement level pitchers would beat your well balanced team, so, yeah, it would have.
We're not comparing 8 Matt Kemps and replacement pitchers to a balanced team.
We’re comparing the Brewers with Fielder, Greinke, and Marcum, vs. the Brewers with Escobar, a positionless Lawrie, Estrada, and Hudson, with maybe some other prospects.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
It's Sabr-friendly
Don’t misconstrue that for “backtocali’s alternate unprovable hypothetical reality from 2010”-friendly.
by Archibaldcrane on Feb 16, 2012 4:18 PM CST up reply actions 5 recs
That's not necessarilly true
WAR doesn’t do well at extremes, and there’s a lot of thought that it’s not linear (that is, that an 8 war player is worth more than 4 2-WAR players). And there’s the complication of the “replacement-level” construct, which is a theoritical player and not an actual player. If you’re talking about a bunch of pitchers with 5.25 ERAs, maybe, but that’s not a guarantee.
E: George 4 (5, throw, throw, throw, throw).
Why is it that you deliberately provocative positions...
… and then act surprised when people are provoked? The problem isn’t that this isn’t a saber friendly site, it’s that it’s a Brewer friendly site. And I know you’ll find this shocking, when you come into a fan-site and crap on the team it’s dedicated to consistently over a period of years, you lose credibility.
I’ll tell you what, btc, if you can find and link to a dozen comments you made since you joined this site in which you said you agreed with something Doug Melvin did, I’ll agree that we’re all just picking on you. You’ve been here for 3 years and you’ve made 5000 comments. Melvin’s made a thousand decisions since then between draft picks, free agents, contracts, trades and the like. You comment on how this team is run all the time. You should be able to dig up a dozen compliments you’ve paid the front office in that time frame.
If you can’t, then I see no reason not to go on thinking you just come here to crap on a team you don’t like out of some sense of bitterness over where you live and what you do for a living, or some other sad reason you haven’t revealed as of yet.
Good luck. I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
"fortunate, but also lucky"
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Feb 16, 2012 8:09 PM CST up reply actions 6 recs
Melvin fired him as a scout?
I was disappointed with the lack of hookers but the pancakes were delightful
So does that mean that the 2009 Brewers would beat the 2012 Brewers?
Because back then the Brewers had terrific hitters and crappy pitchers and still got nowhere, and in 2012 the Brewers will have a little less offense but great pitching.
Uber-lineup is great and all, but I’d rather see the Brewers not giving up 5+ runs most nights like they did in 2009.
Go ahead, make my day.
by ilikeburritos on Feb 16, 2012 9:10 PM CST up reply actions
Sabr-friendly?
You multiply pitching WAR by 7 to project records, and you call that SABR?
Ridiculous. I’ve never seen anyone so SABR-unfriendly try so hard to look like he gets it.
It's true if your definition of "Just as good" is "also didn't win the World Series"
E: George 4 (5, throw, throw, throw, throw).
by Jordan M on Feb 16, 2012 5:36 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Didn't work out too well this year?
Only if winning the WS was the only outcome that would’ve made it a success. Of course, if that’s the case, then all but one team “didn’t’ work out too well”.
So clearly the BtC approved model for organization success is Tony LaRussa.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
Just curious, but did you tell your acquaintance that you think DM is an idiot?
Also, does your “high finance” employer know you spend half your work day coming to Brewers blogs so you can shit on the Brewers?
"fortunate, but also lucky"
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Feb 16, 2012 7:41 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
That would be a great question
If it werent for the fact that most of the work I do is overnight involving currencies and futures.
Fair enough.
Watch out for the pork bellies.
"fortunate, but also lucky"
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Feb 17, 2012 4:52 PM CST up reply actions
...
<img src="[IMG]http://i40.tinypic.com/2evgils.jpg[/IMG]"/>
Go ahead, make my day.
by ilikeburritos on Feb 16, 2012 9:24 PM CST up reply actions
whoops, link fail
Go ahead, make my day.
by ilikeburritos on Feb 16, 2012 9:24 PM CST up reply actions
Dammit, I can't seem to post pictures!
Go ahead, make my day.
by ilikeburritos on Feb 16, 2012 9:25 PM CST up reply actions
I can't seem to directly post the photo
by ilikeburritos on Feb 16, 2012 9:27 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
BUCKS was more of a comedic villain
Whose bumbling ineptitude doomed him to failure, and made him little more than an amusing trifle to our heroes.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
I was thinking Princess Bride.
Bucks : Vizzini :: BtC : Prince Humperdink
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
I'm not
"Our attitude is we look at ourselves and we grade ourselves. And even if we don’t like what’s happening on the other side, we don’t make a — it’s not our business" - Tony Larussa
Haha, a rec for you, sir
However, at a certain point he just becomes an angry troll who never listens to any opposing arguments, and starts the same fight every time he shows up, which eventually becomes so boring and repetitive that it gets in the way of actually talking about baseball, which is what this site is for.
That point was maybe a year ago.
"Our attitude is we look at ourselves and we grade ourselves. And even if we don’t like what’s happening on the other side, we don’t make a — it’s not our business" - Tony Larussa
Don't mind it at this point.
It’s a really boring part of the year, with very little to talk about. I’m just glad the Mug is getting up over 100+ comments most days, because it gives me something to do at work, haha.
