Brewers sign Eric Thames (3 years)

[reillymcshane]

0 for 4 with 2K's tonight. Must've stopped the PEDs for a day.

Or maybe the Cardinal pitchers started taking PEDs.

 

I mean, no one was stopping him before. Must be something going on there. Wink, wink.

[Warning Track Power]

I never really hated the Cubs to be honest. Maybe it's because I never lived in Wisconsin, other than spending Summer's there as a kid, but this type of commentary about Thames really rubs me the wrong way and upsets me thoroughly. Making accusations of colleagues is completely out of line and a lot of the pot calling the kettle black as has been mentioned with Arrieta in Baltimore or Rizzo in San Diego. These guys are insufferable and I hope they get what is coming there way between the lines of the diamond.

[Boomer5]

It can't be that big a shock that he is accused of PEDs? He is 30 and was just signed off the bargain bin, then hits like Barry Bonds.

 

To defend his performance 100% is to ignore the elephant in the room.

[pacopete4]

It can't be that big a shock that he is accused of PEDs? He is 30 and was just signed off the bargain bin, then hits like Barry Bonds.

 

To defend his performance 100% is to ignore the elephant in the room.

 

 

This is not at all what it's about. Other players and coaches should keep their yappers shut unless they have some proof. What bush league comments and about a guy for all they know may have just simply busted his ass back to where he is now. Tired of the witch hunts.

[adambr2]

It can't be that big a shock that he is accused of PEDs? He is 30 and was just signed off the bargain bin, then hits like Barry Bonds.

 

To defend his performance 100% is to ignore the elephant in the room.

 

So this is where we're at now? Every player who outperforms expectations - Eric Thames, Trevor Story, Jake Arrieta, Jean Segura...many others, we're just going to start throwing around PED accusations?

 

The point is not that no one thinks he could be using or is 100% sure his performance isn't PED aided. No one has said that. I'm not naive enough anymore to think that there is anyone that for sure isn't . The point is that it's a total bush league move for a player and coach to accuse a fellow MLB player of it with absolutely nothing to back it up with. Especially when it's in direct response to the guy shelling you. That just reeks of sour grapes.

[Boomer5]

It can't be that big a shock that he is accused of PEDs? He is 30 and was just signed off the bargain bin, then hits like Barry Bonds.

 

To defend his performance 100% is to ignore the elephant in the room.

 

So this is where we're at now? Every player who outperforms expectations - Eric Thames, Trevor Story, Jake Arrieta, Jean Segura...many others, we're just going to start throwing around PED accusations?

 

The point is not that no one thinks he could be using or is 100% sure his performance isn't PED aided. No one has said that. I'm not naive enough anymore to think that there is anyone that for sure isn't . The point is that it's a total bush league move for a player and coach to accuse a fellow MLB player of it with absolutely nothing to back it up with. Especially when it's in direct response to the guy shelling you. That just reeks of sour grapes.

 

Baseball players in general have to be the thinnest skinned people around. They live by this weird "code" of not being shown up. Bat flipping, really?

 

When a guy comes from nowhere and puts up Barry Bonds numbers at 30 and looks like Thames, yeah, it's pretty darn expected.

 

I'd suggest the Junior breakout year at 31 last season had that chatter as well. It just wasn't at the beginning of the season so the stats were more buried.

 

As for what Lackey said, who cares? He isn't commissioner and he is just saying what you know most of the league is saying, justified or not. Baseball players as mentioned hate to be showed up, and that's exactly what Thames is doing now. Let's just hope he is doing it squeaky clean.

[Boomer5]

It can't be that big a shock that he is accused of PEDs? He is 30 and was just signed off the bargain bin, then hits like Barry Bonds.

 

To defend his performance 100% is to ignore the elephant in the room.

 

 

This is not at all what it's about. Other players and coaches should keep their yappers shut unless they have some proof. What bush league comments and about a guy for all they know may have just simply busted his ass back to where he is now. Tired of the witch hunts.

 

You can thank Braun and that pathetic display the 90's stars put up in congress for that. Act like a man or the witch hunts will be part of the game.

 

Marte showed its still very much in the game. I'd say most players "bust their ass" and virtually none in the 150 + year history of baseball put up these kind of numbers. People have compared him to Prince. No, Prince wishes he was ever this good. Thames is playing like Bonds at his absolute prime.

 

So I'm going to enjoy Thames incredible year but as Brewer fans, look to LF if you're sick of the chatter.

 

None of this excuses Lackey from being Lackey. But we have to expect the league is saying exactly what he said.

[adambr2]

 

As for what Lackey said, who cares? He isn't commissioner and he is just saying what you know most of the league is saying, justified or not.

 

Most of the league isn't 'saying ' it. Nobody besides Lackey and Bosio are saying it. I expect that a lot of people might think it. I also would expect that players and coaches in a sport with countless dumb unwritten rules would understand the very common life process of thinking something but not saying it out loud because you're a decent human being with some common sense and a filter.

