Apologize to Yuni Thread

[TracyThom]

I've been pulling for Yuni all year. The more people heaped coals on his head, the more I hoped he would come through. He could hit 6 home runs and play A+ defense in the NLCS and certain people would not give him props because they have to save face due to their criticism of him all season.

Or because they would judge his season and not just one series...

 

I mean what do you want people to say, he was one of the weaker regular SS in baseball all season as expected, he can get hot at the right time and it doesn't mean any criticism is wrong somehow. Nobody wants to see him fail, everyone hopes he hits a HR every single time he comes to the plate, I just don't get where this kind of comment even comes from.

 

It's my understanding that the purpose of this thread was to give him credit for the way he played in the NLDS. Yes, he was one of the worst SS in baseball during the regular season, but he came up big in today's game. I would like the haters to at least admit that.

[Ennder]

I've been pulling for Yuni all year. The more people heaped coals on his head, the more I hoped he would come through. He could hit 6 home runs and play A+ defense in the NLCS and certain people would not give him props because they have to save face due to their criticism of him all season.

Or because they would judge his season and not just one series...

 

I mean what do you want people to say, he was one of the weaker regular SS in baseball all season as expected, he can get hot at the right time and it doesn't mean any criticism is wrong somehow. Nobody wants to see him fail, everyone hopes he hits a HR every single time he comes to the plate, I just don't get where this kind of comment even comes from.

 

It's my understanding that the purpose of this thread was to give him credit for the way he played in the NLDS. Yes, he was one of the worst SS in baseball during the regular season, but he came up big in today's game. I would like the haters to at least admit that.

Why though, I just don't get this at all? The worst player in baseball history can have a good 5 game stretch, should you apologize for understanding he is bad? It just makes no sense at all.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Yuni had some big hits in the series, and he was a key part of the win today. I'm cheering for the guy for the rest of the season, but I certainly won't apologizing for acknowledging that he's sucked for most of the regular season. He's a bad baseball player, who had a clutch hit in a key situation. Good for him, and I'm happy for the Brewers. That doesn't mean he didn't suck for 3/4ths of the regular season.

[JimH5]

I don't like Yuni at all. He had a 0.7 WAR for the season.

 

But we had 5 seasons from Jim Gantner with a lower WAR, and he's a beloved icon.

 

Yuni had a big hit tonight, and made a terrific putout at 2nd when the game was on the line.

 

Kudos to him for a good night, and I hope he continues this run for another few weeks.

[Thurston Fluff]

I mean what do you want people to say, he was one of the weaker regular SS in baseball all season as expected, he can get hot at the right time and it doesn't mean any criticism is wrong somehow.

 

If you are asking maybe something about how even though he was not a good baseball player, and everybody knew it, there was no reason to keep whining about it. It was time to accept he was our bad baseball player and we always had hope this type of thing could happen to him simply because he was ours. Maybe even something about how, in hindsight, it was a bit much to think he would be the downfall of this team in the end. That maybe when no matter what the topic his name had to be brought up in a negative way was over the top. Something along that line would be a good start if you are asking.

[kramnoj]

I certainly understand the sentiment, but this really should be a time of elation and celebration, at least for a day.

[bjkrautk]

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6222077116_ac4f5279ab.jpg

Yuni Betancourt - RBI Single by bjkrautk, on Flickr

[carniesandrubes]

I'll apologize when he apologizes to me for making me watch him stink up the joint for 90% of the season

[letsgored]

Much of the venom that gets directed towards Yuni should really be directed to Melvin/Roenicke, who run YB out there as our regular shortstop.

[Schlitz001]

Thanks for the big hit Yuni. My dislike for you got so bad earlier in the season that my signature was just a link to your baseball-reference.com page because I was going there so often. Keep hitting.

