The Gagne Era Should End

[holybannana]

Is he approaching a record for HR/Inning in MLB? It's amazing how many HR's he's given up this year. I can't imagine he's in MLB next year or every again.

[sbrylski]

Is he approaching a record for HR/Inning in MLB? It's amazing how many HR's he's given up this year. I can't imagine he's in MLB next year or every again.

4th in HR/9 among relievers with more than 30 innings in 2008.

1st in HR/FB.

[Yaz]

Gagne's confidence is shot. And it's no help that the HOME fans don't make it any easier for him. He's had a terrible season. I think he realizes it and is trying to work through it. But when he is announced and has to make his way to the mound with almost the entire 40k+ crowd booing I can imagine he probably wishes he were somewhere else. I bet Turnbow felt the same way.

 

Beat the dog while it's down. (shaking head)

[craigharmann]

Gagne is washed up. I don't like the booing before he throws a pitch. As was said before, he's on our team, for better or worse, and the fans need to encourage him and hope for the best. He shouldn't be on the playoff roster, if the Brewers make it to the playoffs.

[BrewCrewForever]

I would never boo him while he is coming into a game. That is pretty low. But after he gave up the HR, I booed inside my mind at home. It was the last straw in my opinion.

[brucrustu]

I never will understand how booing Eric was going to help us win. A dope in front of me was turned around waving for the crowd to boo louder(!!??); how pathetic. I want to WIN and so does he I'll bet.

The problem isn't that he's a below average guy in a below average bullpen. The problem is the brewers are not scoring any runs so the margin of error is very small.

[JJHardy7]

I bet Turnbow felt the same way.

 

Booing any poor performing overpaid player is not good, but Turnbow did things that Gagne never did -- actually had some success in Milwaukee. Booing Turnbow still makes me sick since he was good in Milwaukee even though some tend to forget that. Gagne has stunk up most of the year and really never been anything close to what Turnbow was the past few years (not including this year). The thing that worries me about Gagne (and to a certain extent Melvin) is that they invested all this money in him and he's nowhere near a good pitcher. Did they screw up the scouting report? Or was it a quick rush like hey let's get Gagne before his price goes up? I guess I don't understand how they could be that off on a pitcher and that worries me since we probably will be looking to acquire another starter this off-season.

 

I think to a certain degree Melvin is a pretty good GM for position players and finding diamonds in the rough, but I don't think he's really ever had a true free agent pitcher pan out (I might be missing somebody). And by a true free agent pitcher I'm talking about money and players teams want.

[RockCoCougars]

He's washed up. Done. And yes, he is stealing, though the team was stupid enough to give him the contract they did (same with Riske). Yost needs to handle him like Trebelhorn handled Cecil Cooper in 1987.

[tosabrewfan]

I'm not thrilled with the booing, but don't you think booing him before he gives up the run indicates to Ned that 40,000 people think he is making the wrong decision in bringing Gagne into the game? If the fans only booed after Gagne inevitably blows the lead the argument would be "hindsight is 20/20. Either way, continuing to use Gagne isn't going to change the fact that the Brewers blew 10 million on a terrible relief pitcher, however, it may mean that Gagne's actual cost will be 10 million + the 2008 Brewers playoff chances. If the fact that Gagne was booed before he gave up the lead at all persuades Ned not to use him in the future, then I'm all for it (and no, I don't think the manager should manage to the fans, but I do think that everyone in the stadium knows that Gagne is garbage this year). Maybe Craig Counsell can tell Ned that Gagne should be put on mop up duty - mopping up the clubhouse after wins he wasn't able to blow.

[holybannana]

Stealing is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's freely-given consent.

 

He isn't stealing anything. Is he ripping them off? Yeah. But stealing? Hardly.

