2nd half optimism!!

[ninja33]

How close to have to get to think we're in it, 5 games?

 

get it to within 5 before the series in st louis and i think it's worth talking about. Finish the sweep today and have strasburg help us pick up a game, win 3 of 4 in miami, cards lose 2 of 3 to the mets somehow.....and there the crew is 5 back with gallardo, fiers, and marcum going in st louis. That's a pretty tall order to start off with (let alone making up 5 more games and expecting to win in St Louis)....but hey, this IS the optimism thread.

[endaround]

6 more home runs for Gomez and he becomes a 20 HR 30 SB guy and maybe they can get something really good for him over the winter!

[RockCoCougars]

Well, the Pirates certainly are who we thought they were. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the Brewers finished ahead of them at the end of the season.

[JohnBriggs12]

Last year through 133 games, Cardinals were 10 back in the WC. Brewers are 6.5 back through 133 games. Difference is the Cards didn't give up. Brewers, at least their management, is more focused on reducing chances of some future injury for one pitcher than they are making a playoff push as crazy as that seemed 2 weeks ago.

[NYChez]

Brewers are now 2nd in the National League in runs scored. What a weird season. So many positives, but one glaring weakness knocked the team out of the race since seemingly late May.

[homer]

Last year through 133 games, Cardinals were 10 back in the WC. Brewers are 6.5 back through 133 games. Difference is the Cards didn't give up. Brewers, at least their management, is more focused on reducing chances of some future injury for one pitcher than they are making a playoff push as crazy as that seemed 2 weeks ago.

 

He's also a guy with a significant history of arm trouble. I have no problem with how they are handling him. If you want to point to the moment they "gave up" its when they traded Greinke.

[ninja33]

Last year through 133 games, Cardinals were 10 back in the WC. Brewers are 6.5 back through 133 games. Difference is the Cards didn't give up. Brewers, at least their management, is more focused on reducing chances of some future injury for one pitcher than they are making a playoff push as crazy as that seemed 2 weeks ago.

 

He's also a guy with a significant history of arm trouble. I have no problem with how they are handling him. If you want to point to the moment they "gave up" its when they traded Greinke.

 

agreed. It will be interesting to see what happens with Fiers though. They could be 5 games back going into the series in St Louis, in which Fiers is supposed to pitch game 2. Would be tough to shut him down there and throw Thornburg or someone else in.

[KCBrewerfan34]

Last year through 133 games, Cardinals were 10 back in the WC. Brewers are 6.5 back through 133 games. Difference is the Cards didn't give up. Brewers, at least their management, is more focused on reducing chances of some future injury for one pitcher than they are making a playoff push as crazy as that seemed 2 weeks ago.

 

He's also a guy with a significant history of arm trouble. I have no problem with how they are handling him. If you want to point to the moment they "gave up" its when they traded Greinke.

 

 

They don't look like they have given up yet

 

Maybe Rogers talks them into 1 or 2 more starts, if things tighten up

[ELCABALLO45]

6 more home runs for Gomez and he becomes a 20 HR 30 SB guy and maybe they can get something really good for him over the winter!

 

Why in the world would you want that to happen?

[pogokat]

the only way the Brewers make the playoffs this year is divine providence...if they are to make it, it's for crazy reasons...with that in mind, it's just as likely that Hiram Burgos leads them to the playoffs as Mark Rogers...

 

they made the right call there...

 

we just need them to keep scoring 10+ runs a game...they win at least half the time when they do that

[logan82]

I am actually not all that happy with all the winning. I hurts our draft spot and even if we do make the playoffs, who do we have to pitch for us?

[homer]

I am actually not all that happy with all the winning. I hurts our draft spot and even if we do make the playoffs, who do we have to pitch for us?

 

Draft is supposed to be really weak next year anyway.

[pebadger]

A big deal was made about home/road record split early in the year last year before the big second half push. It ma or may not be worth noting that once again, for whatever reason, the Brewers are among the best in the NL at home and better than only the Cubs and Astros on the road.

 

With all the roadies coming up that is as much a damper on the optmism as anything. ON the other hand, if they do manage to make a push . . .

 

Still, just don't see it happening, if only because so much else has to go wrong for other teams.

[Menotti80]

Less winning = bigger fan (attendance) fall out this year and next = lower payroll

[adambr2]

Whether or not they somehow get back in this, no one should fault Melvin for trading Greinke. 90% of us felt at the time like it had to be done with where we were at and nothing that has happened since then changes that.

 

No one can honestly say in hindsight that they felt that the season was still going to turn around, nor do we know if keeping Greinke would have made any difference for us or not.

[crossface21]

The Brewers had NO choice but to trade Grienke.

 

I'll take the playoffs over a draft position anytime. Unless you're absolutely terrible, wanting a better draft pick, to me that's the same mentality that it's good to just keep treading water every year and be happy to have a winning record with 85 or 86 wins.

[adambr2]

They cannot have anything less than 3 of 4 in Miami, one of the worst teams in the league. They can't continue to count on St Louis continuing to play badly -- that's not the only team they have to pass.

 

I'm sure if they went into St. Louis down only 5 games, they'd be pretty fired up. But keep in mind, even on the chance that they swept St Louis, someone else would probably take over the lead position by then. Dodgers are within half a game now, Pirates 1.5. They have 29 games left and will probably need at least 22 or more wins to get in. There won't be any backing in.

 

I get really mad about the loss to the Cubs a few days ago, talking about this stuff. But even if nothing comes out of all this, it won't be a total loss, at least it will help them ride out with high attendance. I can't see a ton of fans in the stands at this time if year if they're 20 under .500 by now.

