Who will DH for Interleague play this month?

[joepepsi]

I wouldn't be surprised to see a game or two against righties where Counsell starts at 2nd, and Gwynn bats leadoff and plays CF, with Cameron or someone else DH'ing.

[Invader3K]

Wild idea...why not have Braun DH? They have enough outfielders to cover LF.

[TooLiveBrew]

As for Branyan, get real. No major league team even offered him a spring training invite this year. Wow, a 32 year old is hitting well for 80 AB's at AAA. Whop de do. He's still fanned 25 times in 80 AB's against mostly has beens and unproven prospects. Last September for St. Louis (as they fell out of the race), he was a whopping 6 for 32 (.188), with 1 HR, and 2 RBI and 15 K's. You could DH Mike Rivera and get better production than that.

 

Yea, stupid best pitching in the world save MLB. AAA pitchers all suck.

How about, 'whoop dee doo,' Gwynn has 6 hits in 16 AB. If you base personnell decisions on thing like that, and think he is capable of batting .375, you'd have a mess on your hands. Russ strikes out. A lot. This is not news. What he can do is put up a .750-.850 OPS off your bench, play 1B/3B/LF, neither of which Gwynn can do.

[bork]

If Nelson was called up, who would you rather have defensively at 1B, Nelson or Fielder? Assuming the other would DH.

[Weirdos19]

Remember, we could have Prince DH, with Hart playing first. Hart did come up there.

 

My ideal DH vs RHP lineup: (thinking OF speed in Minnesota)

 

Gwynn RF

Cameron CF

Braun LF

Prince DH

Hart 1B

Hall 3B

Hardy SS

Weeks 2B

Kendall C

 

vs LHP

Weeks DH or 2B

Cameron CF

Braun LF or DH

Prince 1B

Hart RF

Hall 2B or 3B

Dillon 3B or LF

Hardy SS

Kendall C

[BrewCrewForever]

Although Hart has played some 1B, I can't see them playing him there. He's an OF now.

[Fatter than Joey]

I'd DH Weeks, as we could get his glove off the field.

[Oldcity]

I'd switch between Branyan and Dillon depending on the handedness of the starting pitcher. That way they could rotate out Braun and Fielder if they wanted.

[logan82]

Well Dillion is now back with the team, so I would have to guess he is going to be inserted in the lineup somewhere. I would say a DH platoon of Counsell and Dillon where they play in the field giving half days off.

[AmyintheSouth]

Playing against the Monster in left field is always tricky in Fenway, so I wouldn't mind seeing Kapler, who's done it before, start in left while Braun DH's at least once in that series.

[igor67]

Laporta's bat would give the team the best chance to win, however with the defense issue and the 40-man issue there is something to be said for bringing up Nelson and haing him play first while Prince DHs a game or two, and maybe play some OF while other guys get the semi-off day. With him it's kind of a chance to see if he is in the future and reasonably improve the teams chance to win. I also wonder if the offense is still sputtering along if that doesn't make the case for using Laporta more compelling to get a jump start.

[danzig6767]

As for Branyan, get real. No major league team even offered him a spring training invite this year. Wow, a 32 year old is hitting well for 80 AB's at AAA. Whop de do. He's still fanned 25 times in 80 AB's against mostly has beens and unproven prospects. Last September for St. Louis (as they fell out of the race), he was a whopping 6 for 32 (.188), with 1 HR, and 2 RBI and 15 K's. You could DH Mike Rivera and get better production than that.

 

Yea, stupid best pitching in the world save MLB. AAA pitchers all suck.

How about, 'whoop dee doo,' Gwynn has 6 hits in 16 AB. If you base personnell decisions on thing like that, and think he is capable of batting .375, you'd have a mess on your hands. Russ strikes out. A lot. This is not news. What he can do is put up a .750-.850 OPS off your bench, play 1B/3B/LF, neither of which Gwynn can do.

I'm by no means a big fan of Gwynn, but whenever Branyan gets brought up here, it leads to stats like he'll post an .800ish OPS and play multiple positions, yet he couldn't get a spring training invite from even the more saber lead type of teams.

I'd prefer someone DH that isn't Gwynn or Gwynn playing while say Braun is the DH. I just can understand why some don't find the Branyan option to be very appealing.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

whenever Branyan gets brought up here, it leads to stats like he'll post an .800ish OPS and play multiple positions

 

I think saying he can OPS in the .750-.850 range does nothing but state the obvious about his career.

