The Crying Game.

I can't believe people still want Gwynn to start . . .

That said, I don't think we can expect the same from Hardy next year, and I don't think we can expect the same from Hall -- there's probably a flip flop waiting to happen there, though I'd love to see 25+ HR from both of them.

I'd love to see Estrada disappear.  The fact that the Braves announcers were saying it really hurt the Brewers chances if he was hurt shows how much he's overrated.  His defense is awful, baserunning worse, and his OBP is a joke.  I'm surprised he had as positive VORP at all (it was like 3.2).  

I got no problem with Jenks moving on either.  When you go up there hacking every time, how can I take you seriously?

I'd keep Hall in CF and let Gross take Jenkins' spot in the LF platoon.  

You forgot to mention Rickie's monster August and September as a positive.  I'm more excited about him than anything.  He had a higher VORP than JJ, and sports the best plate discipline on the team.

I wouldn't be opposed to kicking the tires on Andruw Jones, but I'd like them to do the same on Schilling.  He wants to sign a one year deal.  I think that would be great -- like 1 year, $14mil or something.  

That will be one grumbly day.

Anyway, I think Billy got screwed over this year, but since I'm a huge Billy fan, I won't bother to go into details.  It'll just sound like rationalization.

I think Melvin needs to make some moves this offseason, and probably pursue some players aggressively, instead of waiting to see which players become available.  As good as our young players are, our old players are not worth much.

Jenkins will either leave, or the Brewers will pass on his option and re-sign him for $3 or 4 million.  I like Geoff, but I think it's probably time for the Brewers to move on.  Zero interest in keeping Mench.

Gross should be around next year, but I'm not ready to give him the job in left field.  It'd be nice if Melvin could find a decent power-hitting left fielder on the free agent market (not a giant-headed one :).  Outfield of New Guy, Bill Hall and Corey Hart.

The infield is set.  No problem there.

The rotation is going to need a little help.  Sheets, Suppan, Gallardo, Villanueva and Bush look like a nice rotation to start the year.  Definitely keep Parra in the mix, since we've seen that the Brewers can definitely use 6 or 7 starting pitchers throughout the year.

I think Cordero is going to move on, because the money he can make is not money the Brewers should spend on a closer.  The rest of the bullpen needs to be re-worked, and I think that's where Melvin's biggest challenge resides.

Anyway, it's all moot if they keep Yost.  He'll lobby for more gritty veterans and his personal favorites.  If Yost is gone, then younger players may get a shot, and lefty specialists can go back to being lefty specialists.

Could you imagine where this team would be if our "'06 All-Star" had managed to go like 9-11 in his last 20 starts?  Is that really too much to ask?

I don't care if he ever throws another useless pitch in a Brewers uniform.  Im so f'ing sick of fastball/changeup/0 velocity/Nibble guys like Crappy & Wise.  

R.I.P-'07 Brewers (Born April 2nd-Died...Sometime in September) Survived by thousands of fans and members of this blog.  Services are held every day at your local tavern.  

we should have made that life-sized sexy mark attanasio cutout...

awesome job catalyst.  (we will have several months to discuss off-season moves. i dont have the energy right now...)

One thing, though.  As bad as our pen had been this season, in recent years, it was the only good thing about our team, even only a few years ago.  We've made some pretty good strides since the days of Jerry Royster and Davey Lopes.

Also - it's not funny to even joke about LaRussa being our manager. I'd rather lose with Yost.

(I must say that the only thing that is giving me hope right now for the rest of our season is that it is the Cubs we're talking about.  They are the masters of the collapse.  If any team can out-collapse the Brewers, it is the Cubs.  So maybe we still do have a shot at the playoffs.)  

You list Koskie under disappointments.  I hope you don't mean disappointed in him.  After he didn't come back at all last year and wasn't even doing regular activities in September 2006, I was just hoping he'd be able to have a regular life with his family again, which hasn't happened as of yet.  Forget baseball, I just hope he's able to get a normal life back.  If anything I was disappointed in Mustache for appearing to rely on Koskie coming back.  But of course things did work out at 3B, with that Braun guy.