Laying some philosophical cards on the table...

[logan82]

They moved him to 3B. I think he played DH as well.

[Thurston Fluff]

I think people should also keep in mind Braun was an above average LF. He was considered for a gold glove there a few years back. While we debated whether that was an indictment of the gold glove process or the dearth of good players at the position it's hard to argue a below average player would be considered. While he wasn't Gomez good there, he was actually pretty good in comparison to the league as a whole.

[jerichoholicninja]

I think people should also keep in mind Braun was an above average LF. He was considered for a gold glove there a few years back. While we debated whether that was an indictment of the gold glove process or the dearth of good players at the position it's hard to argue a below average player would be considered. While he wasn't Gomez good there, he was actually pretty good in comparison to the league as a whole.

 

Derek Jeter's closet full of gold gloves disagrees with this.

[logan82]

While we debated whether that was an indictment of the gold glove process or the dearth of good players at the position it's hard to argue a below average player would be considered. While he wasn't Gomez good there, he was actually pretty good in comparison to the league as a whole.

Both. He was made himself into an average defender in RF. I wouldn't call him good but by the end he was at least not embarrassing himself out there.

[FVBrewerFan]

I think in general Braun has gotten beat up more in the OF than he would have at 3B.

 

How so? He doesn't have guys sliding into his legs in the OF. Not to mention having to charge balls at 3B and awkwardly fire it over to 1B. That's always good for the ole' oblique muscles.

[jerichoholicninja]

I think in general Braun has gotten beat up more in the OF than he would have at 3B.

 

How so? He doesn't have guys sliding into his legs in the OF. Not to mention having to charge balls at 3B and awkwardly fire it over to 1B. That's always good for the ole' oblique muscles.

 

Well he did hurt himself reaching to catch a flyball earlier this year.

[FVBrewerFan]

Of course, you can hurt yourself doing anything. It's about relative risk, and it kind of proves the point if he irritated his oblique going for a fly ball, imagine how problematic it would be constantly throwing across his body awkwardly at 3B.

[3and2Fastball]

True re OF vs 3B durability

 

Most of his errors at 3B were throwing errors, if I recall correctly. I just figured that Weeks & Fielder were almost as abysmal defensively as rookies and they raised their game to "slightly below average defenders". Braun could've too.

 

I think the Aramis Ramirez contract was a colossal mistake and waste of money. Don't want Braun at 3B? OK move him to 1B and trade Fielder. 1B after Fielder was historically (and hysterically) bad until Lind showed up. Could've gotten plenty for Prince in a trade. Or, deal with growing pains with Braun at 3B for another year or three until Prince left....

 

Hindsight 20/20 it did seem like a waste of a roster spot to move him to OF and have poor performance or cap space uses at 3B

[Thurston Fluff]

True re OF vs 3B durability

 

Most of his errors at 3B were throwing errors, if I recall correctly. I just figured that Weeks & Fielder were almost as abysmal defensively as rookies and they raised their game to "slightly below average defenders". Braun could've too.

 

I think the Aramis Ramirez contract was a colossal mistake and waste of money. Don't want Braun at 3B? OK move him to 1B and trade Fielder. 1B after Fielder was historically (and hysterically) bad until Lind showed up. Could've gotten plenty for Prince in a trade. Or, deal with growing pains with Braun at 3B for another year or three until Prince left....

 

Hindsight 20/20 it did seem like a waste of a roster spot to move him to OF and have poor performance or cap space uses at 3B

 

To be accurate the black hole at first did not come after Prince left. Prince was replaced quite well by Hart. In fact I think the combination of offense and defensive at 1st, 3rd and RF more than made up for the loss of of Prince. I was the loss of Hart when the problems really started.

[logan82]

True re OF vs 3B durability

 

Most of his errors at 3B were throwing errors, if I recall correctly. I just figured that Weeks & Fielder were almost as abysmal defensively as rookies and they raised their game to "slightly below average defenders". Braun could've too.

 

I think the Aramis Ramirez contract was a colossal mistake and waste of money. Don't want Braun at 3B? OK move him to 1B and trade Fielder. 1B after Fielder was historically (and hysterically) bad until Lind showed up. Could've gotten plenty for Prince in a trade. Or, deal with growing pains with Braun at 3B for another year or three until Prince left....

 

Hindsight 20/20 it did seem like a waste of a roster spot to move him to OF and have poor performance or cap space uses at 3B

Yes, they were probably mostly throwing errors however some of those errors were because he didn't field the ball well resulting in throwing errors. He had bad instincts, didn't throw the ball accurate and looked just plain awkward at 3B. He was even worse than Weeks at 2B and Fielder at 1B who were just bad not historically bad.

[3and2Fastball]

Hart played 104 games at 1B for the Brewers in 2012 and it was the last good season he had. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 but trading Hart prior to the 2012 season would've really helped Milwaukee. Hart had a .334 OBP and 120 OPS+ and 30 HR's that season. Certainly good but not spectacular. A huge step down from Fielder's 164 OPS+ 38 HR's and .415 OBP the year before.