5/13/06 Mets (Gonzalez) @ Brewers (Eveland), 6:05 PM CST

[undertow67]

And it's retro day as well...we all know how that goes.

 

 

Plus... they'll be swinging Pink bats. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif

 

*sarcasm*

[Sheets4theHOF]

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The thing that upsets me is Geoff Jenkins. Why is it that when he gets 2 strikes on him, I (along with some of you probably too) assume a K is on the horizon? I just am discouraged by his overall effort up there at the plate at times. If the Yankees want him to replace Matsui, just dump him. Free up that salary for next season even if you get squat in return. Please Melvin, make this move. Let Hart/Cruz/Gross man RF for us.

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Good god. Of all the ppl to blame tonight. You know Prince struck out against wagner too and jenks drove in just as many as him too.

[adambr2]

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I was just going to post that this was a very encouraging game! I don't think it was the most disappointing loss by any stretch. The team of fighters and gamers kept playing tough until the end. The Mets have one of the best records in the NL, and to come back from an 8-4 deficit is pretty darn good! I'm very ticked that FSN didn't have this game on. Midday games, I can understand not having on....but a Saturday night, and especially after the thing sells out! Sad. We'll make it 2 of 3 tomorrow.

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Well, by that argument, we could say the loss to Houston is very encouraging too, since we fought our way back in that one.

 

It's disappointing to me because we had a chance to get it done, and we didn't do it. You can't really justify a loss by saying it was to a good team when you had your chances to win. A loss is a loss, whether it's to the Mets or the Marlins. Getting back into games is great, but if you can't finish the job, what good does it do? A 9-8 loss is no different from a 9-0 loss. We can scrap our way back into 50 games this season, but that doesn't make a bit of a difference if we go 70-92.

 

The other discouraging thing to me is the fact that every time we get a chance to get back into the thick of things, we let it slip away. Had a good shot to make up some ground in the Central today, instead we find ourselves under .500 again. It doesn't look, at this point, that we are going to do much more during the first half than hover around .500. Plus the game reinforced 3 troubling things to me:

 

1) We can't hit with runners in scoring position. I don't know what the AVG was today, but I'm sure it wasn't good.

 

2) Our bullpen absolutely stinks. 2 guys with a 8+ ERA, along with Demaria and Lehr? That's just scary, and not in a good way.

 

3) Starting pitching is in very serious trouble right now. With 2 starters out, we're basically just trying to tread water at the moment.

 

This is why today's loss was so frustrating to me. This month has been absolutely brutal thus far, and all the sugarcoating in the world isn't going to change that.

[bucksman4]

Good god. Of all the ppl to blame tonight. You know Prince struck out against wagner too and jenks drove in just as many as him too.

 

 

I didn't blame him for tonight's outcome. This Jenkins stuff has been building up in me for awhile and tonight is just another example of no clutch hitting from him and a total lack of being able to hit with 2 strikes. This man is not designed for playoff baseball. Playoff baseball is about hitting with men on base, hitting with RISP, hitting with 2 strikes to tough opposing pitching, and being able to come through in the 3-hole for your team. I'm sorry for having this opinion, but as far as I can tell, I haven't said anything that could be taken as ONLY my opinion and not raw fact.

[craigharmann]

You forgot to blame Turnbow for making the pitch to LoDuca. There's plenty of blame to go around. All I was saying is that when Brewer teams in the past may not have always put forth the effort to fight back, these guys stayed with it til the end. When it comes down to it, you can blame the bullpen, blame Jenks, blame whoever you want. EVERYONE who was involved in playing the game tonight lost. Same way with every loss.

[Sheets4theHOF]

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I'm sorry for having this opinion, but as far as I can tell, I haven't said anything that could be taken as ONLY my opinion and not raw fact.

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Well I'm of the opinion that for some reason jenks gets blamed whenever possible and when he does have a good game gets little to no credit.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I find it tough to blame the offense when they put 8 runs on the board. Yeah they failed in "this situation" and "that situation", but 8 runs should be enough to win.

[bucksman4]

Well I'm of the opinion that for some reason jenks gets blamed whenever possible and when he does have a good game gets little to no credit.

 

 

I respect that opinion. I'm waiting for the day when I can praise Jenkins after he comes clutch with a big hit to help us win a game. I don't recall the last time he did that though. I've been ready to give Jenks credit for awhile, but in reality, he doesn't have the approach to come through when the game is on the line.

[craigharmann]

In looking at the box score for the game tonight, blame needs to go to:

Rickie Weeks for leaving 3 men on base

Bill Hall for leaving 3 men on base

Prince Fielder for leaving 2 men on base

Corey Koskie for leaving 2 men on base

Damian Miller for leaving 2 men on base

Jeff Cirillo for leaving 1 man on base

 

Extra blame to Weeks, Miller and Hall for each leaving 2 on with 2 outs and Koskie for leaving 1 on with 2 outs

 

Dana Eveland for giving up 6 ER and 3 BB in his 1st major league start? (I know it's not his first appearance, but I believe 1st start)

DeMaria for giving up 2 ER

Turnbow for giving up the HR

 

Jenkins went 1-5 with an RBI and scored a run...no one left on base.

[jloos19]

Didn't Jenkins hit a 3 run double with 2 outs yesterday to give us a 4-3 lead? I consider that pretty clutch.

[undertow67]

Jenkins had a huge 3-run double with 2 outs and the bases loaded in the 5th inning yesterday that sparked the brewers come from behind victory. A fact that was easily lost with Prince's two homer day.

[gobrew23]

OK, I'm going to have to side with bucksman4 here. I don't think he was blaming the loss on Jenkins, but come on. He has not been getting hits when he needs to, especially being the #3 hitter.

