Brew Crew Ball: FanPosts

Updated 2010 Brewers Roster/Salary Predictions

2009-11-07T03:24:47Z

With the question-mark surrounding who the Brewers would get in return for JJ Hardy already settled, and with it looking as though your probable starting centerfielder for 2010 will be Carlos Gomez (love it or hate it - I happen to be a fan), I figured it's time for another look at the 2010 roster. Feel free of correct my arbitration estimates (or other errors) - and I know there are a lot of these projected rosters out there, but it's the offseason; how else am I suppose to occupy my allocated baseball-time?

Aside from arbitration figures, I'm making a few assumptions:

1) Looper's option will not be exercised. Aside from the fact that Looper kind of sucks, I'm also going off Melvin's earlier claim that he's looking to add two starters. Gallardo/Suppan/Bush/Parra will all already be on the team next year, so I'm not sure how/why Looper would be brought back too.

2) I'm making the teary-eyed assumption that McClung will be off the team in 2010. That's largely conjectural, but if I'm wrong it shouldn't have a huge effect on the total salary (I imagine he'd make $2,250,000 or so in arbitration)

3) Based on an interview with Doug Melvin earlier today (linked in a fanshot) I got the impression that Lucroy might be given a chance to make the team out of spring training. I've extremely optimistically listed the two catchers on the 25-man as Rivera/Lucroy, but more realistically the Brewers probably need to add a starting catcher this offseason as well (NOT KENDALL, Doug).

(I've put ages at the start of spring training in parentheses)

C - Mike Rivera (33) [ARB: $750,000]
C - Jonathan Lucroy (23) [$400,000]
1B - Prince Fielder (25) [$11,000,000]
2B - Rickie Weeks (27) [ARB: $2,750,000]
SS - Alcides Escobar (23) [$400,000]
3B - Casey McGehee (27) [$400,000]
IF - Mat Gamel (24) [$400,000]
IF - ???
LF - Ryan Braun (26) [$1,300,000, rounded up]
CF - Carlos Gomez (24) [ARB: $1,000,000]
RF - Corey Hart (27) [ARB: $3,500,000]
OF - Jody Gerut (32) [ARB: $2,000,000]

SP - Yovani Gallardo (23) [$400,000]
SP - Dave Bush (30) [ARB: $4,250,000]
SP - Manny Parra (27) [$400,000]
SP - ???
SP - ???
CL - Trevor Hoffman (42) [$7,500,000]
RHP - Jeff Suppan (35) [$12,750,000]
RHP - David Riske (33) [$4,500,000]
RHP - Todd Coffey (29) [ARB: $2,250,000]
RHP - Carlos Villanueva (26) [ARB: $2,000,000]
RHP - Mark DiFelice (33) [$400,000]
LHP - Mitch Stetter (29) [$400,000]
LHP - Chris Narveson (28) [$400,000]

X - David Weathers [$400,000]
X - Braden Looper [$750,000]
X - Bill Hall [$7,150,000]

Projected Total Payroll: $67,450,000
(Rounded '09 Payroll):  $80,200,000
Potential Free Agent $: $12,750,000

That’s obviously a very rough estimate, but given the $12.75 million figure, the fact that the Brewers payroll has been steadily increasing the past few years (hopefully, even more so in a supposedly “win-now” year like 2010) and the fact that I was pretty generous with arbitration, I’d say it gives them between $12 and $17 million to spend on two starting pitchers, an infielder, probably a catcher, and maybe some relief help.

One thing that jumps out; that is an incredibly young team (especially if Lucroy somehow manages to win the starting job) with a heck of a lot of upside. There are still a few major question marks, but I'm certainly excited already for the first pitch of 2010.

What do you all think? Is that enough payroll flexibility to fill out the roster and field a division-winning team next year? Do one of Gamel/McGehee need to start packing their bags? Who should Melvin specifically target?

I'd like to see him bring Sheets back, resign Counsell for the utility spot, bring in some high-upside reclamation projects (Mulder and Baek come to mind, I'm also partial to an under-the-radar return from Capuano), and look for a cheap veteran catcher to compete with the internal options (Chris Coste, maybe?)

