2014-08-25 Brewers (Lohse) at Padres (Stults), 9:10 PM CDT [Brewers win, 10-1; Gómez/Braun/A-Ram w/3 hits each]

[AZBrewCrew]

Lets burn the bullpen with a 9 run lead.

[WinkelsasVsSoriano]

Kinzler in for mop up duty. I don't think RRR took Kinzler's comments a couple of weeks ago well.

 

I may have missed it, or forgotten - what did he say?

[WinkelsasVsSoriano]

Hopefully we didn't use up all of our offense tonight

 

Sounds a bit superstitious and negative ...

 

I think this performance can give players good vibes and momentum ... let's keep bashing!

 

I didn't get any negativity or bashing out of that whatsoever - just the hope that the offense keeps it going tomorrow.

[TGOTJ]

Kinzler in for mop up duty. I don't think RRR took Kinzler's comments a couple of weeks ago well.

 

I may have missed it, or forgotten - what did he say?

 

Essentially that he didn't know what else he had to do to get meaningful innings. He referenced his ERA on jsonline. It seemed like a strange time to complain in the press.

[The stache]

Well said!

 

And they've got some players 3-5 years out (Coulter, Harrison, Lara and others) who are worth being excited about, too)

 

Thank you I'm excited by Tyrone Taylor and Orlando Arcia, as well. I mean really excited. MLB.com has both of them listed as having 55 defense on the 20 to 80 scale. I think Orlando Arcia on his death bed would have a 60 defensive upside, and healthy he should be much higher. He's been the guy in our system that gets scouts from other organizations excited. I think Taylor's defensive grade is underscored, too. I think he has good instincts. When you combine those instincts, and his just stupid athleticism, wouldn't it be a kick in the head if we had another Gomez type player in our system? He might not ever be quite as fast, or as strong, but I like his overall profile.

 

This will make the third time the Brewers have made the playoffs recently (within the last ten years). We're starting to have some success. But I believe that in order for us to reach that next level, we need to continue stressing defense. I don't think it's at all a coincidence that we have surprised so many people, and have played so well at the sam time that our team defense has improved. I don't know what our overall numbers are, and how we rank among the teams in the National League. But I see improved play. Ramirez has been better than I ever thought he would be at third. Segura, though he has struggled mightily with the bat, has still been solid with the glove. Scooter Gennett is never going to be Joe Morgan or Bill Mazerowski with the glove. But he's been pretty good, and he's been productive offensively. I think he is so close to being the player I hoped he would be. If he can decipher left handed pitchers, we're set at second. Solid hitting, solid run production. Some surprising power, and solid defense. Nothing sexy, but pretty good across the boards-that would make me happy. Jonathan Lucroy has also elevated his game behind the plate. Carlos Gomez is excellent in center. Ryan Braun has been adequate in his first season in right field, and I think he will improve to be a pretty good right fielder. And of course, we have a super addition in Parra.

 

This track the Brewers are on with their improved defense could mean long lasting success. The Brewers want to go from a team that makes the playoffs every 4 years to somebody that can make the playoffs every year, or every other year. And I believe they can do it.

[WinkelsasVsSoriano]

Kinzler in for mop up duty. I don't think RRR took Kinzler's comments a couple of weeks ago well.

 

I may have missed it, or forgotten - what did he say?

 

Essentially that he didn't know what else he had to do to get meaningful innings. He referenced his ERA on jsonline. It seemed like a strange time to complain in the press.

 

Wow. Yeah, that'll get you in the doghouse.

[DocLuna7]

Good W. Let's go for three straight tomorrow.

[TGOTJ]

Well said!

 

And they've got some players 3-5 years out (Coulter, Harrison, Lara and others) who are worth being excited about, too)

 

Thank you I'm excited by Tyrone Taylor and Orlando Arcia, as well. I mean really excited. MLB.com has both of them listed as having 55 defense on the 20 to 80 scale. I think Orlando Arcia on his death bed would have a 60 defensive upside, and healthy he should be much higher. He's been the guy in our system that gets scouts from other organizations excited. I think Taylor's defensive grade is underscored, too. I think he has good instincts. When you combine those instincts, and his just stupid athleticism, wouldn't it be a kick in the head if we had another Gomez type player in our system? He might not ever be quite as fast, or as strong, but I like his overall profile.

