2nd half optimism!!

[Ennder]

The so-called 2nd wild card is a joke in my opinion. It does nothing except force the actual wild card winner to have to beat a team in 1 game that they were better than over the course of 162 games to get in. That's all it is.

 

Actually it is one of the best moves they have made to the playoffs. It adds more optimism for more teams and more importantly it makes the wild card teams burn their best starting pitcher in the play in game thus giving an advantage back to teams who win their division. There is pretty much nothing but positives from this. Also the concept of the regular season deciding which team is better is pretty silly when they play unbalanced schedules. A wild card team in the AL east is a much better team than a wild card team coming out of the AL Central assuming the same number of wins.

[Bombers]

The so-called 2nd wild card is a joke in my opinion. It does nothing except force the actual wild card winner to have to beat a team in 1 game that they were better than over the course of 162 games to get in. That's all it is.

 

Actually it is one of the best moves they have made to the playoffs. It adds more optimism for more teams and more importantly it makes the wild card teams burn their best starting pitcher in the play in game thus giving an advantage back to teams who win their division. There is pretty much nothing but positives from this. Also the concept of the regular season deciding which team is better is pretty silly when they play unbalanced schedules. A wild card team in the AL east is a much better team than a wild card team coming out of the AL Central assuming the same number of wins.

 

I agree with this. If you take a team in the AL east (lets say finishes 89-73 and is in 2nd place.) But the Tigers finish in 2nd place at 90-72. Which team is better? I guess the un-balanced 162 game schedule says the Tigers are. But they also played the Royals and Twins, who are horrible, a bunch more times than the AL East team. So I would say the AL East team deserves to be in too. I think the new wild card is great.

[trwi7]

I agree with this. If you take a team in the AL east (lets say finishes 89-73 and is in 2nd place.) But the Tigers finish in 2nd place at 90-72. Which team is better? I guess the un-balanced 162 game schedule says the Tigers are. But they also played the Royals and Twins, who are horrible, a bunch more times than the AL East team. So I would say the AL East team deserves to be in too. I think the new wild card is great.

 

But then in one game you're going Justin Verlander vs Josh Beckett. The Red Sox may be a better overall team but in a one game playoff, who has the advantage?

 

I don't mind a second wild card team but a one game playoff to determine who wins it is stupid.

[Ennder]

But then in one game you're going Justin Verlander vs Josh Beckett. The Red Sox may be a better overall team but in a one game playoff, who has the advantage?

 

The advantage goes to New York for winning the division and getting to face one of these teams without them having their #1 pitcher for game 1. The wild card is great and all but I firmly believe the division winners should have an advantage and that isn't the case right now other than 1 more home game. This wild card playin game completely changes the dynamic of the playoffs and I think it is great.

[markedman5]

Looks like Votto is going to be out for 2-3 weeks........

[brewmann04]

Well think it time to be a realistic and say just sell baby.

[adambr2]

In the big picture, we should probably all be thanking Axford for tonight. There's a very fine line this month between selling/reloading and foolishly "going for it" again and it won't take much convincing for Melvin/Mark A. to unload two of their top 5 prospects for some stopgap SS.

[Marc Newfield of Dreams]

I am only capable of 7 innings of optimism.

[brewmann04]

And that won't happen tomorrow with Wolf on mound.

[TURBO]

There is no more room for optimism, I think we all know what has to be done, now, hopefully, DM knows it too.

[pacopete4]

There is no more room for optimism, I think we all know what has to be done, now, hopefully, DM knows it too.

 

 

There could be. Even if we do sell, and I hope we do. Bring up Henderson, Peralta, Rogers, Schaffer and get ride of Greinke, Marcum, Nyjer, Krod, Loe for the best price we can get for them. DFA- Livan and whoever you cant trade out of the prior mentioned and go with below for the rest of the season and see what's there and whats not.

 

Rotation: (5)

Gallardo

Fiers

Rogers

Estrada

Peralta

 

Bullpen: (7)

Axford

Henderson

Rogers

Wooten

Parra

Veras

McClendon

[adambr2]

After finally winning a division last year, I find it really depressing that waking up and finding out we traded Zack Greinke is about the most exciting thing that could realistically happen this season.

[TURBO]

There is no more room for optimism, I think we all know what has to be done, now, hopefully, DM knows it too.