2009 Offseason Free Agency Dates

2009-11-05T18:46:02Z

Oh, now that the World Series is over, it's time to start planning free agent shopping. (I've always liked how FA shopping dovetailed nicely with Christmas shopping.) According to MLB.com, here are the dates to circle on your Brewers charities calendar:

As the Yankees have finished off the Phightin' Phillies on November 4th, the 200+ players eligible for free agency can officially become free agents today, on November 5th. (Last year, 65 players declared free agency on the first day, so look alive there, people.)
For two weeks, teams have exclusive negotiating rights with their own free agents. Then, on November 20th, it's open season for free agents: any player can sign with any team.
Will the Brewers offer arbitration to Mike Cameron? We'll know by December 1st.
The Winter Meetings in Indianapolis take place December 7th through the 10th. Really, it's the only reason to be in Indianapolis in December.
Speaking of December 10th, that's the date of the Major League Rule 5 draft. I bet we take a pitcher!
Owners on a budget (ahem) might decide to wait a while before signing free agents. That's because teams have to decide by December 12th whether or not to exercise any club options on their players.
Spring training begins March 4th in Scottsdale against the Giants.
The regular season begins April 5th at home against the Rockies.

If there are any dates I missed, be sure to add them in the comments.

Finally, if you were curious, there were 5 free agent starting pitchers under the age of 33 with a winning record last season: John Lackey, Joel Pineiro, Jason Marquis, Vicente Padilla, and Brad Penny. It certainly gives one pause.

Speculationville: Glen Perkins

2009-11-05T18:10:35Z

Courtesy of MLBTR, we have some JJ Hardy speculation involving the Twins:

If the Twins can't re-sign free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera, it would be surprising if they don't consider Milwaukee's J.J. Hardy, who is expendable due to the emergence of Alcides Escobar. Lefty starter Glen Perkins would seem a likely bet to be included if there were an offer to the Brewers.

Glen Perkins's stats are here. He's young and lefthanded, but his ERA and WHIP have gotten worse in each of his 4 years of pitching in the majors, a pattern Brewer fans are all-too-familiar with.

Somebody Get Me My Cardboard: Bob Wolfley Breaks It Down

2009-11-05T17:46:44Z

Before I head out to the airport to meet Zach Grienke, I thought I'd pass along some Brewers professional sportswritery talk from Bob Wolfley, brought to you by the employers of Tom Haudricourt and Tony Witrado. (Ahh, read it anyway.) There are some interesting nuggets, such as:

Baseball's best base-running leftfielder? Why, it's The Deputy.
Only once in 2009 has Prince Fielder advanced from first to third on a single.
Many Brewers were on the list of best defenders at their respective position. Sadly, they were at the bottom of said list. Mike Cameron, though, not so bad.
Although ordering intentional walks might make Ken Macha feel Macha-vellian, he really should avoid them as if he were Ned Yost.

Anyway, there are a few other statistical croutons for you, like win shares and YoGa's curveballs, so enjoy.

Brewers Minor League Leaders thru the 00's - Strikeouts

2009-11-04T13:00:09Z

2000 - 2009 - Strikeout Leaders

Here's a list of the top five strikeout seasons for Brewer minor leaguer pitchers over the last 10 years:

188 - Yovani Gallardo, 2006 (Brevard County 103 / Huntsville 85)
177 - Jason Childers, 2000 (Mudville)
175 - Nick Neugebauer, 2001 (Huntsville 149 / Indianapolis 26)
174 - Nick Neugebauer, 2000 (Mudville 117 / Huntsville 57)
172 - Jose Mieses, 2000 (Beloit 132 / Mudville 40)

A little more about the leader, Yovani Gallardo

(Photo from Yahoo!)

Drafted:                                  Drafted in 2nd Round by Brewers in 2004 from Trible Technical HS (TX)
How Acquired:                      Drafted by Brewers. Got a signing bonus of $725,000. The first four picks that season pitchers (Roger, Gallardo, Josh Wahpepah and Josh Baker).
Years with Brewers:             6
Best Season:                        In the minors 2006 - went 11-5 with a 1.76 ERA and a 188/51 strikeout to walk ratio and a 1.000 WHIP in 155 IP.
Last Professional Season: Pitched for the Brewers in 2009
Major League Stats:             22-17 with a 3.57 ERA in 51 career starts. Also has 325 SO in 320 IP
Other Notes of Interset:

The only players remaining in the Brewers system from the 2004 draft are Roger, Gallardo, Salome, David Johnson, Alex Periard and Lorenzo Cain. They also drafted my favorite minor league name of all time Deik Scram, but he did not sign.

Had a no-hitter thru 8 1/3 in Brevard County in 2006 before surronding a triple.

His 188 strikeouts in 2006 lead all of the minor leagues.

Was the 2006 Brewers Minor League Player of the Year. Also selected as a AA All-star that season and was part of the Baseball America 1st Team All-Star Team as the SP.

