Hardy, Smith only callups

[SeriesFinale]

I'm not necessarily sold that Macha is managing for his job. I do think there could be something to him preferring veterans.

 

The sad thing to me is that I think Macha sees a connection between those two.

Not to turn this into a Macha thread, but at the same time, people complain about him running Yo into the ground.

 

That said, again, I'm not sure why Hardy is starting tonight (or the next few weeks) or why Escobar isn't. They both need ABs, as it were.

 

Again, if they were gonna go over the 20 days anyway, why on Earth are they both on the same team right now when there's still a week to go in Nashville? I'm much more confused/angry at DM than Macha.

[Buckylovesbeer]

It is just a shame the way the young guys are getting treated. J.J. didnt even use the opportunity to get better. Nothing was proved and Escobar really hasent gotten a chance to show the full game yet. It all feels so wrong. Thinking back to Gamel, that was all wrong as well.

 

Ugghhh.

 

Something has got to change.

[ELCABALLO45]

This is a tough situation for Macha to be in.

[TheCrew07]

Macha is running Yo into the ground, he has 4th most pitches in the NL now as Lincecum has slipped past him into the top 3.

[wibadgers23]

And are they seriously going to keep Gamel down in Nashville to help them get to the playoffs when he could be getting much needed experience in the big leagues while the Brewers are out of playoff contention? That's about as lame as it gets.

[TooLiveBrew]

This is a tough situation for Macha to be in.

But... is it a zim-zam?

[trwi7]

And are they seriously going to keep Gamel down in Nashville to help them get to the playoffs when he could be getting much needed experience in the big leagues while the Brewers are out of playoff contention? That's about as lame as it gets.

Yeah, I don't get that. And if Hardy is going to play over Escobar, they can send Escobar down to help them get into the playoffs and let Gamel play.

[ELCABALLO45]

And are they seriously going to keep Gamel down in Nashville to help them get to the playoffs when he could be getting much needed experience in the big leagues while the Brewers are out of playoff contention? That's about as lame as it gets.

Even though I wish he could play up here, he's not going to. So might as well let him play down there.

[logan82]

One of the first great tips I picked up listening to other coaches talk, was to not get caught up playing talent. Play results, you can be better off as a team with a more productive but less talented player.

 

Of course you are better with a more productive player. I agree you should play results over talent, as long as the more talented player is given a chance to succeed. I Hardy's case he was given more than ample opportunity to play. He should have been given more days off and I said as much very early in the season. I don't think Gamel or Escobar have been given a fair chance to succeed. I know some will disagree. Giving Hardy a day off with Gamel at 3B seems like a good idea that rarely happened.

[JohnBriggs12]

And are they seriously going to keep Gamel down in Nashville to help them get to the playoffs when he could be getting much needed experience in the big leagues while the Brewers are out of playoff contention? That's about as lame as it gets.

Gamel hasn't earned a callup much less playing time in the big leagues off his poor second half in Nashville. I think the odds are that McGehee starts next year at 3B and Gamel is back in Nashville if he's not traded.

 

Gamel is better off using the remaining games on Nashville's schedule to regain his lost stroke, then maybe come up for the remaining time.

[brewizard]

The Brewers upper management is terrible! This whole Hardy situation illuminates that.

 

Hardy has sucked this year! Melvin has sucked more!!

[Invader3K]

The Brewers upper management is terrible! This whole Hardy situation illuminates that.

 

Hardy has sucked this year! Melvin has sucked more!!

 

OK, we get it...you hate Melvin and think he's the anti-christ. You think the Brewers are going to suck for the next ten years. Maybe you could curb the hyperbole a bit. "Hardy has sucked this year." Yeah, so Melvin did something about it. What's the problem again?

[brewizard]

I don't hate Melvin. I met him once and he was super nice. Also, he did help get the team from a well below .500 group of creampuffs to a battling for .500 group of semi-studs. But that is just as far as Melvin is capable of going. I lived in Texas for the Melvin years.

