Will Wes Helms Get A Better Reception in 2009?

[Mass Haas]

Link, text follows:

 

Wes Helms wonders why Milwaukee Brewers fans are still cheesed at him

By JOE CAPOZZI

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

 

DENVER - Wes Helms is anxious to see the kind of reception he'll get when the Marlins arrive in Milwaukee for a three-game series that starts Tuesday.

Helms, a former Brewer, was booed mercilessly on his last two visits to Miller Park.

 

"Last year, I stayed in my (hotel) room," he said.

But this will be his first visit to Milwaukee since his home run on Sept. 28 helped the Marlins knock the Mets out the playoffs, which sealed a post-season spot for the Brewers. Helms' home run was shown on the scoreboard that day at Miller Park, where fans erupted in a thunderous ovation.

"I can probably eat all the cheese I want (in Milwaukee) next season," he said after the game at Shea Stadium.

On Sunday, Helms wasn't sure if he'll get cheers this week, let alone any cheese.

"I don't know what they're going to do. They might throw rocks at me," said Helms, who is puzzled by the recent chilly receptions he has received. He played well in his three seasons as a Brewer (2003-05).

"I can understand Philly booing me because I struggled there, but Milwaukee? I had good years there," he said. "I never said anything in the paper. I never did anything, so I don't know. Part of the game, I guess."

Helms is looking forward to one thing:

"Actually, I'll leave my room on my off-day."

[MillerParkSouth]

I would give Wes a standing O if I was going to any of these games. I'm sure the casual fans who didn't know why they were booing him in the first place have already forgotten about that home run though, which is unfortunate. Hopefully he gets the good reception that he deserves.

[patrickgpe]

i never understood why any former brewer gets booed for coming back. As long as a player conducted himself professionally and played halfway decent i have no problem giving him a standing ovation when he enters the game, and the cheering again when he gets out or booing that he got on.

 

I think miller park is filled with so many casual fans, they boo because others do and it steamrolls. I wonder if 75% of the fans that attend the game tomorrow will even know he was on the team.

 

I know he wasn't the greatest 3rd baseman when he was here but that doesn't mean he still needs to be booed, 3 years after leaving.

[pretendastronaut]

Maybe they should replay his home run on the big screen.

[pitchleague]

I had wondered this same thing. I know that I would give him a nice cheer if I was there and I'd probably thank him personally if I saw him prior to the game.

 

I never had much problem with the guy when he was in Milwaukee, either. But that's what a lot of fans do to returning former-Brewers. They boo 'em. I know that not everyone does this, but a lot do.

[rickey24]

I'll be giving Wes a standing ovation without question. I already thanked Scott Shoeneweis for his efforts and he gave me the thumbs up!

 

Rickey

[hawing]

If Wes plays on Thursday, or if his name is announced, I'm standing up for him (albeit briefly). I made that vow last September 28 - at night because I had no idea until we got home and saw the highlights that it was Wes who hit the go-ahead HR - and I'll stick to it.

 

Given that the fanbase as a whole isn't necessarily as tuned-in as we are here, it probably wouldn't hurt if they showed Wes' 9/28 home run on the videoboard, just as a reminder. If the ribbon board has to tell us when to "wave the towel!" on towel giveaway night, why not this too?

[wisconsinfan47]

Maybe they should replay his home run on the big screen.

Good idea. If I went to any of the games I would give him an extended standing ovation. I hope fans realize how important his homer was.

[bjkrautk]

Isn't it amazing, in retrospect, how much angst Helms had for not living up to his contract....when he was "only" making 3-4 million a year?

 

Never mind that his 3 seasons in Milwaukee were the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th best (from an OPS standpoint) of his career. His mistake was having a really good first year, which he couldn't live up to. To be honest, I had forgotten that he hit 23 homers as a Brewer, much less that many in one year (2003).

 

I get that Wes is - at best - an average major league backup, but I never understood the booing (particularly on opening day, while still in a Brewer uniform).

[phxMILWfan]

My guess is that the booing has a lot to do with him being Yost's guy. At the time he seemed over pain (not his fault). For me, he was the guy that when I went to the game he made an error and struck out 3 times. Or despite what the numbers say he "always seemed to be striking out". Add in his time spent on the DL for slipping in the dugout during a rain delay, it seemed like he couldn't do anything right. I wouldn't boo him but I also wouldn't give him a standing ovation.

