Brewers sign Mark Kotsay; Latest -- RHP Roque Mercedes clears waivers, remains Milwaukee property

[gregmag]

Okay, MN Brew -- I disagree. Always respectfully, but strongly in this case. Just because something doesn't happen often, that doesn't make a small sample size bigger. 50 or 70 is a statistically small number, whether it represents a week's worth of events or two years' worth. As for treating a walk as a failure in an RBI situation . . . I just don't know what to say. Getting on base is better than not getting on base. Walks are good. Briggs, and you, can cite whatever stats you want to; nobody can tell you what to say or not say. But these particular stats, in my humble opinion, have serious problems as evidence of what you're trying to argue. Beyond that, and I'm not directing this at you, I'll just say that I have tremendous respect for people with a lot of baseball knowledge and the talent to express that knowledge well, but after a while I lose patience with anyone who consistently refuses to listen to, or engage with, other knowledgeable folks' differing viewpoints.

[greeg35]

I didn't say he was a troll; but using the word may have been too strong. I apologize.

Disagreeing and debate are fine with me. Great in fact. Gregmag made my point better than I could have.

[MNBrew]

As for treating a walk as a failure in an RBI situation . . . I just don't know what to say. Getting on base is better than not getting on base. Walks are good.

Hold on. Briggs said was that YB drove in the runner from 3rd ~68% of

the time compared to Cameron's doing so ~48% of the time in the same

game circumstances (runner on 3rd, < 2 outs). There were no assertions that the walk was a negative, only that it usually didn't drive in the run at that moment.

 

Statistically significant or not, however limited the sample size, given those two success rates, I'd rather rely on YB to get the run across in those circumstances compared to Cameron. Isn't that the point? The walk can be successful, too, but it's not as successful as getting the run across.

 

I can't disagree with your last two sentences above: Getting on base is good, and walks are good. I didn't read Briggs as implying that a walk is a failure in an RBI situation, but rather that it was at least something of a positive, as contrasted by Cameron's higher strikeouts, which are an example of the 2nd-purest failure in that circumstance (#1 being hitting into a multiple-out play that ends the inning w/o scoring any runs).

[amt2138]

For his career with a man on third and under two outs Mike Cameron is an above .300 hitter going 100 for 329 with a .368 OBP and .878 OPS while Yuni is 37 for 140 .264 avg. with a. 250 OBP .657 OPS.

 

Their is really nothing predictive about these stats either, Cam has had seasons of hitting .300 in these spots and other seasons of hitting under .150.

 

Briggs really did treat a walk as a negative as he included it in the percentage of times that Cam didn't drive a run in, or at least that's how the numbers came off to me.

[greeg35]

Statistically significant or not, however limited the sample size, given those two success rates, I'd rather rely on YB to get the run across in those circumstances compared to Cameron.

 

 

relying on statistically insignificant data to make decisions is an option; but it is not a good option in my opinion. I would rather rely on the statistically significant data that says Cameron is hitting in a different universe than Betancourt and go with Cameron at least until Cameron shows he is falling off the map physically.

[RockCoCougars]

For his career with a man on third and under two outs Mike Cameron is an above .300 hitter going 100 for 329 with a .368 OBP and .878 OPS while Yuni is 37 for 140 .264 avg. with a. 250 OBP .657 OPS.

 

Their is really nothing predictive about these stats either, Cam has had seasons of hitting .300 in these spots and other seasons of hitting under .150.

 

Briggs really did treat a walk as a negative as he included it in the percentage of times that Cam didn't drive a run in, or at least that's how the numbers came off to me.

Please don't get me started on Cameron again. He may have decent career stats in these situations, but the fact that he was definitely un-clutch while with the Brewers cannot be disputed.

[amt2138]

That was pretty much my point Rockco. He seemed bad in his time here to me as well, but Instead of going by who's the better hitter in a certain situation for one or two years why not go with who's the better hitter period. Greeg35 pretty much put it perfect. But back to mark kotsay...

[Kelbysdaddy]

why would they want kotsay when branyan is available? the muscle has a ton more power and brewer fans love him. it would go over much better than kotsay.

[Hate those Rodents]

Rosenthal tweets that we are close to signing Kotsay. So we can now pencil him in.

 

EDIT: Fixed the links.

[Robideaux]

Kotsay can't hit, field, or run. Aside from that, he's a great player.

[MarquesJohnson2000]

Rosenthal saying it will be a major league contract.

[TooLiveBrew]

Rosenthal saying it will be a major league contract.

http://one4theotherthumb.com/images/stories/facepalm.jpg

 

 

I just hope it's a split deal, contingent on him making the 25-man in ST

[Mass Haas]

Guessing the Brewers will try to sneak RHP Roque Mercedes onto waivers to clear the 40-man spot. He had an unimpressive AA stint in middle relief with the Diamondbacks while on their 40-man last offseason.

