Interesting Perspective on Brewers from MLB Player

[Bucky Rules]

I don't recall Prince saying anything when he had less than a year's service time either. They're at different rungs on the ladder so don't give Ryan too much credit yet.

When Prince had similar service time, he spent the bulk of that service time as a PH off the bench. I don't think he had quite the production that Braun has had, so I would guess it really wasn't his place to make controversial statements. Braun on the other hand, you could argue would have had some justification.

Braun said the right things, Prince didn't. But Prince hasn't made a beef (no pun intended) since then, so it's no big deal.

[areacodes]

Braun said the right things, Prince didn't. But Prince hasn't made a beef (no pun intended) since then, so it's no big deal.

I've got to think that Prince having Boras as his agent would have something to do with how he handled the situation but I really don't know.

 

[RU Rah Rah]

I don't know where else to tell this story, but it reminded me of this thread.

 

Monday night at an event for work, I was introduced by my boss. In his intro, he mentioned that I was a big Brewers' fan, since it's a bit of my identity at work (I've got framed Pollard Portraits posters of some of the 80s teams on my office wall) and a bit of a rarity in California.

 

Anyway, after the event was over, I was approached by a guy I know through work, and he says to me, "Hey, I didn't know you were a Brewers' fan...a really good friend of mine that I played ball with in college was a player with the Brewers!"

 

"Oh, really?!?," I ask excitedly. "Who?!?"

 

"Jeffrey Hammonds!"

 

Oh man, all I could do was just smile and nod and say, "Oh...cool."

Oh, man, that is priceless.

 

[pete]

Braun is very un-cocky. I don't have a problem with what he did against Houston last year either. He looked over at Vinny Rottino who had been in a scrape with Brandon Backe and felt wronged by him. Rather than play dirty ala LaRussa, he got some revenge by playing the game well. That's class. That's character.

All sorts of players take more time and watch their HRs for longer than Ryan did and that includes ones without much service time.

If he didn't have a lot of confidence, he'd probably struggle more.

[theavrock]

FIrst off, I love Braun. Favorite player on the team hands down. He is kind of cocky and I like that. Maybe its because I can be a little cocky too, but he plays with a swagger and carries himself that way. Its hard to pinpoint what it is but its all about how someone carries themself and Braun has a cocky/confident swagger to his step. I would hate him if he were a Cub or a Yankee, but because he is a Brewer and we haven't had someone like him for a while I love it.

[jhart05]

Braun said the right things, Prince didn't. But Prince hasn't made a beef (no pun intended) since then, so it's no big deal.

I've got to think that Prince having Boras as his agent would have something to do with how he handled the situation but I really don't know.

 

 

 

I kind of figured Boras conveniently forgot to tell Prince how the salary system works in the Majors.

[BrewCrewForever]

Braun is very un-cocky. I don't have a problem with what he did against Houston last year either. He looked over at Vinny Rottino who had been in a scrape with Brandon Backe and felt wronged by him. Rather than play dirty ala LaRussa, he got some revenge by playing the game well. That's class. That's character.

All sorts of players take more time and watch their HRs for longer than Ryan did and that includes ones without much service time.

If he didn't have a lot of confidence, he'd probably struggle more.

I was gonna say that was the only time I really thought Braun was "cocky". But I never heard the whole story about the look after he hit the ball. When I really think about it, Im not sure Braun is all that cocky like people think. He plays hard every play and he as far as I know has never made a snarky comment in the media about anyone or anything. He is well spoken and really says the right things. My favorite player on the team hands down.

 

[Invader3K]

I think one thing about Braun, is that while he is honest and relatively humble during interviews, he is usually fairly straightforward. He doesn't usually give the stock "Our team is playing hard and I'm just trying to help out", kind of baseball player answer. One example would be where he said "I didn't really like playing third base that much, to be honest", when he could have just said "I just go and try to contribute where the team needs me." Maybe that can rub some people the wrong way, for whatever reason. Personally, I find his honesty a bit refreshing.

[brettac1]

Didn't Hart do a chat like last week where he said that Braun is as cocky as it seems? But that his cockiness is funny, or something?

[TooLiveBrew]

I think I remember that too, brett. Gonna go dig for that thread...

 

 

EDIT: Man! It's not on the first 5 pages, from what I could see. I'm 99% certain it's not that old. Does anyone know what that thread was titled? Iirc, there was a full transcript of the chat.

[mattsr0625]

here is the q&a from the brewers web site between a fan and hart, "pwdeblues: Is Braun the cockiest man alive or just the funniest?

 

Hart: Braun's cockiness is funny, so yes on both questions."

[Madtown Bomber]

Does Ryan Braun play cocky? Yes he does...Anybody who comes up to bat with Lupe Fiasco's "I know you are a superstar." as he walks to bat either is cocky or he is kidding around that he is cocky.

 

Off the field the man is genuinely nice as can be. I have had the oppertunity to deal with Braun in a couple charity events where he has spoken to school kids and he hung out with some special education kids. He was great. I have also seen him in a social situation at the Zen Den Lounge in Milwaukee with Weeks and Hardy and out of the 3 he signed every autograph and took every picture with anyone who wanted one.

