How Sal Bando destroyed a decade of my life

[BrewersSuperCollector]

My biggest problem with Bando was July 31st. 1999. He had 2 guys leaving the team, Dave Nilsson and Jeff Cirillo, both with an OBP of 400 or higher and they get NOTHING for them. Bando lets them both walk away with no prospects.

 

Same can be said for not getting anything for Nomo during the Dean Taylor era.

 

The Brewers had players they could deal for propects knowing they can't resign them.

[DHonks]

BrewersSuperCollector, Nomo was in '99 as well.

 

And neither Jeff Cirillo nor David Nilsson left as free agents. One was traded and one retired. With Nilsson and Nomo, the Brewers reportedly had trades worked out only to have Wendy veto them.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

It was known that Nilsson wouldn't be back, as he was working on putting together the Austraila baseball team. If memory serves, he tried a comeback with the Red Sox a couple years later.

[LouisEly]

Say what you want about Kyle Peterson, while his upside wasn't the highest he pitched more innings in the majors than JM Gold, Mike Jones, Mark Rogers, and Jeremy Jeffress combined.

[Never Outhustled]

Say what you want about Kyle Peterson, while his upside wasn't the highest he pitched more innings in the majors than JM Gold, Mike Jones, Mark Rogers, and Jeremy Jeffress combined.

 

Peterson doesn't even have 92 career innings, and he was below average in those limited innings. His career is over, Jeffress is just getting started, and I sure hope Rogers doesn't become the 1st pitcher in history to have his career ruined by carpal tunnel. Rogers was dominant last Septemeber in the majors. Peterson was a huge risk selection with no upside. Bando swung and missed on a bunt attempt.

[RockCoCougars]

didn't they take JM Gold and Neugy?

Forgot about those two.

[BCZF]

Just a decade?

[paul253]

Forgot about those two.

 

 

Wasn't Neugebauer a second round pick?

[Funketown]

In defense of Bando, Neugebauer had quite a few good seasons as a member of my Milwaukee Brewers franchise for MVP baseball 2004.

[RockCoCougars]

I think Neugebauer was either a sandwich or a second. Another guy in a long line of Brewers pitching prospects who could have been a good one had he not blown his arm out.

[KCBrewerfan34]

Just curious, how much does the GM blame for an inept director of player personnel, or did Bando handle the drafts himself?

 

How much input does Melvin have on these draft picks

[LouisEly]

Peterson doesn't even have 92 career innings, and he was below average in those limited innings.

His ERA+ was 100 in 1999, the pinnacle of the steroid era. Then he got hurt in 2000 and never returned to form. And his career ERA, all games as a starter in the steroid era, is 0.01 higher than Jeffress' this season. Limited ceiling? Yes. Below average? In 2001 after he got hurt, yes. In 1999, no, he was above average for a starter.

 

And my point was that Gold, Jones, Rogers, and Jeffress combined don't have 92 career innings.

[Never Outhustled]

Just curious, how much does the GM blame for an inept director of player personnel, or did Bando handle the drafts himself?

 

How much input does Melvin have on these draft picks

 

Bando hand selected Antone Williamson with the 4th overall selection, because Williamson was an ASU 3rd baseman, just like himself. That ended in disaster.

 

Melvin has very little draft input, which is the most common method of operation.

[Eddiehitsthefoulpole]

Not trying to be a jerk, but Sal batted right-handed.

[joepepsi]

Mike Flanagan blew his head off two weeks ago, in part because of the blame he took for the Orioles. BE careful what you blame individuals for....

[JohnBriggs12]

"Sal Bando destroyed a decade of my life"

 

Boo hoo! John McHale destroyed my youth. He took the best franchise in the game in the late 1950's, and made them irrelevant through some of the worst deals in the history of the game (check out Joey Jay and Juan Pizarro for Roy McMillan deal sometime), then collaborated with an ownership group from Chicago, planted here by the owner of the Cubs, and lied to the Milwaukee fans about the intentions to move the team. Now that was a guy worth getting worked up about.

 

Bando was a poor GM. There have been lots of them. He was hindered by ownership too.

[Patrick425]

I will concede that Bando and the developmental staff in that period did a horrible job of scouting and drafting players. They also did not make trades that would have helped them build a core of solid young players.