[TooLiveBrew]

Adam McCalvy[/url]]Kotsay is represented by Greg Genske, the same agent who has been in discussions with the Brewers about arbitration-eligible second baseman Rickie Weeks.

Maybe this is just an elaborate ploy of appeasement to help get a Weeks deal done!

[Hate those Rodents]

Unless it's Wade Boggs, we might as well open the roster spot and be Boggs-less.

[djoctagone]

barring a major injury to jonathan lucroy (and a trip to the 60-day disabled list), the brewers are going to have to remove a catcher from the 40-man roster before the end of spring training (wil nieves or george kottaras) . . . which would obviously clear up a roster spot. too bad that decision can't be made now with the assurances that the three remaining catchers are all guaranteed to be 100% healthy come opening day.

[COBrewerfan]

These type of signings are just cheap options the brewers are trying to fill the back end of the roster. I don't get that excited either way with these moves. But the hating on Yuniesky is a bit early for me. Not because his stats are equal or better than what we got from SS last year, but I would guess that most of the people commenting have never even seen him play. While he is not the ideal SS I cannot see how we can be up in arms. We have a similar SS and we have upgraded our pitching greatly.

 

I have said to friends before and I will continue to say this. I could care less who we have in the field. Just give me a top 5 pitching staff and we will be in the race. And it just happens that the Giants won it last year with a less than explosive offense. They just picked guys off the scrap pile and created a lineup to go with that great pitching. You don't need as many 'big' hits when a game is 3-2.

[endaround]

Have you ever seen Marcum play? How do you know he's better?

 

The Brewers have had really good pitching staff just a few years ago (2006) and lost a ton of games due to bad fielders and hitters.

[Funketown]

Since 2006, Kotsay has put up a WAR of -1.3.

 

I don't get this at all.

[topper09er]

The Brewers have had really good pitching staff just a few years ago (2006) and lost a ton of games due to bad fielders and hitters.

In 2006 the Brewers had the 2nd highest ERA in the NL at 4.82. Not sure how you can say that is "really good"

 

[theavrock]

Weeks and Kotsay are represented by the same agent. Maybe he is agreeing to an extension for Weeks if the Brewers sign Kotsay.

[endaround]

The Brewers have had really good pitching staff just a few years ago (2006) and lost a ton of games due to bad fielders and hitters.

In 2006 the Brewers had the 2nd highest ERA in the NL at 4.82. Not sure how you can say that is "really good"

Because ERA is a terrible stat when you have bad fielders. Sheets was superb for 1/2 a season, Capuano, and Bush were all above 3.8 WAR and Davis was at 2.8. That's a very good rotation.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Well, this signing spells the end of any chance that Mat Gamel had of making the major league roster. He's definitely AAA bound now in my opinion.

[COBrewerfan]

The Brewers have had really good pitching staff just a few years ago (2006) and lost a ton of games due to bad fielders and hitters.

In 2006 the Brewers had the 2nd highest ERA in the NL at 4.82. Not sure how you can say that is "really good"

Because ERA is a terrible stat when you have bad fielders. Sheets was superb for 1/2 a season, Capuano, and Bush were all above 3.8 WAR and Davis was at 2.8. That's a very good rotation.

If you believe that was a good rotation you have to be really excited about this years rotation. And yes I have seen Marcum pitch. Much more than I have seen Yuniesky but I have seen both. Our rotation this year strikes out more hitters so there will be less balls in play to make these mistakes you are saying is the reason for the 4.82. Even if that is not the entire reason. This years rotation is much better than 2006 so I am not even going to compare that. All I was saying is that not many have even seen Yuniesky play and are already calling him awful because some media reports have said that. We didn't exactly have a stud at SS last year and this years staff is much better than any in recent memory.

 

[logan82]

These type of signings are just cheap options the brewers are trying to fill the back end of the roster. I don't get that excited either way with these moves. But the hating on Yuniesky is a bit early for me. Not because his stats are equal or better than what we got from SS last year, but I would guess that most of the people commenting have never even seen him play. While he is not the ideal SS I cannot see how we can be up in arms. We have a similar SS and we have upgraded our pitching greatly.

The production out of SS we got last year is acceptable in a couple cases. One being from a young guy with upside. The other bing a case where we are not in contention for a playoff spot. Both were true last year, neither is true this year. Last year Escobar improved as the year went on and was likely to be better this year.

 

The Giants also play in a ballpark where runs are at a premium so an average offense is ok.