AUDIO: Jonathan Lucroy Telling It Like It Is

[MrTPlush]

Accurate or not, it's probably not a good idea to say that two of your not just teammates but battery-mates have done nothing since being drafted.

 

Lucroy just trying to make a solid club house atmosphere.

[Nottso]

For those of you bagging on Mark Attanasio, I have 3 words:

 

1. Wendy

 

2. Selig

 

3. Prieb

[SRB]

Can you imagine the reaction if Braun or Gomez said this? Yet they are the jerks and Lucroy is the fan favorite, ok.

 

Anyways, please trade Lucroy while his value is still high. He is not the face of the franchise. Braun is the only career Brewer on the roster right now.

 

Huh? We drafted Lucroy in 2007, two years after Braun, and I have yet to see Lucroy play for any other team but Milwaukee.

 

Lucroy isn't saying he doesn't want to play here. He is saying that he doesn't want to waste his career on a perennial loser, and since 2011 (let's see, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015...) the Brewers haven't been doing much winning at all. What competitive player wants to spend the remainder of his time in the bigs on a team that is going to suck? The man is a competitor, and that is the kind of player we want on this team, not some schlub like Kyle Lohse, who was "encouraged" after giving up four runs in 6 innings his last outing.

 

We don't want people here who are just going through the motions, and collecting a paycheck. We want winners. People who want to make the playoffs, and go to the World Series.

 

If we trade Lucroy because it's the best thing for our future, ok. But if some of you are telling to get out of here for speaking his conscience, I have to seriously question those people.

 

By career Brewer I mean Braun will very likely retire a Brewer, a la Robin Yount. Lucroy will be gone sooner or latter.

 

I'm not offended by his comments, I just find the Lucroy adulation funny considering what the reaction would have been if, say, Ryan Braun had made the same remarks. Lucroy has always seemed a little standoffish to me yet he's the guy most people love, whereas Ryan Braun has never seemed like anything other than a nice guy and yet (even setting aside the PED stuff) he's always been viewed as a prima donna jerk for some reason.

[MrTPlush]

Lucroy is wrong because he wants to compete, period. That was the whole point of his rant. He thinks our first rounders aren't helping us compete. THAT IS FALSE. I really don't care if they are garbage major leaguers. They helped us compete and to Lucroy that is what matters. If we trade our first rounders for a Cy Young caliber pitcher that somehow is not helping us compete? That is not panning out? If you acquire a player and he builds trade value you cash in on he has panned out for you. Past that who cares. The fact that we have failed to draft talent to impact an MLB roster and put up some stats is a totally different subject. We have not maximized our value in the first round. Like drafting some solid MLB players, but we still have come out with some decent value...we just accomplished it in other ways by trading them while they were still prospects.

 

I guess in Lucroy's eyes LaPorta has been more valuable to the Brewers than Segura because he helped the Brewers compete. Unlike Segura who has technically provided nothing in 3 years because the Brewers have not competed.

 

And for the record a guy like Odorizzi is still paying off for us. Odorizzi turned into Greinke who turned into Segura who some think will turn into another legit prospect or two. So yes we are still riding that wave.

[Dean Machine]

I've been a little bothered by Lucroy since the ESPN or SI article (I subscribe to both and can't remember which magazine it was) on his pitch framing where he basically said he was underpaid and blamed Weeks and Braun for telling him to take the money as soon as it was offered.

[GAME05]

I choose to defer to Pogocat on any draft pick opinions. But I wanted to give a comparison to some other teams that generally haven't been super-good or super-bad in that span.

 

(number after the name is the player's 2014 WAR or where they were in the minors last year)

 

Cincinnati Reds

06: Drew Stubbs--2.7

07: Devin Mesoraco--4.8; Todd Frazier--5.3; Kyle Lotzkar--AA

08: Yonder Alonso--1.3

09: Mike Leake--1.5; Bradley Boxberger--1.8

10: Yasmani Grandal--1.2

11: Robert Stephenson--AA

 

Oakland Athletics

06: No Pick

07: James Simmons--Ind; Sean Doolittle--1.2; Corey Brown--0.1

08: Jemile Weeks--0.3

09: Grant Green--0.1

10: Michael Choice--minus 1.9

11: Sonny Gray--3.2

 

