2007 Vent Thread, Part 5

[nikegolf6]

I guess if people are expecting some kind of flurry of activity because they lost a road series are going to be disappointed. Likely that's what they want, so they can then complain about how they didn't do anything.

 

Exactly. I think some people here have a "woe is me" attitude (I never get to use that phrase!). People have been saying the cubs are going to pass us for a month. Why? this is Brewerfan.net so why come here to bash the team? Absolutely pointless, but I guess this is what you get when a hot start causes casual fans to jump on the bandwagon.

[shelmark]

Just wondering, if we are not currently in development mode, why is Rickie Weeks in the majors?

[Ennder]

Quote:

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Character absolutely wins baseball games... what could be more important than confidence? It's the single most important aspect of sports, if you aren't confident, you won't win much.

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Talent is the most important aspect of winning at sports.

[brettac1]

Character absolutely wins baseball games... what could be more important than confidence? It's the single most important aspect of sports, if you aren't confident, you won't win much.

 

Man, I wish I knew where all the character they had in April went. Maybe they overdosed?

[nikegolf6]

Just wondering, if we are not currently in development mode, why is Rickie Weeks in the majors?

 

Oh come on, everyone complained when Braun was in AAA and Counsellino was at 3B. And even if we do that, who are we going to call up to take Weeks spot?

[shelmark]

I never complained about Graffy at 3B, so I guess you are wrong about that. I'll take Graffy at 2B, thanks. Weeks is terrible. I don't care if he walks every once in a long while. He can't hit, period. I'll take Callix Crabbe, can't do any worse. Flame away, I'm in the mood. I'm not sky is falling here, just trying to find a spot on the diamond we can improve. Seems like second base.

[PKBadger]

Wow, I haven't seen arrogance and condescension like this since.......sorry, I can't finish that sentence. I've never seen anything like this.

[nikegolf6]

I didn't say you complained about it -- but my point is --

 

OPS - Graffy 714 / Counsell 687 / Weeks 698

 

In 2700 Career ABs Graffy has a 733 OPS so he has basically no upside. Counsell is having as bad year or worse year offensively than Weeks. Weeks has tremendous upside. Isn't it worth it to let him play his way out of this (assuming he's healthy, which by all accounts, he is)?

[TheCrew07]

Raw physical talent is the most overrated aspect in sports. What is talent anyway? Brady Clark didn't have much physical talent, but he had a mental and work ethic edge which made him successful for a couple of years, he got the absolute most out of his ability. Alex Sanchez had all the natural talent in the world, where's he? He had confidence it seemed, but no competitive drive to get better. I'm sorry, but what about the game of baseball makes people think that all you need is talent to succeed? You still need leadership, you need character, you need desire, you need all those little things to be successfull, everyone needs an edge.

 

You're telling me that the team is playing with the same confidence they did in April? Weeks looks exactly as he did at the plate and is playing exactly like he was in April? Coco? Hardy? Turnbow? Villy? Cappy? Suppan? Jenkins? Voodoo magic causes slumps I guess? They are just unlucky when they slump? Players talk all the time about seeing the bal better, I guess that means they're eye sight suddenly improved? We all played baseball (well maybe not), I know when I slumped I was trying to guess at the pitches instead of just going with the pitch as it came. Hardy still hasn't adjusted to being pitched away, he's a dead pull hitter, but he's going to have to make adjustments to pitchers as they have to him. Jenkins has never made an adjustment to that low and away breaking ball he always strikes out on. That's not a lack of talent, what player besides maybe Vlad can hit a pitch like that? Why is Villy nibbling more now? He started that way against Chicago, Yost visited the mound, and he took off and was lights out for a couple months. I was there on the 20th, he looked like his world was falling apart after the first 2 batters. He nibbled around the corners today and walked in a run after he was up in the count, it wasn't a great AB... it was shoddy pitch selection and location. Where's physical talent in that equation?

 

It's easy to dismiss the mental aspect of sports because it's impossible to measure or quantify. I can understand where people wouldn't buy the notion if they haven't had the opportunity to be around many winning teams or in the locker room. Yea it's cliche, but it doesn't make it any less true.

 

This team doesn't lack physical talent, talent wise they are as good as anyone else in the league in my opinion. They just haven't put it all together yet, and maybe they won't this year. If experience didn't matter players wouldn't get better over time... it's not as if their talent level somehow grows over time. I've never been on the "must win now" bandwagon for just this reason... every player and every team has it's own progression.

 

A definite pattern has been emerging here on the road since the Texas series, and pretty much anyone should be able to see it. There has to be reason for it... I think in some ways the team just doesn't have a good baseball IQ. I'm not saying everyone on the team, but as much as I like the way Estrada playes the game with no fear, he doesn't do much for me behind the plate. I like Miller, but I don't think he calls a great game behind the plate either. Laugh at me all you want, but Moeller called a fantastic game behind the plate, he had a great baseball IQ, he just couldn't hit.