Rated by Baseball America as the #16 overall prospect in 2007. Was the Brewers #4 prospect in 2006 and #1 prospect in 2007. Rated to have the best curveball in 2007

2009 Leaders

123 - Amaury Rivas (Brevard County)
118 - Evan Anundsen (Brevard County)
118 - Wily Peralta (Wisconsin)

JJ Hardy's Trade Value

2009-11-02T04:01:25Z

Speaking only for myself, I have a hard time determining what JJ Hardy is worth on the trade market. His underwhelming performance last year and ultimate demotion to AAA has either helped or hurt his value on the open market, and teams now have to decide if 2009 was an aberration or a sign of things to come.

Fortunately, more astute baseball fans than I have mulled over this very question. Let me throw out some of the names they've mentioned.

First, here's what MLBTR says about JJ the Love Machine:

J.J. Hardy, Brewers. GM Doug Melvin admitted to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that it would be "very difficult" to keep both Hardy and Alcides Escobar on the roster. Due to an August demotion, Hardy is under team control for two more years (he earned $4.65MM in '09). He was very valuable in 2007-08, and the 27-year-old is easily the prize among all available shortstops (considering both trade targets and free agents). Despite Hardy's off year, expect Melvin to demand a quality starting pitcher in return.

Here are some of the names being bandied about:

Kevin Slowey, Minnesota Twins: The 25-year-old Texan was also having an underwhelming 2009, until wrist surgery ended his season in July. However, Slowey posted a 3.99 ERA and a sparkling 1.15 WHIP in 2008 covering 160 innings.
Michael Bowden, Red Socks: Bowden just turned 23, and his career ERA over 8 reflects his youth. (No, Jeff Suppan, you have no excuse.) Needless to say, his potential is belied by his numbers thusfar.
Brandon Morrow, Mariners: Morrow seems a lot like Bowden: young and righthanded, and without much success in the majors thusfar.
Francisco Liriano, Twins: It wasn't long ago when this guy was pretty much unhittable. Funny how elbow surgery and 1+ years of rehab affects one's trade value. Liriano followed up a decent 2008 season (76 IP, 3.99 ERA) with a forgettable 2009 (5.80 ERA, including being demoted to a reliever in September).

I don't know much about these four, except to say they play in the AL, and none of them is a sure thing. Also, if Hardy is our top trading chip, we ought to try to get someone who can eat up the innings as well as get batters out. What do you think would be a reasonable return for JJ?

Tangentially related Brewers news

2009-10-31T14:39:24Z

You know, even that's a stretch. However, there are two bits of MLB news that could affect how the 2010 Brewers shape up. Besides, on a slow day like today, what more do you want?

Breaking out of San Francisco:

Item 1: Would-be free-agent Freddy Sanchez re-signs with the Giants (2 years/$12 million). There are only a handful of productive second-basemen on the FA market, so it's a big deal when a 3-time all-star signs early. Of the FA 2Bs left out there, none of them is appreciably better than the Brewers' Felipe Lopez, and all of them are older. Remember, the Brewers have yet to decide whether or not to offer arbitration to Lopez

The G-men also cut ties with 29-year-old lefthander Noah Lowry, who hasn't appeared in a game since 2007. You might recall that, according to his agent, Lowry's circulatory problem was misdiagnosed by the Giants as a forearm issue, "subjecting Lowry to an unnecessary arm operation and turning a potential short-term recovery into a lengthy medical ordeal." Lowry has a career ERA of 4.03, and in his 5 years of service, only once had he had an ERA over 4. If a team is interested in the likes of Mark Mulder, I imaging they'd be interested in Lowry as well.

Yosty! A Retrospective

2009-10-30T19:00:36Z

As KL mentioned in Thursday's Mug, October 29, 2009 marked the seven-year anniversary of the hiring of former Brewers skipper Nedgar "Ned" Yost III. If Yost was known for anything during his extended run as Milwaukee's manager (besides, of course, his gross mismanagement of the bullpen and the fact that he started managing with two hands around his neck when the goin' got tough), it was his penchant for saying things that defied reason, logic, data, and, in general, good sense. Over at the Buffet, we called these headscratchers "Yostys!"

In remembrance of Ned's hiring, here's a sampling of my favorite Yostys! I've left out/forgotten a lot, so please chime in with your favorites in the comments.