[logan82]

Less winning = bigger fan (attendance) fall out this year and next = lower payroll

I think at this point winning isn't going to impact attendance much this year. The damage is already done on this year's attendance. If they are good next year, what happens between now and the end of the season will not have a huge impact on attendance. If they win next year, the attendance will pick up.

 

The payroll was going to drop next year regardless.

 

Unless you're absolutely terrible, wanting a better draft pick, to me that's the same mentality that it's good to just keep treading water every year and be happy to have a winning record with 85 or 86 wins.

Because of the market size our team relies on the draft and will continue to rely on the draft. Wanting a better draft pick is wanting our team to be better in the future. Again, who would be pitching for us even if we did make the playoffs? I don't see how making the game with a 50% chance of making the real playoffs would be good for us at all. I don't think the small boost in attendance this year and next would offset the better draft pick. Even with an apparently poor draft.

 

If there is anything we have learned about our owner it's that he will spend over budget, within reason, if he thinks it will helps us win more. He is willing to bet on attendance being good if there is a good product on the field so small changes in attendance shouldn't effect spending.

[brewmann04]

I have no issue with Mark being shut down,and the Brewers are Second to the Marlins in SB which caught me off guard.

if the Bullpen can be steady this last month who really knows what might happen.

[crossface21]

Less winning = bigger fan (attendance) fall out this year and next = lower payroll

I think at this point winning isn't going to impact attendance much this year. The damage is already done on this year's attendance. If they are good next year, what happens between now and the end of the season will not have a huge impact on attendance. If they win next year, the attendance will pick up.

 

The payroll was going to drop next year regardless.

 

Unless you're absolutely terrible, wanting a better draft pick, to me that's the same mentality that it's good to just keep treading water every year and be happy to have a winning record with 85 or 86 wins.

Because of the market size our team relies on the draft and will continue to rely on the draft. Wanting a better draft pick is wanting our team to be better in the future. Again, who would be pitching for us even if we did make the playoffs? I don't see how making the game with a 50% chance of making the real playoffs would be good for us at all. I don't think the small boost in attendance this year and next would offset the better draft pick. Even with an apparently poor draft.

 

Who would be pitching for us? If they make it, the same guys that made the run the get us to the playoffs. Gallardo-Fiers-Estrada-Marcum in this case. I understand the market Milwaukee is in and needing to have good drafts, but constantly drafting early in the round for the the future gets old. The Brewers were drafting for the future for 25-30 years before anything happened. If you have a chance to make the playoffs or make a run at it, why wouldn't you want to cheer for that?

[dlk9s]

I'm always happy with winning. I tried not to care a few weeks ago, but I couldn't do it.

[DHonks]

No one can honestly say in hindsight that they felt that the season was still going to turn around, nor do we know if keeping Greinke would have made any difference for us or not.

 

Adam, just cause you gave up on this season in April (or was it March?), doesn't mean we all did. In late July I was advocating keeping Greinke, trying to play to our potential, and hoping for a hot streak in August like last year when we only made the playoffs because we won something like 27 of 32. We're now at 11 of 13 and hoping to keep it going. Is 21-8 possible? It is the way we are playing and would give us 86 wins.

 

Having said that, I fully understand (and appreciate) the Greinke trade. But if we went back to Weeks' injury last year, how many expected us to leapfrog several teams, practically go undefeated in August, and run away with the division? I'm holding out hope for the season. Two weeks ago I put $5 on the Brewers to win the World Series, and I'm holding out hope that I can cash that in for $2505.

[NYChez]

I'd like to know the last time a team led the league in home runs and sacrifice bunts. Very interesting offense this season.

[pitchleague]

I'm optimistic as the next person, but I'll be pretty realistic that I'm worried I'll be receiving order forms for playoff tickets in the next couple of weeks. If I did, I don't know if I would even bother ordering them right now.

 

But, I'm enjoying the winning. Yeah a better draft pick would be nice, too, but this is not the NFL and/or NBA when a top 10 pick is going to be a pretty darn good player. The baseball draft is a total crapshoot.

[adambr2]

No one can honestly say in hindsight that they felt that the season was still going to turn around, nor do we know if keeping Greinke would have made any difference for us or not.

 

Adam, just cause you gave up on this season in April (or was it March?), doesn't mean we all did. In late July I was advocating keeping Greinke, trying to play to our potential, and hoping for a hot streak in August like last year when we only made the playoffs because we won something like 27 of 32. We're now at 11 of 13 and hoping to keep it going. Is 21-8 possible? It is the way we are playing and would give us 86 wins.

 

Having said that, I fully understand (and appreciate) the Greinke trade. But if we went back to Weeks' injury last year, how many expected us to leapfrog several teams, practically go undefeated in August, and run away with the division? I'm holding out hope for the season. Two weeks ago I put $5 on the Brewers to win the World Series, and I'm holding out hope that I can cash that in for $2505.

 

Please, you can stop with the holier than thou attitude already. You started a thread on July 1st suggesting trades for K-Rod, Gomez, Kottaras, Wolf, and Morgan.

 

Of course I was not advocating keeping Greinke in July, and if you were, you were in the vast, vast minority. Yes I had given up on 2012 at that point, and I'm pretty certain that 90% of fans were in that boat, we were buried in the standings. I was one of the first to point out with the late run that there was still hope yet.

 

We're all here because we're Brewer fans, and just because you might have wanted to hold onto Greinke in July, does not make you any better of a fan. I'm getting a little tired of your condescending remarks every time you address a post of mine. Unless you would like to direct me to a post where I was giving up on the season "in April" or anywhere thereabouts, I'm going to ask you kindly again, as I've done in the past, to knock it off.