Once there’s real baseball to talk about, hopefully we won’t have to have the same run-around-in-circles arguments as often.
Ocarina of Time = Good.
That’s what I’ve learned this offseason.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
by Yar Nivek on Feb 16, 2012 5:22 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
starts the same fight every time he shows up, which eventually becomes so boring and repetitive
Sounds like a supervillian to me. To bd he doesn’t change his name to Megazord.
Give him an offspeed pitch down and in. He will swing and miss.
I'll get you next time!
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
by Yar Nivek on Feb 16, 2012 7:30 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Does that make SRB or TSSC Inspector Gadget?
by Zack Greinke's Paxil on Feb 16, 2012 10:31 PM CST up reply actions
I think SRB is Gadget and TSSC is Penny.
TSSC is so clever.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
by Yar Nivek on Feb 16, 2012 10:37 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
and the year before that...and before that...
I was disappointed with the lack of hookers but the pancakes were delightful
!!!! Reminder: BCB Pseudofantasy League !!!!!
Draft will be this Sunday (February 19) at 2:00 PM CST!! It will be run in a Google doc, so it would be helpful to register an account beforehand (takes a minute), though not totally necessary.
If anybody else wants to participate please feel free! fWAR based league, 26-man roster, essentially zero maintenance aside from the draft itself! I will make a new Fanpost later tonight and set the draft order, so if anybody else wants in let me know as soon as possible.
Solve for X: 5.5 (Fielder) + 0.3 (McGehee) + 0.5 (Betancourt) < X (Gamel) + 3.6 (Ramirez) + 1.1 (Gonzalez)... X >= 1.7 fWAR!
Woo hoo!
Really looking forward to it and thanks very much for all the work you’ve put in to get it set up…
BCB Fantasy Football 2011 winner (Swansons League)
Also-ran (loser!) in every other BCB Fantasy competition
"LOLOL I LOVE YUNI!!!!": ThroughBeingCool
Np! It's not that much work, I just hope the Google doc thing works w/ 18 people in there.
Solve for X: 5.5 (Fielder) + 0.3 (McGehee) + 0.5 (Betancourt) < X (Gamel) + 3.6 (Ramirez) + 1.1 (Gonzalez)... X >= 1.7 fWAR!
For a class I had last semester, we put up a google do for a study guide, and that had 30-50 people on it before an exam.
Worked well enough.
Ok, cool!
I think the chat itself should be fine, just wasn’t if that many people chatting will lag the doc. If worst comes to worst we can just move to a Fanpost on here and do the picks that way (or would that be better in the first place?)
Solve for X: 5.5 (Fielder) + 0.3 (McGehee) + 0.5 (Betancourt) < X (Gamel) + 3.6 (Ramirez) + 1.1 (Gonzalez)... X >= 1.7 fWAR!
No idea. Though it would be good to have a system for announcing picks versus general chat.
Like, caps for picks or something. I’m not sure.
Yeah, I was thinking something like all-caps for picks would work
Also a running draft board with every pick in the doc itself
Solve for X: 5.5 (Fielder) + 0.3 (McGehee) + 0.5 (Betancourt) < X (Gamel) + 3.6 (Ramirez) + 1.1 (Gonzalez)... X >= 1.7 fWAR!
Just so you all know:
You’re. Going. Down!.
...BRANDONJENNINGSSUX!!!
by TwoShoesMcGooze on Feb 16, 2012 5:59 PM CST up reply actions
Not after I pick Greinke first overall (1-1)!
I’m setting the draft order and making the docs in a little bit, so last chance if anybody else is interested.
Solve for X: 5.5 (Fielder) + 0.3 (McGehee) + 0.5 (Betancourt) < X (Gamel) + 3.6 (Ramirez) + 1.1 (Gonzalez)... X >= 1.7 fWAR!
Smells like troll in here.
"fortunate, but also lucky"
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Feb 16, 2012 7:49 PM CST reply actions
It doesn't just smell.
My nose just imploded, and then exploded.
Go ahead, make my day.
by ilikeburritos on Feb 16, 2012 9:12 PM CST up reply actions
He saw that Link was getting exhausted, decided to give the little guy a breather.
Applying pop culture to Brewers discussions since 2009, earning the nickname of "Our Little Abed".
Yup. And I think it turned out pretty awesome.
...BRANDONJENNINGSSUX!!!
by TwoShoesMcGooze on Feb 17, 2012 9:41 AM CST up reply actions
Cue Charlie Marlow
...BRANDONJENNINGSSUX!!!
by TwoShoesMcGooze on Feb 17, 2012 9:53 AM CST up reply actions
Just kidding. It looked like I double-posted.
...BRANDONJENNINGSSUX!!!
by TwoShoesMcGooze on Feb 17, 2012 9:58 AM CST up reply actions
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NL Central Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati
|
27 | 20 | .574 | 0 | Won 2 |
|
St. Louis
|
26 | 22 | .541 | 1.5 | Won 1 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
23 | 24 | .489 | 4 | Won 3 |
|
Houston
|
22 | 25 | .468 | 5 | Lost 2 |
|
Milwaukee
|
19 | 28 | .404 | 8 | Lost 2 |
|
Chicago
|
15 | 32 | .319 | 12 | Lost 12 |
(updated 5.27.2012 at 6:23 PM CDT)
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