What impact will the new coaches have on this team?

[RobDeer 45]

I'm just wondering what the general concensious is on what the new managers will bring to the table. I'm excited to have two managers on the bench with Macha and Randolph. I think that could end up being a nice combination. I'm curious how Castro will be as the pitching coach now. What are your thoughts?

[zzzmanwitz]

I'm hoping Randolph will have some positive effect on Rickie Weeks. Both at the plate and in the field. I'm not sure what impact Macha will have, i'm not that familiar with his style of managing.

[MNBrew]

I'm not sure what impact Macha will have, i'm not that familiar with his style of managing.

What style is that? Sensible & logical?

 

Sorry. I liked Yost. But I had to ask in that way given his propensity for moves that made little sense.

[BrewCrewForever]

I really hope Randolph can take Weeks under his wing and get him to perform to his potential or close to it.

 

I think Macha will make smart moves and get the most out of his players. I don't think the players will be as tense now that Yost is gone. Overall I love our staff more this year then any year in recent memory. From Macha at the head down to bullpen coach Stan Kyles.

[davego]

I don't know the best way to put this, but I'd like to see the 'Crew have more of a 'team concept' to hitting. For example, all the hitters go the other way on a certain pitch or in a certain count. Things like that. A theme that sort of links the hitters together (understanding that most of hitting is an individual art).

[MNBrew]

I like the gist of your point, davego, but I give it one more twist: "Team concept" approach to hitting makes total sense. I don't agree with the idea of a total team "theme" to hitting, at least not as far as always making the same play on certain counts, etc.

 

But I love the idea of a "team first" approach to hitting -- not always playing small ball, per se, but always doing absolutely whatever it takes to help the team succeed. Blending the strengths of the players' "natural" approaches and the savviness to consistently take a smart approach and do the "right" thing when needed would elevate our offense to an entirely different level of effectiveness and potency.

 

The Brewers lost a lot of their effectiveness and so many guys were trying to win the game with one swing. Trying to "play hero" often renders one incapable of actually doing so. See the ball. Don't swing at balls. Put a good swing on the ball and drive it where it's pitched. If only the Brewers didn't collectively forget how to do that the last month of the season!

[jwill535]

I dont think there will be any visible effects on players. Baseball is the one sport where coaches, especially at this level tend to have to least amount of effect on players, other then maybe pitchers. Game management will be the biggest impact that will be seen, whether it be good or bad.

[rluzinski]

I think if managers and coaches do have an positive effect on player performance, teams must be terrible at measuring it. What else explains that basically every manager and coach is hired to be fired? It would be like releasing Pujols if the Cardinals won 40 games one season.

[brewtank34]

MNBrew wrote:

The Brewers lost a lot of their effectiveness and so many guys were trying to win the game with one swing. Trying to "play hero" often renders one incapable of actually doing so. See the ball. Don't swing at balls. Put a good swing on the ball and drive it where it's pitched. If only the Brewers didn't collectively forget how to do that the last month of the season!

MN...I couldn't agree with you more on this. We have unbelievable talent on our team, and for it to be lost on the whole of the team trying "to be the hero" like you said was our main downfall last year....this one reason got us in so many of our offensive slumps. These guys are professional hitters and for them not to be able to get a bat on the ball is crazy to me....you don't even have to swing that hard...let the bat do the work.

 

Example: Ryan Braun's on first and Fielder is up...the defense has that major shift on. Are you serious Prince? You can't just swack at the ball or even bunt it over to the 3rd base side to get get Braunny in scoring position for Hart to drive him in? Instead, how many times did we see a ground out to the first baseman or mid-range outfielder, AKA, the 2B as you are trying to knock the cover off the ball?

 

That's just one example....If Macha can get these guys to start playing smart "team" ball, I think we will score a sizeable amount more runs than Yost's regime resulting in more runs support for our average pitching staff.

 

 

(fixed code --1992)

[MNBrew]

One of my dad's best tips on the golf course, where micromanaging every element of the swing becomes all too natural, is, "let the big muscles do the work." In other words, the body knows how to do this. Get out of its way and let it do it.

 

It was so cool when Braun was finally healthy enough in those few clutch end-of-September moments to let his talent take over and win those couple ballgames. That's how memories get made -- not micromanaging all the little muscles. The whole state won't forget those HRs anytime soon.

[brewtank34]

i hate to say it, but the Crew offense should watch a little bit of the 2008 Cubs....I enjoyed watching them move the runners over into scoring position and then taking advantage.

 

I'm really hoping Sveum what he's doing. At least we know that the guys respect him and will listen to him.... Hey Dale, please help Rickie find his swing!

[Never Outhustled]

I don't usually think a hitting coach has much of an impact, but Bill Hall's regression coincided with the term of Jim Skaalen. Hopefully a new voice, combined with lasik, can get Hall back on track. Nothing would change the Brewers more than having the 2005-2006 Bill Hall at 3B. That would be our biggest addition in years.

[JohnBriggs12]

I could have gotten rich on predicting a blast by the opponents hitter that followed a Mike Maddux visit to the mound. Hopefully, Castro says something other than "just let em hit it."

[Patrick425]

MNBrew[/b]]But I love the idea of a "team first" approach to hitting -- not always playing small ball, per se, but always doing absolutely whatever it takes to help the team succeed...