 

I totally agree that dumping Jenkins so that we have the money to resign Lee is the right move. I honestly do not think that we will lose all that much offensively by moving Fielder to the 3 spot and plugging in Hart / Cruz in right field.

 

EDIT: I know Jenkins has had a few clutch hits and I love him as a life-long Brewer, but most people realize that it is going to be Jenkins or Lee, and I would much rather have Lee.

[craigharmann]

The whole point is, it's May and roles are still being defined and the team is still coming together. They're a young team and will be up and down. Blame can go to whoever you want, but you still have to keep in perspective that this team down the road is going to be a force. They're not going to make the clutch hits in every situation, make the right pitches all the time. Last time I checked, there hasn't been a team that went 162-0. There's going to be losses....big ones, and close ones.

[bucksman4]

Didn't Jenkins hit a 3 run double with 2 outs yesterday to give us a 4-3 lead? I consider that pretty clutch.

 

 

If you're in the opinion that he is the RF that will carry us to playoff baseball in the future, I would respectfully disagree. He is not a 3-hitter, for starters. Your 3-hitter is supposed to be the best hitter on your team. He's supposed to be your best contact hitter and someone who will not go silent for weeks and have little spurts of brilliance that last for a few days and then wither away. I'm sorry but looking at things objectively, he does in fact deserve blame for the start that he has had this season. He is indeed one of the most overpaid everyday players in the big leagues at almost $8 million for the production or lack thereof that he gives this team.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I don't think any ONE player is going to "carry us to the playoff". Each batter can only bat 4-5 times a game. And Jenkins did hit a 3 run double with 2 outs to put them ahead yesterday, which I consider pretty clutch.

[gobrew23]

I'll repeat again that I love Jenkins before I say this, but everyone keeps bringing up Jenkins 3-run double yesterday and saying he's clutch. This is only one example and I cannot think of very many more in recent memory.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I'll repeat again that I love Jenkins before I say this, but everyone keeps bringing up Jenkins 3-run double yesterday and saying he's clutch. This is only one example and I cannot think of very many more in recent memory.

 

I was simply responding to a poster who said he hasn't been clutch at all lately.

[bucksman4]

I don't think any ONE player is going to "carry us to the playoff".

 

Please, do not make me sound dumb here by misconstruing my words. I asked if he was the Right Fielder that would be able to lead us into the playoffs at whatever point that may be? I have made my points very clear. I'm saying that he does not provide us with enough with his bat to 1) deserve what he's being paid and 2) to hit in the 3-spot with the on again/off again production that he has been so known to provide. Frankly, that $8 million can be better spent in myriads of different ways next year rather than to give it to Jenkins.

[gobrew23]

RoCoBrewfan,

 

Sorry, I was not directing my comment at you. I was just responding to many of the previous posts. I don't want you to think that I was attacking you.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Please, do not make me sound dumb here by misconstruing my words. I asked if he was the Right Fielder that would be able to lead us into the playoffs at whatever point that may be?

 

Why does the rightfielder need to "lead them to the playoffs"? I'm not sure what I'm missing here. I expect by the end of the year, Jenks will probably be around .275-.285, with 25 homers, and 90 some RBI. Probably an OPS of .800 or above, with 130 or so K's. Is that overpaid at 8 mil? It may or may not be. But he's not going to keep us out of the playoffs at that rate of production.

[DuWayne Steurer]

RoCoBrewfan,

 

Sorry, I was not directing my comment at you. I was just responding to many of the previous posts. I don't want you to think that I was attacking you.

 

I certainly did not feel like that was an "attack" post, it was a legitimate question, in all honesty.

[undertow67]

If last season taught me anything, it's not to panic if Jenkins starts off slowly. Without looking at his career stats, I think it's safe to say he's a second half hitter. If he's not Mashing in July, Aug., and Sept., I'll agree that he's having a disappointing season. But until then I think he's earned the benifit of the doubt.

[bucksman4]

If last season taught me anything, it's not to panic if Jenkins starts off slowly. Without looking at his career stats, I think it's safe to say he's a second half hitter. If he's not Mashing in July, Aug., and Sept., I'll agree that he's having a disappointing season. But until then I think he's earned the benifit of the doubt.

 

 

My point is that I do not think it is too much to ask that Jenkins put together more than just one good half to the season. I want my 3-hitter to put together an entire season of production. One half of the season is not good enough. My point is that if a player eats up as much of the payroll as Jenkins does, its not out of the realm of thinking that I would expect more than .275/25HR/80-90RBI. My opinion is that money can be better spent on talent who will do more throughout the entire season to warrant that pay. Pay Carlos Lee and bring in another SP.

[jdbrew]

This has to be one of the more depressing losses I've ever attended... however...

 

I can't help but feel overly optimistic. We may lose tomorrow and drop two games under .500, but I really honestly believe that we're about the 4th or 5th best team in the National League. I was doubtful for awhile, but after Friday and tonight, I'm dead sure about that. We are going to go on a tear and absolutely rip up Philly and Minnesota, after that, let's hope the pitching gets back in order and we learn to win on the road.

 

Milwaukee is a baseball town again... for those who weren't there Friday and tonight, I can only sympathize. This team deserves 40,000 for every single weekend game.

[DuWayne Steurer]

My opinion is that money can be better spent on talent who will do more throughout the entire season to warrant that pay. Pay Carlos Lee and bring in another SP.

 

The same Carlos Lee that crapped out in the 2nd half last year? I just find it odd that as you're saying you want a guy who will hit all year, you say "pay Carlos Lee" in the same sentence, when after the all star break last year he hit .262 with 10 homers and a .746 OPS.