Time for Macha to erupt

[wisconsinfan47]

When I read this thread title I thought it was implying that Macha should pick a nice borderline call to argue and pump up the team. I'd be more in favor of that, especially if it happened at Miller Park.

 

Pitchers who are not throwing strikes are the last group I want the manager yelling at. That part is for us as fans. It makes us feel better. If control problems exist into May and June and not just now as a part of a regular April (thanks for the insight Ennder), then lets call on Castro and co. to work on nthe guys' mechanics.

[crewcrazy]

I agree that manager eruptions don't seem to work all that often. Sure, they look nice and will placate the fans for a few games, but you're just as likely to get an adverse reaction as you are the desired effect. I guess I don't understand what guys like Macha and Castro are supposed to say other than "throw strikes!" -- isn't that what Kendall likely tells Parra & Co. already when he comes out to the mound in the middle of an AB?

 

The Brewers have played a tough schedule so far and as Ennder said, they're far from the only team struggling with walks right now. This team was in the game until Julio imploded. This team is still better than most in the National League...things will get better.

[drezdn]

The show "Sports Science" actually tried to test whether players do better with their manager or coach yelling at them or encouraging them. It wasn't that scientific but the player actually hit more free throws when they were yelled at after every shot. So Macha just needs to stand next to the pitchers while they're going and yell at them to throw strikes.

[Invader3K]

I really have no doubt Macha has chewed the team out a bit, especially after a game like last night. Just because he hasn't done it in front of the cameras doesn't mean there hasn't been some yelling or chair throwing, or whatever.

[Thurston Fluff]

I don't know how I feel about the helpfulness of an "eruption"; I'm more upset that Doug and/or Mark A thought this staff as presently constituted was worthy of making a run in these precious few years we're gonna have the majority of our young offensive guns (I know, I know...).

 

I think they thought this staff could be as good or better than the one in 07 who had Sheets, Cappuano, Soup, Bush and Vargas as a rotation. One that helped the Brewers win 84 games with an offense and defense inferior to what this one should be. I think they all knew it wouldn't be a great staff but, combined with the offensive and defensive improvement of their every day lineup, it should be able to win more than the 84 in 07. If they can't I'd have to start to question how much of an improvement it was to change the coaching staff.

All in all I suspect Ennder is right and this is just an early season anomaly. This is a serviceable pitching staff that is going through a rough stretch. In the end it is a mid to upper 80's win type of team and,barring injuries will have 85ish wins.

 

As far as blowing up I don't think anyone in any profession responds well to getting yelled at in public. Any short term gain it might induce is mitigated by long term resentment.

[TSack27]

When I read this thread title I thought it was implying that Macha should pick a nice borderline call to argue and pump up the team. I'd be more in favor of that, especially if it happened at Miller Park.

Shouldn't be too hard to find a call to argue with the way the strikezone has been called so far this season. I know it's not cool to blame it on the umps, but when announcers for both the Brewers and their opponents (and the "neutral" Sunday night game) are questioning where a pitched missed when it was a strike for the other team earlier in the game it seems to be cause for frustration. Frustration that I've seen manifest itself on the relatively reserved faces of Suppan and Gallardo, not to mention the guys that wear their emotions on the sleeve. When they aren't getting the calls on the corners, they have to bring it into the middle of the plate if they don't want to give up another walk (how many times have a string of BBs been followed by an extra base hit this year?).

 

How many times have posters in the IGT watching on online ask those watching on WMLW where that pitch missed, cuz Gameday has it well within the strikezone? I don't really want to see pitchers throw pitches for the sake of throwing BP strikes. I'm hoping that the strike zones become more consistent, and if not, then let Macha erupt!

[GormanHarvey]

Nothing wrong with a little "kick in the butt" once in awhile. We can all use one every so often; regardless of our line of work or play. And nobody said it has to take place in public. Maybe it has already taken place behind closed doors, but usually the fans hear about that one way or another so I'm guessing it really hasn't happened just yet.

[Diskono]

When I read this thread title I thought it was implying that Macha should pick a nice borderline call to argue and pump up the team. I'd be more in favor of that, especially if it happened at Miller Park.

If there is one thing I miss about Ned, it is the dirt kicking and his 360 swear move.

