Down goes Gamel [Knee reinjured, out for 2013 season]

[trwi7]

The main reason why Hart is good at first is because he is 6'6....Davis is 6'.....

 

Fielder(5'11) wasn't good there and he played there all his life.

 

 

I'm not saying Davis couldn't play there but I wouldn't be so quick to say "Hart could do it so so can Davis" either.

 

The only thing height has to do with anything is less errors on bad throws. Davis could do it. He wouldn't be able to keep his foot on the base on really high throws but that's not a reason not to put him there.

[dlk9s]

The main reason why Hart is good at first is because he is 6'6....Davis is 6'.....

 

Fielder(5'11) wasn't good there and he played there all his life.

 

 

I'm not saying Davis couldn't play there but I wouldn't be so quick to say "Hart could do it so so can Davis" either.

I don't know anything about any of these guys, but height is not the reason why Fielder is a sub-par first baseman, so I don't think that comparison is a very apt one.

[markedman5]

Height is one of the reasons. Less reach....less range...

[azcheesehead]

Try scooping a tailing ball coming at you at 80+ MPH and tell me that it's an easy position to pick up. Hart is a good athlete, that is why the transition was seamless. In my opinion, the Brewers were lucky that one, he picked it up so fast, and two, he is pretty darn good at it. In fact, when someone makes it look as easy Hart did, people often say anyone can do it when in fact, they can't.

[trwi7]

I said it was easy way before Hart made the transition and it is easy. People make this huge deal out of switching positions but going from any position to 1st base is easy. Scooping an 80 mph throw is the same thing as trying to read an 80 mph line drive in the outfield.

[azcheesehead]

Agree to disagree. Having done both, a scoop is NOTHING like taking/reading a line drive in the outfield. Time off the bat vs. out of the hand is a big difference as it is just on the surface of the argument. You also have to figure in the distance you're working with as well. I don't buy it at all. Bottom line, Hart is good at it. But just throwing random Joe Schmoe is dangerous, in my opinion.

[sauveb]

Don't confuse Hart's ability to play first with the idea that the position is easy. If you have the speed to do it, switching from first to the outfield is much easier than going from outfield to first. Proper footwork at first is extremely difficult. The fact that so many catchers play first to rest their legs fools people into thinking it is easy but the footwork is similar so catchers can do it. If more first baseman had above average speed you would see them in the outfield more often. Anyone who says that first base is "easy" to play probably never played first for any length of time.

[dlk9s]

Height is one of the reasons. Less reach....less range...

Obviously. I said "the" reason, not "a" reason. Prince Fielder is not good in the field. The reason he is not good in the field is his skill level, not his height. Height doesn't help, but it's not why he's less-than-wonderful at first base. While a guy who's 6 feet tall will be at a disadvantage to one who is 6'6", the shorter guy can still be perfectly fine out there if he can handle the glove.

[Ennder]

I said it was easy way before Hart made the transition and it is easy. People make this huge deal out of switching positions but going from any position to 1st base is easy. Scooping an 80 mph throw is the same thing as trying to read an 80 mph line drive in the outfield.

 

Hart came up as a 1B in the minors so I don't see why anyone would have thought it would be hard on him.

[trwi7]

I said it was easy way before Hart made the transition and it is easy. People make this huge deal out of switching positions but going from any position to 1st base is easy. Scooping an 80 mph throw is the same thing as trying to read an 80 mph line drive in the outfield.

 

Hart came up as a 1B in the minors so I don't see why anyone would have thought it would be hard on him.

 

All over the internet I heard but he hasn't played it in 10 years!!!!

[reillymcshane]

I know Daric Barton has been awful the last two years, but I would discount him right away. I'd take a serious look at him, review film, get some scouts out to see him, etc., and see if the team might be able to help him get his swing back. Because Barton's 2010 was actually really, really good. He was a 5.0 WAR player that year.

 

No, he doesn't have a lot of power, but he has exceptional on base skills, and he's a great fielder.

 

He is only 27, so he still has the chance to 'figure it out'. He's shown the ability at the major league level. I guess the key comes down to if the team feels he's salvageable. A change of scenery might be exactly what he needs.

[GenoSeligPrieb]

First of all, I want to give a shoutout to Igor! Great to read you again, m'friend!

 

Anyway, I stopped expecting anything from Gamel, about 3 years ago, so it's not like I feel we lost anything. It's like when my wife felt compelled to buy a PowerBall ticket last year & asked me to check if we won. I didn't bother. That's how I viewed ANY kind of contribution from Gamel. We didn't lose what we never had.

