The Panic/Relax Thread

[BrewCrewRising]

I thought I'd put all the panic and calls to relax in one thread. We'll see how it works.

 

Right now I want to panic a little. Tonight we lost our second in a row to the Mets. What bothers me is that we lost because of shoddy defense, and we lost in extra innings at home. The bullpen is shaky, the Phillies and Mets have easy schedules, and the press says the Cubs are probably going to win the World Series. Baseball Prospectus says we're likely to win the playoffs, but that's what they said last year and look what happened. Besides, even if we get to the playoffs, we'll probably play the Mets and look how that is working out.

 

Talk me down! (or else you're welcome to panic. Why not.)

[rluzinski]

Two blowout games proves little, much less two very close ones.

[DougJones43]

Two blowout games proves little, much less two very close ones.

For me, it's not so much about what it "proves" at this point, but what the ramifications of these losses could be as far as making the playoffs.

 

I'm starting to get a little worried myself. Statistically, the Brewers are supposed to still have about a 93% chance to make the playoffs. For whatever reason though, I'm not getting much reassurance from that. I'm sure an argument can be made that it was just "noise" or a bad coincidence, but Ned's two monumental second-half collapses keep creeping into my brain.

 

As a Brewer fan, I feel as though I've been bred to expect failure and fantasize about worst case scenarios. I never think this way late in games, or late in seasons about the Packers.

[wibadgers23]

I'm gonna panic a little bit because we are the Brewers and haven't made the playoffs in 26 years. As a fan, I want the Crew to make the playoffs so bad that every loss really sucks at this point in the season. Maybe I shouldn't panic because we still have games against San Diego, Cinci, and Pittsburgh. But every loss sucks that much more here in September.

[InBraunWeTrust]

As I said before, if this team misses the playoffs, I'm just walking away. Done with them. Walking away. I know there have been worse collapses for other teams, but this is the year we need to do it. The Brewers have looked too legitimately "real" all season long for them to not even get a shot at the playoffs. To hold my love, excitement, and genuine confidence for almost 6 months and then miss the playoffs on shoddy defense, unclutch batting, and terrible pullpen issues is too much for me to take for something that offers so little real tangible reward.

[pebadger]

I'm not really worried about the Brewers making the playoffs, so in that regard I'm relaxed. That said, my goal isn't just to watch a playoff game involving the Crew for the first time in a quarter century. I want them to win. From that perspective, I am panicked, because I just don't see them being able to hold up in games where back-end pitching, defense, and quality ABs make the difference. Not that that set of conditions defines all playoff games, but I just don't like their odds against most of the teams they will face in the playoffs.

[Mike2k33]

I'm relaxed. The Mets aren't the Pirates, they have talent. I don't expect us to win every game or even every series from here on out.

 

Two very close games aren't going to worry me much. We don't have to win the Wild Card by 'x' amount of games. Get a win tomorrow and all is right with the world.

[TooLiveBrew]

We had Sheets have to leave the game with injury after only 5 IP, and Manny crapped out pretty early tonight (only 5 IP). Given those considerations, I think the fact that the first two Mets game came down to the wire is decent.

[InBraunWeTrust]

The problem is that these two games arguably should have been won by us. Period.

 

If the wild card ever starts to get real close, these games were a 2-game cushion that we don't have. These two losses are now two more losses that we have to hope other teams have.

[pretendastronaut]

We could have/should have won both of these games against the Mets. I'd be maybe worried if we had gotten embarrassed the way the Cubs embarrassed us. I'm very confident in our ability to actually win the wildcard this season, and I see no reason to be hitting the panic button right now because we lost two games. I spy NSBB and I can't believe how many posters are panicking over there either.

 

Could we lose it still? Sure, obviously. Do we have issues? Sure, obviously. But there's no reason in my mind to panic right now. Have some faith.

[cwolf2012]

If you're going to talk about "should have" won this game, talk about how we've stolen a lot of games in the last 2 innings this year as well. 3 of 4 at STL in the 4 game series come to mind for me.

 

Stop being so reactionary, people. We were 20-7 in August. That's a pretty absurd record. 2 losses mean almost nothing in the long run. They're just a part of the 65-70 we're going to have this season.

[jason21nl]

I think years and years of losing and not making the playoffs gives fans every reason to worry a little. Until the Brewers are assured of a playoff spot, I'll always have doubt in the back of my mind that they'll screw it up.

 

That said, this team is pretty darn good and really losing a couple games in a row is no big deal. Now if we lost 2 games in a row to the team directly behind us in the WC Id be a little more worried.

[endaround]

Should have won those two games? The first game they scored 2 runs-you don't win many games scoring 2 runs. That's not a should have won, thats a lucky to still be in the game late. Yesterday the starter gave up 5 runs early, again not a game you often win and it goes to the 10th.