 

 

There could be. Even if we do sell, and I hope we do. Bring up Henderson, Peralta, Rogers, Schaffer and get ride of Greinke, Marcum, Nyjer, Krod, Loe for the best price we can get for them. DFA- Livan and whoever you cant trade out of the prior mentioned and go with below for the rest of the season and see what's there and whats not.

 

Rotation: (5)

Gallardo

Fiers

Rogers

Estrada

Peralta

 

Bullpen: (7)

Axford

Henderson

Rogers

Wooten

Parra

Veras

McClendon

 

Thornburg?

[pacopete4]

There is no more room for optimism, I think we all know what has to be done, now, hopefully, DM knows it too.

 

 

There could be. Even if we do sell, and I hope we do. Bring up Henderson, Peralta, Rogers, Schaffer and get ride of Greinke, Marcum, Nyjer, Krod, Loe for the best price we can get for them. DFA- Livan and whoever you cant trade out of the prior mentioned and go with below for the rest of the season and see what's there and whats not.

 

Rotation: (5)

Gallardo

Fiers

Rogers

Estrada

Peralta

 

Bullpen: (7)

Axford

Henderson

Wooten

Thornburg

Parra

Veras

McClendon

 

Thornburg?

 

 

Whoops! I had him in the starting rotation but took him out because, well, I just see him as a releiver in the future. My own personal preference I guess but I added him and took out Rogers because I had him starting and relieving. Not that any of this would ever happen but if we are selling I say why the heck not? Bring up those pitchers and give them 2 months of MLB experience to see where we stand on all of them. That way we find out who has it for next season and who doesn't. We might be very surprised to see that some of these guys might be better options that we have now. But we might also find out that they need more seasoning or just don't have it and we need to look elsewhere. Either way, we might find cheaper options for our roster and build a very, very strong young core of pitchers. Heck, this doesnt even include guys like Bradley and Jungmann so even if a few don't pan out, we still have a couple more on the way.

[torts]

I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT THIS OPTIMISTS SHIP HASNT SAILED YET, 5 GAMES LEFT OF THE NL CENTRAL SERIES, THEY CAN DO IT!

[JackNicholson1974]

If they win the rest of the games in this stretch (7-2 overall) I will be optimistic again.

[pacopete4]

Time healed me enough to say I still have some optimism. Just win series. Take two now from the Cards and we'll go from there. It starts TODAY!

[brewmann04]

As much as i want to believe the Brewers will turn it around just don't see that happening on the Field.

[slappzilla]

If they win the rest of the games in this stretch (7-2 overall) I will be optimistic again.

If the Brewers win the rest of the games in this stretch I'll deuce an SUV.

 

Sorry to all you guys who still have hope, but I, like a lot of others here, jumped ship after last nights loss.

 

There's nothing I'd like more than to be wrong, and to have prematurely jumped ship on the optimism train, but I don't believe in unicorns.

 

This may sound strange, but I am excited to see what the post-trade deadline brewers look like and more/less how they produce. I'm not saying the post-trade deadline brewers will be better than the Brewers now, but I think there maybe more surprises like Fiers or Estrada hidden in the Brewers farm system that could arise.

[brewmann04]

Yes i agree it be curious to see what DM can add to this team along with maybe a player or two sprinked up from the Minors. Don't see this team gaining a playoff spot in 2012.

[reillymcshane]

I'm generally one of the last to leave the optimism ship. I always have that 'maybe we can win 10 in a row' attitude.

 

But I'm packing my bags. Not quite heading ashore, but this team is certainly frustrating.

[MadScientist]

Can I be optimistic that DM will sell and get good return on the pieces he sells?

 

Optimism: belief that everything will work out well. Irrational, bordering on insane.

-K9 from Doctor Who

[adambr2]

Time healed me enough to say I still have some optimism. Just win series. Take two now from the Cards and we'll go from there. It starts TODAY!

 

It has started today just about every day since the Dodgers' series, and yet has still not really started.

[torts]

excuse me, to those of you with little or no optimism, please refrain from posting in here, your negative vibes are harshing my mellow. kindly go post in every other thread like you already do. sincerely, AN OPTIMISTIC FAN!!!!

[torts]

whats that I hear?! THATS KROD SHUTTING THE DOOR ON THE CARDS! ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO, SERIES WIN HERE WE GO! MAKE IT HAPPEN