This first one came as J.J. Hardy was in the midst of a particularly cold stretch last August. Ned was asked if J.J. could be considered a streaky player:

"I don’t sense any inconsistency," Yost said. "When he was 0 for 28, I didn’t know he was 0 for 28. I don’t follow the day-to-day."

And, really, why would he be expected to follow the "day-to-day"? It wasn't like he was sitting in the dugout watching every pitch of every single game, or anything.

Following the Prince - Manny tickle fest in Cincinnati:

"It’s a little bit rude when your neighbors are fighting next door for you to go knock on the door and ask what happened."

People these days. I know that when my neighbor threw his wife through the bay window, I went back to my Cheerios and crossword puzzle. I wouldn't want to get a reputation as a Nosy Nellie.

Here's Ned on Rickie Weeks' struggles in the '08 season:

"I wouldn't say he has underachieved," said Yost. "He has never been a .300 hitter (in the majors), so who says he is underachieving? He's working his way up. He's getting better in all phases of his game. For me, he has never underachieved because he never achieved up here. How can you say he has underachieved?"

You walk a fine line when you defend your players against any and all criticism: take it too far -- say, by arguing that one of your players isn't underachieving because he's always sucked -- and you end up criticizing the player yourself.

Following the Brewers fourth-straight loss to open September 2008, Ned attempted to calm the natives:

"Every game's important so you feel like you have to win every single game, but you don't worry about it, you don't dwell on it," manager Ned Yost said. "I mean, we have a four-game lead in the wild card and we come back and try to win a game tomorrow, and that's the extent of our focus."

I'll let Three Dog Night handle my response to that quote.

Here's a quote that came after Tony LaRussa duped Yost into a beanball war with a week left in the '07 season:

"These kids need to know at a time like this their manager is behind them," said Yost, who has been ejected from three of the last four games and six total this season.

They might not realize he's sticking up for them, since he's watching most of the games from the clubhouse, but, still -- good to know. (Also: I think the players would rather know their manager isn't going to put petty machismo over a pennant race, but what do I know?)

And, last but not least: Ned said a lot of wrongheaded things during his reign. The following (said after the Brewers dropped a doubleheader to the Phillies in September '08) was not one of them:

"Everybody's frustrated," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "The off day will help us."

He was right, as it turned out: he was fired the next day.

What else ya got?

Brewers Minor League Leaders thru the 00's - Saves

2009-10-30T13:54:51Z

2000 - 2009 - Save Leaders

Here's a list of the top five save seasons for Brewer minor leaguers over the last 10 years:

35 - Bob Scanlan (yes, Bob Scanlan) 2000 (Indianapolis)
29 - Rob Wooten, 2009 (Brevard County 18 / Huntsville 11)
22 - Brian Mallette, 2002 (Indianapolis)
22 - Mike Rossiter, 2000 (Huntsville)
21 - Fontella Jones, 2001 (Beloit 18 / Mudville 3)
21 - Jim Henderson, 2009 (Wisconsin 17 / Brevard County 4 / Huntsville 0)

This really shows how overvalued saves are in the minors as other than Wooten, this is far from a prospect laden group. Consider this:

Scanlan was 33, on his second tour with the Brewers and was released after the season.
Mallette was 27 and was traded after the season as a player to be named later for Ben Diggins
Rossiter was 27, on his second tour in the Brewers minor leagues and was released after the season. He had a 6.15 ERA along with those 22 saves.
Jones was 25 and was released after the season.
Henderson was 26 and was assigned to low A dispite spending parts of the previous two years with the Cubs AAA team.

A little more about the leader, Bob Scanlan

(Photo from tigerscentral.com

Drafted:                                  Drafted in 25th Round by Phillies 1984 from Harvard-Westlake HS in California. He was one of three players drafted in that round to make it to the majors
How Acquired:                      The Brewers acquired him twice. First in 1994 as part of a trade in which Mike Carter and Rafael Novoa were sent to the Cubs. Signed as a free agent prior to the 2000 season
Years with Brewers:             3. After 2000, Scanlan signed as a free agent with the Expos
Best Season:                         1992 - had a 2.89 ERA and 14 saves in 69 games for the Cubs. In 2000 with the Brewers AAA team he posted a 1.79 ERA and the aforementioned 35 saves.
Last Professional Season: 2003 - Played in AA and AAA for Houston. Posted a 1-9 record witha 3.75 ERA in AAA.
Major League Stats:             9 seasons, composite 20-34 record, 4.63 ERA in 290 games (39 starts).
Other Notes of Interset:

Scanlan was traded from the Phillies to the Cubs as part of the Mitch Williams trade in 1991.