 

Anyways, booing him is absolutely stupid. You shouldn't boo your own team in your own home unless they aren't trying, are making ridiculous mistakes over and over and have been doing these things for awhile. I mean, it's your ticket and you can do with it what you want. But don't act like this team has been good over the last 19019038492348 years and expectations are always high. We have one of the very best teams in baseball and we should enjoy it because it isn't going to last forever.

 

I don't remember the Packers being booed at home.

[Postseason2006]

If 10 million dollars is not stealing for what Gagne has done, I would like someone to tell me what stealing is? 37.1 IP w/ 44 hits, 11 homers, 20 walks, and 7 blown saves. He has an ERA of 6.69. 10 million dollars? The contract Melvin gave him was absolutely absurb and was thievery.

 

The guy was a trainwreck signing especially with the HGH clout already hanging over his head before the announcement came. He was down right brutal to end last year's season and I still have no idea what anyone in Brewers management was doing at the end of last year.

[JJHardy7]

I don't remember the Packers being booed at home.

 

IIRC, I think the Packers were booed more than once since Favre joined and I think one time was at halftime of game that the Packers were supposed blowout, but were losing...and Holmgren was the coach. It was few and far between, but it has happened.

 

If 10 million dollars is not stealing for what Gagne has done, I would like someone to tell me what stealing is? 37.1 IP w/ 44 hits, 11 homers, 20 walks, and 7 blown saves. He has an ERA of 6.69. 10 million dollars? The contract Melvin gave him was absolutely absurb and was thievery.

 

It is not stealing. Look up the definition. Put it this way -- whatever you do for a career or plan to do -- if you were offered more money than you were worth and you knew it was guaranteed would you pass it up? I sure as hell wouldn't.

 

I think if anything close to making this 'funny' or accusing anyone of things I think Melvin donated to the Eric Gagne charity and the charity accepted. I really think that playing Gagne isn't a 100% Yost decision...at least I hope not. Gagne pitching before September 1st was one thing, but now it's just dumb. The only time when Gagne is the best option is in a 152 inning game where every pitcher and possible position player can no longer make a throw from the mound to the plate.

[jeffy]

If anyone deserves boos and scorn, it's the manager that keeps throwing him out there when games are still in the balance.

 

How does one specify that their "boo" is for Ned's idiotic decision?

 

To me booing as the guy comes into the game is booing the decision.

[bullox]

If 10 million dollars is not stealing for what Gagne has done, I would like someone to tell me what stealing is?

He's going out there and working, just not doing it well. It wouldn't even be stealing if he was hurt all year and didn't pitch.

 

Steal:

 

to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right, esp. secretly or by force: A pickpocket stole his watch.

He has permission, thus this is not stealing.

[Postseason2006]

You are right it is not a felonous act, but you also left out the definition as such, v. To gain by insinuating arts or covert means.

[homer]

So if Gagne was making $350,000 would he still be stealing?

[mothershipconnection]

He's washed up. Done. And yes, he is stealing,

 

If his results were due to HGH, and his failures are because of quitting HGH, but the team did not know he had drugs to credit for his success, I guess the argument could be made that he fraudulently obtained the contract.

[fleehaw]

Hunger Task Force to Donate Money to Eric Gagne

For much of the year, Brewers relief pitcher, Eric Gagne, has teamed up with a Milwaukee area law firm to donate over $100,000 to the Hunger Task Force. In a recent turn of events, the Hunger Task Force stated that they would be giving money and supplies to the Gagne family. Executive director, Sherrie Tussler, was quoted as saying, "With the way he's pitched, he's clearly going to be out of a job next year, and could use our help."

[bullox]

You are right it is not a felonous act, but you also left out the definition as such, v. To gain by insinuating arts or covert means.

Look. The guy has a contract to pitch. The contract doesn't say he has to have a 2.00 ERA. The Brewers are paying him by choice. I can't believe you are still arguing this, and I can't believe I am either frankly.