[sargennm]

Jesus, seriously guys? Thank you for delivering one of the biggest franchise history. Yuni, I was more negative about you on this board thanany player I've ever been negative about since I signed onto this board 7 years ago. You will always be a legend in my mind. I can't wait for you to mumble something incomprehensible to my son when I take him to see you at a card show in ten years.

[danzig6767]

Me too. No apology is necessary. I'm glad he had his good run at the plate in the regular season, and I'm glad he came through today. I'm always happy when he, or any of our guys, succeeds.

As much as his brutal approach at the plate and his plowhorse range at shortstop drove me nuts, for whatever reason, when he'd come up with runners on base except for man on third-one out, i usually didn't feel completely hopeless like say when McGehee would come up. Not confident, just not hopeless. Maybe it's because he makes contact a lot, even though so many of those ended with a pop up.

 

We see this happen a lot in the playoffs over the years. Obviously the star players on playoffs teams get the most attention for good reason and they need to produce, but it happens quite a bit where huge plays in series ending games come off the bat guys who much less is expected of. That single by Yuni in a game in July is forgotten in minutes, in a Game 5 advance or go home, it becomes a hit to remember for awhile even though it wasn't the game winner in extra innings.

 

Plus, i think it was huge from an emotional standpoint. Young has just absolutely robbed Hairston of a 2-RBI double or triple to take the lead. Everyone on the team and in the crowd looked like they had just bench punched in the stomach. I sure felt that way. That single was like getting a breath of fresh air after getting punched.

[TooLiveBrew]

I can't wait for you to mumble something incomprehensible to my son when I take him to see you at a card show in ten years.

 

This made me snort.

[TheCrew]

RBI single was huge - but the play he made in the 9th was 1000x more important. He doesn't get there and put his body 100% on the line, they don't win.

 

As for the Yuni bashing - it's a complete joke on this board and based on his play for the Brewers in 2011, mostly undeserved.

 

He was bashed by a group of people on here because WAR/UZR said he was a bad player before he ever donned a Brewer uniform - they aren't going to change their opinion now. The guy that has deserved all the Yuni hate was his partner for most of the season on that side of the infield - and he is rightfully on the bench now.

 

Yuni could homer every at bat for the rest of this post season and play great D and some people wouldn't change their opinion on here because UZR says he doesn't have good range. It is what it is with some and this is exactly what Whitlock is referring to in his article from a few weeks ago.

 

All that said, the Cards series also has another layer involved that many are overlooking - Furcal and the Brewers decision not to pursue him at the trade deadline.

[logan82]

He was bashed by a group of people on here because WAR/UZR said he was a bad player before he ever donned a Brewer uniform - they aren't going to change their opinion now.

 

It wasn't just the stats. Scouts and fans also hated his defense.

 

Yuni could homer every at bat for the rest of this post season and play great D and some people wouldn't change their opinion on here because UZR says he doesn't have good range.

 

He doesn't have good range. That is easy to see watching him play. It is ridiculous to think people are just using the stats.

 

The guy that has deserved all the Yuni hate was his partner for most of the season on that side of the infield - and he is rightfully on the bench now.

 

McGehee had some success in recent seasons. Yuni never had any success. There was reason to think McGehee could hit better. People were calling for McGehee to be benched by the middle of June. Yes McGehee probably should be on the bench. So should Yuni. If either play I hope they hit a HR ever time up and make 3 spectacular plays every inning.

 

After the season is over I hope Yuni is cut and McGehee is sent to the bench. I am not going to apologize to Yuni for his play making me think he stinks. I think it is ridiculous to apologize to such a bad player for his poor play. I take his blooper as the start of an apology for being a big steaming pile of suck most of this year.

[mothershipconnection]

and play great D and some people wouldn't change their opinion on here because UZR says he doesn't have good range.

 

Even my wife asks me "why's that guy so slow, does he have bad knees or something?" when Yuni just stands there because a ball's hit 5 feet from him.

 

Betancourt basically did his job this series: he didn't really do anything praiseworthy, nor did he completely suck. I don't think anyone who dislikes him being the starting SS has ever indicated that he couldn't be acceptable for 5 games.