Bob is currently a broadcaster for the Padres flag station.

He was part of the January 2008 issue of San Diego Magazins as one of the "50 People to Watch in 2008"

Scanlan was a AAA and International League All-Star in 2000.

Scanlan is also a free-lance writer. If you are interested in how he felt the 2006 Hall of Fame Ballot should have looked, click here.

Scanlan played for the Brewers in '94 and '95. He pitched well in '94 after moving to the starting rotation posting a 3.68 ERA as a starter in 12 games. In his last game as a Brewer in 1995, he surrendered 9 ER in 1.2 IP against the Red Sox and Roger Clemens.

2009 Leaders

29 - Wooten (Brevard County/Huntsville)
21 - Henderson (Wisconsin/Brevard County/Huntsville)
17 - Chris Smith (Nashville)

Honorable Mention: Michael Fiers also put up 11 saves (in 22 games) between Helena, Wisconsin and Brevard County after being drafted in 2009. He also had a 1.33 ERA and a 59/5 strikeout to walk ratio in 40 IP.

MLBTR's Bad Contract Swap Meet

2009-10-28T19:33:31Z

This could be one of my all time favorite MLBTR posts. Tim Dierkes scoured all of baseball's contracts and cribbed together the worst of the worst, the contracts any GM would love to get rid of. Happily, only Jeff Suppan (1 year, $14.5 million) is listed under the Brewers, though there are some other familiar names, including CoCo (2 years, $25 million) and Scott Linebrink (2 years, $10.5 million). Interestingly, there's only one Yankee on the list (Kei Igawa, 2/$8), versus three Cubs (heh).

This got me thinking: how would you pawn off Suppan's contract using the names on this list, if you could? (I'd assume we couldn't get rid of Suppan's contract unless we took back a multi-year, more expensive contract in return.) Would you trade Suppan for Milton Bradley (2 years/$21 million)? I'd probably take a chance on the board game magnate in center, so long that we have Plan B (Jody Gerut) in case something goes wrong. What can you come up with?

Rumorville: Jarrod Washburn

2009-10-28T18:38:12Z

Now that Prince Fielder has finally hit that grand slam, the fact that Jarrod Washburn (stats here) is from Wisconsin now reigns supreme as the Most Cited Nugget of Irrelevant Brewers Trivia. It rears its head again in Rumorville, courtesy of Jon Heyman:

The Mariners and Brewers are expected to be in the mix for Jarrod Washburn, who was terrific for Seattle last year before struggling with the Tigers (2.64 ERA in Seattle, 7.33 in Detroit). A knee issue is thought to be the culprit for his poor performance in Detroit.

As we all know, Jarrod Washburn is from LaCrosse, went to UW Oshkosh (b'gosh), and ~~contributes to BCB under the pen name "backtocali"~~. He won't be cheap, though, not with Scott Boras as an agent.

Brewers Minor League Leaders thru the 00's - ERA

2009-10-28T18:11:40Z

2000 - 2009 - ERA Leaders

Here's a list of the top five ERA seasons for Brewer minor leaguers over the last 10 years:

1.71 - Will Inman, 2006 (West Virginia)
1.81 - Chris Cody, 2008 (Brevard County 1.83 in 83 IP / West Virginia 1.74 in 31 IP)
1.86 - Yovani Gallardo, 2006 (Brevard County 2.09 in 77 IP / Huntsville 1.63 in 77 IP)
2.02 - Ben Hendrickson, 2004 (Indianapolis)
2.13 - Luis Martinez, 2003 (Huntsville 2.58 in 115 IP / Indianapolis 0.99 in 45 IP)

(minimum 100 IP)

A little more about the leader, Will Inman

(Photo from Jamie from LA's fickr site)Drafted:                                  Drafted in 3rd Round by Brewers in 2005 fron Tunstall HS in Virginia, the two prior picks, Micah Owings and Brian Duensing have spent time in the majors
How Acquired:                      Drafted by Brewers. The first three picks that season were Braun, Inman and Gamel. They also drafted (but did not sign) A's closer Andrew Bailey in teh 16th Round.
Years with Brewers:             3. Traded to Padres along with Joe Thatcher and Steve Garrison for Scott Linebrink in July of 2007
Best Season:                         2006 - went 10-2 with a 1.71 ERA and a 134/24 strikeout to walk ratio and a 0.895 WHIP in 110.2 IP.
Last Professional Season: Pitched in AA and AAA for the Padres in 2009. Posted a line 7-9 record with a 4.79 ERA and 100/45 strikeout to walk ratio in 150 IP
Major League Stats:             None.
Other Notes of Interset:

Battlekow posted five fun facts about Will Inman on this site in 2007.