 

Milwaukee 2005: .868 OPS

TB 2006 (169 AB): .759

SD 2006 (72 AB): .972

SD 2007 (122 AB): .748

StL 2007 (32 AB): .614

Nashville 2008 (80 AB): 1.058

 

What I'd like to know is how anyone can claim he isn't exceedingly likely to be in the .750-.850 range.

[LouisEly]

As much as I'd like to see Nelson get his first taste of the majors in an ideal situation with the Brewers needing LH bats, they don't really have anyone else they can send down to make the exchange other than Stetter (there goes your 2nd bullpen lefty), CV (there goes your 3rd starter), Parra (there goes your #4 starter), Bush (there goes your #5 starter), or Gwynn (there goes your pinch runner, defensive OF replacement). Gwynn or Stetter would be the most likely candidates, but my guess is that they will use it as an opportunity to give partial rest via the DH to Fielder, Braun, Hall, and Hart with Gwynn, Kapler, Dillon, and Counsell getting starts in there.

 

Russ strikes out. A lot. This is not news. What he can do is put up a .750-.850 OPS off your bench, play 1B/3B/LF, neither of which Gwynn can do.

 

And Gwynn can play all three OF positions defensively and pinch run, neither of which Branyan nor anyone else on the team other than Hart and maybe Cameron or Kapler can do. Everyone has a role, and Gwynn's is well-defined and one few players on the team can do. I love Branyan, and in many ways I would have preferred him to be called up over Dillon, but comparing him to Gwynn is apples/oranges because both have completely different roles.

[wallus]

Why not sign Bonds for the American league games?

[TooLiveBrew]

And Gwynn can play all three OF positions defensively and pinch run, neither of which Branyan nor anyone else on the team other than Hart and maybe Cameron or Kapler can do.

 

Between Cameron, Hart, Dillon, & Braun, there is no need for Gwynn aside from pinch-running. The notion that Gwynn provides more value -- or some specialized value we don't get anywhere else (after all, Counsell is every bit as good a choice as a PR, and he's better at the plate) -- than Branyan doesn't hold water to me. I still don't like the trade of Gross, though I will admit that getting as solid an arm as Butler in return will probably make me forget about dealing Gabe soon enough.

[pogokat]

signing bonds would be a freaking awesome idea...thats the kind of thing they do in car racing...at a track your driver sucks at? just replace him with someone who is retired and doesn't suck there...this works over and over every year..

 

so, why not do the same thing in baseball...need to make sure you get a bunt down just right in one series, well bring in rickey henderson...need someone on base, well why not bonds?

 

of course, im kidding...but it would be pretty cool to see something like that..

 

anyway,

 

i guessed in the preaseason projection article on the homepage that it would be LaPorta, but when i asked him about it on friday he just laughed...

 

it'll be someone already on the roster...get ready for Kapler and gwynn baby!

[brewjihad]

Branyan or Nelson.

 

Please....

[DrWood]

Branyan's not on the 40 man. Is there space? If that's an issue, Nelson seems like a good choice.

[aracko]

Ned Yost = Manager

Craig Counsell = Battler

DH = Craig Counsell.

 

 

Seriously - make it LaPorta.

[endaround]

The Brewers do not need another right handed hitter when they have two left handed hitters available

[twobrewers]

Just curious what everyone was thinking in terms of DH for the Boston series.

 

I would love to see Gamel or LaPorta for some excitement. But I don't think I would actually do it.

 

I vote for Rickie Weeks. Counsell can start at 2B and our defense will be much improved. We don't have much power off of the bench anyways (Dillon, Gwynn or Kapler), so you might as well do your best to improve the defense.

[JoeHova]

1. LaPorta

2. Gamel

3. Branyan

4. Salome

5. Nelson

6. Dillon

7. Weeks

 

would be my choices, in order. I like to see young guys get a shot. With Riske possibly hurt, they could call up a hitter for the Red Sox series, although that might not jibe with their reliever fetish.

[paul253]

My vote is Gamel. Braun Fielder Hart Gamel R/L/R/L. Lets see what he can do.

[Cracked Bat Collector]

Gamel or Nelson