YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Jeff Sackmann on Feb 5, 2007 3:39 PM CST in Transactions Comment 25 comments

This is a great day.

This may, in fact, be the happiest day of my Brewer fandom. (Not that there's been a lot of competition in the last few years.)

Bill Hall will be a Brewer through 2010, and probably through 2011!

Here are the details:

Hall gets a salary of $3 million this year, plus a $500,000 signing bonus. His salary for 2008 is $4.8 million, followed by $6.8 million in 2009 and $8.4 million in 2010. The club option for 2011 is $9.25 million, bringing the full value of the contract to $32.75 million.

Al calls it "a bargain and a half," which I'd say is an understatement and a half. We've essentially bought out his first two years of free agency, gotten a discount on this year (!) and will have him below market if he produces anything like he has for the last year or two.

What wonderful news.

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WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! What a STEAL!

I'll just post this blurb I found interesting at the end of the article:
With Hardy expected back from ankle surgery to play shortstop, plans are in the works to move Hall to center field.

"I think that's going to be my position for the rest of my career," said Hall. "I'm excited about it. Next to shortstop, center field has the most action. I've always liked running around and diving for balls."

by Michael M on Feb 5, 2007 3:46 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Hmm

I'm not sure I like him trying to dive all the time. That hasn't exactly done wonders for Torii Hunter's longevity.

by Jeff Sackmann on Feb 5, 2007 3:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

maybe

we dont want anyone to get hurt here now!

by baseballdan1092 on Feb 5, 2007 5:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I hope

you guys aren't serious about that. If a player won't dive for balls I don't want him on my team.

by Dutch on Feb 5, 2007 11:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

well, there's a fine line

Obviously diving for balls is great, as is the attitude it implies. Going pell-mell for everything, however, is a recipe for a shortened career. That's what I'd prefer doesn't happen to Billy.

by Jeff Sackmann on Feb 5, 2007 11:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I know......

I don't want Hall to get hurt of course, and I think it's a great sign. The fine line you speak of is a player knowing how and when to make the dive. It's instincts. You're right, blindly running and diving all over is bound to get you hurt. I hope Hall puts in the time to learn each park, where the fences are, to communicate with the other players, and to know how to dive for a ball, which he does. As a SS he was good at going back on popups, and I'm sure that will serve him well in CF.

Still, a player has to have the mentality that he will do whatever it takes to make a play. I like guys who play like Aaron Rowand, not Roger Dorn.

by Dutch on Feb 6, 2007 12:12 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Let's

leave Jeff Gannon out of this.

"C'mon, boys, let's get 'em some RUNS!" --- Daron Sutton, pretty much every game of the 2005 season.

by roguejim on Feb 6, 2007 5:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes What a Great Monday

Nice that all the Business stuff is taken care of nothing to distract the team when they open camp.

I am impressed they were able to do this without the Jenkins money being freed up.

A very good day to be a Brewer fan

by WSB Chris on Feb 5, 2007 4:25 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Excellet

Mustache really pulled this one out. What a great deal, now all Hall has to worry about is producing and improving his game.

Nate - I'm so rad!

by nmc on Feb 5, 2007 4:29 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ya, I do realize this is the exact same as Jeffs title but is there really anything else to say?

What I like best is that we have the club option for the fifth year, which we obviously will take and have him locked up for 2 of his FA years.

Just great news.

by Tim on Feb 5, 2007 4:55 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just want to say that I'm psyched too!

by engbjm06 on Feb 5, 2007 5:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

A+

Melvin is forgiven of all previous blunders.... a little.

Carlos Lee (MIL) is traded to LAA for McPherson, Morales, Saunders, Kendrick, Wood, Aybar, Mathis, Jer. Weaver, and Napoli...

by ufoboy90 on Feb 5, 2007 6:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

DISASTER!

where will we get the money to lock up Jenkins to a long-term contract?

"C'mon, boys, let's get 'em some RUNS!" --- Daron Sutton, pretty much every game of the 2005 season.

by roguejim on Feb 5, 2007 6:23 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Don't even joke about things like that

He'll have a really hot first half and we'll all be on pins and needles about the option being picked up. You know, to keep him happy or something.

by Jeff Sackmann on Feb 5, 2007 7:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

good deal

we signed Vernon Wells for 18 million a year, which is twice as much as you guys get his first two years off free agency, and Wells' contract ends at 25, where Hall's ends at 31. Considering inflation, this is a huge deal...why did he sign for this? I know he only had 1 good season, but as you all know, he's pretty good, and Wells only has had 2 good seasons!

by Kanadian eh on Feb 5, 2007 8:11 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Fantastic

This is worth swearing about. Kevin Kouzmanoff can fucking hit, and this is a fucking steal.

by battlekow on Feb 5, 2007 10:51 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

hooray

Doug Melvin regulars the deli I work at; if I see him this week I will be sure to give him a high five. Normally, I indirectly oppose whatever decision he made during the week, but since this is such a blockbuster I just have to give him his props.