[Ennder]

Physical talent lets CV hit his corners instead of missing them, thats not just confidence.

 

Btw Sanchez had very little talent, all he had was some speed.

 

Nobody said the mental aspect of the game is nonexistent but its simply not nearly as important as talent is. As much as Eckstein tries and is confident he'll never be Pujols, he simply does not have that much talent.

 

I'm sure Cordero is thinking about his road woes when he goes out there, I don't disagree with you there. The thing is he can lack confidence and still get the job done and the more he gets it done the more his confidence grows. If he simply does not have talent to begin with he'll never go anywhere. I'd also call your baseball IQ part of your talent, being smart is a talent of its own.

[Nearsighted Views]

OK. I've avoided venting through this whole week but I just can't hold it in anymore. I worked alot this week and had to watch most of this garbage on gametracker. First, I'd be all happy and getting along with people. Then, after I suppressed my urge to throw the computer at the heads of innocent and kind people, I would snap on them as if they had just caused harm to my family.

 

Very few are fans so I hear garbage like, "It's OK. It's only a game." "It's not the end of the world, right?" "At least you still have your health." WELL YOU WON'T HAVE YOURS IF YOU KEEP SAYING JUNK LIKE THAT TO ME!

 

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!

 

Why do they do this to me--to us--every year. Sometimes I think it was easier when they just sucked and there were no expectations. Why does Ned have to sit there with that smug little look on his face acting like he doesn't realize they just totally embarrassed themselves on multiple occasions.

 

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!

 

Why? WHY!?!?

 

Ah. A little better.

 

NOW FINISH SOME GAMES AND GET YOUR HEADS WHERE THERE IS SOME SUNSHINE!

[brettac1]

They just haven't put it all together yet, and maybe they won't this year. If experience didn't matter players wouldn't get better over time... it's not as if their talent level somehow grows over time.

 

And if experience was really, really important, the Giants wouldn't be the worst team in the NL. As far as I'm concerned all the players in MLB have to be extremely confident to begin with, so they're on a level playing field there. Talent is what seperates gritty guys from players who are actually good.

[Nearsighted Views]

BURGLEFLICKLE!!!!!

[uecker9]

Curse you Abner Doubleday or Alexander Cartwright or Alexander Graham Bell Edison and whoever invented the wheel that seems to be falling off!

[tigerbrew]

Ned Yost advice the fans and media don't panic, relax and enjoy the season. Well thanks to Ned, I had a relaxing and enjoyable time watching the Brewers choke this weekend and some games last week. Nice job Ned. Wonder how Mark Attanasio is feeling right now...

[Pedro]

Most of all, I'm mad at myself for still caring.

[danzig6767]

For the most part,the youth on the team is still getting the job done outside of Weeks and Hardy to a lesser degree.

 

It's guys like Suppan/Capuano/Turnbow/Cordero on the pitching staff that has struggled in the team sliding and Jenkins/Estrada/Mench in the lineup.Hall has been hurt so i didn't include him,but overall his season has been somewhat dissapointing.

 

We are a team for quite awhile that has largely been kept afloat by the kids on the roster,the vets are gonna have to play much better for things to turn around.

 

I'm not worried so much about the lack of experience,i'm more worried about the lack of productive experienced players on the team.

[watertown28]

YOu hit it right on the head. Soup was bought in to be the "stopper" as they say and to eat up innings...yeah the young pups are the ones that are keeping the team in games where the vets are no where to be found.

 

I have accepted the fact that jenkins will always be jenkins.....

 

I just dont know what I feel like with this team atm... Part of me is saying same old brewers just different faces, but the other part of me wishes and hopes the team puts up a good fight.

 

With that said the horrible road trip made me wish I had not watched these games

 

 

O and weeks needs to step it up and start hitting the ball If he keeps takin walks I say move him to the lead off spot and maybe get hart a chance on the 8 spot

[Fatter than Joey]

I'm not worried so much about the lack of experience,i'm more worried about the lack of productive experienced players on the team.

 

Yeah I agree -- we are getting beat by guys like Weathers, Jr., Rolen, Eckstein, Hatteberg... meanwhile our vets., are not getting a lot done.

[DirtyFranksBrewCrew]

Like any earlier post said, this season is no different than any other, we just got off to a good start this year. Anybody who seriously thinks the Brewers are contenders going forward is fooling themselves. Despite any stats to the contrary or their performance in the 1st half of the season, the bullpen right now is one of the worst in baseball. They are completely undependable, from CV to Turnbow, to Cordero, all of them have lost it at the wrong time. Not only do the Brewers have little shot at the post-season (the only reason I say they have any shot is because technically they're still in first, at least until Tuesday evening), I wouldn't be surprised if they finished 3rd in the division. I'm kind of hoping that happens actually, because that would probably force Attanasio's hand to fire our WORTHLESS MANAGER!!!! How many Yost-led teams have to continue to play poor defense, lose on the road, and collapse in the 2nd half before Attanasio wakes up? I've said it before and I'll say it again, the young & talented Brewers will NEVER win a thing with this clueless nitwit running the show.

