What if Fukudome...

[Tbadder]

had signed with the Brewers and did exactly what he's done to date and hit second in our line-up? Wouldn't he have been good enough in centerfield? Wouldn't he have solved some of our problems against righthaded pitchers? Wouldn't he have helped our OBP a ton? Wouldn't he have given Braun a lot more fastballs to hit? Wouldn't we be about 3 games ahead of the Cubbies, at least?

[Ennder]

Depends on whether or not he had a .430 BABIP on our team and whether he would be hitting .521 against the CUbs like he is against the Brewers.

 

In all seriousness yeah he would have been a perfect fit in RF for us with Hart moving to CF (Fukudome wanted to stay in RF). You are making a rather large assumption that he would want to play for us instead of a big market style team.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I'm still confused why he's hitting 5th, when it's pretty obvious that he's a #2-type hitter...more of a table setter and a guy that will work the count.

 

If the Cubs ever wised up and put Soriano 5th, Fukudome 2nd, and found a way to deal for Roberts...with with what we now know that Fukudome isn't overmatched, they'd have a devastating lineup (they're going good enough now as it is)

[And That]

You are making a rather large assumption that he would want to play for us instead of a big market style team.

Yah, that's the kicker. I don't think there was any way he would have signed with us unless we vastly overpaid.

 

[Oldcity]

I figure it's only a matter of time until they hit Fukudome second and Soriano fifth or sixth. It's ideal for both of them.

[Invader3K]

Didn't Melvin say during the off-season he had approached his agent, but they didn't really have any interest in signing with Milwaukee?

 

It does make me mad the Cubs got him though...I don't think he's going to be a perennial All-Star type, but it seems like he could be a really solid everyday player, with above average defense.

[logan82]

I figure it's only a matter of time until they hit Fukudome second and Soriano fifth or sixth. It's ideal for both of them.

Although it is ideal, I doubt Soriano gets moved out of the leadoff spot.

[ILuvDaBush]

I would think either money or market were the biggest factor in signing with a US team. He didn't eve know the history of the Cubs, and I would be surprised if he knew any hitter in the division outside of Pujols.

[brewjihad]

Yeah, it's interesting to think about, but we've gotten great production so far out of centerfield. The Kapler, Gwynn, and Gross trifectum produced a 294/342/451 line, and Cameron has 3 homers since returning. And really, adding another outfielder and $10 million in payroll would have been foolish when LaPorta is tearing up AA.

[crewcrazy]

I would think either money or market were the biggest factor in signing with a US team. He didn't eve know the history of the Cubs, and I would be surprised if he knew any hitter in the division outside of Pujols.

While he didn't know that the Cubs hadn't won the World Series in 100 years, it doesn't mean he was completely ignorant to the majors. The fact that the Cubs had been scouting him for something like 5 years before he signed there leads me to believe that Chicago wasn't going to give another team any chance at signing him...Fukudome was theirs all along.

 

[twobrewers]

I am pretty sure Asians love Milwaukee.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Jul-11-Sun-2004/photos/hoops.jpg

 

 

[TauPentaRei]

the guy i go gaga about - his recent slump notwithstanding - is nick swisher.

 

if only.

 

working the count, "clogging" the bases, left-handed stick, requisite amount of grinderness.

 

yost would have no idea how to deal with grit of that stature.

[pitchleague]

I don't think he's going to be a perennial All-Star type, but it seems like he could be a really solid everyday player, with above average defense.

It's real early, but I would not be surprised at all to see him in the starting lineup of the All Star game, what with Cub fans stuffing the ballot box for their new hero and the Japanese fans voting online. He was never a "big name" guy in Japan, like Ichiro, but he was pretty darn good over there and probably has a rather large fan base, too.

 

Assuming that he continues playing this year as he has started and his career continues to be good, I can definitely see him being a perennial All Star.

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

That's not the question we should be asking...

 

Offensive struggles aside, The question we should be asking is where would we be without Gagne's five blown saves:

 

first place.

[naivin]

I never quite understand the 'what if' game. What if we had A-Rod? What if we had traded for Harren or Santana? Those things would have likely made the Brewers better as well, but there is nothingto indocate those were any more or less realistic possibilities than signing F-bomb, so I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I just don't get it.

[Invader3K]

You can't always blame one player, even if he is the last guy holding the ball. It's still a team loss. Yeah, he's blown more saves than he should, but virtually every closer is going to blow some saves in any given season.

[Ennder]

That's not the question we should be asking...

 

Offensive struggles aside, The question we should be asking is where would we be without Gagne's five blown saves:

 

first place.

 

Actually we would be 1.5 games out of 1st still. We have only lost 2 games in which Gagne blew a save.

[JohnBriggs12]

That's not the question we should be asking...

 

Offensive struggles aside, The question we should be asking is where would we be without Gagne's five blown saves:

 

first place.

 

Not exactly. The Brewers won 3 of the 5 where he recorded blown saves. Last I checked had the Brewers won the two of those they lost, they'd be 18-13 and still behind the Cardinals.

 

Gagne has only allowed the opponent to score the winning run against him one time. That's not to say he's been great, but blowing the save, and blowing the game are two different things. In one of his blown saves, Weeks spiked a relay throw that would have ended the game. Yesterday, the umpires gave Houston a minimum of 4 outs in the 9th.

 

Brewer offense has been terrible. Hart and Hardy have 2 HR between them after combining for 50 last year. Braun and Fielder are way, way off their HR pace of last year also. The season is 1/5th over. No way the closer should have 14 save opportunities this early. That's a pace for 70 save chances. Nobody can be expected to be sharp when every win requires a save. Blow some people out.

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

I stand corrected - I had forgotten that the Brewers battled back in those games...

 

Mr. Gagne, I apologize...

 

Something about 10 mil and five blown saves in the first month of the season blinds me to reason...

[Ennder]

I stand corrected - I had forgotten that the Brewers battled back in those games...

 

Mr. Gagne, I apologize...

 

Something about 10 mil and five blown saves in the first month of the season blinds me to reason...

Only 3 of them were in April, just to nitpick, heh.

 

I just bring myself to worry about Gagne for some reason. He has pitched ok overall, he just has blown some saves. If Weeks doesn't make an error on a double play, if Yost doesn't bring him in when he pitched too many days in a row we are not worried about him anymore. If the ump doesn't blow the call last night we win that game too. While he has blown 5 games and has an ugly ERA it just seems like he is pitching ok overall and not getting any breaks more than he just doesn't have anything.

[ShinyaSS]

Fukudome once was a terrible infielder but has successfully converted to a fine outfielder.

Let's hire the Japanese coach for Ryan (and for LaPorta)http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif