McClung to rotation, Villanueva to the bullpen

[endaround]

Davis was a decent pitcher before he came to the Brewers, McClung has earned his 6 ERA. The idea is to give you the best chance not to just blindly scrounge.

 

How decent couldhis career have been when he got taken off the scrap heap? Lefties don't usually get thrown aside unless they really have struggled. As far as giving ourselves the best chance i'd say at this point the best chance is trying other options than Villy since he has been pretty brutal. If this doens't work out chances are it would ahve been a loss anyway so why not try?

In 2001 Davis had a 4.45 ERA in Texas, in 2002 it was a 4.98. Now thats not great but given the park it isn't bad. That Toronto cut him after a few starts was just stupid.

 

[pete]

How much of a leash do you think McClung will be given if he struggles? (Does he get two starts? three? etc.) My basic perspective on things is that they'd rather risk losing Weaver than McClung down-the-line (ie., when Riske comes off the DL).

 

I don't think he gets much of a leash, maybe a couple of games. It sounds to me like it is basically an audition. But I think there will also be someone to take over for Bush unless he improves. Think two spots rather than one. He's had a leash that is measured in months stretching toward years. Weaver, Narveson, who knows?

[dpapo]

This is the third item I have posted from a single Haudricourt blog entry.

 

"In another matter, GM Doug Melvin was in Nashville today and saw RHP Jeff Weaver get hit hard again (five runs in 6 1/3 innings). Weaver is 1-2 with a 6.52 ERA there so I wouldn't look for him to come up and try to help the Brewers anytime soon."

 

 

 

[brewers4eric]

It isn't even June and we've already stretched our pitching depth to the limit. I'm willing to give McClung an audition, as at some point, the Brewer brain trust really needs to decide where he fits in the grand scheme of things. If he fails, we'll just need to look for another arm.

[brewizard]

It isn't even June and we've already stretched our pitching depth to the limit.

 

How my mind's eye pictured the season on Feb 25:

 

http://www.itechnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/Toyota-FT-HS-Hybrid-Sports-Car_2.jpg

 

How it feels now:

 

http://www.terragalleria.com/images/us-sw/usnv9198.jpeg

[Electric Elf]

It isn't even June and we've already stretched our pitching depth to the limit. I'm willing to give McClung an audition, as at some point, the Brewer brain trust really needs to decide where he fits in the grand scheme of things. If he fails, we'll just need to look for another arm.

Considering when the Brewers broke camp, McClung was the only pitcher with a defined role (long reliever) and he's already been moved twice to middle relief and then to starter...I don't think anyone has ever had a clue what to do with the guy, and that includes his time with the Rays. "All right, he sucks as a starter and he walks everyone in sight...let's make him the closer!"

I'm seriously thinking that his constant shifting of roles isn't the sort of thing that would make him a better pitcher, only a horrifically unsure one. Whenever I see him pitch, he either starts off nervous or quickly ends up there no matter how well he's pitching.

[LouisEly]

An interesting last sentence Elf, as I recall when he came on in relief in the Boston series he pitched out of a jam and when he walked into the dugout (I was about 15 rows behind the dugout) you could see him pull his jersey away from his chest like he was saying, "Phew, lucky I got out of that one" as though he was expressing how nervous he was.

 

Villy and DiFelice are both capable of going long and even Jackson is stretched out enough to absorb the rest of the game if necessary.

 

I guess I didn't realize that because of the roster moves, with Villy going to the pen they now have three starters/long relievers in the pen, so if McClung can only go three, then Jackson can give three (I like the shift to a lefty then), then Villy come in and give three, and you've gone nine innings on only three pitchers and still have another long reliever if the game goes extras or who can go the next day.

[Thurston Fluff]

In 2001 Davis had a 4.45 ERA in Texas, in 2002 it was a 4.98. Now thats not great but given the park it isn't bad. That Toronto cut him after a few starts was just stupid.

 

I thought ERA was a team stat now days.

