Will the Brewers Get Over .500 Again in 2008?

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers fell to 16-17 with their fifth consecutive loss Wednesday night. Even with an upcoming homestand, it's difficult to get past no starter wins since April 5th for starters not named "Ben Sheets" and an offense that appears inept in nearly every way.

[iluvlamp]

I think the offense will come around but that will not help the pitchers as much as it could. This staff sucks. I have hope for Villy and Sheets and that's all. Pitching wins. We don't have it. BTW I voted no. Duh.

[LUKE232323]

Ask me after the next nine games. I'd say no looking at the schedule. We could easily be 4-5 games under by the end of May, and from there it's a tough road back.

 

This team does not have the starting pitching depth and the bullpen will be too wore down to make the playoffs. No chance in hell this is a playoff team.

[Never Outhustled]

Can we add a choice to the poll? I'd vote for," not until they replace Yost."

[rluzinski]

Your favorite team is never as good or as bad as you think.

 

Can we add a choice to the poll? I'd vote for," not until they replace Yost."

 

Yup, that will get Braun, Fielder, Weeks, Hardy and Kendall hitting. That will get Gagne, Bush, Villy and Parra from not sucking. We proably agree on how inept Yost is; I'm just not going to use him as a convenient scapegoat. The Brewers aren't winning because most of the team is stinking it up. Yost is about the 10th biggest problem right now.

[brewizard]

Yost is about the 10th biggest problem right now.

 

Yeah. But this can't be good for Yost. The Brewers won't just fire Weeks, Braun, Hall, Hardy, Bush, Parra, Suppan, Hart, Gagne and Fielder.

[sheethead]

Yost is about the 10th biggest problem right now.

 

Yost's post game press conferences are a strong indication he is not up to the task of managing a baseball team. The frustration he shows in his eyes and replies is very telling that he is over-matched, and the team just seems to be feeding on that and following suit. I chose No, because I think Yost thinks the same thing deep down.

[jodo23]

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb59/jodo23/brewersnotdeadyet.jpg

Something I threw together (inspired by seeing Spamalot this last weekend).
Feel free to share.

[datrain711]

at this rate I just hope they are better than the Rockies by the time they go out to Denver so I don't have to watch 3 losses out in colorado. especially since I planned the bachelor party around the brewers.

 

please crew, find a way to win

[DatHoser]

jodo23,

 

As crummy as I'm feeling about the Brewers, that brought a big smile to my face. That pic is great!

 

I was a little surprised to find that I being the eternal pessimist was in a decided minority in thinking the Crew could still contend. Maybe I need help seeing straight.

[bigredrobbo]

Yost is about the 10th biggest problem right now.

 

Yost's post game press conferences are a strong indication he is not up to the task of managing a baseball team. The frustration he shows in his eyes and replies is very telling that he is over-matched, and the team just seems to be feeding on that and following suit. I chose No, because I think Yost thinks the same thing deep down.

Ever watch a Lou Piniella postgame press conference when the Cubs lose? Sheesh. That's the dictionary definition of "frustration". Yost's pissed, we all are. But when the Brewers lose, none of us have to listen to a bunch of internet "experts" try to get us fired. Knowing the talent of his team, if that wouldn't make you frustrated, you're a better man than I, Gunga Din.

 

[Thurston Fluff]

Yost is about the 10th biggest problem right now.

 

Yeah. But this can't be good for Yost. The Brewers won't just fire Weeks, Braun, Hall, Hardy, Bush, Parra, Suppan, Hart, Gagne and Fielder.

 

I don't want to single you out for this Brewizard many have said this before but it always made me wonder. If the problem is the players firing anyone but the players doesn't really do anything does it? I suppose there is an arguement to be made to shake things up. If that's the case I'd think players would get a lot more shook up if one of them was the sacrifical lamb instead. At least then they would realize the buck stops at the one not producing. To me that would send a far better message than firing people who don't matter.

