2010-09-04 Brewers (Bush) at Phillies (Halladay), 6:05 PM CST [Brewers lose, 5-4]

[pete]

It'll be interesting to look at the highlight of that play. I remember it as a good throw by Braun. McGehee could have got the runner at 3rd, but Lucroy is not good at blocking the plate yet and Zach flat out blew his assignment of backing up.

[pete]

Just saw the replay. It was a one hopper right at the plate. Looked like simple, proper footwork to me as well. What did he do wrong?

[sdcheezhd]

Yes plate ump is bad - ball 3 to Ruiz was really strike 3 per Corey and Bob and gameday and Loe apparently - inning is a whole lot different if that is called right.

[Gobias Industries]

Just picked an arbitrary starting point. Rickie's OBP in August and September - .321, dragged down by a .238 BA. I guess that also says how sizzling he was for a while.

Yeah, he's been pretty damn lucky to be hitting .238 from that period. Weeks is an okay player, but good pitchers make him look foolish night after night. After watching every ab this year, I can say he's a guy I definitely don't want signed long term.

 

Braun definitely camped under that ball. His pre throw routine was almost like he thought there was 2 outs.

[hawing]

Just got home. Thanks to the wi-fi access at the Field House I was able to follow up to the point where Loe had the bases loe-ded with 0 outs in the 7th. I'm actually mildly surprised the Phillies "only" got two.

 

So, Lidge has been bested before...hawing said hopefully.

[PrinceEatMeat]

YES! Mat Gamel is finally getting an AB! It's about time Macha!

[hawing]

YES! Mat Gamel is finally getting an AB! It's about time Macha!

But he didn't perform. Back to the bench with you.

 

I debated whether to put that in blue.

[Gobias Industries]

I like Gamel, but that at-bat might as well been spliced in from last year.

[hawing]

So - the brewers.com headline writers can simply reuse the headline from last night's recap: "Crew's outfield mistake costly vs. Phils."

[thablingster]

Gamel, then Kottaras. Really, Macha? I can understand Gamel, but if we're playing for a home run with Kottaras that's sad considering Lidge has only given up 5 this year. They'd be better off using Counsell and hoping to get it to Weeks.

[BrewCrewForever]

Glad Gamel got an AB. But since he struck out looking who knows when Macha will give him another one.

[Yaz]

Is this season over yet? Wow, when things go bad they certainly go bad for this year's team.

 

Braun made a terrible throw to the plate. And LuCroy not making an effort to at least bump Ruiz when he was waiting by the plate is galling.

 

4 home runs by the Crew were nice but would have been better had there been some runners on.

 

I agree the home plate umpire tonight was not very good. They showed the 1-0 pitch by Braddock on FoxTrax and it was a strike right down the middle at the top of the strikezone.

 

Well hope the Brewers can salvage one game. There's always tomorrow.

[pete]

I don't get the thing with complaining about Braun. He made an almost textbook throw to the plate. He definitely wasn't flat footed. Macha was a horrible manager for not using Gamel as a PH in the 7th and then for not using Counsell in the 9th. If he used Counsell rather than Kottaras, somebody would have declared him stupid and incompetent.

 

 

 

The truth is that Braddock made a really bad pitch and botched the back up. Lucroy is learning here what he should be learning in AAA. He did multiple things wrong in the critical play. Really both of them probably should be in AAA along with Cain.

[wibadgers23]

So you want Braddock, Lucroy, and Cain all in AAA right now? For rookies, they've all had fairly good seasons. What am I missing here?

[logan82]

Lucroy probably should be in AAA because he does still have some learning to do at the catchign position. He was probably going to be the opening day catcher in 2011 for us so it really isn't a big deal. It won't effect his service time much unless they were planning on leaving him down for a couple months next year.

[jason21nl]

The problem I have with the throw is that he had nothing behind it. There is a slow runner at 3rd, a medium depth fly ball...Braun should have thrown him out by a couple steps. I even think Rock was kinda surprised that he didn't throw him out by plenty.

[pete]

So you want Braddock, Lucroy, and Cain all in AAA right now? For rookies, they've all had fairly good seasons. What am I missing here?

 

Sure, but they're also learning things here that they should have learned in the minors. They're having success here because they're talented.

[wibadgers23]

Not everybody has rookie seasons like Ryan Braun. These guys are doing just fine. It's better than having Edmonds or Kottaras out there playing everyday.

[BrewCrewForever]

Not everybody has rookie seasons like Ryan Braun. These guys are doing just fine. It's better than having Edmonds or Kottaras out there playing everyday.

Exactly, and it gets those guys ready for next season. Get most of the growing pains out here in 2010 so they are set to go in 2011. I think we were spoiled with how good Ryan was right away. He is an exception, not a rule.

[pete]

Not everybody has rookie seasons like Ryan Braun. These guys are doing just fine. It's better than having Edmonds or Kottaras out there playing everyday.

 

I didn't say they had to have ROY seasons. I said they could be learning basics of the game in the minors rather than in games. Remember this discussion started because Lucroy and Braddock made a bunch of fundamental mistakes.

 

There are positives and negatives to both choices. Is it fun to watch them? Sure.

[Invader3K]

We have to also remember that the only reason Lucroy is up now is that Zaun had a season ending injury; and the team didn't really have anyone else to fill in.