[pebadger]

The tihing to remember about Braun being cocky is that we just get to see things sometimes during a three hour snapshot every night. Players during the season (including spring training when guys really get to know each other) are together more than they are with their families or anybody else. There aren't a lot of big secrets in terms f how guys are perceived by "baseball" in general , so if the perception is that Braun is pretty cocky, I'll go with that.

 

This leads me to wonder why the Brewers decided to go with the Estrada experiment last season, but I digress . . .

[uwisfan]

Prince Fielder - A good mistake hitter, is not very good when down in the count, and is very weak when facing a lefty who throws harder than 92 (would be interesting to see if this is actually true)

Sorry fondy,

 

Good story but I had to bump it after tonight.

 

Prince's first dinger came on a 1-2 fastball clocked at 92 off one of the best lefty's in the game (previous pitch was 93mph).

Prince's second dinger came on a 1-2 changeup vs same pitcher (previous again pitch was 93mph)

[mothershipconnection]

So, did you ask if you could get an autographed picture from him?

 

No, he asked if HE could sign Hammonds' cast.

[acwilber]

Ryan Braun - If he is not the cockiest player in MLB he is very close. There have been talks on the team the player plays for that the next time they see Braun they will consider sending a message. The player said not only does no one on his team like him, not to many other guys do either.

 

Kind of falls in line with what I heard from a friend of mine who does some stringing work for the Associated Press last year around the time they called him up. He knew one of the AP beat reporters that covered the Crew in Spring Training and Brauny came off as a Prima Dona. Said he had a sore elbow (that's what the sleeve the right arm is far), and told the team he wasn't playing. To get him in line, they kept him in the minors the first six weeks of the season.

[SmartBall]

I figured my little story fit in this thread. I have a buddy who pitches in the minors and he came to visit my house this winter. When he got there he took our Ryan Braun bobble and turned it backwards. I asked him why and he gave me a whole story about how Braun was a cocky (expletive) etc. but that he didn't care, because he knew how to get him out. Apparently his whole team hated Braun, but he felt he could get him out at will. I razzed him all weekend because it came off more as sour grapes about a guy who can flat play then anything else. Braun can play, and he knows it, that can rub some guys the wrong way, but I would rather have 9 Ryan Brauns than 9 guys who barely made it and know that they are lucky to be there.

[SpaceBadger16]

acwilber, I have a friend in journalism who has relayed the same story to me about the elbow and sort of "retaliatory benching." I'm sure glad he came up when he did, though.

 

I met Braun at our Chicago hotel last year during the June Cubs series. He took the time to say hi, shake my hand, and say thanks for the well-wishes. Seemed pretty humble to me. But I do love it when he come sup to bat and "Superstar" is playing. It's even better than "Go Getta" last season.

[ILuvDaBush]

The guy I always wondered about cockiness is Ben Sheets. A guy with the nickname "Golden Boy", who put up a line like his 2004 season, and whose "stuff" can rival anyone's in baseball has all the right to be cocky. And yet, all I ever hear about him is how he is a light-hearted southern boy who has a bit of a primadonna nature, but no more than most other pitchers. Also, on a side note, I would pay money to see a reenactment of the Braun HR with Sheets substitued for Braun. I remember a game last year when Sheets flew out to the warning track and I couldn't help but imagine if he would do the full bat flip or even a Sosa-hop if it would have cleared. Perhaps it's just me. I digress. I have a friend in Arizona who went to 10 games this spring training and she said no player comes off as arrogant (which, to me, has always been a compliment, but most would call it a curse word) and pompous. One other question. What is your friend's assessment of Corey Hart? The amalgamation of Soriano/Sizemore....Sizemoriano, or elongated strike zone that was the benefactor of hitting near Prince in the lineup?

[dvoiss]

I've never met him but my impression of Braun is about that of this relief pitcher. I love him as a ball player but I'm not sure I would like him as a human being. I'm sure there are others who are equally cocky but that doesn't make it okay. I certainly don't fell that one year of success should lead to that type of attitude. But then again it is his cockiness which in part helped him get where he is. Still, I feel some of his antics are completely unnecessary.

[GoudaBrew]

here is the q&a from the brewers web site between a fan and hart, "pwdeblues: Is Braun the cockiest man alive or just the funniest?

 

Hart: Braun's cockiness is funny, so yes on both questions."

Ha! That was my question, and about the response I was expecting, though I was very surprised they chose it.

 

[JohnBriggs12]

"Fielder is...not very good when down in the count...weak vs. lefthanders throwing 92+"

 

Last night vs. lefty Cole Hamels: Two HR, both on 1-2 counts, first off a 92 MPH fastball.

[jeffy]

...he gave me a whole story about how Braun was a cocky (expletive) etc. but that he didn't care, because he knew how to get him out. Apparently his whole team hated Braun, but he felt he could get him out at will.

Hmm and he says Braun is cocky? Has he actually ever pitched to him, just wondering if this minor league pitcher has any record to back-up his bragging.

[Pioneers3]

Bill Hall watches his Home Runs longer than any Brewer!