Too Early to Be Demoralized?

[TheCrew07]

I have a hard time believing this team will score 935 runs on the season, which is the current pace. However, if the pitching can improve when the offense settles back down who knows?

[logan82]

I was going to say I thought that the team was playing better because they finally found some fire. It was apparent they were playing with more energy.

 

What do we really expect reporters to say. They won some games because they pitched and hit better isn't interesting to read about even though it is the truth. There needs to be some mysterious outside influence that has some tenuous connection to them playing better for it to be a story.

 

I didn't blame Macha for our losing and am not going to give him credit for us winning. The team played worse than expected for about the first month and now are playing a little over their heads. Macha isn't a good manager but he is hardly worse than most other teams have.

[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!

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 guess that was my point. Some want to say Macha can't inspire his team but when they go on a tear, his possible positive influence is ignored. I'm right there with ya!

 

Look, I have issues with many of the tactical moves Macha makes (and pretty much any manager to be honest). I just think it's an emotional vent when people try to blame Macha for poor player performance. Hoffman did not blow a bunch of games because he wasn't properly inspired.

[Ennder]

I'm more worried by his terrible game management than motivating the team or not. How he can go with Parra in that situation last night is beyond me. Why bring in a converted starter not used to coming in with inherited runner with the bases loaded in a close game, add in that he has a significant platoon shift and that he has control problems so is the last guy you want pitching with no free bases to give. I think CV should have been brought in, he only pitched 11 pitches the game before and only needed to get 1 out.

[rluzinski]

It comes down to who was ready. If both were warmed up and ready to go, it looks like a terrible decision.

[benji]

My guess is Macha had CV slotted for the "8th inning"guy with Hawkins out.

[sheethead]

Hoffman did not blow a bunch of games because he wasn't properly inspired.

 

One thing is for sure, I'm not inspired. Actually, I'm rather bushed and may miss the first half of these games due to my need for a nap.

 

To add to the topic, I will now officially be demoralized on game day when Doug Davis is scheduled to pitch.

[And That]

Assuming that Davis finishes with an ERA of around 5.00 over 190 innings, which is entirely plausible IMO, that means his ERA the rest of the year will be about 4.50. I can live with that.

[sheethead]

Assuming that Davis finishes with an ERA of around 5.00 over 190 innings

 

Depending on what "around 5.00" means, I would take that bet. He's the 2010 Brewer's version of Braden Looper, only more expensive.

[MJLiverock]

Looper is what makes me think of replacement level pitching, since it is such a nebulous concept. Awful stats not much upside and not protected by the small sample excuse. Notice he wasn't signed by anyone this offseason, meaning not one team thought, "hmm, he can produce better than just any old guy I bring up from AAA." Of course the Cubs were rumored to be looking at him a couple weeks ago but still nothing for him. Davis could very well be that guy before the year is out. The string of luck may run out leaving him with awful stats, no upside, and no more excuses. A guy can't keep walking 100 batters a year with low K totals and not expect to give up runs while burning the bullpen constantly with 6 inning max starts.

[sheethead]

Doug Davis, Jeff Suppan, Trevor Hoffman, LaTroy Hawkins... all older pitchers who projected much better than what they have shown so far in 2010. I am getting ready to be perfectly content with saying that projecting pitchers 34 years old or older is a crap shoot.

[FVBrewerFan]

2nd week in may and the bullpen is already running on fumes. Why be demoralized?

[BrewCrewForever]

I would say I am starting to feel demoralized. I'm to the point where if we are more then 6 games back at the All-Star break, blow up the team. Not the whole team, just deal Prince and any of the veteran guys that a contender would want and can get you something back. Then bring up guys like Lucroy, Cain, Gamel, Braddock, Axford, Smith, etc. Let's audition some of these young guys who might be on the roster in 2011 anyway. I'm not saying Hoffman, Hawkins, Zaun, Edmonds or Gerut would bring a lot back in trade, but something. And of course trading Prince to a team that would get him for one and half years we should be able to get a haul close to what the Rangers got from the Braves for Teixiera.

[Warning Track Power]

And of course trading Prince to a team that would get him for one and half years we should be able to get a haul close to what the Rangers got from the Braves for Teixiera.

