Chances that Weeks is playing 2B everyday for the Brewers in September?

[logan82]

I don't see how range is any less important at 2B than SS. Especially with Fielder and his limited range at 1B. If the knock on Hardy is range how does moving him to 2B help? I would think the only difference between a SS and 2B would be the SS needing a stronger arm.

[TooLiveBrew]

yet Dillon rates better.

 

Small sample results, likely. Weeks is a superior defender at 2B because his range is way better than Joe D's. Stick them at 3B, and Dillon blows Rickie out of the water.

 

 

I don't think his spectacular plays outweighs the routine plays he doesn't make.

 

Nor do I, but the idea that Rickie boots the routine play enough to outweigh his vastly superior range at 2B doesn't hold water to me.

[silversurferr]

I don't think Hardy lacks range. Moving Hardy to second frees up short for Escobar, who is by all accounts, a defensive phenom. Hardy has great hands and good pop. He has and is showing that he can hit .270 with around 20 dings. Assuming Weeks still has value, trade him now or in the offseason for pitching. As to Dillon, it is also demoralizing to watch routine ground balls trickle into the outfield. No matter how you analyze it, Dillon is not the answer at second. Neither is Counsell. And I think everyone is tiring of Weeks, even those of us that love his potential.

[silversurferr]

Give credit where it's due: Weeks has greatly improved in the field from last year to this year. If is average was where it should be, .260 to .270, we would not be questioning his defense.

[pete]

The stat guy (Mike Something) that Steve the Homer, or whatever his name is, has on at the start of the year, made the argument that Dillon should be in the starting lineup over Hall.

 

What they should do is just give Rickie more days off and give the bench the opportunity. Dillon plays fine there. They also should force him to try and bunt for a hit every couple games.

[TooLiveBrew]

But Rickie's not a good bunter even though he's fast. That'd be like telling McClung to 'get in there & hit us some HRs' because he's big. I don't like trying to force players to do things they aren't good at because they should/could be good at them.

[endaround]

Mike Gimble knows absolutely nothing except how to sell himself to radio hosts

[RU Rah Rah]

Weeks is still getting on base even without hitting. Not enough, but if he ever starts hitting his OBP will look great.

I see what you're saying -- his OBP is 100 points higher than his AVG. If he hit .260 and had an OBP of .360, it would be cool. The problem is that he's hitting .210 and his OBP is .317. He's not exactly killing in SLG, either. And he's still clumsy in the field.

(Overall, OBP on this team is just ugly. He's not the only culprit.)

 

 

 

[bullox]

If anyone else is playing 2nd in September it may be Escobar if he is not traded.

If Escobar is going to play any position in the majors, it will be SS. No ifs ands or buts. Hardy would move if anything.

 

[Tbadder]

I was totally wrong about Rickie. I really thought this year would be the breakout year, but cest la vie.

 

I really think this should be Rickie's last chance, but he deserves the full season regardless of the circumstances because his athleticism is so immense. If he can't manage an OBP of .350 to .370, I think the Crew should shift Hardy to 2B and put Escobar at SS.

 

I really don't understand his problem. His bat is so fast it's ridiculous. He walks enough, so his eye has to be pretty good. He's a student of the game, and if the reports are correct he works as hard as anyone.

[DonMoney4Mgr]

Unfortunately, Baltimore is hanging around the wild card (6 GB) and I don't know that they will be sellers at this point. However, if Roberts is available before the deadline, and they would accept Rickie plus a mid level, I would jump on it. Anything short of a trade, Weeks will be our 2nd baseman.

[Brew Guzzler]

Why is it Joe D vs. Weeks for second base in september? Craig Counsell should at least be in consideration because of how well he played when Rickie went down. We also shouldn't forget that Coun sell played a critical role on the 2001 D-backs. He hit .381 in the NLCS. In clutch moments I trust Counsell to either walk or pull a seeing eye single through the hole. Not to mention he's a solid defender.

 

The problem here is finding him playing time during July and August. He is too old to be an everyday player.

 

It all falls back to Rickie Weeks. If he doesn't pick up his game he can't stay in the lead-off spot and will eventually lose playing time to who I think will be Craig Counsell.

[RU Rah Rah]

I was totally wrong about Rickie. I really thought this year would be the breakout year, but cest la vie.

 

I really think this should be Rickie's last chance, but he deserves the full season regardless of the circumstances because his athleticism is so immense. If he can't manage an OBP of .350 to .370, I think the Crew should shift Hardy to 2B and put Escobar at SS.

 

I really don't understand his problem. His bat is so fast it's ridiculous. He walks enough, so his eye has to be pretty good. He's a student of the game, and if the reports are correct he works as hard as anyone.

Agree 100%. The potential upside has been so great that you have to give him the chance. But he's actually regressed this year, it seems like.

It's possible to blossom after 1,400 big-league AB's and basically four years in the bigs, especially given the injury problems he's had. But at least point I think the Brewers would be lucky to have him get to average.

 

[cruiserx43]

I still think batting leadoff is hurting Rickie

 

Couldn't agree more. Before Weeks was stuffed into the leadoff role to fit Ned's nice little lineup sheet he was slated for somewhere else potentially 2 or 5. Weeks still has good trade value because there are about a dozen GM's around the league who know he is being used inappropriately. It's hard to develop when you are miscast. Just because he is our best option doesn't mean that is his best overall use. Why do you think we spent so much time trying to get a leadoff guy offseason. Then Weeks gave management false hopes by overproducing late last season. I just would hate for him to go to another team get put in a better position and become an all-star, but I could see it happening.

[logan82]

So Weeks 2006 and 2007 stats in the leadoff spot were just a fluke?

[dlk9s]

Back to the original question: 98%.

