Lucroy's comments on WSSP

[AZBrewCrew]

Lucroy was on Bill Michaels the other day and it seems people are up in arms about what he said. The gist of it was basically "if we make the playoffs so be it, if we don't so be it". People are questioning if they have given up and if they have the wrong attitude. My thoughts are that people seem to forget that these guys are human and even though they do get paid very well to play a game, at the end of the day it is still a "job". Link to the audio http://media.billmichaelssports.com/device/mobile/a/96273572/09-02-14-interview-jonathan-lucroy.htm?

[Bombers]

Ya, I heard it. I would be more disappointed in Davis' most recent quote:

 

"This is a rough stretch; it feels like a long road trip already," said Khris Davis, whose seventh-inning homer finally got the Brewers on the board. "We've just got to weather the storm best we can and grind it out, day by day.

 

"Timing is key. We want to get hot at the right time and jump into the playoffs. It's easy getting to the top; it's harder staying there. That's what I'm learning on a daily basis at the big-league level."

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/sixth-straight-loss-drops-brewers-out-of-first-place-b99342223z1-273486211.html

 

That to me is the laughable quote. Ah, just get hot at the right time and "jump" into the playoffs. It sounds so easy Khris. But in the end it doesn't surprise me that guys don't know how to handle losing. So to me it is what it is. And for the Lucroy comment, he is a very laid back individual so that is kind of just how he is. He isn't a rah-rah - Bluto type speech guy. (Who is Bluto for you young folks? http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-ep-xgd_eETE/blutos_speech_from_animal_house/)

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't see any problem with Davis's comments. I think you have to work a little to get frustrated about it. Frankly, his comments seem wise & to me indicate him getting acclimated to the daily grind that is contending in MLB.

 

As to Luc's comment, he's a very laid-back & candid guy. But it's just not something that you want to put out there for public consumption when the team's in a tailspin like this.

[Patrick425]

Huh? Didn't get "if we make the playoffs so be it, if we don't so be it" at all from listening to that interview. I got "all we can do is play and try our hardest and hopefully that's enough to get the job done". Like he said, can only focus on the things you can control. Sounds like interviews that I have heard thousands of times from other athletes. I didn't hear any apathy at all.

[TooLiveBrew]

Huh? Didn't get "if we make the playoffs so be it, if we don't so be it" at all from listening to that interview. I got "all we can do is play and try our hardest and hopefully that's enough to get the job done". Like he said, can only focus on the things you can control. Sounds like interviews that I have heard thousands of times from other athletes. I didn't hear any apathy at all.

Well if that's the quote, then this is a mountain-out-of-a-molehill case.

[brewmann04]

Win and get it together for the fans who back this team by showing up everynight and don't make their Salaries.

[Bombers]

Huh? Didn't get "if we make the playoffs so be it, if we don't so be it" at all from listening to that interview. I got "all we can do is play and try our hardest and hopefully that's enough to get the job done". Like he said, can only focus on the things you can control. Sounds like interviews that I have heard thousands of times from other athletes. I didn't hear any apathy at all.

Well if that's the quote, then this is a mountain-out-of-a-molehill case.

That is exactly what it is

[FVBrewerFan]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't have a problem with anything either Lucroy or Davis said in those interviews.

[AZBrewCrew]

I just thought it was funny how people were getting bent out of shape about his comments. Front Row Amy wrote a "blog" about it after she was done "wiping away tears" about the interview. Smh

[trwi7]

I just thought it was funny how people were getting bent out of shape about his comments. Front Row Amy wrote a "blog" about it after she was done "wiping away tears" about the interview. Smh

 

Didn't know people with that much plastic surgery could cry.

[AZBrewCrew]

I just thought it was funny how people were getting bent out of shape about his comments. Front Row Amy wrote a "blog" about it after she was done "wiping away tears" about the interview. Smh

 

Didn't know people with that much plastic surgery could cry.

Comment of the thread! ! 8-)

[Thurston Fluff]

I think comments like those are more about an attempt to get to people relax and play better than not caring. Brett Farve talked about farting in the huddle or cracking a joke in an important situation to get people to laugh. Same sort of thing. Relax and play.

[MNBrew]

Mountain out of a molehill. Some people have become so well-trained to react to words -- even to expect to have to have a reaction to words regardless of how ridiculous or unjustified the reaction is -- that they don't really think about what the person meant or the context in which those words were spoken. This sure seems to be a textbook case of that.

 

ThurstonFluff hit the nail on the head. Just relax and play -- they have to let the game come to them. In hockey they use the metaphor of gripping the stick so tight it becomes sawdust. The translation is "pressing," which is exactly what the Brewers are doing. It's like the longest shots you ever hit in your golf game: They come when you swing just right, not when you swing the hardest -- the latter of which 99% of the time will result in anything but the outcome you desire.