 

I've seen this before.

 

The window of opportunity is largely gone. I'm sorry for saying so.

 

But I'm more sorry that the window is gone and that all we got was last year's brief little ray of sunshine. One playoff appearance every 30 years sucks more than anything I'm saying on this board.

[dragoon84]

What the hell. Hardy should not be getting a start the entire rest of the way. This team needs more speed, Escobar provides that, Hardy doesn't. We don't need any more 20 hr guys, we need 40 steal guys.

[giffted1]

I don't hate Melvin. I met him once and he was super nice. Also, he did help get the team from a well below .500 group of creampuffs to a battling for .500 group of semi-studs. But that is just as far as Melvin is capable of going. I lived in Texas for the Melvin years.

 

I've seen this before.

If your point is that we should expect the same from Melvin as his tenure in Texas, we're in for a real treat. They won the division 3 times under Melvin's watch. You must not have followed the Rangers very closely.

[fleehaw]

I agree with most of the Hardy/Escobar sentiment, but I will add that I'd have McGehee play as much as his body will allow if he continues to swing a decent bat.

 

Showcase what he can do to drive up his value. I'd much rather have Gamel at 3B and Weeks at 2B next season and the Brewers already have a better bench option than McGehee sitting in the minors...Heether.

[monkeyman343434]

And it was Melvin's fault their owner forced him to sign A-Rod to that 10 year $252 million deal that handcuffed what he was able to do with the rest of the roster. I know he made some other big-priced mistakes there (Chan Ho Park I thinK?) but he wasn't able to do much else after that A-Rod deal was done, he has a nice solid core of young players right now, and another solid wave of position players coming up - a few at the high levels (Escobar, Gamel, Salome, Lucroy, and Cain hopefully) and then a lot more at the A+/A level including Schafer, Lawrie, Gindl, and more. They just need some pitching to catch the wave from the lower levels and carry all the way to the top. After stockpiling so many pitchers through the last 2 drafts, some of them have to work out. There are also a handful of guys in the upper-levels who could help out in 2010 or 2011, but they're alot more risky, like Braddock, Rogers, Jones, Jeffress, Wooten, and Axford. That isn't the sexiest bunch, but they could potentially help fill some holes. I'm not saying they're going to be World Series contenders next year, but he has them set up to stay very competitive for at least the next 5 years, and if a few guys pan out, a trade or two works out, a few solid signings here or there to fill some needed holes and catch a couple breaks, they can make another very strong push just like they did last year. We're the Brewers, not the Yankees or Red Sox who can go and spend $150 million + every year on payroll

[jhart05]

I don't believe a week or two's worth of hot hitting from Hardy is going to increase his trade value that much. There are teams out there that will look at that extra year of service time + his 2007-08 production, and make a trade based upon that. They will look at 2009 and believe they will be able to help him figure out whatever went wrong this year. The whole "change of scenery" deal.

 

So play Escobar five times a week and Hardy two times. Escobar is the future and his future is now. Get him as much playing time as you can right now, so he can be that much better next year when he becomes the Brewers everyday SS.

[paul253]

Is Adam Heether not going to get called up? If not, I think its an insult to him. He deserves a shot not only to come up, this season, but to make the team next season. He can play 3 infield positions and would be an ideal utility player. It would save us from having to sign someone else and would provide nice depth for the infield. If he doesn't come up, it would be one more straw to throw on the back of my confidence in this teams front office.

[TooLiveBrew]

I would imagine he will get called up once the AAA season is over, along with a few others.

[dadofandrew]

There's no room on the 40 for Heether or anyone else, barring a move.

 

I really don't see what effect a couple dozen AB's in September can have anyway. Doug is too smart to worry about that.

[thablingster]

Depending on how McClung's recovery is coming along they could clear one spot by placing him on the 60-day DL. That said, I don't see the Brewers calling up a bunch of guys and putting them out there for a Yostian B-squad lineup.