 

Mat Gamel will be remembered as the latest version of JM Gold or Joey Meyer.

[Kelbysdaddy]

I wonder why sean halton has not been brought up at all. What aspect of his game is so severely lacking that rushing hunter up is a better option? He has always put up pretty decent numbers. I really have no idea about his defense but its kinda surprising to me that the guy that spent last year in AAA isn't being brought up.

[xisxisxis]

Halton has been brought up by several posters. Unfortunately a sub .800 ops in the minors doesn't scream major league regular. Morris grades better than halton across the board with he exception of obp and that could take a drop at the MLB level when pitchers realize he isnt a power threat. Even though Morris is 1 level behind he is higher on the depth chart than Halton.

[pogokat]

I don't think 1b is a as easy as some are making it out to be, but i have no doubt a competent outfielder could pick it up over spring training. I was wondering if Davis might be headed to 1b this year if Morris is in M KE just because he has a noodle for an arm, can't play center, and isn't Ryan Braun.

 

In all seriousness, It's got to be Morris. Although, I don't have much youthful optimism anymore, so i suspect it will be Alex Gonzalez.

[TooLiveBrew]

People need to chill about the '1B is easy' comments, as they're being made within the context of MLB. Out of all the positions in MLB, 1B is by far the easiest.

[Kelbysdaddy]

Halton has been brought up by several posters. Unfortunately a sub .800 ops in the minors doesn't scream major league regular. Morris grades better than halton across the board with he exception of obp and that could take a drop at the MLB level when pitchers realize he isnt a power threat. Even though Morris is 1 level behind he is higher on the depth chart than Halton.

don't get me wrong, i 100% agree that halton isnt as good a prospect as hunter is. it's just not the brewers style to rush a prospect, especially if it means skipping a level.

[xisxisxis]

it's just not the brewers style to rush a prospect, especially if it means skipping a level.

 

While in general that is true, they do make exceptions such as JJ Hardy and Jean Segura where they had really no other option. Tyler Thornburg was brought up from AA and only went to AAA after being sent down when our SP was decimated last year. So there is precedent during Melvin's tenure or "rushing" a prospect if there aren't other options. The current 1B situation looks like a no other option scenario.

[Ennder]

it's just not the brewers style to rush a prospect, especially if it means skipping a level.

 

I want some of what you are smoking. The Brewers rushed almost every single young player they have had. Fielder was brought up too soon, Weeks was up too soon, Hardy was rushed. Braun was probably rushed though that one worked out. If there is anything I think about the team it certainly isn't that they are cautious with young talent ala St Louis.

[Invader3K]

It seems like they are less cautious with hitters than pitchers, but that's maybe just my perception.

[Ennder]

Pitching is harder to judge since we haven't developed much of it. Gallardo was certainly not given a cautious approach having pitched under 200 innings above A ball. Parra came up pretty fast but injuries kind of derailed his career so he isn't much of a case study.

[JohnBriggs12]

Halton has been brought up by several posters. Unfortunately a sub .800 ops in the minors doesn't scream major league regular. Morris grades better than halton across the board with he exception of obp and that could take a drop at the MLB level when pitchers realize he isnt a power threat. Even though Morris is 1 level behind he is higher on the depth chart than Halton.

 

 

You need to take another look. Halton's career numbers: .294/.352/.448. That's an .800 OPS on the nose.

 

More relevant is that he posted an .852 OPS in is first year in AAA. He's also never repeated a level. He's always hit for average but his HR numbers lagged, kind of surprising for a guy 6'5", 255. But some guys don't naturally put lift on the ball, and it takes time to develop. His HR rate last year was by far his best ever. Mike Morse, who's about the same size wasn't a big HR hitter early in his minor league career either. So there's hope for Halton. One more thing about Halton. He started one game at 3B last year, and didn't make an error. With Morris up at AAA, maybe the Brewers should give Halton more looks there.

 

I've never seen Halton play, but I did listen a number of times to highlights of his HR last year at Nashville. From the descriptions, most were not wall scrapers, and a few sounded like mammoth shots. So make no mistake, he has power.

[Ennder]

Red Sox acquired Carp so you can cross his name off the list.

[DocLuna7]

I know that Carp hits better against lefties, but you have to wonder where this leaves Overbay with BOS.

[JohnBriggs12]

Carp was a nice fit. I'm a bit surprised the Brewers didn't bite. They'll be guys available at the end of spring and this at least gives them the chance to look at guys they already have.

 

Overbay will be left where he probably belongs at this stage, on the scrap heap and involuntarily retired.