The muscle

[DHonks]

I say we check in on Russell Branyan for 1b. Could be cheap 30 hr. he's been good every other time we've called upon him

[brewmann04]

good call doug but also it looks like we need a SS too any thoughts to bad Cruz decided to leave the crew

[Funketown]

Is he healthy? I don't think he's signed with anybody this season and if that's the case he should be in Nashville tomorrow morning.

[PrinceEatMeat]

He's currently with the Yankees in AAA, but he's on the DL.

[HiAndTight]

I'm wondering when we're going to forget about Branyan?

 

Hart to 1st, Aoki starting is a much better opinion. Branyan's stat line looks good for the Brewers because he'll put together a couple week stretch in which he hits a ton of HR's and then for the next 6 weeks be a .180/.300/.350 hitter. And he can't play defense anymore.

 

This obsession with a guy who's played for just about every team in the US and Japan is dumbfounding.

[DHonks]

Why forget about him? He's been productive every time we've had him. The only problem is we played Hall over him last time and he got hurt in his first go 'round with us. Cheap productivity is good

[Funketown]

I'm wondering when we're going to forget about Branyan?

 

Hart to 1st, Aoki starting is a much better opinion. Branyan's stat line looks good for the Brewers because he'll put together a couple week stretch in which he hits a ton of HR's and then for the next 6 weeks be a .180/.300/.350 hitter. And he can't play defense anymore.

 

This obsession with a guy who's played for just about every team in the US and Japan is dumbfounding.

 

Woah. You're walking on very thin ice here. Those are most certainly fightin' words 'round these parts.

 

FACT: Russell Branyan is 27th all time in ISO.

FACT: Russell Branyan is 2nd all time in SO% for all hitters with over 3000 PA's.

FACT: Russell Branyan once hit a ball from AT&T Park to Kodiak Island, Alaska.

[HiAndTight]

Why forget about him? He's been productive every time we've had him. The only problem is we played Hall over him last time and he got hurt in his first go 'round with us. Cheap productivity is good

 

 

That was the "only," problem?

 

And yet he's been with 13 different teams in 14 seasons.

 

 

Does this honestly not strike anyone here? Either the drove of Branyan lovers have a better understanding of his value, or the GM's of baseball teams realize with Branyan, you get a guy who is going to hit everything in the world for a stretch like Matt Kemp right now, and then quickly turn into a awful, awful hitter.

 

And play him instead of Hall? From June 28th he had a .173/.271/.288 with an OPS of .560.

This was over 24 games.

 

In the first 26 games he had a line of .300/.387/.775 with an OPS of 1.162.

 

Am I REALLY the only one who sees what this guy is? He's a terrible defender at 3rd, and he's a guy who nobody wants. Yeah, it's great when he has that 15 game run where he gets fastballs and a couple hangers, but it's a little dangerous when he changes wind currents in the other half of his playing time when he can't hit volleyball thrown up there.

 

Another argument against, last years numbers, .197/.295/.370 OPS of .665.

Another argument. Not a single team in baseball, teams in much more need of power than us thought he was worthy of so much as a contract this year and not a single team signed him.

[HiAndTight]

I'm wondering when we're going to forget about Branyan?

 

Hart to 1st, Aoki starting is a much better opinion. Branyan's stat line looks good for the Brewers because he'll put together a couple week stretch in which he hits a ton of HR's and then for the next 6 weeks be a .180/.300/.350 hitter. And he can't play defense anymore.

 

This obsession with a guy who's played for just about every team in the US and Japan is dumbfounding.

 

Woah. You're walking on very thin ice here. Those are most certainly fightin' words 'round these parts.

 

FACT: Russell Branyan is 27th all time in ISO.

FACT: Russell Branyan is 2nd all time in SO% for all hitters with over 3000 PA's.

FACT: Russell Branyan once hit a ball from AT&T Park to Kodiak Island, Alaska.

 

 

 

LOL....I like the last one. Branyan's a FUN guy to watch, but again, he's changed teams 13 times in 14 years. And it's not because of his value.

 

 

I'm not saying I'd be against working him out, getting him down in AAA and see if we could get that short stretch from him, but it's not likely. And.....I think I need to stop "fighting," this fight. Not that I consider it really a fight, or heated, it's just the Branyan love is so....I'd say over the top, you guys would say strong and validated that I don't see us getting anywhere.

 

And don't get me wrong. I've see stretches of games that I've only seen from other Brewers such as Jenkins, Braun, Prince and fellow Cleveland gems Burnitz and Richie, and he's been as good as any when he's on top.

 

The problem is, when he's not hitting, I'd rather see Greinke up at the plate.

[paul253]

I'd just rather see Hart at 1st and Aoki in either right or center. Aoki needs a long look so we can see what we have in him. No reason to sign Russel Branyon and play him over Aoki.

 

I do like giving Taylor Green a shot. I'd probably rather see Green at third and Ramirez at first but I realize you can't just put Ramirez at a position he's never played before in the middle of the season.

[brettac1]

I am fine with Aoki getting lots of PT, but not in RF. He and Morgan should not be playing corner spots. I'd rather have a guy like Lee or Branyan or whomever (random minor league journeyman guy) with at least some pop at 1B. The offense isn't good enough to play Aoki at a power position.

[Dollarbill13]

The reason Branyan has been with so many teams is that despite the fact that he walks a lot, his upside is basically a SLG heavy .800-.850 OPS that can only play 1B. He's a good, cheap option for a team that has a starting 1B or DH gig to give him. But given that he doesn't offer any defensive flex. ibility, he doesn't play so well as a bench player. And as far as the streakiness argument goes, pretty much every player is streaky. It's the nature of the game.

 

All that being said, I think I'd rather have Green manning first than Branyan. If the debate is Ishikawa vs. Branyan, give me Branyan.

[Funketown]

I think most of us are just having fun with Branyan. I doubt anybody here expects him to be dominant, but if he weren't a Yankee I'd probably sign him to a minor league deal and see how he swings the bat.

[HiAndTight]

The reason Branyan has been with so many teams is that despite the fact that he walks a lot, his upside is basically a SLG heavy .800-.850 OPS that can only play 1B. He's a good, cheap option for a team that has a starting 1B or DH gig to give him. But given that he doesn't offer any defensive flex. ibility, he doesn't play so well as a bench player. And as far as the streakiness argument goes, pretty much every player is streaky. It's the nature of the game.

 

All that being said, I think I'd rather have Green manning first than Branyan. If the debate is Ishikawa vs. Branyan, give me Branyan.

 

 

 

Yes, of course, every player is streaky. That much is obvious. However saying that's "part of the game," like all players are equal in this regard is dismissing just how hot and cold Branyan can go....

[Dollarbill13]

You've laid out a few examples of hot and cold streaks that Branyan has had but I don't think that shows that he's any more streaky than other players. Look at his 2010 season (the season where he had the 2nd most at bats of his career). His lowest monthly OPS was .718 and his highest was .877. That seems relatively consistent to me.

 

For what it's worth, here is a study done by Fangraphs regarding past streakiness of players and how that correlates to future streakiness

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/were-going-streaking-again/