And of course Prince goes into the biggest funk of his career right when we need to think about dealing him. But of course, will still get a contract we can't afford to or should be willing to pay. Just means we will likely get less for him than we should.

 

Is that typical Brewer luck or what?

[BrewCrewForever]

While Prince is not doing well right now, I still think and know he will break out. I can't imagine that this bad start would lower his trade value to much. Maybe a little? I dunno.

[pretendastronaut]

Our average run differential is 5.53 to this point. That's making more demoralized than the losing record. I'm very tired of 9-2 type games every day.

[Invader3K]

The bad news is that the Phillies are coming to town this weekend. The good news is that we are missing Halladay. I still don't feel optimistic about our chances though.

 

I have to wonder if they get swept again, if that is going to spell the end of Ken Macha. An 0-6 home stand would be brutal and pretty much unacceptable at this point.

[Warning Track Power]

I have to wonder if they get swept again, if that is going to spell the end of Ken Macha. An 0-6 home stand would be brutal and pretty much unacceptable at this point.

If they get swept, Macha SHOULD be fired. Talk about underachieving.

 

 

[pretendastronaut]

The bad news is that the Phillies are coming to town this weekend. The good news is that we are missing Halladay.

 

 

 

Rollins is likely out until Monday as well.

[logan82]

I am so demoralized I decided not to watch the Brewers tonight.

[1Badgerfan]

I just keep remembering 2 years ago leaving Boston on May 19th after a 5 game losing streak and being so demoralized that I thought the season was over at 20-24. Then somehow a little over a month an a half later the team was 49-40 and a guy named CC was taking the mound for the Crew for the first time and this all with Ned at the helm who most thought was more inept than Macha.

[Invader3K]

Reading the latest JSOnline blog entry, it sounds like the players are starting to get demoralized. Not a good sign.

 

“Yeah, (it’s frustrating),” Fielder said. “You don’t like losing but

it is what it is. We have to come back tomorrow and see what happens.

"I guess we need to get more timely hits. Yup, we just have to keep

getting more hits. Just try to outscore the other team. That's all we

can try to do and unfortunately we came up a little short."

There was a hint of sarcasm in his words there. He later added this:

“Unfortunately, it's always the offense that gets blamed. I think we

have to keep doing what we're doing. We scored five runs tonight.

Tomorrow, hopefully, we get more than they do.

[bklynbrewcrew]

Reading the latest JSOnline blog entry, it sounds like the players are starting to get demoralized. Not a good sign.

 

“Yeah, (it’s frustrating),” Fielder said. “You don’t like losing but it is what it is. We have to come back tomorrow and see what happens.

"I guess we need to get more timely hits. Yup, we just have to keep getting more hits. Just try to outscore the other team. That's all we can try to do and unfortunately we came up a little short."

There was a hint of sarcasm in his words there. He later added this:

“Unfortunately, it's always the offense that gets blamed. I think we have to keep doing what we're doing. We scored five runs tonight. Tomorrow, hopefully, we get more than they do.

Sounds like Ryan Braun's frustrations with the pitching staff from last year. Its pretty hard for the offensive players to not get demoralized when the pitching staff is getting lit up night after night after night. As for Prince he should be frustrated with himself as well since he hasnt exactly been hitting much so far this season.

 

[monty57]

Yeah, do you think we'll hear someone say "it's frustrating when one of our players is talking about getting a $200MM contract and meanwhile he's been hitting like a shortstop without the defense. It really makes it hard to focus on baseball when everyone knows that Prince is probably going to be traded soon because of his outrageous ego. To paraphrase Major League, he may think he's A-Rod, but he's playing like crap."

 

I guess Prince felt that since he finally hit a HR last night, it justified him ripping the rest of the team. What he's saying is right... it's hard to win when you give up eight runs a night, but you shouldn't talk about how bad others are playing when you're not playing well yourself. I seem to remember a series in San Diego where they got shut out three out of four games.

[Invader3K]

There's no question that Prince is playing bad (for him) so far this season, but at the same time, the pitching absolutely has caused the majority of the problems so far this year. The Brewers have a top 2 or 3 offense in the NL, but one of the worst pitching staffs so far in 2010. The horrible thing about the short pitching starts is that it overworks the bullpen and also is likely causing the offense to "press" to score runs. The abundance of 4 and 5 inning starts from the rotation is straining the whole team.