Rick Kranitz has to go

[JohnBriggs12]

It's about accountability. Not only do they need to start dumping veterans in the pen, the pitching coach should go with them. Nothing he's trying is working.

[Invader3K]

Wouldn't the bullpen coach be more accountable than the pitching coach for the bullpen's woes?

[markedman5]

I've been asking that question for a while now.

 

 

If the pitching coach can't fix pitchers when they struggle then what good is he?

[JohnBriggs12]

Wouldn't the bullpen coach be more accountable than the pitching coach for the bullpen's woes?

 

The bullpen coach works under the pitching coach. The pitching coach isn't the "starting pitching coach".

 

I'm not suggesting Kyle replaces Kranitz. I'd promote Dabney from Nashville.

[adambr2]

Wouldn't the bullpen coach be more accountable than the pitching coach for the bullpen's woes?

 

I've asked that same question plenty of times and been told that the bullpen coach really has no involvement with actually coaching the relief pitchers on pitching, weirdly enough.

[RockCoCougars]

The bullpen coach basically does nothing. Back in the day, they were just there as kind of emergency bullpen catchers. Now, with full time BP catchers they basically just answer the phone.

[Invader3K]

OK, fair enough, but with how well the rotation has been, isn't Kranitz at the very least mediocre (which probably fits most MLB coaches anyway)? I don't believe even the best pitching coach in MLB could turn around this bullpen right now.

[adambr2]

The bullpen coach basically does nothing. Back in the day, they were just there as kind of emergency bullpen catchers. Now, with full time BP catchers they basically just answer the phone.

 

Not disagreeing with you, but that just seems kind of ridiculous to me. There is so much to watch for in pitching -- mechanics, bio-mechanics, delivery, monitoring to see if a pitcher may be tipping their pitches, changes in velocity, possible signs of injury, scouting opposing hitters, etc. You would think that a true bullpen coach would be more useful to his pitching coach in this regard than just answering a bullpen phone.

 

I would assume that if Kranitz goes, Kyles probably goes with him anyway.

[TooLiveBrew]

Someone needs to start tracking all the people JBriggs calls to be fired or cut. That would be a pretty long list at this point.

[dlk9s]

I figure it's waywaywaywayway more the fault of the pitchers than the coach. I mean, if we're going to blame Kranitz for the failures of the bullpen, why wouldn't we praise him for the success of the starters the last couple years? And the success of the bullpen last year?

[3and2Fastball]

Has Kranitz helped Fiers & Estrada and Loe & Marcum this year? Any credit for that? Or just blame for the bullpen?

[3and2Fastball]

I don't believe even the best pitching coach in MLB could turn around this bullpen right now.

 

I wonder who would be considered the best pitching coach in MLB right now? Mike Maddux maybe?

[JohnBriggs12]

Has Kranitz helped Fiers & Estrada and Loe & Marcum this year? Any credit for that? Or just blame for the bullpen?

 

 

Fiers was good from day one. Marcum was good with Toronto. Loe? Seriously?

[JohnBriggs12]

Someone needs to start tracking all the people JBriggs calls to be fired or cut. That would be a pretty long list at this point.

 

 

For the record: Parra, K-Rod, Kranitz. I stand by all three.

 

I've been critical of others too, but no I never called for Weeks to be cut.

[TooLiveBrew]

Nope, you just called for him to be traded for anything so we could play Scooter Gennett... he of the .585 second-half OPS in AA.

 

If cutting guys actually saved the Brewers any money, it might be a good aggressive strategy to use. But it doesn't, & I already laid out in another thread why I think the Brewers did (& were justified in doing so) keep running K-Rod out there.

[splitterpfj]

What's happening with the Brewers' bullpen right now has reached the point of incredible.

 

I'm sure there will be major changes made in this regard between now and March, but I don't know if Kranitz is the issue or not. Usually, when a team flops, they fire a coach and say, "You can't fire the players." Well, in this instance, they can fire most of the players, and I believe they will.

[brettac1]

Someone needs to start tracking all the people JBriggs calls to be fired or cut. That would be a pretty long list at this point.

 

 

For the record: Parra, K-Rod, Kranitz. I stand by all three.

 

I've been critical of others too, but no I never called for Weeks to be cut.

Well, they could definitely give Axford that extension for cheap now.

[markedman5]

Speaking of coaches I think Jerry Narron deserves some credit for helping Weeks make the changes needed to get out of his season long slump. He is obviously not jumping the ball nearly as much as he was earlier and is driving the ball up the middle and to the opposite field now.

 

He looks like the old Ricke Weeks again.

[SRB]

The bullpen sucks, that's not the coach's fault. I'd keep Kranitz for the simple reason of not messing with the Fiers Train.

[homer]

Nope, you just called for him to be traded for anything so we could play Scooter Gennett... he of the .585 second-half OPS in AA.

 

If cutting guys actually saved the Brewers any money, it might be a good aggressive strategy to use. But it doesn't, & I already laid out in another thread why I think the Brewers did (& were justified in doing so) keep running K-Rod out there.

 

 

Pretty sure Eric Ferris would be starting at 2nd base if JB had his way.

[logan82]

Fire the whole coaching staff while we are at it and bring in a new one for next year to develop with our young players next year and gear up for 2014.

[RockCoCougars]

I'm not completely immune to blaming coaches for the poor performance of players. That said, in this case, I want to see K-Rod and Veras 'fired' first. Frankly, I never want to see either of them in a Brewer uniform again.

[homer]

Fire Roenicke's replacement!

[LouisEly]

I figure it's waywaywaywayway more the fault of the pitchers than the coach. I mean, if we're going to blame Kranitz for the failures of the bullpen, why wouldn't we praise him for the success of the starters the last couple years? And the success of the bullpen last year?

 

Then how come some teams seem to consistently make pitchers who struggled in other organizations better (Cardinals, White Sox, Blue Jays, Giants) and develop their own pitching? It's the job of the pitching coach to watch pitchers mechanics and make adjustments; if he's not helping them do that then he needs to be held accountable.

 

Greinke was already a great pitcher before coming here; Marcum was already good as well. Fiers put up great numbers in the minors, so the skills were already there. Estrada is basically the same - BB/9 is down and K/9 is up, but HR/9 and ERA is up as well. Gallardo has regressed. Wolf has significantly regressed. So I find it hard to give him credit for the starters when they haven't improved. The Brewers starting pitching improved because of talent brought in (Greinke, Marcum, Fiers), not because the guys already here got better.

 

I've been thinking about pitching coaches and impact for a while, specifically Manny Parra. He seemed to really respond to Rick Peterson, especially in his bullpen role, but now has regressed under Kranitz.

 

Point being, the starters have either stayed the same or regressed, and the bullpen has significantly regressed. So I don't see any reason to give Kranitz any credit for anything.

[homer]

Wolf pitched over his head last year. He was due to regress.