[Spidey]

I was erupting AT Macha last night when he brought in Julio. The Brewers had just came back to within 2 runs, and you go to Julio? Are you kidding me. Even I could see the disaster waiting to happen. (although I expected a homer after a few walks). I don't care if Julio hadn't pitched in 9 days or whatever, he did not deserve to be in at that time and Macha shouldn't have called on him. As for walks being higher in April than other months, I don't care if KC, or the Mets, or the Braves are walking lots of batters right now, I don't want the Brewers to do it, I expect more from them.

[MJLiverock]

The problem with saying everyone walks people in April still doesn't account for how bad the Brewers staff has been. Even though "everyone" (well except the 22 teams walking at least 1 batter less than the Brewers) walks batters in April the Brewers are still dead last in all of baseball for BB/9 at 5.2 and dead last in all of baseball at K/BB at 1.31.

 

For the entire 2008 season the MLB average was 3.4 BB/9 and 17 teams met or had lower than that average number. So far in 2009 the average for all of MLB is 3.9 BB/9 with 17 teams at 3.9 or better. So basically this everyone is walking guys has resulted in .5 BBs per 9 over last year's full season total. The Brewers are walking 1.3 BB/9 more than average so they are significantly worse.

 

MLB pitchers have faced 15,620 batters and walked 1,536 (not including intentional) or about 9.8% of batters. The Brewers have faced 515 batters and walked 65 or 12.6%, again the Brewers are much worse than average. I can't just chalk it up to bad luck or April jitters, the team is just not picthing well right now and there is no guarantee they will improve there is hope or wishes but not guarantees just because fans want them to be better than the worst control in the league.

[Ennder]

You are still just nitpicking though. The point is pitchers all over baseball are having problems throwing strikes just like they do every single season in April. The fact the Brewers have a few more BBs than other teams doesn't really matter much. It is more or less random which pitchers have the problem, we just happen to have more guys off to slow start than some other teams do.

 

There is no real reason to worry about this just yet. April is not a very useful sample when it comes to this subject. It stinks that it has happened, it has cost us some games already, but it isn't really indicative of the future in any way.

[southpaw121505]

Walks happen, it's a part of the game, it's a part of pitching. I pitched for two different colleges and had one in your face type coach and one laid back coach. Personally, I handled things way better with the laid back one. When you are struggling no one is more frustrated or aware of it than you are. It's not like they can yell at you to throw strikes and not walk guys and then you say oh yeahhhh, thanks for the reminder. You also can't just pound the zone at will, that's called batting practice. And if that happens everyone will be complaining about all the homeruns they're giving up.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I am so sick of seeing Brewer pitchers walk batter after batter. It's time for Ken Macha to erupt on his pitching staff. I want to see a Mike Ditka or Lou Pinella type of tirade. You know what I am talking about . . . the kind you see over and over on ESPN for years and years.

 

Something has got to be done.

 

So......the kind of tirade any reasonable, grown adult should be embarrassed of, if he were to watch a replay of it? Lou Pinella's behavior when he goes off is nothing short of pathetic, plain and simple

 

I don't understand the sentiment that yelling and screaming at adults makes them perform better, regardless of the job type.

 

Based on a lot of posts I'm seeing, I'm starting to suspect that the Brewers just don't care about winning and aren't trying that hard.

[TooLiveBrew]

If you think a player has never refocused after being reamed out, then there isn't a conversation here

 

Some players believe that changing/not changing their socks results in better performance. Baseball stats fluctuate all season long every season, walks are historically high in April & are up basically around the whole league. Macha yelling isn't going to do any more than Parra changing socks.

[Ennder]

I would think each player reacts to something like that differently. Yelling at one player might motivate them, yelling at another might just make them perform worse.

[DougJones43]

Well, the Brewers are tops in the NL for issuing walks, and some teams have played an additional game. So, on that front, I'd agree with MJLiverock that the Brewers problems right now go beyond the "every team has trouble throwing strikes in April" issue. The Brewers are having more problems issuing BB than any other team, and have done it far too often with the bases loaded.

 

I don't think yelling is the answer. For starters, getting "spring training all-stars" like Jorge Julio off the team should help. This is a Melvin issue more than a Macha/Castro issue, IMO.

[rluzinski]

Right now, I would weight preseason projections about 97% and this season about 3%

[logan82]

Macha yelling isn't going to do any more than Parra changing socks.

 

What about Macha yelling at Parra to change his socks?

[BrewersFan16]

Macha yelled at Parra to change his socks? wat the deuce