 

Right now, extra-base hits are so infrequent. BA w/ RISP -- heck, with any runners on base -- is putrid. Multiple-run HRs are like winning lottery tickets -- impossible! It seems like it would take 20 hits in an inning to get a mere 3 runs on the board. . . . The players try harder and the slump just continues -- so painful! Pitchers feel like they can't afford to make a single mistake, which results in countless mistakes, not zero.

[502 to Right]

I don't think anyone questions Lucroy's effort. That's what counts.

[guylanderfridancies]

I don't think anyone questions Lucroy's effort. That's what counts.

 

I do.

 

When the SF Giants were in town there was an instance where my love for Lucroy diminished rapidly in to disappointment. Lucroy was on first base, and for some reason attempted to steal second-base. Lucroy got a great jump, and should have been safe. However, SFG rookie 2nd baseman Joe Panick was covering the bag.. literally, he laid his left leg down in front of the entire base, with nowhere for Lucroy to even get to the base. What would you do in this scenario? If you were attempting to steal second, and the base was entirely covered by the opposing teams 2nd-Basemans leg? I would probably go the Ty Cobb route, since it's my right-of-way to the base.... But here's what Lucroy did: he pussy-footed. He had a perfect chance to steal second base, put himself in scoring position, and teach this rookie 2nd-baseman a lesson about blocking bases in the major leagues. But instead, he made sure to slide on the inside of the bag, CLOSER TO THE THROW FROM HOME, ensuring not only that he was for sure going to get tagged out, but what boils my blood, is that he made sure he didn't cause any harm to rookie Joe Panick.

 

I understand, nobody WANTS to hurt anybody else. But this is still a contact sport dude. Anybody that takes foul-balls to the scrotum should know that.

 

And in a similar scenario, what does Joe Panick do? He throws his whole body in to Jean Segura risking harm to himself and the opposition. Like you're supposed to do, as far as I'm concerned.

 

I know Lucroy's a laid back, calm dude. I'm from northern California, I'm well acquainted with this demeanor. But there has to be some balance between laid-back and passion to win. And I'm not seeing any of the latter.

 

My disappointment had subsided a bit after the Lucroy pussy-foot, the crew had maintained first place at that time, and there wasn't much I could argue against. However, when I went to the Peavy-Fiers game last Saturday in San Francisco to see our beloved Brewers, my disappointment multiplied. ten-fold.

 

I counted 20-seconds TWICE after the brewers had made the 3rd out of an inning, before any players had stepped on the field and when they finally did, only a couple guys actually ran to their position. I was appalled. Playing through high-school and college ball I was always told HUSTLE ON AND OFF THE FIELD, LIKE THEY DO IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES. Was this the Major Leagues I paid $75 to see? What I saw that Saturday was a group of guys who were either A) Burnt out. B) Not hungry to win. or C) Just not passionate to play the game they're supposed to love. On a scale of 1 to 10 of effort put forth, 10 being trying their hardest, I would give them a 4 for what I saw live.

 

They as a team looked sluggish and uninterested, and it's no surprise to me that they continue to lose. I wouldn't expect anything different in the near future, unless someone lights a fire under every brewers ass. But when your best player for the year is saying things like, "If we make it so be it, if we don't so be it" I don't expect them to make it, and if they do, I don't expect them to win. He ought to be saying things like, "We want to make it, we want to win."

 

I don't think the Brewers are pressing, I think they're too careless, and I think they need to press.

[HiAndTight]

I don't think anyone questions Lucroy's effort. That's what counts.

 

I do.

 

This is a sincere question, living in Northern Cali, do you get to watch the Brewers every day, or are you just basing this on the two games you went to?

When the SF Giants were in town there was an instance where my love for Lucroy diminished rapidly in to disappointment. Lucroy was on first base, and for some reason attempted to steal second-base. Lucroy got a great jump, and should have been safe. However, SFG rookie 2nd baseman Joe Panick was covering the bag.. literally, he laid his left leg down in front of the entire base, with nowhere for Lucroy to even get to the base. What would you do in this scenario? If you were attempting to steal second, and the base was entirely covered by the opposing teams 2nd-Basemans leg? I would probably go the Ty Cobb route, since it's my right-of-way to the base.... But here's what Lucroy did: he pussy-footed. He had a perfect chance to steal second base, put himself in scoring position, and teach this rookie 2nd-baseman a lesson about blocking bases in the major leagues. But instead, he made sure to slide on the inside of the bag, CLOSER TO THE THROW FROM HOME, ensuring not only that he was for sure going to get tagged out, but what boils my blood, is that he made sure he didn't cause any harm to rookie Joe Panick.

