Taylor Green called up

[wibadgers23]

Well I thought for sure Green would get the start today, but this organization seems dead set on calling up their top prospects and letting them rot on the bench.

[CheezWizHed]

if Fielder leaves next year the only lefty we will have is Morgan and Green would be the only lefty with any power at all.

 

Gamel?

[adambr2]

This organization was built on the success and development of its young players (Fielder, Braun, Weeks, Hart, Gallardo). Yet somehow, in the midst of all that, this FO developed a mentality that young players will hurt them in a pennant race.

 

It's very disappointing.

 

I guess it's hard for us to forget how crucial that crafty veteran Jeff Suppan was in September and October of 2008.

[wibadgers23]

They didn't play Gamel last September at all and they weren't even remotely close to being in a playoff race. I guess there's no way Green's going to play much with them actually being right in the middle of a pennant race.

[reillymcshane]

The one thing that everyone says about RR is that the players like to play for him.

 

I think one of the big reasons is that when he makes a decision - personnel wise - he sticks with it. He's said Casey is the 3B - so he's keeping him there no matter how bad he is or if we have options. Same with Yuni. He took ages to get Morgan into CF in a platoon, but part of the reason was that Nyjer played so much when Hart was out, and his success made him hard to not use. Couple that with Gomez's poor hitting, he actually made the move.

 

This mindset gave us Kam Loe as our '8th inning guy' for far too long - the only way we got rid of him was the return of Saito and acquisition of K-Rod.

 

That said, the players probably like RR because they know he'll 'have their back'. He won't be yanking them around, won't be benching them, won't be keeping them in limbo. So even when a guy plays poorly, his team mates are supportive because they know it might be them next. If Corey Hart or Lucroy has a bad month they know RR won't be replacing them with Joe Dillon for five straight games because Dillon is 'hot'. They know they'll be given the time and support to rebound - just like Casey got.

 

To a degree, this is admirable. Most people (not just players) thrive on repetition. They don't like to have their routine thrown off. It does help position a player to be successful. Players in slumps work out of them, etc.

 

I also wonder if RR is afraid to start other guys for fear it will cause problems. If Taylor Green starts and gets 2 or 3 hits, can you imagine the clamor from the fans? RR doesn't want that. He protects his guys, tries to make it so they are comfortable and can succeed.

 

I will say that I think this goes too far. The leeway given McGehee and Yuni has been amazing. Unless something happens - an injury - I doubt either will be out of the lineup very much in sept. For better or for worse, that's how RR does things.

[Raw Biz]

Nobody realistically expects Green to just be handed the starting job. But what is the harm in giving him a start or two a week? Would that really derail McGehee's confidence? Most teams give almost all their starters a day or two off a week. What makes McGehee/Yuni so special that they start every game?

[drezdn]

They didn't play Gamel last September at all and they weren't even remotely close to being in a playoff race. I guess there's no way Green's going to play much with them actually being right in the middle of a pennant race.

Wasn't Gamel injured for at least part of last September?

[Klements Bratwurst]

Nobody realistically expects Green to just be handed the starting job. But what is the harm in giving him a start or two a week? Would that really derail McGehee's confidence? Most teams give almost all their starters a day or two off a week. What makes McGehee/Yuni so special that they start every game?

RR does give Yuni or McGehee a day off or two. He just replaces them with Counsell and Wilson. Free Taylor Green!

 

 

[endaround]

Yuni never gets a day off.

[Raw Biz]

Nobody realistically expects Green to just be handed the starting job. But what is the harm in giving him a start or two a week? Would that really derail McGehee's confidence? Most teams give almost all their starters a day or two off a week. What makes McGehee/Yuni so special that they start every game?

RR does give Yuni or McGehee a day off or two. He just replaces them with Counsell and Wilson. Free Taylor Green!

 

The last time Yuni didn't start was 7/17 if I'm not mistaken. I think the last time he's completely missed a game was 6/17. McGehee didn't start 2 games August.

[monty57]

Yuni (.646 OPS) has played in 129 games and McGehee (.644 OPS) 132. The only player with more games played is Fielder (.947 OPS) at 137. None of the three plays good defense, but one of those three deserves to start everyday, can you guess which?

