6/12/07 Brewers (Suppan) @ Tigers (Verlander): 6:05 PM CDT

[pitchleague]

Lil Dummy beat me to it, but I, too, think that JJ batting with Prince behind him in the lineup may help out Hardy and his "slump" (compared to earlier this year). He'd have a bit more protection so he'd see more pitches.

 

With Hardy #2 and Braun #3, JJ wasn't getting good pitches because the opponents knew a rookie was behind him in the lineup and could probably use inexperience to their advantage (notice Braun's Ks and GDP in the #3 spot).

 

I'd actually prefer Braun in the #2 spot, but that's me. Anyways, good to see him get a day off; he probably needed it.

 

Counsell and Graff to start off the offense, though? Ick. But both have been "doing better" the last couple of days (Counsell for a few weeks, it seems), so I can see Ned using them #1-2 to see if they can jump start things a little.

 

Don't know how much I'm going to see of this one, so GO BREWERS!

[davemakovec]

Looking at that lineup, plus our pitching matchup, plus being on the road against one of the best teams in baseball right now (winning six out of eight, to boot)...

 

I can't help but smell series win.

 

Seriously. Look at it - Ned's put up some good lineups, and our boys have faced a bunch of teams in the last couple of weeks that have been slumping or that we should never, ever, ever lose a series to, and they've walked all over us. When was the last time we faced a team that wasn't in a slump?

 

Now, we have the dynamic duo that forced Braun's early call-up hitting 1-2 and no Braun, with those ugly splits...

 

I'm predicting a 6-1 Brewers victory tonight, chasing Verlander in the fourth with four earned runs.

[trwi7]

Ugh fine if you're not putting Braun in at 3rd but can't you at least DH him?

[JET15]

For what its worth... "on the injury front, Carlos Guillen (right hamstring spasm) is questionable for tonight's game, while Magglio Ordonez (stiff left knee) is probable."

[brewtank34]

I completely agree with you Trwi...With the rock star line-up we have hitting #1 and #2....how can you not have added offense in as the DH. Gabe Gross? Braun sneezes out Gabe on a daily basis in front of the media...that's how Gabe got his last name. Seriously....Ned's seriously on something. I've been giving him the benefit of the doubt 80% of the time this season, but come on....what r u thinking buddy. That is the most disgusting line-up I've ever seen. Even worse than when Joey Meyer and Billy Jo Robidioux (? on the spelling) were in the line-up.

Hey Ned, I got an idea for you.....wake up. You're not in little league here...you're in first place. START MANAGING LIKE IT!!!!

 

This makes me sick! Thank God I have a double header softball game tonight. I get to miss hearing Uecker say..."strike three for Counsell on a bender, " "strike three for Billy Hall looking", "Strike three for Jenkins....oh man, he swung at the dirt on that one."

 

With all of this negativity I'm spilling out, I'm getting mad at myself.....Look at what you've done to me NED! You've made me into a pessimist!

 

Oh man, let's pray for a miracle tonight!!!!!! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/pimp.gif

Go Brewers!!!!

[crewcrazy]

Would starting Verlander on my fantasy team tonight be a conflict of interest? I don't mind playing batters against the Brewers, but I'd feel bad cheering for strikeouts and such for the first 6 innings.

[olliegjw]

Counsell is 3rd on the team in OBP (Prince and Hart). Last time he hit leadoff, he was on base 4 out of 7 at-bats. Graffy is hitting over .400 in his last 10 games, including 4 hits last game.

 

Could I live with this lineup every day? Definitely not. Can I put up with it for one night? Absolutely.

 

As for Braun out of the lineup, that's not a huge deal either. I don't believe he has sat out any games since he came up. Tonight, they are facing one of the best righties in the game. Not a bad time for a night off.

[brewerphandog]

Much of the talk radio buzz is about Ned rotating lineups and how it compromises the consistency of the club...case in point again. If Ryan Braun is "tired" after an off day as a 24 year old man in tremendous physical condition, cut him now (I would venture a guess that unless Braun got Ebola virus yesterday he's perfectly fine and raring to go). that is junk, Yost's lineups are junk, I'm sick of the "mad scientist" approach. He leaves us guessing, his players guessing...I'm tired of it.

 

You throw that lineup out there at the opener of a crucial series against an excellent opponent!?!?! Good grief. Even Graffanino is suprised to see him hitting #2.

[hawing]

No Braun. Yeah. Good idea.

 

Of course, this probably means the Brewers win by 15.

 

And if they do, is Ryan sent back to Nashville?

I couldn't decide whether to use blue or navy font, so I just picked black.

[Lil Dummy]

"Would starting Verlander on my fantasy team tonight be a conflict of interest? I don't mind playing batters against the Brewers, but I'd feel bad cheering for strikeouts and such for the first 6 innings."

 

Manage with your head, root with your heart. Verlander gets the start, and you cheer against him.

