2009-06-27 Giants (Zito) at Milwaukee (McClung) : 6:05 PM CT [Brewers win, 7-6]

[brewmann04]

wow this kid is just amazing he put a charge in everything he hits

[Ennder]

There may be no easy answer, but I dont think they were as active as they could have been in the off-season for a glaring, and I mean GLARING need

 

But it wasn't a glaring need. We don't need another back of the rotation scrub starter which most of the viable options you listed were. If we were going to add an arm it needed to be a front of the rotation guy. I mean almost every pitcher you listed is at best a sidegrade to what we have and the few that weren't were very expensive or had specific needs we couldn't meet (like RJ wanted certain teams etc.).

[brewmann04]

They say it easier to find a hitter than a pitcher so hopefully Melvin can find a Hitter Soon.

[lcbj68c]

They may have been sidegrades. But it would have shown effort. Is adding Garland and a Chuck James a sidegrade to Smith and McClung starting? If Bush and Parra are lost for the season...who do you want making the starts for the last 15-20 starts of the season, Smith and McClung or Garland and James? I get your points, I totally do. But every pundit out there, National and Local stated there was going to be a glaring dropoff in starting pitching. Looper wasn't enough of an effort in my opinion. Starting pitching was a glaring need on October 31st, January 31st, March 1st, April 7th, and June 28th of this 2009 offseason/season. Depth at the minor league level shouldn't be untouchable in my opinion when the major league rosters have holes and needs. Blow somebody away with an offer and get some help in here. Bats and hitting morale are tough to get going when the AAAA starters consistently put you in a 3-0, 4-0, 5-0 holes and can't hold 1st inning leads when they the hitters do jump out to them.

[monkeyman343434]

I don't see how you can say the Rotation is a glaring need, and say our lineup isn't. There are way too many black holes in the lineup right now. Look at Kendall, Hardy, Hart, and Hall's numbers. If you want to bash on DM for the rotation, you should also bash him for not putting together a good lineup as well.

If DM would do like you say, and deal prospects to patch holes, there wouldn't be any prospects left in a few years when we can't afford the young/cheap players on the team right now to replace them with. Then we'd be like the Pirates/Old Brewers and suck for another 20 years, just for a shot at possibly going for it again this year.

[owbc]

That's fine if we're the Yankees, but there was also the money issue. The Brewers can't afford to drop millions more on another starting pitcher or get rid of anymore valuable minor league talent. The pundits were going to write us off no matter what after losing Sheets and CC. That's just the way it is. We have to build from within. Speaking of the Yankees, they have all the money in the world and STILL have rotation problems. The Red Sox have Smoltz--who couldn't beat the Nationals.

[davego]

The only option (that I see/saw) would have been an off-season deal involving Hardy. That too would have been a risk an I'm not sure what quality a starter he could have netted. DM, et al did sign Looper as a FA and thank goodness they did. Some credit needs to be rewarded for that decision.

[monkeyman343434]

I also don't know, out of all of the guys you mentioned, who is an upgrade over any of the 5 SP that started the year in the rotation, no one could have predicted Manny to be this bad this year, and Suppan's contract all but assured him a spot in the rotation. So if you had a rotation set with 5 guys (after signing Looper) why would any of those guys want to sign a contract anyway? They wouldn't want to go down to AAA to wait around and see if they'd get a shot at cracking the rotation at some point in the year. "It takes two to tango"

[nate82]

They may have been sidegrades. But it would have shown effort. Is adding Garland and a Chuck James a sidegrade to Smith and McClung starting? If Bush and Parra are lost for the season...who do you want making the starts for the last 15-20 starts of the season, Smith and McClung or Garland and James? I get your points, I totally do. But every pundit out there, National and Local stated there was going to be a glaring dropoff in starting pitching. Looper wasn't enough of an effort in my opinion. Starting pitching was a glaring need on October 31st, January 31st, March 1st, April 7th, and June 28th of this 2009 offseason/season. Depth at the minor league level shouldn't be untouchable in my opinion when the major league rosters have holes and needs. Blow somebody away with an offer and get some help in here. Bats and hitting morale are tough to get going when the AAAA starters consistently put you in a 3-0, 4-0, 5-0 holes and can't hold 1st inning leads when they the hitters do jump out to them.

Garland would have been it for the signing in the off season so you are back to where you were and I believe James is still sidelined with an injury. Plus there isn't much out there in the trade market that is going to upgrade the pitching. At best it will be a #4 or #5 type pitcher you have your Washburns and others like him available and that is about it. So you get another #4 or #5 starter who are not even any better than Suppan or Looper and are probably just a little bit better than McClung but it is not by much.