Arizona Diamondbacks

06: Max Scherzer--6.0; Brooks Brown--0.6

07: Jarrod Parker--1.8 (in 2013; currently Tommy John); Wes Roemer--Ind; Ed Easley--AAA

08: Daniel Schlereth--basically retired; Wade Miley--0.8

09: Robert Borchering--A+; A. J. Pollock--AAA; Matt Davidson--AAA; Christopher Owings--AAA; Michael Belfiore--AAA

10: Barret Loux--AAA

11: Trevor Bauer--1.5; Archie Bradley--AAA

 

Cleveland Indians

06: David Huff--1.0

07: Beau Mills--retired to raise bulls full-time (serious)

08: Lonnie Chisenhall--1.4

09: Alex White--AAA

10: Drew Pomeranz--1.5

11: Francisco Lindor--AAA

 

Milwaukee Brewers

06: Jeremy Jeffress--1.5

07: Matt LaPorta--played in Mexico in 2014

08: Brett Lawrie--1.7; Jake Odorizzi--1.2

09: Evan Frederickson--relaxing on a beach somewhere

10: Eric Arnett--hanging out with Evan Frederickson

11: Dylan Covey--A+ with Oakland

[SRB]

The thing about first round picks is that they aren't all created equal either. As much as Arnett was a disaster, we were picking #26, not #5. Granted some teams consistently pick low and do well, like the Cardinals, but we've established that that's due to satanic rituals and the consumption of human babies.

[bork]

He said Braun is the last first rounder to have a major impact on the Brewers. He didn't say they were all busts. He also said you have to go for it in 2008 and 2011, so he admits the value of those trades, just that it has depleted the farm system, especially with a few poor drafts in recent years.

 

I also took it more as Bill Michaels really putting him on the spot with his questions. Lucroy didn't sound comfortable answering, but ended up giving a pretty honest assessment of the Brewers organization.

[umphrey]

Our farm system has been awful. We've been bottom dwellers in farm system rankings for years because we traded guys away and didn't replace them. Even if we had Brantley, Escobar, Odorizzi, Cain it would still be a bad farm system because those guys are MLB players now. We went 3-4 years without acquiring premier talent and 3-4 years without acquiring any talent at all. Any player could say this and I wouldn't blame them for being unhappy about it.

[trwi7]

He said Braun is the last first rounder to have a major impact on the Brewers. He didn't say they were all busts.

 

Even if he did mean that, he's still wrong because 1st rounders Lawrie, Jeffress and Odorizzi were traded to bring the Brewers Marcum and Greinke who got the team within two games of the World Series.

 

So while the players themselves didn't impact the Brewers, the players they were traded for did, at least for a year.

[JJHardy7]

I didn't see Lucroy complaining in 2011 about trading the 1st rounders to make a legit run at the WS...

 

Lucroy has a had some good runs with the Brewers. I hope he gets on one now so we can deal him before a suitcase shuts him down for awhile...

 

Seriously though it is disappointing to hear him sound off like this. If you want to get traded faster, play better and stay healthy.

[502 to Right]

I'm not buying a ticket to watch the Brewers until Doug Melvin is gone.

[3and2Fastball]

For those of you bagging on Mark Attanasio, I have 3 words:

 

1. Wendy

 

2. Selig

 

3. Prieb

 

I call your 3 words and raise you 2 other words:

 

1) Herb

 

2) Kohl

 

 

I'm not buying a ticket to watch the Brewers until Doug Melvin is gone.

 

 

Me neither

[Invader3K]

I don't understand the angst over what he said. He isn't saying anything people in the fan base or his teammates aren't already aware of.

[BrewCrewForever]

B.M: "Can you see yourself retiring here?"

Luc: "To me this game is about winning, and we haven't won here since 2011."

 

Wow, that isn't holding anything back. Letting it fire Johnny!

[dpapo]

Just heard the interview. I am okay with it. He didn't say all our first rounds picks have been busts. As someone else mentioned, he said they haven't had a 1st round pick who hasn't had an impact with the Brewers since Braun.

And while he mentioned the players they traded away, also mentioned how it got them Sabathia and Grienke.