It should also be pointed out they can fire Weeks, Braun, Hall, Hardy, Bush, Parra, Hart, Gagne and Fielder. They could be DFA'ed, benched, in some cases sent outright to the minors. They can also be traded them if they aren't getting the production needed from them. These may be extreme measures but if the players aren't playing up to the standards they are supposed to the only thing that will help is to get players that will. Anything else is just cosmetic and not likely to help at all.

[joepepsi]

I can't help thinking this is as bad as it's going to get. However, if they aren't playing better by June 1, I believe Ned will be fired. If there's one thing he's guilty of this year, it seems to be undermanaging. He's using the same lineup every day, hoping this will be the day they break out. Meanwhile the bench players are rotting. It might be better to send a message to these kids, that no major league job is guaranteed; you have to earn your playing time every day.

 

While I realize the bullpen is in danger of being overworked, I think he's also guilty of leaving his starters out there to fail. After Bush gave up the 2 run blast, he should have been lifted. I'd like to see Yost manage to win today's game a little bit more and worry about tomorrow's when tomorrow comes.

[jazzytrav]

Ever watch a Lou Piniella postgame press conference when the Cubs lose? Sheesh. That's the dictionary definition of "frustration". Yost's pissed, we all are. But when the Brewers lose, none of us have to listen to a bunch of internet "experts" try to get us fired. Knowing the talent of his team, if that wouldn't make you frustrated, you're a better man than I, Gunga Din.

A Yost press conference and a Piniella press conference are vastly different. Piniella is frustrated because he's pissed off about something or at someone. Yost looks frustrated because he also looks scared, all the time. Those two guys are two different kinds of frustrated.

[DrWood]

I voted. are the results present somewhere?

[Thurston Fluff]

I'd like to see Yost manage to win today's game a little bit more and worry about tomorrow's when tomorrow comes.

 

He did that last year when he played Villy so often and pulled his starters out in the fifth more often. Seems to me that was one of the main things that had brewer fans up in arms about him. Kind of falls int o the damned if you do damned if you don't catergory. What last year showed is worrying about tomorrow when tomorrow comes gets you a fast start and a slow death in August.

[joepepsi]

I'd like to see Yost manage to win today's game a little bit more and worry about tomorrow's when tomorrow comes.

 

He did that last year when he played Villy so often and pulled his starters out in the fifth more often. Seems to me that was one of the main things that had brewer fans up in arms about him. Kind of falls int o the damned if you do damned if you don't catergory. What last year showed is worrying about tomorrow when tomorrow comes gets you a fast start and a slow death in August.

I know, I know. It's a long season and you can't play every game like it's the playoffs. It's a tough balancing act to be sure. But notice Florida lifted their guy last night at the first sign of trouble in the 6th. Obviously you can't do that every night. But I think you do see other managers who are better at deciding which games to "go for it" and which ones to just let play out however it happens. Piniella and Bob Melvin come to mind here.

 

[And That]

Playoffs here we come, baby!

 

I'm willing to give the team until the end of May or early June to shake itself out of its funk.

[Ennder]

I'd like to see Yost manage to win today's game a little bit more and worry about tomorrow's when tomorrow comes.

 

He did that last year when he played Villy so often and pulled his starters out in the fifth more often. Seems to me that was one of the main things that had brewer fans up in arms about him. Kind of falls int o the damned if you do damned if you don't catergory. What last year showed is worrying about tomorrow when tomorrow comes gets you a fast start and a slow death in August.

I know, I know. It's a long season and you can't play every game like it's the playoffs. It's a tough balancing act to be sure. But notice Florida lifted their guy last night at the first sign of trouble in the 6th. Obviously you can't do that every night. But I think you do see other managers who are better at deciding which games to "go for it" and which ones to just let play out however it happens. Piniella and Bob Melvin come to mind here.

 

 

Florida was off on Monday and their starter pitched 8 2/3 innings on Tuesday. It is pretty easy to baby your young pitcher who is already at 92 pitches in that scenario.