[Gobias Industries]

I really don't understand his problem. His bat is so fast it's ridiculous. He walks enough, so his eye has to be pretty good. He's a student of the game, and if the reports are correct he works as hard as anyone.

I agree that his eye is good. He seems to have pretty decent pitch recognition. His approach is very out of whack though. He almost always takes the first pitch regardless of what it is, which more times than not splits the plate in half. In order for him to hit the ball hard, he needs the ball thigh high and right down the middle. He can't hit the outside strike or inside strike very hard right now.

 

The good thing is Weeks had the same kind of year going last year, and he turned it around in a big way. So he does have it in him. He wasn't feeling the effects of the injury as much as having a very bad approach exactly like he does now.

 

If he does turn it around, I expect the Brewers to cash in at the end of the season with a trade. If he doesn't, I expect them to get rid of him as well. So I'm pretty sure this is his last season here. I doubt he gets traded this year as his value is at an all time low.

 

Alex Escobar and Andy Marte he is not. Those guys never had any success at the majors like Weeks has had, and I have no idea why Marte was ever considered top flite as his stats weren't all that great. People forget, but when Weeks first came up, he was very good.

[TooLiveBrew]

I really don't understand his problem. His bat is so fast it's ridiculous. He walks enough, so his eye has to be pretty good. He's a student of the game, and if the reports are correct he works as hard as anyone.

 

I have to go on record acknowledging that I was very wrong about Rickie this season, too. The funny thing is that he could play a huge role in any second-half surge, have a great couple of months from July/Aug./Sept., and it wouldn't do enough to get the entire season line up to 'good' or 'respectable'.

 

I just hope that happens. Otherwise, Yost has to get him into the bottom of the lineup.

 

 

People forget, but when Weeks first came up, he was very good.

 

It's actually even worse memories, as Rickie was incredible in Aug. & Sept. 2007

[danzig6767]

I'm no swing expert, but it seems there has to be something in his swing that causes Weeks to hit so many lazy flyballs. Far and away Weeks is the most frustrating player on this team for me. I've kept thinking the last two years that is only a matter of time before Rickie puts it together at the plate, but it just never happens. He's still barely hovering over the .200 BA and has a Craig Counsell like .360 SLG.

 

When he first got called up, i thought at some point fairly soon in his career, Rickie would hit around 20-25 homers and be ripping doubles all over the park. Here we sit 1415 at bats into his career and he has a measly 62 doubles, very shocking to me for a guy with such bat speed and the wheels to take an extra base on long singles. Hell, fly swatter bat Kendall has more doubles than Weeks, that's incredible to me.

[rousieboy]

I would not be surprised to hear after the season that Yost, GM DM, and Mark A all knew about Rickie's hurt _______ and decided not to say anything as to let the opposition take advantage of it...everyone is being sooo patient with him and so critical and diligent in other areas.

 

They will keep RWeeks there 100% and i hate it...

 

why not CCounsell and BHall at 2b and Dillon and Branyan at 3B? JKend, CC, or Dillon leads off and away we go...

[TooLiveBrew]

why not CCounsell and BHall at 2b and Dillon and Branyan at 3B? JKend, CC, or Dillon leads off and away we go...

 

You know, that's really the best move if Rickie keeps playing as poorly as he has. With the deal for Sabathia, it's pretty clear that this season is not for developing any players. What applies to Hall & others should apply to Rickie. I am still of the insane delusion that Rickie is going to hit much better than he has, and continue to hope. If he starts slow out of the AS break, Counshall makes sense.

[endaround]

Have peopel actually looked at Counsell's hitting line? It isn't better than Weeks'. And given Yost, he'll put Dillion at 2B and keep Hall at 3B anyway.

[FVBrewerFan]

A bit OT, but I have to say it. I think part of Weeks' problem is his bat- literally. I don't think he's using a heavy enough bat for his quick swing, and that huge knob takes even more weight and mass off the barrel. I would like to see what he does using Braun's bats for a week. I'm dead serious. His swing is so quick, he really doesn't need such a small, light bat. In fact, it may even be a hindrance. Ok, I got that off my chest.

 

I agree Weeks isn't best suited for lead-ff, but there's no way Ned is going to tinker with a line-up that is working otherwise. Hart will stay in the 5 hole, I don't see why you would change that now. Cameron is the only other legit option, and it's really not much of an option becuase you get essentially the same hitter.

 

I'm praying the Brewers make a move for a lead-off hitter. OPS be damned, I want a guy with even slightly above avg lead-off OBP. Roberts would be ideal, and I would thrilled with move, since it helps us in 2009 as well. Weeks for Roberts, even sprinkle in a lower level prospect to sweeten the deal for that type of player.

 

That would be my #1 goal, 2B for 2B. The team that acquires Weeks would be better suited to him somewhere else in the line-up- a luxury the Brewers don't have at this point. But the other option would be to get a CF for the lead-off spot. Ideally someone who is signed through at least 2009. He could bat lead-off and move Weeks down to 7 or 8. Cameron is your 4th OF, and a heck of a PH with his power, and late inning replacenet with his defense.

 

As long as we're going for it, let's get that deal done.

[kramnoj]

Have peopel actually looked at Counsell's hitting line? It isn't better than Weeks'. And given Yost, he'll put Dillion at 2B and keep Hall at 3B anyway.

 

Counsell's OPS+ is 76, compared to Weeks 79. With Counsell's better defense, the Brewers are a better team right now when Counsell is in the lineup. The Brewers didn't exactly crater when Weeks was on the DL. The Brewers should be a better team with Weeks on the field and hopefully that will happen as the season progresses. But I don't think Weeks spot in the lineup is guaranteed. Now that the Brewers have made the trade for CC, I don't think they'll let a weakness at 2B keep them from making the playoffs.

[endaround]

The point is Weeks has an upside, Counsell doesn't