Does this team have the mental strength to make it?

[InBraunWeTrust]

From what I've seen, especially at home, this team is not mentally strong. They lose concentration, come up horribly unclutch, and make terrible mistakes at a much higher rate in critical games than others. During the Cubs series at home, they looked utterly inept and downright weak and vulnerable.

 

Even if we make the playoffs, which is now far from certain, I'm afraid of how upsetting it will be to see our team continually make ridiculous mistakes and strand critical men on base.

[wisportswriter]

It's a race to see who can post the Brewers' record in 1-run games the fastest ...

[rluzinski]

The problem with this team is that they don't win every game.

[DougJones43]

I'm not sure if it is a "mental strength" issue, but the team's poor fundamentals and constant mental blunders do seem like something to be concerned about going forward.

[bucks2281]

They lost a couple of fiercly-challenged, well-played (for the most part) games to a likely superior opponent. It's part of the game.

 

No game is really more important than the next. Yes, they tanked during the Cubs series. But, keep in mind, they were unbelieveably clutch during the Cardinals series.

[Marc Newfield of Dreams]

This team will not advance in the playoffs, if God-willing they hold on. But I'm not gonna go off on the mental toughness or the managing, or any of that. The main reason I see them losing is the bullpen. I just can't see the bullpen other than Torres being able to buckle down and hold a lead.

[kramnoj]

It's a race to see who can post the Brewers' record in 1-run games the fastest ...

 

One-Run Games

Split W L RS RA WP

One Run 25 11 148 134 .694

 

from http://www.baseball-refer...eams/MIL/2008_sched.shtml

[wisportswriter]

25-11, .694

Pretty good 1-run numbers for a team that's not mentally strong.

(I believe at one point, if it's not still, that was the best record in MLB?)

[pebadger]

Not all 1-run games are created equal, are they?

 

I don't completely buy the mental toughness angle, but I do question their focus/approach at times. Not really the same thing. More than anything I think they just don't keep themselves calm in certain situations, which causes them to make physical errors and play "too fast".

[rluzinski]

I just think the team is bad defnsively overall. You guys just forget about the errors of little consequence.

[strawbossisevil]

They need the eye of the Tiger. Everyone knows that. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[dhoffman19]

Defense is obviously a problem, but the biggest issue is a lack of plate discipline. Even Braun - as talented as he is - gets way too aggressive and amped up in big games, and ends up chasing pitches well out of the strike zone. They need to stop getting themselves out. Hopefully this will improve over time - but sooner rather than later.

[Baldkin]

Defense is obviously a problem, but the biggest issue is a lack of plate discipline. Even Braun - as talented as he is - gets way too aggressive and amped up in big games, and ends up chasing pitches well out of the strike zone. They need to stop getting themselves out. Hopefully this will improve over time - but sooner rather than later.

I hate to say it, but he's been doing this all year against whomever the Brewers play. There's a reason the guy hardly ever draws a walk, compared to most guys who hit as well as he does.

[bullox]

Does this team have enough sunflower seeds to make it? I don't know, with all the new callups, seeds might become scarce. Coffee might be a big one too, extra stress this time of year might bring Ned to up the intake a bit.

[Thurston Fluff]

This team will not advance in the playoffs, if God-willing they hold on. But I'm not gonna go off on the mental toughness or the managing, or any of that. The main reason I see them losing is the bullpen. I just can't see the bullpen other than Torres being able to buckle down and hold a lead.

 

As it stands they would face the Mets first round in the playoffs and they have a worse pen than we do. Yes the Mets have beat us twice in a row but we did the same to them earlier as well. Since the fifth starter is also effectively a bullpen guy throughout I don't think the pen is as big an issue in the playoffs. The first round the fourth and fifth guys are in it.

 

This team is fine. We are as close to the division lead as the closest wild card challenger is to us. The Cubs have the harder September schedule and are losers of 4 in a row. The Brewers could still end up with the best record in the league easier than they could end up out of the playoffs all together.