[hawing]

I can't wait for you to mumble something incomprehensible to my son when I take him to see you at a card show in ten years.

 

This made me snort.

It made me laugh out loud.

 

Once it became apparent that the Brewers were sticking with Yuni for the long (2011) haul, I decided to assume that there's some inscrutable, cosmic reason for them to do so. Maybe we haven't seen "the reason" yet, but he had some solid moments Friday night, which I'll accept. He's there, we can't change that, so may as well hope for the best.

 

A bit of an aside: I saw two fans wearing Betancourt shirts on Friday - one in Madison and one two rows in front of me at NLDS game 5.

[The Truth]

To me its always been about poor range and a terrible OBP. Despite batting .278 in the NLDS, his OBP was still just .316

 

He's shown alot of heart though, that is something that you cannot teach and is most welcome in the playoffs. I do not want him on the 2012 Brewers.

 

Yuni B is better than McGehee though, I'll give him that

 

I wonder what we would have had to give up for Furcal though. Let us hope thats not the difference in the NLCS

[thablingster]

Dear Yuni,

 

You have become a man of mystery. How can you have such an off balance swing and still hit the ball? How can you put together 9 awful at bats, then work a 9 pitch double out of nowhere? Why the red bat? Why does no one know your walkup music?

 

In any case, thanks for Friday night. Also, May 20th.

 

Sincerely,

thablingster

[logan82]

hawing wrote:

 

A bit of an aside: I saw two fans wearing Betancourt shirts on Friday - one in Madison and one two rows in front of me at NLDS game 5.

Probably the same person.

[strawbossisevil]

I'm still waiting to see Logan to post something, heck, anything positive about Betancourt. He's a Brewer, at least acknowledge that he came up with one of the most vital hits in our franchise's history. Without that hit, we'd be talking about who we hate the most, Arizona or St. Louis.

 

I just think there is so much "hate" there that a compliment can't be paid. Prove me wrong. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[logan82]

I'm still waiting to see Logan to post something, heck, anything positive about Betancourt. He's a Brewer, at least acknowledge that he came up with one of the most vital hits in our franchise's history. Without that hit, we'd be talking about who we hate the most, Arizona or St. Louis.

 

I just think there is so much "hate" there that a compliment can't be paid. Prove me wrong. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

I said "good job Yuni." I acknowledge some of his play has helped us but I also can't leave out his poor play has hurt us much more.

[1992casey]

Maybe we haven't seen "the reason" yet, but he had some solid moments Friday night, which I'll accept.

 

Getting a hit 25% of the time and getting on base 27% of the time is going to produce a lot of solid moments when a guy plays full time. It's not a surprise when Yuni does something cool. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

These solid moments don't negate the fact that he made outs 73% of the time. And I'm not so sure that last night's hit was solid as much as it was fortuitous. Still, it should be appreciated as it was one of the key moments in one of the most significant games in the franchise's history.

[logan82]

The fact of the matter is that Hairston had a good PA, hit a ball really hard that Young made a good play on. Yuni had a crappy PA, blooped a ball into center and we are supposed to apologize to him for being lucky?

[Thurston Fluff]

Once it became apparent that the Brewers were sticking with Yuni for the long (2011) haul, I decided to assume that there's some inscrutable, cosmic reason for them to do so. Maybe we haven't seen "the reason" yet, but he had some solid moments Friday night, which I'll accept. He's there, we can't change that, so may as well hope for the best.

 

That pretty much sums up my feelings on him. The only thing that got annoying after a while was seeing him brought up in every thread like somehow his in/ability was the root cause of everything that ailed the Brewers. Understanding someone isn't good is fine. Bringing up how awful he is when discussing the bullpen, team ERA, outfield defense, outfield depth, the third base situation, who chews bubble gum in the dugout or any number or other unrelated topics was less fine.