 

First of all, the idea that Lucroy knew that sliding toward the inside of the bag would ensure he gets tagged out is insane. You're talking about a hundredth of a second there. Sure, he should have slid into the rookie...I guess. But that is such a nitpicky thing to look at and say that the Brewers don't care.

 

Edit-And if this is what has "rapidly diminished your love into disappointment," you were never really a Luc fan.

 

I understand, nobody WANTS to hurt anybody else. But this is still a contact sport dude. Anybody that takes foul-balls to the scrotum should know that.

 

It's not a contact sport. Getting hit with a ball doesn't make it one either. By that logic, what sport isn't? Soccer?

And in a similar scenario, what does Joe Panick do? He throws his whole body in to Jean Segura risking harm to himself and the opposition. Like you're supposed to do, as far as I'm concerned.

 

Only similar in that both were running to second. Spiking a guy is a COMPLETELY different thing than sliding into 2nd hard.

 

I know Lucroy's a laid back, calm dude. I'm from northern California, I'm well acquainted with this demeanor. But there has to be some balance between laid-back and passion to win. And I'm not seeing any of the latter.

 

I would completely disagree. The easiest thing to do when a team is struggling is to say they're not passionate enough. As if Lucroy being demonstrably pissed off would suggest he cares as much as Matt Garza.

 

 

I counted 20-seconds TWICE after the brewers had made the 3rd out of an inning, before any players had stepped on the field and when they finally did, only a couple guys actually ran to their position. I was appalled. Playing through high-school and college ball I was always told HUSTLE ON AND OFF THE FIELD, LIKE THEY DO IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES. Was this the Major Leagues I paid $75 to see?

 

Really? You were counting to see how long it took for the team to go to their positions? This isn't little league or HS. You get no bonus points for "sprinting to your positions," and it has absolutely nothing to do with hustling. This is just trying to gin up reasons to get on the players for the team losing IMO. I also inherently dislike the, "when we were growing up, we were taught......" type of argument.

 

They as a team looked sluggish and uninterested, and it's no surprise to me that they continue to lose. I wouldn't expect anything different in the near future, unless someone lights a fire under every brewers ass. But when your best player for the year is saying things like, "If we make it so be it, if we don't so be it" I don't expect them to make it, and if they do, I don't expect them to win. He ought to be saying things like, "We want to make it, we want to win."

 

Yeah, but the problem is LUCROY NEVER SAID THAT. He said, "Sometimes as human beings we try to do too much, and I know I'm that way, but all we can do is go out there and do the best we can and if it works out, it works out, that's all we can really do."

 

That's NOTHING like "hey, if we make it, we make it, if we don't, we don't."

I don't think the Brewers are pressing, I think they're too careless, and I think they need to press.

 

All due respect, if you played baseball growing up, you know the absolute WORST thing you can do as a player is press. You can't just "try harder," in Baseball. You absolutely can give too much effort. This is at the basic core of the game.

 

 

I've watched almost every single game this year. Watched everyone that's been on TV(DVR'ed several, but I've also been laid having a couple surgeries this summer) and have been to 4 that weren't on TV.

 

Not ONCE have I questioned this teams effort. ARam. Nobody looks like they're more lackadaisical than him. Yet when they bunt the ball toward third, he's as good as anyone coming in and bare handing it.

 

He's also the guy I want up(one of 3) late in the game. Gomez on the other hand? I really don't trust him because he gets himself too worked up. Hell, he's even said that he has to take swings during games so he tires himself out a little bit or he over swings. Right now, THAT'S the biggest problem in my mind, they're trying too hard.

 

Pitchers are overthrowing the ball leaving pitches up, hitters are going up there trying to jump on early fastballs trying to generate offense, relievers feel like they have no margin for error.

 

 

It IS possible for a team to be playing hard and just playing bad. The two aren't mutually exclusive and there hasn't been a single time all year I've questioned Lucroy's work ethic.

[bani1717]

First, by making contact on a slide Lucroy risks injury to himself as well as the opponent.... and there's still no guarantee he'll be safe. So even if he did have ample time (instead of just a split second) to consider the pros and cons of making contact vs not, it would be hard for me to fault him.

 

Second, I don't really care how long they take to head out to the field or whether they run. In all sports there are certain things that high school / college coaches may insist on that just don't get a second thought in the pros.

 

There is a long list of things to be unhappy about with regard to the Brewers' performance as of late. But Lucroy's comments are not even close to being on that list IMO.

[HiAndTight]

First, by making contact on a slide Lucroy risks injury to himself as well as the opponent.... and there's still no guarantee he'll be safe. So even if he did have ample time (instead of just a split second) to consider the pros and cons of making contact vs not, it would be hard for me to fault him.

 

Second, I don't really care how long they take to head out to the field or whether they run. In all sports there are certain things that high school / college coaches may insist on that just don't get a second thought in the pros.