[brewtank34]

as pessimistic as I was in my last post....I have to say I agree with ollie that it may be a good idea to give Braun a night off against Verlander....who knows though--- I hope for the best as I'm typing away watching my Rollie Fingers bobble head shacking his groove thing.

 

Go Brewers...this is our year....y'all gotta believe that.

[davemakovec]

Not an exact quote, but:

 

"Strawberry, hit the showers. I'm calling in a pinch hitter."

 

"But I've hit nine home runs today!"

 

"It's called playing the percentages."

[crewcrazy]

I could see why Ned decided to sit Braun against Verlander...he's shown the tendency in the past to sit rookies against tough pitchers of the same hand. He sat Prince a lot against lefties at the start of last season from what I remember.

[patrickgpe]

that lineup is pretty ugly. I know consell and graffanino has been playing better lately, but i don't like them batting next to eachother. I don't like gabe in the 9th spot. I honestly would rather see Braun DH and hit 9th. As others have said hopefully bating behind prince behind jj will get jj going. We have to get the hitters going that were going when we were consistently winning, like Jenkins, Estrada, Hardy, etc

[bjkrautk]

How has no one mentioned Suppan's quality start in his last appearance against the Tigers?

 

 

(I'll just assume that I missed it somewhere....it'll save me the time of having to edit in an apology / correction.)

[rluzinski]

Yost is just obsessed with riding the hot hand. I'd rather maximize the number of ABs the good hitters get but what do I know.

[SlideBernieSlide]

I'm going to put on my #4 jersey and try and think like Ned. Please bear with me. This is Ned talking not SBS.

 

Channeling Ned now...kinda like Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost. Yes...Here it comes....

 

"I'm going to with the griddy veterans tonight Graff and Couns over the rookie, because you need experience and discipline against a hard throwing high strikeout guy like Verlander. Plus, I like to give players back to back days off" _ Yoster

[brewers255]

you gotta be kidding me, Braun hasnt had a off day since he came up. He deserves a rest most of you are just obsessed with Braun everyone needs a rest, I have no problem with this move considering Verlnader owns right handers, theres only 3 right handers, hardy, hall, hart and theres no reason after both counsel and graffinino had 4 hits to start Braun. Also remember he had a wrist injury in AAA maybe that has something to do with it and that way he can rest it.

[Mike2k33]

This is one of those games where the Crew either blows them away or every other inning seems to go...

 

Gross pops out to first

Counsell grounds out to second

Graffanino strikes out swinging

[bklynbrewcrew]

I dont agree at all that Braun needs a rest. He had several weeks off when he was injured earlier in the year. Playing Counsell and Graffanino the same night is never ever a good idea. This is the type of stuff that tells you that Ned is in over his head. Nothing like having your two worst offensive players hitting first and second.

[dhirt23]

Youv've got to be kidding me what a MICKEY MOUSE lineup. We are going up against one of the better teams in the A.L. and this is the lineup we go with. As far as Braun goes i no he hasn't sat yet but don't sit him after he just had an off day. We won't win with ned at the helm i'm really start to believe that sad as that is.

[olliegjw]

Quote:

---

This is one of those games where the Crew either blows them away or every other inning seems to go...

 

Gross pops out to first

Counsell grounds out to second

Graffanino strikes out swinging

---

 

That's great news if this happens every other inning. It means the Brewers had 8 batters in the 1st inning, and 6 batters in the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th. That would mean quite a few runs!http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[crewcrazy]

Hey, did you know that Prince Fielder's dad used to play for the Tigers? Brewers Live just enlightened me to this fact. You would have thought that they'd make a bigger deal out of it.

[olliegjw]

Quote:

---

I dont agree at all that Braun needs a rest. He had several weeks off when he was injured earlier in the year. Playing Counsell and Graffanino the same night is never ever a good idea. This is the type of stuff that tells you that Ned is in over his head. Nothing like having your two worst offensive players hitting first and second.

---

 

If people on here were managing the Brewers, Fielder, Hardy, Braun, and Hart would all start 162 games and get over 600 at-bats. Also, Cordero would have about 130 appearances and 200 innings pitched.

 

The problem with Brewers teams of the past, were that they were very thin. The regulars had to play almost every day, and they wore out or got injured. I think Yost has done a great job of getting everyone playing time, and keeping guys fresh.

 

For all the talk about lineup switches, it has actually been pretty consistent. Weeks, Hardy, Braun, Fielder, Estrada, Menchkins, Hart, Counsellino, Pitcher. The only changes have been due to injuries and/or giving a guy a day off. But, for the most part, every player has consistently hit in the same spot when they've played.

[bigredrobbo]

Almost every time there is a "questionable" lineup it gets the treatment here, and invariably one of the targets of BF.net derision goes on to have a monster game and the Crew ends up winning.

 

Here's hoping the "negative waves" mojo keeps on a-working...