is anyone concerned about Gamel?

[Crash2303]

Through 139 AB at Nashville, Gamel is slugging .388. This is very disappointing- anyone hear any updates about his progress?

[filthyfrog]

I'm definitely concerned about Gamel. Coming into the year I thought he'd shake off the rust from last year and prove the doubters wrong. But this is now the third straight year he's dealt with both injury and inconsistency. He has trouble staying healthy and when he slumps, he slumps hard.

 

It would have been really nice to see him go on a first half tear so that the Brewers could trade Fielder or Hart and know that Gamel could be the replacement. At this point, though, it looks like Mat will be in AAA for a while.

[TheCrew07]

I was slightly concerned about him coming into the year, but when he started hitting the ball in AA I thought he was back. I'm certain his issues are all mental as he didn't perform well after his demotion last season either. I believe in Mat's talent, he just has to put it to good use and force some difficult decisions on Melvin.

[logan82]

I am not saying it is the reason for his drop in power but his shoulder may still be a little weak sapping some of his power. The only thing that looks off from last year's AAA numbers are his HR. His PA and doubles look right in line with last year in AAA. Maybe more fly balls that died at the warning track.

[bamberger]

His AAA numbers are not projecting well to MLB. Given his age and level of experience, I am concerned that he will not be able to meet fan expectations that he will be a starting MLB player any time soon.

[battlekow]

Gamel's line adjusted for park and luck, with requisite caveats about the reliability of MiLB batted-ball classification: .321/.403/.455. He's got a 25% line-drive rate. I think he's fine.

[logan82]

So what you are saying is that he just isn't getting good results.

[battlekow]

So what you are saying is that he just isn't getting good results.

If he really is hitting line drives a quarter of the time, yes.

[TooLiveBrew]

I really believe Mat will have a big second half & force himself back into the clubs' long-term plans, whether that's in Milwaukee or as part of a major trade.

[TooLiveBrew]

Mat's slash line now stands at .295/.389/.482/.873, and if you adjust for park & luck at minorleaguesplits, it's at .349/.434/.548/.982. Love to see him raking again. I just hope he isn't traded unless it's as part of a deal for an elite pitcher.

[logan82]

So maybe his shoulder wasn't quite full strength when he came back or maybe we were all overreacting to a small amount of PA.

[HiAndTight]

Those adjusted numbers don't mean a whole lot to me to be perfectly honest(The 25 pct LD rate does however).

 

 

Gamel's a guy I'll believe in until proven wrong at the Major league level based on nothing more than the eye test. He's got great patience, almost too much at times as he struck up 20+ times last year on called 3rd strikes But he's got patience, and he's got as pretty a left handed stroke as I've seen.

 

Smooth, easy, short to the ball. And he looked better at 3rd than I expected. Good enough that I could envision him developing into a solid defender.

 

Not a great first half, but I'm still pretty confident in the talent I saw.

[twobrewers]

Mat's slash line now stands at .295/.389/.482/.873, and if you adjust for park & luck at minorleaguesplits, it's at .349/.434/.548/.982

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lawrie's slash line now stands at .287/.348/.456/.804, and if you adjust for park and luck at minorleaguesplits, it's at .236/.301/.385/.686.

 

I was a little depressed when I saw that.

[TooLiveBrew]

I think that has a lot to do with the listed 11.1% LD rate. If that's accurate, then yes. But I find it basically impossible to believe, and wonder if whoever's categorizing LD rate for Huntsville is listing too many as FBs. If you adjust Lawrie's stats for just park factors, his OPS is actually higher than his actual rate. It's all about whether or not he's been "lucky", and as has been noted elsewhere, you're absolutely lucky if you OPS north of .800 with a ~10% LD rate.

 

Cain also has an anemic (13.2%) LD rate, and of course just like Lawrie, if you adjust his line for park, it increases. Adjust it for luck, and it crashes below .700. Something's likely off in how the batted balls are being categorized imo.

[igor67]

RE: Don Money Audio

 

If Money's observation is correct a right handed 1st basemen could help Gamel a lot. On the other hand if those are Money's reports it makes it less likely that the organization will try to keep him at third.

[yoda knows all]

Don Money was spoiled having having Adam Heether as his 3rd baseman for several seasons.

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't have Windows Media Player, and really don't want to have to get it (not a fan of it). Would someone be kind enough to summarize Money's general points on Gamel's defense?

[The Truth]

Great to see Gamel hitting well again. I think he'll be starting for the Brewers next year at either 3B or 1B

[battlekow]

I don't have Windows Media Player, and really don't want to have to get it (not a fan of it). Would someone be kind enough to summarize Money's general points on Gamel's defense?

"Gamel, he's swinging the bat very well. Questionable defensively, some plays out there, I just haven't seen the improvement that I like to see from at least two years ago. He's started to swing the bat better, but defensively, you gotta catch and throw it, too...You can tell, you can show, you can teach, but at some point the player himself has to take the bull by the horns and let's go about our business. If you have a problem throwing, which he has a problem throwing, he gets out on the side and flat and throw a lot of balls, say, to first base it'll be on the home plate side of first. Last night he threw a ball to second, he threw it on the first-base side of second, so everything he's throwing is going to, if you're looking at the base he's throwing to, to the right. So: make an adjustment. That's the difficult part. You're seeing guys not making the adjustment after, not a week or two, but two or three years. I've had him since '08, and it's just, you gotta make improvements at some point, 'cause in the big leagues, it's very difficult, unless you're hitting .350, to put you out there and make your errors and other plays that you don't make."

[craigharmann]

Don Money was spoiled having having Adam Heether as his 3rd baseman for several seasons.

Last time I checked, Don Money wasn't a slouch in the field in MLB for a few years. I think he knows what he's talking about.

[jwill535]

Again this was one of the main reasons that Macha didnt play him last year. He seems to be unwilling to put in the extra effort that is needed to make him a MLB player.

[logan82]

Reading the Power 50 write up on Gamel made me chuckle. What a difference a week makes.

[MLS1965]

Don Money was spoiled having having Adam Heether as his 3rd baseman for several seasons.

For sure on that. I was never and have never been a big Gamel fan. He always looks like he's in a fog. I've seen him make mistakes that I learned not to make in Little League...and heard Don Money mumble under his breath about them. Many times I've had the talk with the fans around me. We would all take Adam Heether over Mat Gamel. Heether is a scrappy, get down in the dirt, work the pitch count up type player. He gets the hit, sac fly and Home Run when you needed it. I know the Brewers had their money on Gamel, but dang Heether was on a tear this year when he was optioned.

 

Great to see Gamel hitting well again. I think he'll be starting for the Brewers next year at either 3B or 1B

Don't hold your breath on that one....

[JJHardy7]

He seems to be unwilling to put in the extra effort that is needed to make him a MLB player.

 

Where does this come from? Gamel has put in the time. It may just come down to him not sticking at 3B.

[battlekow]

Where does this come from? Gamel has put in the time. It may just come down to him not sticking at 3B.

Well, Money did seem to be implying a lack of effort.