[rluzinski]

The bench players are rotting because they aren't very good. It's not like there's a young stud among them just waiting for his chance to prove himself. And even if you feel that Gwynn IS that guy, how do you get him in the lineup, anyway? None of the outfielders are getting benched. Putting Counsell into the lineup with the expectation that he'll hit better than Hardy, Weeks or Hall is fruitless.

 

The only think that might make any sense is to bench Hall against righties and give some starts to Branyan (or try to aquire another lefty 3B) but that's not very exciting either. Right now, the Brewers have the best players that they have already in the lineup. They just have to start hitting.

[Thurston Fluff]

But I think you do see other managers who are better at deciding which games to "go for it" and which ones to just let play out however it happens. Piniella and Bob Melvin come to mind here.

 

If the Brewers hadn't played so many extra innings and rarely ever play in a blowout I think there would be more of a case for that. The problem seems to be there are never blowouts to do what Melvin does in AZ. As far as the Marlins go that was what Giradi did a couple years ago play for today and it got them the same thing as the Brewers last year and injuires to young pitchers to boot. I think there is a balancing act that needs to come into play and you may well be right that more emphasis needs to be placed on today. Maybe somewhere in the middle the truth doth lay. While Florida did pull the pitcher last night they also got 8 2/3 from the starter the night before. That helps make those decisions. Bush didn't seem tired as much as failed to locate his pitch properly. Those are instances where one would think he could get out of the inning as well as anybody else if he just pitches the way he should. Not really the time to pull the pitcher with an already heavy workload on the pen IMO.

[brewizard]

It should also be pointed out they can fire Weeks, Braun, Hall, Hardy, Bush, Parra, Hart, Gagne and Fielder. They could be DFA'ed, benched, in some cases sent outright to the minors.

 

Agreed, but if they DFA, bench, or outright those guys, then I'll eat my polyester Brewers hat.

[valpocrewsader]

Can we add a choice to the poll? I'd vote for," not until they replace Yost."

 

Yup, that will get Braun, Fielder, Weeks, Hardy and Kendall hitting. That will get Gagne, Bush, Villy and Parra from not sucking. We proably agree on how inept Yost is; I'm just not going to use him as a convenient scapegoat.

On the hitters, would you really rule out the possibility that a new manager couldn't make a difference? I'm not prepared to. I don't have anything quantitative to back it up, but a collective "change of scenery" for the entire bunch sounds appealing right now. For the pitchers, I wouldn't rule out that the next manager couldn't be better at substitutions -- when and who -- to get more out of what we have. A lot of other managerial decisions fit into the "getting more out of what we have" category, and someone else might very well be better at that than our current skipper.

Not trying to derail the thread, just saying that a post-Yost option could be relevant to the poll.

[sheethead]

Ever watch a Lou Piniella postgame press conference when the Cubs lose? Sheesh. That's the dictionary definition of "frustration". Yost's pissed, we all are. But when the Brewers lose, none of us have to listen to a bunch of internet "experts" try to get us fired. Knowing the talent of his team, if that wouldn't make you frustrated, you're a better man than I, Gunga Din.

A Yost press conference and a Piniella press conference are vastly different. Piniella is frustrated because he's pissed off about something or at someone. Yost looks frustrated because he also looks scared, all the time. Those two guys are two different kinds of frustrated.

I was going to reply, but then read jazzytrav's post. Pretty much what my response would sound like. You can't even compare the two. One has angry, directed frustration. The other has scared, unguided frustration. Could you imagine Yost having to deal with the Chicago media? The only reason he hasn't completely cracked is because the Milwaukee media panders to him. I stand pat that Ned will not have this team over .500 again this year.

 

[logan82]

valpocrewsader wrote:

On the hitters, would you really rule out the possibility that a new manager couldn't make a difference? I'm not prepared to. I don't have anything quantitative to back it up, but a collective "change of scenery" for the entire bunch sounds appealing right now.

A change of scenery always sounds good when things are not going well. Maybe the players need to be traded for a change of scenery.