Inman was the #91 overall prospect in 2007, and was ranked as the Brewers #10 prospect in 2006 and #3 prospect in 2007. Also noted as having the "best control" for the Brewers in 2007 and envisioned as being the future No. 4 starter. Ranked as the Padres #7 prospect in 2008.

Participated in the Futures game in 2008.

Was a South Atlantic League and Low-A All-Star in 2006 and a Texas League All-Star in 2008.

2009 Leaders (min 100 IP)

2.60 - Michael Bowman (Wisconsin / Brevard County)
2.69 - Evan Anundsen (Brevard County)
2.97 - Josh Butler (Nashville, Huntsville, Brevard County, Arizona)

Brewers Minor League Leaders thru the 00's - Losses

2009-10-26T15:11:47Z

2000 - 2009 - Loss Leaders

Here's a list of the top loss seasons for Brewer minor leaguers over the last 10 years:

19 - Greg Kloosterman, 2005 (West Virginia)
14 - Khalid Ballouli, 2004 (High Desert)
13 - Chris Narveson, 2008 (Nashville)
13 - Matt Childers, 2001 (High Desert 11 / Huntsville 2)
12 - Dennis Sarfate, 2004 (Huntsville)
12 - Ben Hendrickson, 2005 (Nashville)
12 - Jeff Housman, 2005 (Nashville)

A little more about the leader, Greg Kloosterman

Drafted:                                  Drafted in 9th Round by Brewers in 2003, two rounds prior to their pick of Adam Heather
How Acquired:                      Signed after being drafted. Received a $85K signing bonus.
Years with Brewers:             3, before being released after the 2005 season.
Best Season:                         2003 - went 6-1 with a 3.28 ERA and a 76/23 strikeout to walk ratio in 68.2 IP.
Last Professional Season: 2005
Major League Stats:             None.  Kloosterman played in Beloit in 2004 and West Virginia in 2005.
Other Notes of Interset:       Greg was stabbed in an off the field altercation in Peoria in 2004.

Kloosterman was a small college All-American twice at Bethel College in Indiana.

Greg is currently part of the coaching staff at Illinois Slammers baseball and softball academy. The staff also includes, among others, former Brewers minor leaguer Steve Sollman and catcher Gary Bennett.

Kloosterman was interviewed as part of a steroid story in 2007

2009 Leaders

14 - Trey Watten (Wisconsin)
11 - Cody Scarpetta (Wisconsin 11 / Huntsville 0)
10 - Lindsey Gulid (Nashville)
10 - Nick Green (Nashville 4 / Huntsville 6)
10 - Mark Holliman (Huntsville)

Doug Jones Question

2009-10-22T23:14:00Z

So I'm doing a project on the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers and Doug Jones pitched in 4 games during that season. In those 4 games, he had two different uniform numbers: 45 and 54. Does anyone know if he played in more games with one of those numbers? When he resurfaced with the Brewers in 96-98 he appeared as #43 so that didn't give any hints. I realize this is an odd question but figured it was worth a try asking.

Brewers Minor League Leaders thru the 00's - Wins

2009-10-21T16:45:38Z

2000 - 2009 - Win Leaders

Here's a list of the top win seasons for Brewer minor leaguers over the last 10 years:

17 - Jose Mieses, 2000 (13 Beloit / 4 Mudville)
16 - Adam Pettyjohn, 2007 (4 Huntsville / 12 Nashville)
14 - Horacio Estrada, 2000 (Indianapolis)
13 - Derek Lee, 2000 (11 Huntsville / 2 Indianapolis)
13 - Travis Smith, 2000 (12 Huntsville / 1 Indianapolis)
13 - Matt Parker, 2001 (High Desert)
13 - Derek Lee, 2003 (11 Huntsville / 2 Indianapolis)
13 - RA Dickey, 2007 (Nashville)
13 - Chris Cody, 2009 (5 Huntsville / 8 Nashville)
13 - Amaury Rivas, 2009 (Brevard County)
13 - Dan Meadows, 2009 (Wisconsin)

A little more about the leader, Jose Mieses

Photo from Sportsplanet.com

Drafted:                                  Undrafted
How Acquired:                      Signed as an undrafted free agent by Brewers in 1996
Years with Brewers:             4, before being released in February 2003. Played briefly with White Sox organization.
Best Season:                         2000 - went 17-7 with a 2.56 ERA and a 172/55 strikeout to walk ratio in 169 IP.
Last Professional Season: 2005 - Jose played with Nashua in the Independent League going 8-11 with a 5.89 ERA
Major League Stats:             None.  Mieses played parts of two seasons in AAA.
Other Notes of Interset:       Jose was rated by Baseball America as the Brewers #6 prospect in 2001 and #8 prospect in 2002.