 

However, and I mentioned this briefly in the "fandom" thread, I have a hard time faulting Bando, Bud, or Wendy for not increasing the payroll during this time period. Yes, when the payroll is low and the product on the field is below par it's hard to draw fans, but when you have one of the lowest attendances in the league it's hard to increase payroll. It's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario. People fault Bando for letting Molitor go, but were these same people going to games on a regular basis and supporting the team so that they could afford to keep Molitor and make other improvments to the product on the field?

[brewerguy71]

Are you going to write a similar post in 2023 about how Doug Melvin destroyed an additional 10 years of your life?

[StearnsFTW]

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif at the Braves being the best franchise in baseball in the late 50s.

[RockCoCougars]

at the Braves being the best franchise in baseball in the late 50s.

 

If we are talking 57,58 and 59 as the late '50's, I don't know who was better. The Braves were within a few games of three straight pennants.

[reillymcshane]

Are you going to write a similar post in 2023 about how Doug Melvin destroyed an additional 10 years of your life?

I sat in Miller Park with my son while the Brewers clinched their first playoff appearance in 25+ years. I've seen the team develop some great players, like Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. I'm hoping to see my team win its first division in 29 years.

 

I can live with that.

 

With the way finances are set up in baseball, I expect more downs than ups, but that's part of life. We can't all be the Yankees.

 

It's been a great year to be a Brewer fan. Perhaps I'll curse the mustached one in the distant future (although I have never brought up Harry Dalton in a negative fashion - for what it's worth), but Melvin has helped deliver far more success than Sal ever did.

[StearnsFTW]

at the Braves being the best franchise in baseball in the late 50s.

 

If we are talking 57,58 and 59 as the late '50's, I don't know who was better. The Braves were within a few games of three straight pennants.

I was thinking the Yankees since you can say the same about them and then add 5 straight pennants from 60-64. It's a laughable comment, hence the http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif.

[brewerguy71]

Are you going to write a similar post in 2023 about how Doug Melvin destroyed an additional 10 years of your life?

I sat in Miller Park with my son while the Brewers clinched their first playoff appearance in 25+ years. I've seen the team develop some great players, like Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. I'm hoping to see my team win its first division in 29 years.

 

I can live with that.

 

With the way finances are set up in baseball, I expect more downs than ups, but that's part of life. We can't all be the Yankees.

 

It's been a great year to be a Brewer fan. Perhaps I'll curse the mustached one in the distant future (although I have never brought up Harry Dalton in a negative fashion - for what it's worth), but Melvin has helped deliver far more success than Sal ever did.

 

 

Very true. But my assumption is that DM's lows may be just as bad as Bando's were. If it werent for the fact that he gets to work with an owner that enjoys spending, Melvin's downs (2013 and beyond, after he is long gone) will be something I bet a lot of new Brewer fans will be cursing.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Yo go Briggs! I'm still pissed off that the Braves left town and I wasn't even born yet. So many people in my father's generation just gave up on baseball after they left. Another reason to hate anything to do with the Chicago sports landscape...dang Carpetbaggers...you too Atlanta!!!

 

One main reason I'd love to see a Milwaukee team celebrating on Chicago's turf in September and Atlanta's turf in October. Do it for the old guard you Brew Crew.

 

The 90's were a rough time...ownership, Sal, the economics of baseball...can't pin it all on one man, but it was brutal. A main reason I love Bud for not only giving us a team, but doing what he could to make it competitive (despite the 90s debacle) and also why Dean Taylor doesn't get enough credit for setting the table for Doug Melvin. Granted, firing Taylor was the right thing to do, but he left the place better off than when he started.

[gregmag]

I don't understand why my post was deleted? I basically did the exact same thing as Kegstand before he did. And I had the same intent-- this topic is worn out. We're all tired of the 90's, and the recovery period in the early 2000's. This is a different era, and we all need to move on. Sick of talking about it.

Actually, funny thing, I find this thread interesting, so you're wrong. I'm not tired of the 90s -- or any other specific decade -- so you actually have no clue about what "we all" think. If you don't like a discussion, don't participate in it. There are plenty of others. How hard is that? Or do I need to run all my posts past you from now on so that you, in your infinite wisdom, can decide whether they're worthwhile?

 

Before I got to that major irritant, I was just going to thank reillymcshane for a thread topic that made me laugh out loud, backed up with a great discussion. So thanks!