 

The Brewers lost a lot of their effectiveness and so many guys were trying to win the game with one swing...

I completely agree with all of this myself. To me a lot of this has to do with the big contracts players get now, including arbitration. When they sit down at the table to discuss contracts and settle arbitration disputes, I don't think a lot of time is spent looking at how good players were at moving players over in late inning tight game situations. Most of the emphasis is on power numbers and run scoring.

 

Also, like someone else mentioned, why don't these guys that have big shifts put on them learn how to bunt more effectively? I know I would. You do that a couple of time successfully and it will make teams think twice about putting a shift on you. As much as fans like to see HRs, I think they would really enjoy seeing their player lay down a bunt down the 3rd base line to mess up the other teams shift.

 

edit: Also, I completely forgot that the Brewers added Randolph as a coach.

[brewers4eric]

The names in the lineup haven't changed much since last year, but it will be interesting to see how Macha aligns the batting order. Yost seemed very rigid, but I also didn't agree with the move that Sveum made when he led off with Mike Cameron. The team is still built for the three run bomb, but I wonder where Macha will put Hart, Hall, and Weeks based on his initial impressions from spring training.
Bill Castro is likely to have the biggest impact as a coach. The bullpen roles outside of closer are up for grabs and the talent in the rotation lacks experience outside of what is provided by Jeff Suppan. Macha got the closer that he wanted, but he will need to lean on Castro and Kyles and their familiarity with the other pitchers in the system over the long haul.

[Oldcity]

i hate to say it, but the Crew offense should watch a little bit of the 2008 Cubs....I enjoyed watching them move the runners over into scoring position and then taking advantage.

The Cubs didn't really do this as much as they just got on base at a great rate. I don't know how much of an effect coaches can have on player performance, but I was at least encouraged to hear Macha mention OBP multiple times within the first week he was hired.

[pg44]

Hopefully Sveum's reputed old-school no-nonsense approach will get some of these guys to shorten up with two-strikes, hit behind the runner occassionally, and do various other things that winning teams do.

[logan82]

I doubt it has any effect at all. However I do think that all our young players that had a down year in 2008 will rebound and the coaching staff will get undeserved credit.

[Ennder]

I think Yost was a below average manager so I expect them to bring us an additional 0-6 wins, that is using the assumption that the manager can be worth somewhere between -3 and +3 wins overall which is just an off the hip guess on my part.

 

I don't know the coaches well enough to really say what difference it will make from an emotional, motivational etc standpoint.

[GormanHarvey]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/40441937.html

 

Here's a link from the jsonline blog about Counsell's new stance and how Sveum has convinced him to lower his hands. Obviously the early returns haven been fantastic. I'm excited about having a hitting coach with a new approach - especially one that isn't afraid to tell player's like it is and get them to change some things if what they are currently going with isn't working. I have been saying ever since Counsell joined the Brewers the first time around that someone needs to do something with that stance of his because obviously it hasn't been working for some time. Any thoughts on Dale's approach to hitting now that we have played a few ST games (I know its early)?

[BREWCREW5]

I have been saying ever since Counsell joined the Brewers the first time around that someone needs to do something with that stance of his because obviously it hasn't been working for some time. Any thoughts on Dale's approach to hitting now that we have played a few ST games (I know its early)?

Counsell has been in the big leagues a very long time and has always had that batting stance. Numberous coaches have tried to change it, but he always seems to go back to what works and what is comfortable for him.

[logan82]

Counsell also tried to change his stance a few(maybe last year) years back. They tried changing Halls stance last year as well. Just because a stance is change means nothing. Hitting coaches try changing player's stances all the time. Some work, some don't.

[GormanHarvey]

Counsell also tried to change his stance a few(maybe last year) years back. They tried changing Halls stance last year as well. Just because a stance is change means nothing. Hitting coaches try changing player's stances all the time. Some work, some don't.

It was last year, but it sounds like this years change is pretty dramatic (I have yet to see it). Halls problem is more approach than anything - he needs to watch film of 2006 and realize how much power he has to RF and what a blessing it is. I hear what you are saying. I was just kind of trying to strike up some conversation. Sveum just seems to have the demeanor it takes to be a hitting coach and obviously the players respect him. I for one think coaching can still have a strong impact, even at this level. Sometimes it just takes a new set of eyes

[craigharmann]

he needs to watch film of 2006 and realize how much power he has to RF and what a blessing it is.

Or specifically the Mother's Day game where the pink bat homer happened. Where did it go? RF

[areacodes]

Hopefully Sveum's reputed old-school no-nonsense approach will get some of these guys to shorten up with two-strikes, hit behind the runner occassionally, and do various other things that winning teams do.

Weren't we a winning team the last two years?

 

I'm excited about having a hitting coach with a new approach - especially one that isn't afraid to tell player's like it is and get them to change some things if what they are currently going with isn't working.

This season will be Sveum's 4th season with the Brewers as a coach so it is not like it would be new for the players to hear his opinion on baseball related matters. Now I understand that he was the 3B coach and the bench coach before but I can't imagine a player not being willing to listen to his advice about hitting because he's the 3B coach or the players all of a sudden embracing his knowledge because of a change in title.