Was a Pioneer League All-Star in 1999.

Jose got off to a fast start in 2001 with a 2.22 ERA and a 35/3 strikeout to walk ration in 24 IP for AA prior to being promoted to AAA. Then injuries struck, first a fractured vertebre in his back, then had arm trouble and was never same again.

Jose's scouting report was as follows:

When healthy, Mieses is just plain tough. Though not armed with an overwhelming fastball, he mixes his pitches well and stays out of trouble with baserunners. Mieses has either a curveball or a palmball at his disposal on any given day and can work his low-90s fastball down and on the corners.

He was designated for assignment after the 2002 season when the Brewers claimed Scott Podsednik.

2009 Leaders

13 - Amaury Rivas (Brevard County)
13 - Chris Cody (Huntsville/Nashville)
13 - Dan Meadows (Wisconsin)

Soup's Halloween Bash

2009-10-20T18:08:16Z

Soup's Halloween Bash

Hi everyone,

Since I live near Soup's Grill I am considering going to his Halloween Bash. However, I'm not sure what to do for a costume. I am leaning toward going as a demoted starter forced into long relief and mop up duty. Or, perhaps an avid opponent of recycling. Jamie In LA says he wants to go as Ryan Braun in an Affliction T-shirt.

Your costume suggestions would be much appreciated.

Brewers Minor League Leaders thru the 00's - Review of Offensive Leaders

2009-10-20T17:44:58Z

Before moving on to the pitching single season leaders, lets take one look back at the offensive leaders covered over the past few weeks:

AB               546     Steve Scarborough (High Desert - 2001)/Alcides Escobar (Huntsville 2008)
Runs          103     Jim Rushford (High Desert/Huntsville - 2001)
Hits             179     Alcides Escobar (Huntsville 2008)

Doubles      49      Brad Nelson (Beloit/High Desert - 2002)
Triples         15     Dave Krynzel (High Desert/Huntsville - 2002)
HR                32      Lance Burkhart (High Desert/Huntsville - 2001)

RBI              124     Vinny Rottino (Beloit - 2004)
Walks         104     Jon MacAlutas (Mudville - 2000)
Strikeouts 172    Brock Kjeldgaard (Wisconsin - 2009)

BA               0.360 Angel Salome (Huntsville - 2008)
OBP           0.442 Bobby Darula (Beloit/Huntsville - 2000)
SLG           0.605 Joe Dillon (Nashville - 2007)/Lance Burkhart (High Desert/Huntsville 2001)
SB               70      Eric Farris (Brevard County - 2009)

A couple of quick thoughts. I found it surprising that almost every category had a different leader. The teams from High Desert had quite a few of these leaders as one would have thought, but every level had at least one leader and other than West Virginia and Indianapolis, every team above rookie ball was represented at least once.

Also, along these lines Baseball America recently posted their 2009 minor league leaderboard. Several Brewers were on that list: Farris (tied for 3rd in steals) and Kjeldgaard (tied for 4th), Koshansky (10th) and Katin (tied for 11ths) were all in the top 15 in strikeouts.

Speculationville: JJ Hardy to the Rats

2009-10-20T17:26:13Z

Granted, it's a moot point, as we've apparently already traded JJ Hardy to the Royals for Zach Grienke. Just the same, while we're waiting for the World Series to end so the trade can be consummated, it might be fun to think about where else JJ might have gone.

I think the Pirates might be a good fit, for a few reasons.

The biggest reason why I could see Hardy as a Buc-o is because, well, the Pirates seem to have no one to play the middle infield. They traded Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson, getting 2B/SS Ronnie Cedeno in return. How do Wilson and Cedeno stack up?

Wilson was a little better defensively, but Cedeno is much younger, less expensive and just as good with the bat.

I love this quote, if only because Jack Wilson was offensively offensive (career OPS .684), and Cedeno is even worse (career OPS .626). So, the Rats have gotten worse offensively and defensively. But much younger!