 

There are no #1 type starters really available in the trade market this year. There are a lot of bats available though and that is looking to be a more of a need than pitching is right now with Hardy, Hart, and Kendall all not hitting very well. I believe Hart is all smoke and mirrors with his hitting and I believe Hardy will turn it around and Kendall will be Kendall.

 

In the off season there really wasn't that many good pitchers available and there still isn't that many pitchers available that are #1's or #2's that are available. The Brewers need a #1 or #2 type pitcher. When Bedard and Peavy went down the Brewers chances of getting a #1 or #2 type pitcher went down the drain. I doubt the Brewers get a #1 or #2 type pitcher this year in a trade unless Bedard gets healthy really quick.

[jeffy]

Bats and hitting morale are tough to get going when the AAAA starters consistently put you in a 3-0, 4-0, 5-0 holes and can't hold 1st inning leads when they the hitters do jump out to them.

So, for example, you actually want to blame McClung for the lack of offense tonight?

[logan82]

They may have been sidegrades. But it would have shown effort.

 

I never understand this "showing effort" stuff. Why do something if it isn't going to help anyway? You waste resources without getting better. Sure some fans will feel better, but who cares if the team doesn't get better.

[bklynbrewcrew]

A good way to fix the offense would be to play Mat Gamel each and every day. There is a good chance he could be the Brewers third best offensive player. Sitting Gamel on the bench is criminal and playing Hall at all is even worse.

[lcbj68c]

I don't see how you can say the Rotation is a glaring need, and say our lineup isn't.

The Giants seem to have done well without without any premier hitters. No? We've got a premier offense. The manager doesn't use his men right, but that's not on DM. DM got hitters onto the MLB team for him to use. He seemed to ignore the pitching side. There may have been no "openings" in the rotation after the Looper signing, but look at Boston. They've got options such as Smoltz and Buchholz for when the starting rotation has issues. It's inevitable DM had nobody....unless you call Narveson/Smith/McClung something that'll strike fear in opposing teams. He had nobody all offseason to fall back on, now has nobody once he needed a fallback and now seemingly has no ants in his pants to blow somebody away and fix something before it gets broken.

 

I reckon it to trying to fill a 5/8'' hole with a 9/16'' plug. Eventually the hole just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Just fix the damn thing and lets move on. Quite trying the patch job that you've done all offseason when the leak started. Somebody out there needs a shortstop capable of playing at the MLB level, (Hardy/Escobar). Make one your SS of the future and move the other. Somebody needed an outfielder capable of starting at the MLB level, oh wait, we already gave him up for a bench player. We don't need a Jody Gerut! DM just needs to find a trading partner and quit the patch job. Nobody's selling is latin speak for "I'm not ready to get off sitting on my hands yet" Make some tough decisions regarding your SS future, etc and make some big boy decisions.

[lcbj68c]

So, for example, you actually want to blame McClung for the lack of offense tonight?

No, not on an individual basis and not tonight's example alone, but you don't think the overall performance of the rotation putting the team behind plays a part in the morale of the lineup?

[brewdude15]

I called another one!!!! That'a way big boy!!!!

[lcbj68c]

A good way to fix the offense would be to play Mat Gamel each and every day. There is a good chance he could be the Brewers third best offensive player. Sitting Gamel on the bench is criminal and playing Hall at all is even worse.

I agree. But DM has him on the roster and Macha plays him. How about DM just eat crow and move him to AAA or Siberia. That would force Macha to use players that are better. They are paying the money irregardless, so how about putting the best 25 guys on the roster and give yourself a better shot at winning?

[BKBucky_2_2]

Now that was a homer. Atta boy Prince.

[brewmann04]

way to go Prince gets us right back and now ith Zito out Macha can Pich Hit For Hall. Yeah

[brewdude15]

2 IN ONE DAY!!!!! I'M ON A ROLL!!!!

[BKBucky_2_2]

CASEY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starting to love this kid.

[crewcrazy]

WOW...a pair of absolute moonshots. Prince was trying for a homer from the first pitch of his AB and finally connected on one, and McGehee launches one on Medders' first pitch...incredible.

 

We don't need no stinkin' smallball. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif Let's get a couple more runs and stop pitching to Sandoval.

[whizkid]

The hitter's morale improved, I guess.

[ClubLevel]

well that turned around what was a pretty brutal game to watch up until that inning.

 

i need to get a mcgehee jersey.

[wibadgers23]

I'd like to see Casey in the 5-hole and Gamel in the 2-hole on an almost daily basis with Counsell giving them days off once or twice a week.

[The Truth]

Mighty Casey! Is it reasonable at all to think that Casey can keep up this type of hitting? His MLB batting is such a small sample its tough to say