Too Early to Be Demoralized?

[YoGasKpose]

April was terrible. I'm as frustrated as anyone. Both the pitching and the offense have had some terrible streaks. That said, this team was going to have a .400 month at some point. It just happened sooner rather than later. I don't think the standings at this point really say much about how everything is going to play out. This team needs to put together a good month, certainly, but it's just too early to get really worked up. Five under can turn around in a week, not to mention how much good a month can do.

If this team continues to stink and eventually puts up a significantly sub-.500 May, then I think I'll be "demoralized." Until then, one game at a time. Get the next two series. We're not at the point where the Crew needs to put up 4 and 5 game winning streaks, but it would surely behoove them to start taking some series.

[rluzinski]

So which one of the pitchers gets to speak up and tell DM to get some more hitting help because the offense sucks?

Or, can only Braun do that and be loved?

The pitching staff is in no position to complain about anyone.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/st...0/seasontype/2/league/nl

[TheCrew07]

The Cardinals are really starting to worry me. Their 5th starter (Jaime Garcia) already seems better than our 2nd starter (Randy Wolf). Their unknown nobodies (such as David Freeze) are coming on strong so quickly.

I tried to warn those that don't follow the minors about the pitchers coming up for the Cards, Cincy, and the Cubs...

[Teatoe993]

The Cardinals could have Joe Winklesas in their rotation and make him look like a Cy Young candidate. It doesn't matter what bum they throw on the mound in St. Louis because Duncan has some kind of magic pixie dust.

[brewmann04]

Well first they can't blame Braun he the only one hitting but if any pitcher it would have to be YO

[Invader3K]

Well first they can't blame Braun he the only one hitting but if any pitcher it would have to be YO

brewmann...what?

 

Anyway, I don't know what to think of the Cardinals' pitching success. Duncan does seem to be a very good pitching coach, but I would wager that St. Louis has simply had some tremendous luck in turning around certain pitchers. Maybe they're just better at scouting pitching talent than the Brewers are as well.

[Invader3K]

Not sure this will assuage any worries around here: Melvin says not to blame Macha.

[TheCrew07]

Not sure this will assuage any worries around here: Melvin says not to blame Macha.

I was going to break apart all those quotes and respond to them individually but after reading it I'm more demoralized than I was before. In the interests of self preservation I think I'll just reiterate my frustration with management and move on.

[GAME05]

"We're not performing well, but, Ken, I haven't seen him swing at a bad

breaking ball yet. I haven't seen him give up two or three runs in an

inning."

 

neither did Jerry Royster.

and if that's how Doug evaluates managers, then maybe i should start posting more in the "Should we fire Doug Melvin" thread.

[rluzinski]

Well, I personally have to give Macha all the credit for that great West Coast road trip. Macha's stoic exterior is clearly acting to keep the Crew calm and focused under pressure. He really kept the players playing hard and believing that they could win, no matter what adversity they ran into.

 

This team believes in themselves and their manager and that's the key difference between perennial playoff teams like the Yankees and the yearly basement dwellers, like the Pirates. Keep it up, Macha!

[brewmann04]

Peeks and Valley's dealing with this team hopefully both the Pitching and offense gets together.

[rluzinski]

The offense has scored 14 more runs than any other NL team. They are averaging 5.77 runs/game. They have the highest BA, OBP and OPS. They have the second highest SLG. That's insane. Sure, they've been widely inconsistent but they've been a positive overall. I don't believe they are the best offense in the NL, obviously, but I also don't believe their inconsistencies should be expected to continue. They were projected to have an above average offense and so far they have been.

 

The pitching and defense hasn't been good.

[Dragonbait]

From what I heard... (dont have time to check at work)

 

We've scored 10 or more runs 5 times,

 

and have scored 17 or more 3 times....

 

I think the offense is ok.

[And That]

The Brewers' average margin of victory this year is 6.2 runs (!) and their average margin of defeat is also impressive, 4.63. Besides a number of tight games early, it's been almost all one way or the other and that can be extremely frustrating. But... we're a game under .500 for all of that luck swing. That's why I can't get demoralized this early in the season, especially with an offensive that can be this potent.

 

Just for comparison sake and fun, the rest of the NL Central's margin of victory/loss:

 

Cardinals: 3.35 (W) / 2.25 (L)

Reds: 2.38 (W) / 3.60 (L)

Pirates: 2.64 (W) / 7.00 (L)

Cubs: 4.36 (W) / 3.83 (L)

Astros: 2.30 (W) / 4.00 (L)

[monty57]

And guess what, all of this offense is coming with Fielder sitting at a .768 OPS. He's a great player, but I think we'd be able to field a competitive team if he were traded/not offered a dibilitating $200MM contract.

[JohnBriggs12]

And guess what, all of this offense is coming with Fielder sitting at a .768 OPS. He's a great player, but I think we'd be able to field a competitive team if he were traded/not offered a dibilitating $200MM contract.

Don't kid yourself into thinking that Fielder's presence in the lineup still isn't causing stress on opposing pitchers which helps everyone else. I'm not saying I'd give him $200 million either but his absence will be felt when the time comes.

[Invader3K]

Well, I personally have to give Macha all the credit for that great West Coast road trip. Macha's stoic exterior is clearly acting to keep the Crew calm and focused under pressure. He really kept the players playing hard and believing that they could win, no matter what adversity they ran into.