At second base, the straits are a little more dire, as the Rats are experimenting with rightfielder Delwyn Young (53 career games at 2nd) and third baseman Andy LaRoche (3 career games at second). At least each of them OPSed a smidge more than .700 last season, which is a step in the right direction. Together with Cedeno, this could be a disastrous middle infield.

In the two seasons before last season's mysterious breakdown, Hardy had averaged .800 OPS and 25 home runs, and is a better defender than even Jack Wilson. They could start Hardy at short and have a three-headed chimera of Cedeno, Delwyn, and LaRoche at second. I call it "LaDeleno."

And what would the Brewers get in return? If there's one thing the Rats always seem to have, it's good (though not great) starting pitching. Currently, they have three guys who would easily make our starting rotation: Ross Ohlendorf, Zach Duke, and Paul Maholm. Ohlendorf would likely be the top prize, as he posted an ERA under 4 last season and a WHIP of 1.23. (By comparison, of our starters, only YoGa had a WHIP under 1.47 last season, which is absolutely horrible.) This is his third team since being drafted in 2004, though it's hard to image a WHIP that low being a fluke. Zach Duke is only 26, and had the best season of his career last year, posting a 4.06 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. He's a lefty, so maybe he's started putting things together. Paul Maholm was decidedly mediocre last season, but posted 3.71/1.28 numbers in 200+ innings in 2008.

There are lots of reasons why a trade like this wouldn't work, such as how valuable decent pitching is right now. Still, the Pirates just don't have much offense right now, and that seems to be a more pressing need than pitching. I think Hardy in Pittsburgh makes a lot of sense --- to me, it's only a question of what the return would be.

Rumorville: Zack Greinke

2009-10-18T18:41:46Z

Rambling Al stumbled upon a great Zack Greinke rumor. Apparently, Zack is practically a Brewer right now, having been traded for J.J. Hardy, Mat Gamel, Angel Salome, and Manny Parra. The Brewers and Royals are just waiting for the WS to end before it can go through.

Needless to say, this is unsubstantiated. I'm wondering where the Badger Blogger is on this story, though. Covering the Zack Greinke trade rumors the way the Zack Greinke trade rumors fear!

An argument for keeping Felipe Lopez

2009-10-18T16:38:24Z

Admittedly, I'm a fan of offering our Type A free agents arbitration. If they don't accept, you get the draft picks; if they do accept...well, you're getting a Type A free agent, so someone who's presumably pretty good. Yes, you have to pay him, but there are worse things than paying for a proven good player. (After all, a lot of good players rule out playing in Milwaukee out of hand, probably because of the placement of the goofy orange art structure in front of Betty Brinn.)

With that in mind...you know, I think offering arby to departing infielder Felipe Lopez might not be a bad idea.

The biggest reason why I think offering arby to FeLo might be prudent is because our infield will have a lot of question marks next season, and far fewer options if something goes wrong. JJ Hardy will likely be traded this offseason, as (probably) will one of Mat Gamel/Casey McGehee. That would mean that, accompanying Prince Fielder in the infield, we have Rickie Weeks (who hasn't yet played in 130 games in a season), rookie Alcides Escobar at short, and something of a question mark at third in McGamee (either a player with big numbers in the minors but limited success in the majors, or a player who hit well last season despite mediocre minor league numbers). Given that we'll be starting these three all at the same time, it would be ~~remarkable~~ shocking if all three are playing, and playing well, all season.

Moreover, we're pretty thin at infield depth as well. Our top backup, Craig Counsell, turns 40 in August, is coming off his best season in nearly a decade, and is a free agent to boot. Brett Lawrie is still 2+ years away, and is still learning second base, not to mention other infield spots. Our top AAA infielders, Hernan Iribarren and Roguejim favorite Adam Heether, aren't thought of as top prospects, and I don't think we can stash them in AAA anymore.

In other words, 2010 looks to be sporting a great amount of risk in our infield, and not much help if something goes wrong. Like Counsell, Lopez has played a lot of games at second, third, and short over the years, and is coming off a pretty nice season. Moreover, I don't think he'll be THAT expensive next season, maybe $5 million-ish. Given the risk involved (and low expense) in Weeks/Escobar/McGamee, offering arbitration to Lopez seems to be like a good idea --- even if he accepts, we'd likely have use for him.

Poll

Felipe Lopez: yes or no?

Yes: it'd be smart to balance our high-risk, low-cost trio of Rickie, Alcides, and McGamee with a plus-bat utility infielder.

390 votes

No: we can get someone who might not be as good for much less, letting us spend money on pitching.

93 votes

483 votes | Poll has closed