[theavrock]

Fans boo him because he is a former Brewer who was a whipping boy in the media. In all reality Wes performed well here, but he got thrown under the bus by the media here and thats what the general public thinks of.

[zurch1818]

Wes better get some PT tomorrow since it is his birthday. Although for the sake of the Brewers, he probably shouldn't -- he did hit a go ahead homer last year at Miller Park that eventually did give the Marlins a win. I will be OK with him hitting a hard line drive up the middle and not showing off his power stroke.

 

My dad, brother and I will be in attendance on Tuesday and Wednesday cheering him on. He will with no question get a standing ovation from us three. If you want to talk about how great Wes is with us, my dad will be wearing his autographed Wes Helms Brewer Jersey both nights.

[tomwopat]

Seems like he could always be depended to hit sacrifice flys and punish lefties. Wes gets somewhat of a bad rap due to the year he showed up fat to spring training, made tons of errors, and got injured, but if you overlook those things and his overexposure due to Ned, he's a solid B in my book.

[JoeHova]

I never liked Helms because he was Ned's running dog and he kept Branyan from getting the playing time he deserved. I'd boo him for that still. Although it wasn't his fault, he was a symbol for everything that was wrong with team at the time.

[homer]

You'd boo him for something that wasn't his fault? Odd.

[trwi7]

I already thanked Scott Shoeneweis for his efforts and he gave me the thumbs up!

That is awesome. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[Never Outhustled]

JoeHova's right, people don't boo Helms, they boo the Wes Helms situation. They boo the fact that Melvin gave him a ridiculous extension. they boo that Yost played him in front of superior players. The boo the trade that Yost recommended to bring him here. They boo that Yost thought he could make him a worthwhile defender.

 

Don't take the booing personal Wes, but we had every right to boo.

[JoeHova]

You'd boo him for something that wasn't his fault? Odd.

 

Sure, why not? He was a victim of the Peter Principle, as have been many people who are popularly reviled. It wasn't Ned's fault that he was a terrible manager but that didn't stop people from disliking him. Somebody above Ned made the bad decision to put him in charge, just like somebody above Wes made the bad decision to play him so much (and give him a contract extension). Why should Wes elicit any more sympathy than Ned? Neither one could do the job they were supposed to do.

[logan82]

JoeHova's right, people don't boo Helms, they boo the Wes Helms situation.

 

No they don't. Not all anyway. If I was the type of person to boo players, I would boo Helms for his stone hands and inning ending double plays he hit into.

[giffted1]

JoeHova's right, people don't boo Helms, they boo the Wes Helms situation.

 

No they don't. Not all anyway. If I was the type of person to boo players, I would boo Helms for his stone hands and inning ending double plays he hit into.

Yep, I'd bet most weren't booing because they knew Russell Branyan had better splits against righties or because Yost suggested they acquire him (Yost wasn't so widely hated until the Brewers got good). They booed because he made a lot of errors and struck out a lot or just booed because others were.

[Bring Back the Stein]

I'd like to do more than merely boo Sheffield.

[rluzinski]

These kind of threads always devolve into, "I don't care about the logic, it's my right to boo." Really, there's nothing to debate.

[Bring Back the Stein]

I still think it bizarre that someone cares what Wes Helms thinks about what fans in Milwaukee think about him. Someone wrote a newspaper article or something about it? Weird. It's not like A-Rod going back to Arlington for the first time, for Chrissakes. It's Wes-motherloving-Helms. They didn't make jersies for him while he was here, nor should they have. He was a guy. Albeint one who tended to stand out because he was on some lousy teams in transition to better teams. I think more about Joe Winkelsas nowadays than I do Wes Helms. A footnote to Brewers history, his most important conribution perhaps being the butt of a funny anecdote about slipping in Puerto Rico.

 

Oh. Almost forgot. Also, I don't care about the logic. It's my right to boo this mutt.

[kramnoj]

Someone wrote a newspaper article or something about it? Weird.

 

It's part of the Sunday notebook for a paper that covers the Marlins and they are traveling to Milwaukee this week. Reporters are paid to put things in the paper, and there is more space to fill on a Sunday.

[homer]

These kind of threads always devolve into, "I don't care about the logic, it's my right to boo." Really, there's nothing to debate.

 

Agreed.