[endaround]

You can be snide or you could actually see his fundamentals matched up with his ERA

[Fatter than Joey]

In 2001 Davis had a 4.45 ERA in Texas, in 2002 it was a 4.98. Now thats not great but given the park it isn't bad. That Toronto cut him after a few starts was just stupid.

 

Davis pitched in TOR in 2003. Davis made 11 starts had a 5.00 ERA and had a 1.77 WHIP. Toronto won 86 games in 2003, and was in a playoff race for most of the year, so I can understand their reluctance to keep giving the ball to a scrap heap pitcher. At the time Davis was pitching, I think he was a stop-gap for injured starters Walker and Escobar. When Escobar came back, Davis got the boot. Perhaps Toronto didn't feel the need to bury a pitcher like Davis at AAA.

[joepepsi]

I'm seriously thinking that his constant shifting of roles isn't the sort of thing that would make him a better pitcher, only a horrifically unsure one.

Earl Weaver's Second Law: If you don't make any promises to your players you won't have to break them

Weaver notes in his book that players, for example relief pitchers, who have to be told what their "role" is just don't get it. When asked such a question he would often retort "Your role is to warmup when I tell you and come in the game and pitch when I tell you."

[Tbadder]

I'm not sure how I feels about this. Seth doesn't strike me as a starter, but what choice do the Brewers really have? They've got to start experimenting in the hopes of catching some "lightning in a bottle." I'm disappointed and a little surprised that none of the AAA starters deserve a call up--I was hoping on Naverson.

[TooLiveBrew]

DiFelice was called up. I'd rather see him get another shot than McClung. Though, as mentioned, I think a McClung start would be a 4 or 5 inning go with someone like Villy coming in to pitch 2-4 innings.

[endaround]

So is McClung going to pitch from the strech the entire game? Because I really doubt they have spent much time calming down his windup.

[BrewCrewForever]

So is McClung going to pitch from the strech the entire game? Because I really doubt they have spent much time calming down his windup.

He has been pitching from the wind up.

 

[monty57]

The thing I have a hard time understanding is why, when the Brewers needed relievers, they've called up AAA starters to fill the relief roles. Now, when they need a starter, they don't have anyone left at AAA to call up to fill that role. Are all of the relievers in Nashville that bad?

 

I have little doubt that Villy will be back in Milwaukee's rotation at some point this season, so I'd rather see him get sent to AAA where he can work things out as a starter. As has been mentioned, the Brewers already have DiFelice and Jackson as long men in the pen. Therefore, I fear that Villy is going to be used as a one-inning guy 3-4 times a week, and he'll have a hard time coming back as a starter when he gets it back together. Dillard is on the 40-man. It seems to me to be more sensible to bring him up to cover the one-inning stints, and let Villy remain a starter.

[TooLiveBrew]

I fear that Villy is going to be used as a one-inning guy 3-4 times a week, and he'll have a hard time coming back as a starter when he gets it back together.

 

He did ok last season getting back to starting when they stretched him out in Nashville after he was overworked as a RP with Milwaukee. But I agree with you that bumping him from the rotation probably isn't the best idea.

[Thurston Fluff]

Earl Weaver's Second Law: If you don't make any promises to your players you won't have to break them

Weaver notes in his book that players, for example relief pitchers, who have to be told what their "role" is just don't get it. When asked such a question he would often retort "Your role is to warmup when I tell you and come in the game and pitch when I tell you."

 

Earl Weaver didn't have to deal with the highly specialized player of today or handle players who can bolt as a free agent for any reaos they chose after the first 6 years of service. I doubt you can get away with the same my way or the highway attitude today as you could when Earl was relevant.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'd argue that Bush is every bit if not more deserving of a demotion to the bullpen as Villanueva.

[BrewCrewForever]

I'd argue that Bush is every bit if not more deserving of a demotion to the bullpen as Villanueva.

Yup, they both should be in the pen. And Bush should maybe get a chance to close.