Hooray Mustache (aka Donovan/white/no mayo)

by Tick on Feb 6, 2007 12:51 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

whoa!?!?!

I work at a deli...and no mevlin there...what deli??

by Michael M on Feb 6, 2007 2:01 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Wait

Normally, I indirectly oppose whatever decision he made during the week

So Moustache comes in and orders a pastrami on rye, and you're giving him the hairy eyeball, thinking "oh, you rye-eating bastard."

Crazy.

"C'mon, boys, let's get 'em some RUNS!" --- Daron Sutton, pretty much every game of the 2005 season.

by roguejim on Feb 6, 2007 7:02 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

very accurate

robbie's cafe up on mequon rd, he and the family love it there.

as much as i'd like to comment about business to him, i keep it positive as it helps to keep other local celebs coming in (michael redd, terry stotts, counsell was every day before he moved). normally we just small-talk some recent baseball news until another customer comes up. sometimes he'll keep talking as if nobody else is there though.

by Tick on Feb 6, 2007 12:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

billy m-f'n hall

melvin...good work sir.

bill hall...what a loyal guy. if he would have tested the free agent market, he probably could have made a lot more money. just another reason why he's my favorite brewer.

for griswald...good way to start the day off (been behind so just hearing about it now).

by Griswald on Feb 6, 2007 7:25 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Beware what you wish for

I like Bill Hall. Versatile ballplayer with a nice skill set. But I have the nagging feeling that his 2006 production will prove an aberration. I'm just not sold on his ability to be a quality everyday run producer, certainly not to the level of expectations in Milwaukee. Hope I'm wrong.

by cubbiebrewerfan on Feb 6, 2007 1:24 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

pumped about the deal!!....

Billy may not ever turn into a beltran-jones type run producer, but in this market, I would take 90 runs and 90 ribbies for the next 5 years for only 32 mil. Plus, we are still grooming weeks, fielder and hart to produce runs as well.

That being said, Melvin and company have always projected Weeks as a #3 hitter. It appears that Billy will patrol center for the next 5 years, so how is the crew ever going to get their "true" leadoff hitter? Left fielder? Hardy? Gross? Hart if his power never really truely arrives? What does the future look like for Gwynn, a name I'm glad is no longer being circulated as the crew's cf'er this year and years to come..

by rschm on Feb 6, 2007 2:53 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Excellent questions!

No one in the current makeup of the team qualifies as a prototypical leadoff hitter, and with Billy in center and Rickie at second, we've exhausted the most common positions for a leadoff guy.

The Billy signing to a long-term deal does ask a few questions:

Is Rickie now our leadoff guy for the next five years? Please tell me we're not going to be having him bunt for base hits. I don't think anyone else (including Hart) has the speed; then again, I don't see us sending Weeks without a high-contact guy behind him. I wonder if we'll be last in the league in SBs.
Assuming we don't move Hall from centerfield now, what happens to the likes of TG Jr.? Even if he kicks butt in AAA, he won't have a spot on the team other than on the bench. I wonder if a good season in AAA will get him traded.

I'm really curious as to how Neddy Ballgame will run the team. Although we have a better offensive team than we've grown accustomed to seeing, we really don't have an OBP guy. I see lots of extra-base hits, but maybe not so many runs to show for them.

"C'mon, boys, let's get 'em some RUNS!" --- Daron Sutton, pretty much every game of the 2005 season.

by roguejim on Feb 6, 2007 4:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Weeks

Rickie Weeks is about to become one of the best hitters in all of baseball. If of course he stays healthy. If I were Ned Yost, I'd bat him #3 and figure out somebody else to bat leadoff. If this were my team, then this would be my lineup out of spring training (it won't happen by the way).

G. Gross / B. Clark - LF
C. Hart - 3rd
R. Weeks - 2nd
P. Fielder - 1st
B. Hall - CF
J. Estrada - Cat
G. Jenkins / K. Mench - RF
J. Hardy - SS

But like I said, it isn't about to happen.

by cubbiebrewerfan on Feb 6, 2007 3:43 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

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