[BrewCrewForever]

I'm pretty relaxed. But I am for sure a little nervous. After your team has not been to the playoffs in 26 years you do have the worst somewhere in the back of your mind. Hopefully Bush can come out today pitch a gem the Brewers score some runs for him and we get one in this series before 7 game in a row against losing clubs at home. All should be okay.

[jeffy]

We had Sheets have to leave the game with injury after only 5 IP, and Manny crapped out pretty early tonight (only 5 IP). Given those considerations, I think the fact that the first two Mets game came down to the wire is decent.

 

Good points. Were these playoff games, I don't think Sheets comes out (I hope not at least) and I don't think Parra is a starter, because I think he will go to the bullpen for the playoffs. Hopefully Sheets and CC do not have to start the last two games of the season and instead are well rested for games 1 and 2 in the playoffs.

 

Provided they do not go to Philly and get swept next week, I'm not too worried about the Brewers making the playoffs. I am worried about that being all that they accomplish. Going to the playoffs as a wild card and losing is almost like not going at all. It'd be easier to take a loss in the first round, if they were to win the division.

[JohnBriggs12]

Not the time to panic after two close losses to the Mets. They were inches away from hits that would have blown open last night's game. They need to stay on an even keel win or lose.

 

My biggest concern is Fielder right now, but deep down I figure he's going to break out of it, and when he does it's all over.

[hawing]

The Mets lost two of three to the Brewers in their home park in April. The last two games have been vexing, but it's not like the Brewers have been completely pwned by the Mets.

 

It's difficult to maintain an even keel over the Brewers right now, but I do not think it's time to panic.

[Thurston Fluff]

As a Brewer fan, I feel as though I've been bred to expect failure and fantasize about worst case scenarios. I never think this way late in games, or late in seasons about the Packers.

 

I don't want to make this a Packers thread but they haven't been a great playoff team since the mid 90's.

 

I'm not worried. The Mets and Phillies are capable but they have their flaws as well. The Cubs have a brutal September schedule. In July the Cubs were talking about how they need to pull away form the pack in August because of a tough September schedule. The Brewers foiled that plan by winning as many games as the Cubs did. I see that team choking easier than I do the Brewers. I don't believe the division is out of reach let alone falling out of the playoffs all together.

[owbc]

I'd rather get the losses out of our system now. If this was the NLDS and we dumped the first two like that, then I would be in full scale panic mode. But not when we still have a 14% chance at the division and a 90% chance at the playoffs.

 

I also agree that either Fielder or Weeks is going to go on a tear and finish off some unsuspecting team.

[Leinie Lodge]

The thread title briefly brought to mind "Don't Panic, We've Got Leskanic"

 

A timely response to "Panic Thread" --- Michael Hunt's column:

JSOnline Sept 2nd

Although Yost's quotes won't convert any Ned-haters, Doug Melvin adds useful perspective.

[jeffh]

I am very worried and very panicked after looking at what games the Phillies have left. . My hope is that the Phillies sweep the mets this weekend and go into first place, the mets have a tougher games left, I still don't think the Brewers will make the playoffs, Someone please help me calm my fears.

[bucks2281]

Someone please help me calm my fears.

 

If the Phillies go on a rampage and have a better record than us, chances are they'll overtake the Mets for first place in the NL East. If you want to freak out about the Phillies, wait until the end of next weekend. The Brewers also have a bunch of games against bottom feeders -- probably more than the Phils.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Great point bucks, not only do the Phillies have to overtake us, but so do the Mets. They play each other this weekend while we've got the Padres. Granted, they'll be feasting on the Braves and Nats over the last few weeks, but our odds of getting the WC remain very good.

 

When I was watching the series versus the Cubs, I just got that ill feeling we were going to lose...the Cubs were hot and the Brewers got steamrolled. In the games versus the Mets...it just seemed like one or two plays here and there and its a different outcome. If we make the playoffs, the teams will likely be evenly matched and it will come down to a few key differentiating plays. We'll see if the Crew can find out a way to make them.

[InBraunWeTrust]

I still cannot believe we were unable to score of the Mets' bullpen in seven innings last night.

[TooLiveBrew]

I can't believe that I love something Ned Yost said:

 

"'I love how people go crazy over little hiccups in the road,' Yost said. 'It's life. It happens. He made a horrible 0-2 pitch and he paid for it. I don't understand why people go crazy over the human element. We do it less than a lot of people. If you don't believe it, look at our record.'"

 

and Hunt's line to close the piece:

 

"So worry that the Brewers are in the midst of their longest losing streak in a long time. Two games."

 

I like his spirit, but as usual his facts are a bit fuzzy. The Brewers last lost two in a row on 8/14 & 15. Or else Mike has a vastly different definition of "long time" from me.