[dhoffman19]

@Baldkin:

 

Yep - but sometimes he's worse than others. Fortunately he has enough talent that he's still very successful.

 

He's hardly the only one though - Fielder, Weeks, Hart, and especially Hall all have the same issue. And it's not just the lack of walks and KOs that are a problem. It also leads to the pop-ups and tap-outs that come from hacking at bad pitches early in the count. This is really a big problem against control pitchers who can paint the corners, or have good breaking stuff.

[endaround]

Fielder? Its when you say things like that that people tend to think you are ranting.

[JoeHova]

I agree that the problem (as far as there is one offensively) is poor plate discipline. The Brewers are 2nd in the NL in slugging, home runs, and doubles, but 10th in walks. They don't do a good job of leveraging their power into favorable counts and free bases. Contrast that with the Cubs, who are first in slugging and doubles and also first in walks, or the the Phillies, who are first in home runs and 5th in walks.

 

I know it's been noted many times, but all of the Brewers good hitters (except Prince) are the same type of hitter- high SLG, low OBP. Braun, Hardy, Hart, Cameron, Hall, even Kapler are all similar types. Melvin tried to get a little help in the OBP department when he signed Kendall, but he's too washed up and has a below league average OBP this year. Couple the poor OBP from most of the lineup with the struggles of the 2 guys with Iso's of .100 or above (obviously Weeks is struggling more than Prince) and that's why the offense isn't more comparable to the Cubs. That said, it is a pretty good offense overall, 5th in the league in runs and only .05 runs per game from being 3rd.

[RU Rah Rah]

I'm not overly concerned, but the point is well taken. I also will wonder about their collective psyche a tiny bit if they continue to pound on the Nats and Pirates of the world but get smoked by the Cubs and Mets in these "potential playoff preview" games. Really, though, I don't think it's a huge deal -- you're bound to have a couple of hiccups along the way....

[cnycerveceros]

Everything gets magnified in September. Even when they were bad fans would look for the good things that happened late in the season and latch on to those as hopes for next year. If they were losing games in ways they hadn't previously this year, making mistakes they haven't made already, then maybe you could say something about 'mental toughness,' but these last two losses looked an awful lot like many of the 56 other games they've lost this season.

 

Edit: I just wanted to point out that I recognize this contradicts my very recent post in the vent thread. That's what the vent thread is for, right?

[Godspeed]

The problem with this team is that they don't win every game.

How dare they! It's almost as if they have no concept of 'Big Boy Time'.

[dhoffman19]

I know it's been noted many times, but all of the Brewers good hitters (except Prince) are the same type of hitter- high SLG, low OBP. Braun, Hardy, Hart, Cameron, Hall, even Kapler are all similar types.

Hall is a good hitter? I admit I like the guy (for some reason) but he's been pretty horrible for about a year and a half now. Yes, he once hit 35 home runs, but once the other teams figured out they didn't have to throw him strikes and he'd just get himself out, he was done for. He has good power and will take advantage of the occasional mistake pitch, but he's not a good hitter at all.

[brewmann04]

I have to say i don't believe this team from it manager down to some of the Coaches through their players have the Makeup to make the playoffs. Too Many Bone head plays and no dicpline

[bullox]

I have to say i don't believe this team from it manager down to some of the Coaches through their players have the Makeup to make the playoffs. Too Many Bone head plays and no dicpline

So if they do make the playoffs, does that makeup change? I don't know how someone could either have or not have the makeup to make the playoffs. It is a team game, if the team as a whole does well enough to make the playoffs, that is all that matters. It's that simple.

[JoeHova]

Hall is a good hitter? I admit I like the guy (for some reason) but he's been pretty horrible for about a year and a half now. Yes, he once hit 35 home runs, but once the other teams figured out they didn't have to throw him strikes and he'd just get himself out, he was done for. He has good power and will take advantage of the occasional mistake pitch, but he's not a good hitter at all.

I knew someone would point out that Hall is bad, but how bad he is wasn't my point so I included him. He's still the same kind of hitter as the other guys.