 

There is a long list of things to be unhappy about with regard to the Brewers' performance as of late. But Lucroy's comments are not even close to being on that list IMO.

 

 

Good point. I know for example that if I saw Mike Daniels screaming "break down," and the entire team getting into an athletic stance 3 times before, during and after games, I'd just laugh.

 

That is something everyone did, right?

[3and2Fastball]

Of all the players that one could question the attitude and effort of, Lucroy would be one of the very last on my list.

 

The guy has started 114 games at Catcher this season and has played in 130 out of 139 games this season!!!!

[FVBrewerFan]

But when your best player for the year is saying things like, "If we make it so be it, if we don't so be it" I don't expect them to make it, and if they do, I don't expect them to win. He ought to be saying things like, "We want to make it, we want to win."

 

Well, first of all Lucroy never said that. Secondly, do you honestly think he doesn't want to win?

 

I counted 20-seconds TWICE after the brewers had made the 3rd out of an inning, before any players had stepped on the field and when they finally did, only a couple guys actually ran to their position. I was appalled.

 

Not going to talk you out of being appalled, it's your right. But that's not how MLB works. Lucroy, the rest of the Brewers, or any other team. It isn't HS or Legion ball. You'll notice teams in MLB don't constantly chatter while they're batting as teams do in HS or college. You are making a big leap by taking this as not trying or caring.

 

But here's what Lucroy did: he pussy-footed. He had a perfect chance to steal second base, put himself in scoring position, and teach this rookie 2nd-baseman a lesson about blocking bases in the major leagues.

 

I can see your point. But if he slides hard right at the base maybe he breaks his ankle and is out for the year. Then everyone would be up in arms saying it was a foolish risk. Plus, Lucroy isn't exaclt Ricky Henderson. He doesn't steal a whole lot of bases, and ws no doubt caught off-guiard by someone blocking 2B. You don't see that very often.

[guylanderfridancies]

I like to believe there's proper ways to press. There's a balance to pressing, where you expand both your effort and your focus equally. This isn't visible with the brew-crew. Maybe they're focusing too much on trying to be singularly responsible for winning, instead of just playing simple team baseball.

 

Aram is a 6 foot 215 pounder who's 36 years old, nothing he does is going to look full of effort, and he's got 14 years service time, he should be taking it easy in between innings. But Scoot and jean are 24 year olds with their jobs on the line, I would've expected to see more pep in their step. No one seems excited or eager to play. Which if spread among an entire club, will bring it down. All I'm saying is team morale is way way down. maybe the September call-ups can provide some kind of spark. I need to see more smiles warming up before the game. That matters.

 

Lucroy just looks like he's about to cry. All the time.

[jerichoholicninja]

As for the "not sliding into a fielder blocking the base," I don't know what the "correct" thing to do is but you can be sure that if that was a Cardinal sliding he would have cleated the fielder and the fielder would have been beaned his next time up.

[cnycerveceros]

Ya, I heard it. I would be more disappointed in Davis' most recent quote:

 

"This is a rough stretch; it feels like a long road trip already," said Khris Davis, whose seventh-inning homer finally got the Brewers on the board. "We've just got to weather the storm best we can and grind it out, day by day.

 

"Timing is key. We want to get hot at the right time and jump into the playoffs. It's easy getting to the top; it's harder staying there. That's what I'm learning on a daily basis at the big-league level."

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/sixth-straight-loss-drops-brewers-out-of-first-place-b99342223z1-273486211.html

 

Davis' quote is exactly the truth. It's Wildcard baseball. Nobody believed this was a team that could stay in first place. I still don't believe they've got what it takes to get hot at the right time, but getting hot at the right time has been a pretty successful model since the wildcard came to be.

[FVBrewerFan]

I need to see more smiles warming up before the game. That matters.

 

Actually, no. I don't think it matters a bit. Besides, if he's smiling, joking around, then people will say how can he be so happy when they're losing. He must not be a competitor.

 

No offense, I just think you're trying too hard to compare MLB players to High School players. I grew up idolizing Nolan Ryan. Guess what? I don't remember him smiling before, during, or after a game. (You can insert about 100,000 players names in place of Ryan if you prefer.)

[guylanderfridancies]

I need to see more smiles warming up before the game. That matters.

 

Actually, no. I don't think it matters a bit. Besides, if he's smiling, joking around, then people will say how can he be so happy when they're losing. He must not be a competitor.

 

No offense, I just think you're trying too hard to compare MLB players to High School players. I grew up idolizing Nolan Ryan. Guess what? I don't remember him smiling before, during, or after a game. (You can insert about 100,000 players names in place of Ryan if you prefer.)

 

Which is why I said, " No one seems excited or eager to play. Which if spread among an entire club, will bring it down." I didn't say every one needs to be smiling and joking around. But someone should look like they want to be there.