[2008 world champs]

This has become a very interesting thread with so many different things to touch on

 

For starters, I, like another poster in the thread, have defended Gagne to friends and family since his signing. I figured he must turn it around enough to post an era at least in the mid 4's and if he didn't, the contract was only one year long. That began to change when he blew it against the mets and then proceeded to come in and record 3 hard outs the next time out. Last night was the final straw for me. Gagne should be behind everyone in the pen besides de felice in my opinion. This isn't a knock on defelice but the defelice fast ball makes me cringe as well...I digress...

 

I was at the game last night. Heck of a ball game thank you Gagne for having the home run go one section over from were i was seated in my first experience ever in the bleachers.I was one of a handful that DID NOT boo at all even though i wanted to. Booing upon entry in the game is terrible. Maybe he worked his tail off and came up with something that will work...but yet, we don't know that and insist on booing before we find out. he gives up the homer, ok i can see some booing. however, wouldnt it be more encouraging for fans to just be silent about it and then root him on. my whole section was booing him like crazy and as soon as the next batter stepped up i was clappin and cheering him on. he is a milwaukee brewer people for better or worse. Accept it! I know he is disappointing, and ned's usage is disappointing but booing isnt going to give him his 98 mph heater and nasty off speed stuff.

 

Solution...Don;t DFA him. that would be silly in my opinion. Gagne barring a miracle should not be on the post season roster however becasue so many guys should beat him out. Gallardo*fingers crossd* mota , shouse, riske, torres, dillard, stetter.. gagne has work to do. Therefore, I look at it like this. Since GAgne has been nothing but classy in this community, why not be the great fans i know this city has. CHEER...at least when he comes in the game...i am sure he is smart enoguh to understand boos because of current performance, but i am sure he loses faith coming in to loud boos..louder boos then barry bonds ever got , or any chicago cub. just plain sad brewer fans...

 

Note... i know 90% of this board knows the proper time to boo and cheer and are very knowledgable fans. Hopefully this can reach that other 10% that lurks around here.

[Never Outhustled]

Gagne should be released to clear a spot for Joe Bateman. Bateman pitched his butt off in the minors to earn this oppurtunity, and should be rewarded. Bateman could be the next Cla Meridith, Chad Bradford, or Brad Ziegler. We already know what Gane is, a soon to be retired baseball player.

[jeffy]

booing isnt going to give him his 98 mph heater and nasty off speed stuff.

 

Do you really think cheering is? Then again, maybe if the cheer were something like "Hey Gagne Hey"...perhaps it'd work.

[fondybrewfan]

Well we already paid most of Gagne's salary already so their isn't much to lose by just releasing him now. It would take the decision away from Ned. Gagne can be so good but he can blow up so fast we can't really pitch him if it is a close game. I am sure it wasn't exactly a confidence booster when he got booed coming out of the bullpen but I am not so sure I wouldn't have booed if I was their as well. My boo would have been 50/50 at Ned and Gagne. The fact that Ned pitches Gagne despite Mota's impressive performance of late is kind of mind boggling. If we do make the playoffs who the heck do we take as relievers? Torres, Shouse, and Mota are probably locks. I would think Stetter would be a safe bet, and if Gallardo is healthy I would put him in the bullpen as well. With all the offdays in the playoffs and the fact that at least one of Dave Bush and Manny Parra would be in the bullpen that would be enough to me. Riske and Gagne should not be on the playoff roster under any circumstances. Can you imagine Yost putting Gagne in with a 2 run lead in Game 7 and then he blows it? I would freaking go berserk.

[Teatoe993]

I really hope that Gagne gets his release before the postseason starts (if we even make it). God knows what creative things Yost will do with Gagne as an option in the pen during the playoffs.

[naivin]

mothershipconnection wrote:

If his results were due to HGH, and his failures are because of quitting HGH, but the team did not know he had drugs to credit for his success, I guess the argument could be made that he fraudulently obtained the contract.

The only flaw with that argument would be the suggestion that the team didn't know. Of course they knew. The whole world knew.