 

This will make the third time the Brewers have made the playoffs recently (within the last ten years). We're starting to have some success. But I believe that in order for us to reach that next level, we need to continue stressing defense. I don't think it's at all a coincidence that we have surprised so many people, and have played so well at the sam time that our team defense has improved. I don't know what our overall numbers are, and how we rank among the teams in the National League. But I see improved play. Ramirez has been better than I ever thought he would be at third. Segura, though he has struggled mightily with the bat, has still been solid with the glove. Scooter Gennett is never going to be Joe Morgan or Bill Mazerowski with the glove. But he's been pretty good, and he's been productive offensively. I think he is so close to being the player I hoped he would be. If he can decipher left handed pitchers, we're set at second. Solid hitting, solid run production. Some surprising power, and solid defense. Nothing sexy, but pretty good across the boards-that would make me happy. Jonathan Lucroy has also elevated his game behind the plate. Carlos Gomez is excellent in center. Ryan Braun has been adequate in his first season in right field, and I think he will improve to be a pretty good right fielder. And of course, we have a super addition in Parra.

 

This track the Brewers are on with their improved defense could mean long lasting success. The Brewers want to go from a team that makes the playoffs every 4 years to somebody that can make the playoffs every year, or every other year. And I believe they can do it.

 

Great post. The Brewers are 2nd in the ( NL the Reds) in defensive efficiency according to Baseball Reference. I never thought I would see the day.

[treego14]

Hopefully we didn't use up all of our offense tonight

 

Sounds a bit superstitious and negative ...

 

I think this performance can give players good vibes and momentum ... let's keep bashing!

 

I didn't get any negativity or bashing out of that whatsoever - just the hope that the offense keeps it going tomorrow.

 

I meant "bashing" the baseball!

[TGOTJ]

I may have missed it, or forgotten - what did he say?

 

Essentially that he didn't know what else he had to do to get meaningful innings. He referenced his ERA on jsonline. It seemed like a strange time to complain in the press.

 

Wow. Yeah, that'll get you in the doghouse.

 

Here's the post: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/270353881.html. In re-reading it, it may not have been as bad as I remembered. He still comes across as disgruntled (to me, at least).

[WinkelsasVsSoriano]

I meant "bashing" the baseball!

 

Heh, completely misread that! My bad.

[The stache]

Great post. The Brewers are 2nd in the ( NL the Reds) in defensive efficiency according to Baseball Reference. I never thought I would see the day.

 

Thank you, BRC. I didn't know if we'd see the day, but I hoped we would.

 

This last week, I've found myself learning a lot about a guy named Mark Belanger. It's a name that we should all be familiar with. He was the great shortstop the Orioles paired with Brooks Robinson in the 70s and early 80s. In the eight seasons they were full-time starters together, they won a combined 13 out of 16 possible Gold Glove Awards. But that doesn't even begin to tell the story of how great Belanger was. I think everybody has seen the highlight reel plays Brooks made, seemingly at every impactful moment in the biggest games. The man had unparalleled range, he had great footwork, and he had an arm that would have made John Elway, Dan Marino or Brett Favre jealous if he'd played baseball while those men were in the NFL. His sheer power in throwing the ball was surpassed only by his accuracy. Well, though Belanger won 8 Gold Gloves, I've always felt he was a little underappreciated in baseball history. Everybody gushes about Ozzie Smith, the "Wizard of Oz", with his backflips, and his incredible grace. And the compliments bestowed upon Smith are well deserved. Yet Belanger was not only Smith's equal, I think he might have been better.

 

I am a monthly subscriber to Baseball Reference.com, so I can access their database to run any report I want. Here's something shocking. dWAR, which is obviously defensive wins above replacement, attempts to place a players total defensive skillset in one number. Ozzie Smith has the highest dWAR in history. But he leads Belanger by less than a point, and he played some 550 games more than Belanger. Brooks Robinson is third all-time, and Cal Ripken is 4th (I admit I was surprised by this. Surely I expected to see somebody like Greg Maddux, or Bill Mazeroski. But three of the top 4 best defensive players, at least per this metric, were Baltimore Orioles. And Ripken was Belanger's successor. The Orioles also had Davey Johnson at second (he won 3 Gold Gloves), and Paul Blair in center field. Blair had 8 Gold Gloves in center.

 

I would like to see the Brewers continue to develop players that are equally adept offensively and defensively. While we won't ever equal the level the Orioles reached, if you go through and count the number of 20 game winners the Orioles had every year during Brooks Robinson's career, you'd be shocked. Jim Palmer had many of them, and he was a Hall of Famer. But there were 20 win seasons by a lot of other pitchers that weren't superstars. Very good pitchers suddenly become great when they have a stifling defense behind them.

 

Let's head in that direction, Doug Melvin.

[Pugger]

Wow, Braun could have gotten really hurt right there.

 

He left later on with a left thigh bruise so he did get hurt there. I hope taking him out was just precautionary.