 

When does football season start again? I'm sick of spewing venom about the paper lion Brewers, I can't wait to shift gears and start complaining about the worthless Packers.

 

Wake me when the nightmare ends!!!! (September 9th will do)

[trwi7]

Quote:

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i'm pretty sure its the vent thread where people can post their vents without people getting on them. if they are pissed at yost let them be pissed at yost, if they are pissed because we keep losing and are affraid of being out of first the let us be affraid. debate it in another topic, not this one

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Thank you. I keep all my vents in the vent thread. I don't want to be getting crap from other posters because different posters can't keep their vents in the vent thread. Take it up with the posters in that thread and leave me out of it.

[AJAY]

For the last few days, I have been thinking of the right words that would capture my feelings about the Brewers and their absolutely disgraceful performance on the road against the Pirates, Nationals, Cardinals, Reds, and other struggling franchises. I don't think there are even words that exist which reflect the level of disgust that I feel. My anger with this franchise is getting to a whole different level now.

 

I don't want to hear any more nonsense about how Brewers management still can't figure out why we lose on the road. We have had this problem for three years now. It's YOUR JOB to figure it out.

 

If Doug and Ned can't figure out why we lose so much on the road, then hire someone who can figure it out. But to just sit here and tolerate this ineptitude year after year is ridiculous.

 

Don't tell me that we are in first place and there are still a lot of games to go. This team does not feel like a first place team and everyone knows it.

[Brian the Automator]

[ I don't want to hear any more nonsense about how Brewers management still can't figure out why we lose on the road. We have had this problem for three years now. It's YOUR JOB to figure it out.

 

If Doug and Ned can't figure out why we lose so much on the road, then hire someone who can figure it out. But to just sit here and tolerate this ineptitude year after year is ridiculous. ]

 

To me, it's pretty simple. The team's built to play in Miller Park. Fly ball hitters and a home run friendly park... That's just the way it's going to be. The team's going to go gangbusters on home, and do less well on the road.

 

To me, the key is amassing enough quality pitching to overcome some of the offensive shortcomings we'll see on the road from time to time... I think that's started, to some extent... However, Ben Sheets going down was huge, and Suppan's turned out to be more of a stinker than we expected so far.

 

I don't think there's any manager on the planet that could make this current club a better road team...

 

I agree with you that getting over the road hump is going to be the thing to take this team to the next level. It's all about pitching.

[danzig6767]

To me, it's pretty simple. The team's built to play in Miller Park. Fly ball hitters and a home run friendly park... That's just the way it's going to be. The team's going to go gangbusters on home, and do less well on the road.

 

I don't buy it,Miller Park isn't some ultra tiny bandbox.We went to play the Reds in that homerville park and got spanked.We scored enough to easily win 3-4 from the Cardinals and the pitching staff gagged it away.The Nationals are garbage,ballpark is no reason for the losing.You can look at so many of the road losses and the team just finds ways to gag away road games in fashions they don't do at home.

 

The pitching staff in particular is much worse away from home and if Miller Park is so hitter friendly,then the pitchers should pitch better on the road,instead they fall apart.Nearly all teams play better at home,but the incredible disperity on the road is mind boggling and much more than us missing out on a few homers when we play in a bigger park.In fact,we have 73 homers at home and 70 on the road,that's not an explanation for being atrocious on the road.

[Brian the Automator]

[ I don't buy it,Miller Park isn't some ultra tiny bandbox.We went to play the Reds in that homerville park and got spanked.We scored enough to easily win 3-4 from the Cardinals and the pitching staff gagged it away.The Nationals are garbage,ballpark is no reason for the losing.You can look at so many of the road losses and the team just finds ways to gag away road games in fashions they don't do at home.

 

The pitching staff in particular is much worse away from home and if Miller Park is so hitter friendly,then the pitchers should pitch better on the road,instead they fall apart.Nearly all teams play better at home,but the incredible disperity on the road is mind boggling and much more than us missing out on a few homers when we play in a bigger park.In fact,we have 73 homers at home and 70 on the road,that's not an explanation for being atrocious on the road. ]

 

You make very good points.

 

So, is it maybe that our outfielders stink at playing the various outfields at other parks?...

 

I refuse to buy that there's just some bad mojo surrounding the team on the road, nor do I think Ned's got some weird road-managing scheme vs. home-managing scheme.

 

Either:

a) The team is _somehow_ constructed to be better at Miller Park

b) Balls have fallen the team's way at home, and not fallen the team's way on the road for the past couple of years