I would hope most players have the attitude of wanting to win and not just collecting a paycheck. Better to let Brewers management know what he wants now, then to say how happy he is here and then leave the first chance he gets like many players have done. Brewers management is under no false allusions about what he wants and what it will take to keep him here. Unlike most players who say the things fans like to hear. Give Brewers management a feeling they may have a chance to keep the player, even if it's a long shot, but then when their contract is up, leave.

As far as being a leader, that could be how most players feel, but don't voice it. Don't know, but have heard how Lucroy is one of the leaders in the clubhouse. I don't think he said anything that most players will have a problem with. And that is what matters as far as being a leader with the team, how the other players view Lucroy. I am pretty sure he didn't say anything in the interview he hasn't mentioned to his teammates.

I get the sense that Lucroy says what he feels and doesn't hide his feelings, which may be a reason I have heard that he is one of the leaders in the clubhouse.

He plays hard and wants to win and doesn't get in trouble. And has been a good player for the most part. Those are exactly the type of players I want the Brewers to have.

[dlk9s]

He said Braun is the last first rounder to have a major impact on the Brewers. He didn't say they were all busts.

 

Even if he did mean that, he's still wrong because 1st rounders Lawrie, Jeffress and Odorizzi were traded to bring the Brewers Marcum and Greinke who got the team within two games of the World Series.

 

So while the players themselves didn't impact the Brewers, the players they were traded for did, at least for a year.

 

Right, and Lucroy said he understood the reason for those trades, that you have to do that sort of thing to win. He is just lamenting the CURRENT situation, that some of the best prospects like Cain, Brantley, and Odorizzi are now on other teams and that the top picks since Braun have not had an impact WITH the Brewers.

 

People in this thread are putting words in his mouth. He obviously, based on what he said, is fine with making those big trades because that helped the team get close to a World Series. He just sees what everyone on this board complains about every day in every thread: the trades plus crappy drafting have depleted the farm system and, in turn, have hurt the big league club.

[tmwiese55]

I get maybe he was a little harsh but I appreciate someone giving real honest answers. We are complain about players giving canned predictable cliche answers that don't mean anything. Well this is why, if you speak your mind you get ripped for it. Similar to what Bo Ryan said after the Championship game about the refs and rental players.

[Mass Haas]

It did pain me when Lucroy listed that they haven't won since 2011.

 

Well, the players and the organization put themselves in position to win in 2014, and then they (mostly the players) completely chunked that opportunity. He kind of glossed over that part.

[tmwiese55]

And there was no reason they couldn't win in 2012. Lost Fielder but replaced him with Ramirez and Aoki, plus Gomez improved a bunch. Obviously not as good of a shot at a WS but that was a solid team. Braun of course ruined 2013 and 2014 they flopped the last month.

[JackNicholson1974]

What he said doesnt bother met at all. He should be traded though, just because he is most likely to be a first baseman for most of his next contract, like Joe Mauer, and is value then takes a huge hit.

[Invader3K]

he is most likely to be a first baseman for most of his next contract, like Joe Mauer, and is value then takes a huge hit.

 

People keep saying this, but I'm curious what it's really based on? People keep bringing up Joe Mauer, but there have been catchers who have stayed behind the dish their entire careers and done just fine. I think people are just kind of assuming the worst without it really being based on anything but fear.

[Boomer5]

Sounds like a man who is VERY aware of the trade rumors and wants out.

 

Right or not, you NEVER throw two of your team mates under the bus ever. Especially pitchers who throw to him.

 

Time to explore block buster trades.

[BrewCrewForever]

Yeah Lucroy must have forgot in 2012 they were in Wild Card contention at the end of the season and had a shot. And we all know they had 2014 wrapped up and all the bats, including Lucroy went silent at the end of August into September. So maybe he should think twice about his not winning since 2011. I like Lucroy, but I am pretty shocked to hear this kind of stuff from him. Thought he was more of a true leader and good clubhouse guy. Sounds like sour grapes.

[tmwiese55]

He could be bitter about the ripoff contract he signed. At the time though it wasn't that bad of a deal since he was barely up in the bigs and who would've thought he'd improve so much.