2008 Vent Thread (part 5)

[yount19.u]

McClung is a way better pitcher than Sheets.

[tristarscoop]

Last night JJ should have been happy with a double and stayed at second. There were no outs and we have our 3,4 and 5 hitters coming up. Why can't we be happy with what we have and stop trying to stretch things.

Durham got a late jump because he wasn't sure if Pence was going to catch it so Hardy started going to third hoping that the relay would go there instead of home where they would've had a decent shot to throw Durham out.

I was at the game in the left field bleachers, so I didn't have the best view of everything, but it seemed like the ball was sent to home plate, they realized they didn't have a chance at Durham, so it was cut off and sent back to pick off JJ. That says to me that JJ had no need to pull the throw, he was just a sitting duck. Am I not remembering/seeing that right?

[Fatter than Joey]

That says to me that JJ had no need to pull the throw, he was just a sitting duck. Am I not remembering/seeing that right?

 

I think that is 100% accurate

[endaround]

The only remaining question was if that was Hardy's or Sveum's fault-something we'll never find out.

[lcbj68c]

I dont think it's either's fault. I just think it's good defense and catching.

[sheethead]

Bill Hall is a liability.

[trwi7]

My vent is about Buster Olney. He was talking about Sabathia a couple of days ago and how he "single handedly revitalized the city of Milwaukee and made them a baseball town." Something like that. Then he went on to say how Milwaukee was drawing "14,000 on Monday's but with Sabathia over 41,000 showed up."

 

Ignorance is bliss I guess.

[yount19.u]

My vent is about Buster Olney. He was talking about Sabathia a couple of days ago and how he "single handedly revitalized the city of Milwaukee and made them a baseball town." Something like that. Then he went on to say how Milwaukee was drawing "14,000 on Monday's but with Sabathia over 41,000 showed up."

 

Ignorance is bliss I guess.

I saw that as well. For some reason they can't seem to believe Milwaukee is simply a great baseball town. They'd be selling out Miller Park regardless of the players, just as long as they are winning.

[Brawndo the Thirst Mutilat]

More grist for the mill that is the endless overestimation of the impact of deadline deals. The Sabathia acquisition is as big as you can get, and it's still ludicrous to propose that it has resulted in a 300% increase in attendance, even in the games he starts.

[bullox]

Q: Stuart of Minneapolis - Why doe JJ Hardy take the first pitch on every AB? Wouldn't it be advantageous to suprise the pitcher and take a swing every now and then?

 

A: Brewers Mailbag - Considering Rickie Weeks is so aggressive, I think Hardy should try to see some pitches before the middle of the order comes up. Although, that would make some sense since he is a career .347 hitter when hitting the first pitch into play.

I was wondering what stats they used to come up with the statement that Rickie Weeks is "so aggressive." It definitely couldn't be the Pitches per Plate Appearance stat, easily found at ESPN.com, because Rickie is actually 9th in the entire National League in seeing the most pitches per plate appearance.

 

Why make a statement like that without checking it out first? Just lazy. They get paid to do this stuff all day long, right?

[ELCABALLO45]

Bill Hall 0-4. 4k's.

 

Very very frustrating to watch.

[brucrustu]

because Rickie is actually 9th in the entire National League in seeing the most pitches per plate appearance.

 

Why make a statement like that without checking it out first?

Because it feels like Rickie is too aggressive so he must be.

 

you darn stat guys and the evil dr. stat are ruining baseball with your facts and figures.

I can name a BUNCH of times Rickie swung at pitches too early in the count so I know he's bad at the patience

[JohnA17]

What's crazy is it seems to me Ricky always seems to watch strike one go down the middle of the plate. It sounds like the stats back that up so the only thing I can think is this writer doesn't watch the games and thinks people who strike out a lot always do so because they are overly agressive. In fact it seems like a lot of our hitters take good pitches and then swing at bad ones once behind. It reminds of what a scout said after we picked up CC, something along the lines of "that is a line up you can still pitch to", I took it as meaning our hitters are predictable, don't make mistakes and you will be OK.

[logan82]

ELCABALLO45[/b]]Bill Hall 0-4. 4k's.

 

Very very frustrating to watch.

Sombreros are much more fun to watch when it is the other team.

[Gobias Industries]

Because it feels like Rickie is too aggressive so he must be.

If anything, I've always thought he should be more agressive.

Is that Witrado and Haurdricourt's blog?

[crewcrazy]

I'm pretty tired of a lot of writers thinking "Gee, he strikes out a ton, so he must be really impatient." You'd think Adam Dunn would prove that the guys who strike out the most are often the guys who are too patient because they'll go down looking on 2-2 or 3-2. Instead, we still get broadcasters and writers who are amazed that Dunn walks as much as he does.

 

I love how Witrado apologized in the latest mailbag for screwing up the draft pick question last week, saying he still doesn't know all the rules of the game. How does a guy get hired as a beat writer if they don't know stuff like that? Even if you were able to get hired without knowing everything about the game, once you got the beat writer gig, wouldn't you want to study up to make sure you knew as much about your beat as possible? And considering that the mailbag columns aren't live chats, if you weren't sure about something, why would you just make something up instead of actually researching the answer to the question?

 

Oh well. At least Witrado didn't start the answer to the question with "Listen, hotshot..."

[logan82]

After 2004 we still get people who use W-L record to argue for or against pitchers. After having Weeks and Estrada on the same team in the same year we still have people who think a player with a higher BA is better without looking at OBP.

[ILuvDaBush]

I know this already has its own thread but when are the umps going to begin being fair with Gagne? Xenophobia is NOT cool! He has a strike zone the size of a pea, and if he tries to slightly brush the best hitter on the opposing team, he's accused of throwing at him. I was seriously waiting for the ump to toss the entire battery, along with Yost. If these types of calls persist to the end of the season and through the postseason...well I won't be happy.

[Legacy25GT]

The only remaining question was if that was Hardy's or Sveum's fault-something we'll never find out.

It was Sveum's fault. Not sure if you could see on TV, but I was specifically watching Sveum (from left field diamond box) and saw him wave Hardy around 2nd.

[brewmann04]

Sveum has got to go he was horrible in Boston and he bad here. We are not the Best Base running team but Sveum does not help.

[lcbj68c]

People not standing during the National Anthem. What is their deal? 20-somethings with seemingly perfectly healthy feet and legs sitting in their seats feeding their faces with nachos and talking loudly while the National Anthem. I don't care if you so much don't want to remove your hat (which is half the battle) or place your hand on your heart or whatever, but atleast stand the hell up.

 

edited for spelling

[PeaveyFury]

Hey Brewer fans, if you'd stop interfering with balls in play, that would be wonderful, thanks.

[crewcrazy]

They need velcro to strap the morons down the third base line in their seats, or at least put up like a 5-foot plexiglass wall or something. How hard is it to not reach down and grab a ball?

[wibadgers23]

Bill Hall is 3 for his last 27 with 14 strikeouts. Other than that, I have no complaints.

[logan82]

I swear Gabe Gross has had more time on ESPN than all of the current Brewers combined.