[Ayt]

It's interesting that AZ, in the middle of a playoff race, saw fit to take 23 year old Paul Goldschmidt and plug him right in the starting lineup just about a month ago. Amazingly, in 85 plate appearances, this young buck has swatted 5 homers and put up a nice .842 OPS while driving in 14 runs.

 

I'm impressed that he hasn't absolutely wilted under the pressure of starting at age 23 for a team with playoff aspirations.

I refuse to believe this actually happened since Gamel failed in limited PA with the Brewers.

I can't believe people are actually shocked about Green's bench warming. This isn't Buster Posey. This isn't Paul Goldschmidt (who's a top 50 overall prospect). Green was brought up before the deadline in case of an emergency. He's not going to play much.

So after tearing up AAA all year in his first season at that level, what is he? An afterthought?

Do you think his prospect ranking will jump dramatically after his year in AAA?

[adambr2]

So you really don't think that a guy who put up a 1.000+ OPS in Nashville can put up an OPS better than .644 at the MLB level? I find that hard to believe.

[monty57]

Maybe this Cardinals series will be a wake up call that the 2011 Brewers are not so good that they cannot be improved. There seems to be a belief that since they're winning we shouldn't do anything to rock the boat. Maybe we can get a positive out of a losing series... any time you can improve your starting roster, do it.

[rluzinski]

I think it was fair to have assumed that Green would have had more than 1 AB and 0 innings at 3B at this point. Even if RR is scared of hurting McGehee's feeling, Green should still get one start a week and not be behind Kotsay and Craig friggin' Counsell as a pinch hitter.

[joepepsi]

The Brewers offense after Braun and Fielder isn't particularly good. The great starting pitching and those two sluggers have masked this fact since the All Star break. If the Brewers do make it to the postseason, they probably don't have the bats to battle the superior pitching they will face from the opposing team(s).

 

So thinking you can get by with Yuni and McGehee anchoring the bottom half of the order is a serious tactical error. It may work when you are playing a half a season against mostly sub .500 teams, but RR should be looking for offense options now before the playoffs begin.

[tigerbrew]

They need to hype McGehee's 2nd half performance; he is probably one of the most obvious off season trade candidates. Well at least he is if the organization believes in Green. One thing Green has going for him is the left handed bat; if Fielder leaves next year the only lefty we will have is Morgan and Green would be the only lefty with any power at all.

 

It's kind of a Catch 22. Do you let McGehee play the entire month of September and hope he gets hot and therefore improves his trade value or do you start to give Green more at bats and decrease McGehee's potential value? I think the best case scenario is McGehee has a hot September/October and Melvin can trade him for a legitimate SS and Green can have the 3rd base job out of spring training.

Hot month or not, he'll have finished with a much worse .OPS than his previous two seasons, so if he were traded it'd be an example of a sell low.

 

Best case scenario is they play the guy who probably gives them a best chance to win, Green, and then hold on to McGehee next season in hopes that he rediscovers his prior form soft platooning with Green and Gamel. If not, then he's merely an adequate bench player for the Crew.

 

It's fortunate that McGehee rejected the Brewers contract extension offer this past offseason, his trade value would be much worse had he accepted the extension offer. As of now McGehee's contract makes him relatively easy to trade or to keep him as a bench player next season. I bet McGehee must be kicking himself for not accepting the extension offer, his greedy has cost him a lot of money.

 

[monty57]

but RR should be looking for offense options now before the playoffs begin.

 

Any offensive option would now have to be someone who was on the 25-man or DL prior to Sept 1. We will be helped when Weeks and Gomez come back, and that help will be compounded if Roenicke decides to give Hairston starts at SS once he's no longer needed at 2B/CF. Outside of that, the only real chance of an upgrade we can now make is to start giving Taylor Green some starts. Well, either that or start playing Greinke or Yo at SS.

[tigerbrew]

The Brewers offense after Braun and Fielder isn't particularly good. The great starting pitching and those two sluggers have masked this fact since the All Star break. If the Brewers do make it to the postseason, they probably don't have the bats to battle the superior pitching they will from the opposing team(s).

 

So thinking you can get by with Yuni and McGehee anchoring the bottom half of the order is a serious tactical error. It may work when you are playing a half a season against mostly sub .500 teams, but RR should be looking for offense options now before the playoffs begin.