[Pugger]

 

Edit: And though the earlier play was challenged, it makes zero sense how it took that long. Zero. They didn't have to move the baserunners or anything. They just confirmed an easy call that should have only taken one replay. It couldn't get more obvious, yet the longer it took the more scared I became.

 

 

That's my issue with it, is that the interpretation of the rule seems to be very arbitrary on a case by case basis. There's no consistency, and we even have the league office saying "yeah, we screwed up" in certain instances.

 

Isn't this because the wording of the rule is so vague? I understand they want to avoid injury to the catcher but they have to address this in the offseason.

[folly412]

We scored in six innings, including seven from the 5th inning on, when our offense is below the MLB average. Not going to wet myself in excitement over one game, but that's enough to make me tinkle a little.

 

 

Lohse really righted the ship tonight. 4 hits, 4 BBs, 90 pitches through 6 full.

 

 

Let's be fair.....it's the Padres.

 

Perfect team to make a rehab start. The Tim Lincecum-style no hitter squad.

 

 

 

Gomez got benched for playing without energy .... nah .... I suspect it's just "garbage" time and time to let the bench play some and give the starters a break and minimize injury possibilities for the starters.

 

Gomez could have mono and still play with energy.

 

 

According to Bill, every medium-deep flyball here "that woulda been gone in Miller Park".

 

He hung a slider, and a good piece of hitting to not try and pull it. That's a home run in any other park, partner. Had the pitch done what he wanted it to the catcher would have made an outstanding block.

 

 

 

Not sure why RRR is using Smith in a blow out...seems like Jeffres territory to me. The goal isn't to run up his appearance total.

 

Haven't liked the overuse of Duke in particular lately. Could have just gone multiple with Kintzler to save one of the two. I'm ready for September when we can throw Wooten, Figaro, even Wang out there in games like these.

[3and2Fastball]

Great post. The Brewers are 2nd in the ( NL the Reds) in defensive efficiency according to Baseball Reference. I never thought I would see the day.

 

Thank you, BRC. I didn't know if we'd see the day, but I hoped we would.

 

This last week, I've found myself learning a lot about a guy named Mark Belanger. It's a name that we should all be familiar with. He was the great shortstop the Orioles paired with Brooks Robinson in the 70s and early 80s. In the eight seasons they were full-time starters together, they won a combined 13 out of 16 possible Gold Glove Awards. But that doesn't even begin to tell the story of how great Belanger was. I think everybody has seen the highlight reel plays Brooks made, seemingly at every impactful moment in the biggest games. The man had unparalleled range, he had great footwork, and he had an arm that would have made John Elway, Dan Marino or Brett Favre jealous if he'd played baseball while those men were in the NFL. His sheer power in throwing the ball was surpassed only by his accuracy. Well, though Belanger won 8 Gold Gloves, I've always felt he was a little underappreciated in baseball history. Everybody gushes about Ozzie Smith, the "Wizard of Oz", with his backflips, and his incredible grace. And the compliments bestowed upon Smith are well deserved. Yet Belanger was not only Smith's equal, I think he might have been better.

 

I am a monthly subscriber to Baseball Reference.com, so I can access their database to run any report I want. Here's something shocking. dWAR, which is obviously defensive wins above replacement, attempts to place a players total defensive skillset in one number. Ozzie Smith has the highest dWAR in history. But he leads Belanger by less than a point, and he played some 550 games more than Belanger. Brooks Robinson is third all-time, and Cal Ripken is 4th (I admit I was surprised by this. Surely I expected to see somebody like Greg Maddux, or Bill Mazeroski. But three of the top 4 best defensive players, at least per this metric, were Baltimore Orioles. And Ripken was Belanger's successor. The Orioles also had Davey Johnson at second (he won 3 Gold Gloves), and Paul Blair in center field. Blair had 8 Gold Gloves in center.

 

I would like to see the Brewers continue to develop players that are equally adept offensively and defensively. While we won't ever equal the level the Orioles reached, if you go through and count the number of 20 game winners the Orioles had every year during Brooks Robinson's career, you'd be shocked. Jim Palmer had many of them, and he was a Hall of Famer. But there were 20 win seasons by a lot of other pitchers that weren't superstars. Very good pitchers suddenly become great when they have a stifling defense behind them.

 

Let's head in that direction, Doug Melvin.

 

I saw Belanger play many many times, as I grew up part of the time in Baltimore. He was indeed incredible and watching him & Brooks take infield before games was a thing of beauty. Didn't matter that he could barely hit and either could Brooks late in his career, that entire side of the infield was completely locked down

 

Pitching & Defense do indeed win Championships!