 

This team believes in themselves and their manager and that's the key difference between perennial playoff teams like the Yankees and the yearly basement dwellers, like the Pirates. Keep it up, Macha!

I have to admit this had me laughing pretty well.

[monty57]

Agreed, but there is a popular belief that the "window closes" when Fielder is gone, and we'll need several years of rebuilding to become playoff caliber. I believe that we will still be a good team if we can get something in return for Prince and use the tens of millions we'll have freed up after this season to fill in the few holes we'll have. With a few upgrades, particularly in the starting rotation, we could be better next year after Prince is traded than we are this year. Nothing against Prince, as you said his absence will be felt, but we could be better next year (nad for the foreseeable future) than this year if Melvin plays the cards right.

[Invader3K]

I agree with that. As great as he is, a power hitting first baseman is more easily replaced than an ace pitcher, as we saw when Sheets and Sabathia left.

[zzzmanwitz]

Well, I personally have to give Macha all the credit for that great West Coast road trip. Macha's stoic exterior is clearly acting to keep the Crew calm and focused under pressure. He really kept the players playing hard and believing that they could win, no matter what adversity they ran into.

 

This team believes in themselves and their manager and that's the key difference between perennial playoff teams like the Yankees and the yearly basement dwellers, like the Pirates. Keep it up, Macha!

I have to admit this had me laughing pretty well.

It may be funny... but shouldn't we be giving him some credit? We are so quick to bash Macha (and Melvin) when things go bad, but when it turns around, they get ignored. I'm not saying I'm a Macha lover, but we should at least be fair in how we treat him.

[Invader3K]

Oh, no doubt. I stated earlier I felt the team needed to win at least three games after the disastrous San Diego series to salvage the road trip. They did much better than that, and I feel more at ease with Macha right now, especially after seeing the Crew sweep the D-Backs. It seems like his bullpen management has gotten somewhat better after being questionable earlier in the season. Maybe guys are just performing better though.

[benji]

Well, I personally have to give Macha all the credit for that great West Coast road trip. Macha's stoic exterior is clearly acting to keep the Crew calm and focused under pressure. He really kept the players playing hard and believing that they could win, no matter what adversity they ran into.

 

This team believes in themselves and their manager and that's the key difference between perennial playoff teams like the Yankees and the yearly basement dwellers, like the Pirates. Keep it up, Macha!

I have to admit this had me laughing pretty well.

It may be funny... but shouldn't we be giving him some credit? We are so quick to bash Macha (and Melvin) when things go bad, but when it turns around, they get ignored. I'm not saying I'm a Macha lover, but we should at least be fair in how we treat him.

I thought rluz's post was suppose be in blue. I was confused for a second. To be honest I don't know how much Macha should be to blame in the first place, other than Hawkins in the 8th inning cubs debacle. Most of the bashing tends to be from an emotional/frustrated response. I noticed in my time that when a team goes bad it is the manger/general manager/coaches fault, when a team does well it is the player's doing. I would like to know if anyone is aware of way to statistical measure of how many games a manager can win or lose versus a norm or an expected?

[Ando Calrissian]

I have to admit this had me laughing pretty well.

It may be funny... but shouldn't we be giving him some credit? We are so quick to bash Macha (and Melvin) when things go bad, but when it turns around, they get ignored. I'm not saying I'm a Macha lover, but we should at least be fair in how we treat him.

I thought rluz's post was suppose be in blue. I was confused for a second. To be honest I don't know how much Macha should be to blame in the first place, other than Hawkins in the 8th inning cubs debacle. Most of the bashing tends to be from an emotional/frustrated response. I noticed in my time that when a team goes bad it is the manger/general manager/coaches fault, when a team does well it is the player's doing. I would like to know if anyone is aware of way to statistical measure of how many games a manager can win or lose versus a norm or an expected?

Indeed. Rluz's post is satirical jab - at the very least - about the cliched analysis we usually get about a manager's influence over a team. Witrado himself could have written that. Rluz, are you Anthony Witrado?

[Funketown]

Indeed. Rluz's post is satirical jab - at the very least - about the cliched analysis we usually get about a manager's influence over a team. Witrado himself could have written that. Rluz, are you Anthony Witrado?

Do you really think Witrado could put together a coherent paragraph?

[Ando Calrissian]

Indeed. Rluz's post is satirical jab - at the very least - about the cliched analysis we usually get about a manager's influence over a team. Witrado himself could have written that. Rluz, are you Anthony Witrado?

Do you really think Witrado could put together a coherent paragraph?

More than anything, what I find really interesting is how long management can engage in these types of arguments (or cliches as Rluz demonstrated) and expect the public to take them hook-line-and-sinker. I'm sure that we could find a number of different reasons as to why this is the case, but there's only one that really matters: it works. It's frustrating to me because it smacks of condescension but as long sound bytes are what rules the day, cheap answers will get endless play in newspapers and on the radio and on international cable sports networks. They're more than happy to take my money for the product, but as soon as questions are raised about how and why things occur, we're kept at a distance by mysterious things like "unwritten rules," "the book," "the right way to play the game," or just your average "good baseball man." As long as they can find something to draw our attention with something dazzling, we'll eventually look away from the man behind the curtain.