Agreed. The Brewers have been getting by with massive help from their pitching. If their pitching falters in postseason like the past 2 games, they are in serious trouble. Seniority should take a back seat, it's more important to play their best available hitters frequently even if he's a rookie, and with Weeks impending return, their offense should improve for the final stretch and postseason.

 

[Roscoe Chill]

I
can't believe people are actually shocked about Green's bench warming.
This isn't Buster Posey. This isn't Paul Goldschmidt (who's a top 50
overall prospect). Green was brought up before the deadline in case of
an emergency. He's not going to play much.

So after tearing up AAA all year in his first season at that level, what is he? An afterthought?

Do you think his prospect ranking will jump dramatically after his year in AAA?

For the record, did I ever say that Green shouldn't be playing? I just can't believe people are surprised that he's not. He was brought up before the deadline in case someone gets hurt for the playoffs. He's now eligible. But he's not going to play much. Is that the right decision? I'd say no, but this isn't a hard one to predict. "The last piece to a World Series" talk was highly exaggerated, and I think for the most part his value is overhyped around here, but no he's not just an afterthought...but he is this year, and again that was an easy one to see coming.

[1992casey]

I don't think anyone's really surprised. And as this was to be expected, those who are realistic probably aren't disappointed either. They knew that this would happen. Of course, it isn't right, and pointing that out is certainly within reason.

[Raw Biz]

For the record, did I ever say that Green shouldn't be playing? I just can't believe people are surprised that he's not. He was brought up before the deadline in case someone gets hurt for the playoffs. He's now eligible. But he's not going to play much. Is that the right decision? I'd say no, but this isn't a hard one to predict. "The last piece to a World Series" talk was highly exaggerated, and I think for the most part his value is overhyped around here, but no he's not just an afterthought...but he is this year, and again that was an easy one to see coming.

Being brought up as insurance in case someone got hurt doesn't make any sense. If someone got hurt in September, they could be replaced by anyone that was in the organization as of 8/31. So Green didn't need to be on the team if they were just going to use him as insurance. Obviously Melvin thought it was important to have him be eligible for the playoffs (or he would've just been called up yesterday with the other guys).

[yoshii8]

NDOG44]

He was brought up before the deadline in case someone gets hurt for the playoffs.

I don't think thats true. If someone on the 25 man roster gets hurt in September, they can be replaced by someone else on the 40 man. So he didn't have to be called up when he did, they could've just waited until Sept. 1st.

[monty57]

He was brought up before the deadline in case someone gets hurt for the playoffs.

 

If someone got hurt, Green could have replaced them for the playoffs whether he was on the 25-man or not.

 

this isn't a hard one to predict

 

Sadly, you're right. If the Brewers weren't going to sit McGehee when he was hitting in the .400 - .500 OPS range, they certainly aren't going to sit him now, and if they played Lopez, Counsell and Wilson at 2B, they must not think Green's good enough at 2B to play in Weeks' absence

 

"The last piece to a World Series" talk was highly exaggerated

 

I certainly wouldn't say Green was the last piece to a World Series run, but I think he was put on the roster so that if they make the World Series, they would have a better option for DH. It's just a shame that if that occurs he will only have had a handful of PAs in a month and a half unless Roenicke shows more willingness to at least give him a pinch hit opportunity every now & then.

 

So, while Green's banishment to the bench was easily predictable, I wish it weren't. He at least deserves some starts and to be above Counsell (and Kotsay, but I won't wish for too much) on the LH pinch hitting depth chart.

[Roscoe Chill]

Yes, they wanted him ELIGIBLE for the playoffs. That was my point. It's my understanding you had to be up in the show before August 31 to be eligible for the post season. Rawbecht disagrees with me, but then says exactly what I mean with his last sentence. He's done enough to show that if need be, he might be a better long term option than Josh Wilson and/or Craig Counsell...by long term, I'm obviously talking this year. Spot starts, and in game subs? That's still going to be Counsell and Wilson (at least until Weeks gets back). Is that smart? Again, I don't think so. But I'd still bet against Green even being on the playoff roster...but he can be, that's my point.