 

When my wife asks if I think one of her girlfriends is attractive, I say 'she's okay I guess' and drop it. I don't yammer on about how gorgeous she is and what I'd like to do with her.

[pacopete4]

I didn't know PEDs help your patience at the plate. Dude has a tremendous eye right now. His swings were awful yesterday but still walked three times. Now that's impressive.

[jerichoholicninja]

It can't be that big a shock that he is accused of PEDs? He is 30 and was just signed off the bargain bin, then hits like Barry Bonds.

 

To defend his performance 100% is to ignore the elephant in the room.

 

So this is where we're at now? Every player who outperforms expectations - Eric Thames, Trevor Story, Jake Arrieta, Jean Segura...many others, we're just going to start throwing around PED accusations?

 

Pretty much, yup. Been this way for quite a few years now. It's sad but that's way it is and probably will be for a long time.

[dlk9s]

Thames didn't "come out of nowhere." He mashed so hard in Korea for the past three years that they nicknamed him "God."

 

Obviously, the pitching in Korea isn't on par with MLB, but it's not like Thames was hitting like dog butt up until the moment he put on a Brewers uniform. Clearly there's a non-zero chance of PEDs, but I would think the Occam's Razor answer is that he figured out how to hit. Taking a very quick glance at some of his advanced stats, it looks like his plate discipline has improved a lot.

 

Also, that people are going nuts with PED suspicion seems rather silly based on a 1-2 week hot streak.

[Boomer5]

Thames didn't "come out of nowhere." He mashed so hard in Korea for the past three years that they nicknamed him "God."

 

Obviously, the pitching in Korea isn't on par with MLB, but it's not like Thames was hitting like dog butt up until the moment he put on a Brewers uniform. Clearly there's a non-zero chance of PEDs, but I would think the Occam's Razor answer is that he figured out how to hit. Taking a very quick glance at some of his advanced stats, it looks like his plate discipline has improved a lot.

 

Also, that people are going nuts with PED suspicion seems rather silly based on a 1-2 week hot streak.

 

Korea is nowhere compared to MLB. And if people thought stats in Korea mattered even half way, he wouldnt have been only offered 3 years $16M, there would have been a full scale bidding war.

 

Occam's Razor suggests PEDs is far more likely than he is having a career year at 30. I have zero idea if he has done anything stronger than gummy bears, but lets face it, if he was a Cardinal doing this we would be thinking he found the magic Cardinal locker room stash.

[Boomer5]

I didn't know PEDs help your patience at the plate. Dude has a tremendous eye right now. His swings were awful yesterday but still walked three times. Now that's impressive.

 

Look at Bonds, who was the king of walks. Thats why I am saying Thames isnt just good, he is Bonds good, at least so far.

[MrTPlush]

Ok I feel we start saying Thames is doing PEDs that is all fine and dandy. But for a coach/player in baseball to say something like that? That is unprofessional and really just not appropriate. You come off as immature and jealous in all honestly cause he smacked your arse for a homer.

[pacopete4]

I didn't know PEDs help your patience at the plate. Dude has a tremendous eye right now. His swings were awful yesterday but still walked three times. Now that's impressive.

 

Look at Bonds, who was the king of walks. Thats why I am saying Thames isnt just good, he is Bonds good, at least so far.

 

 

So there is a connection between PED's and having a good eye at the plate?

[BarneyStinston]

Most likely, its the shortened recovery time and reduced fatigue that helps these players better able to concentrate on pitches at the plate. Optimal health leads to optimal performance.

[pacopete4]

Most likely, its the shortened recovery time and reduced fatigue that helps these players better able to concentrate on pitches at the plate. Optimal health leads to optimal performance.

 

 

Please back this up somehow.

[jerichoholicninja]

Most likely, its the shortened recovery time and reduced fatigue that helps these players better able to concentrate on pitches at the plate. Optimal health leads to optimal performance.

 

No, it's because if pitchers put anything near the plate he would deposit the ball in McCovey Cove, so pitchers just stopped throwing him strikes. I believe he also had years where his number of intentional walks was higher than every other team. I'm sure umps were also giving him the "if he didn't swing, it must have been a ball" treatment.

[Thurston Fluff]

I didn't know PEDs help your patience at the plate. Dude has a tremendous eye right now. His swings were awful yesterday but still walked three times. Now that's impressive.

 

Look at Bonds, who was the king of walks. Thats why I am saying Thames isnt just good, he is Bonds good, at least so far.

 

Getting Bonds level good for a couple weeks, or even a month, is common. Geoff Jenkins made a career out of streaks like that.

[Thurston Fluff]

Most likely, its the shortened recovery time and reduced fatigue that helps these players better able to concentrate on pitches at the plate. Optimal health leads to optimal performance.

 

 

Please back this up somehow.

 

One of the perks of PEDs is recovery time so there is some merit to it. But that might be a better argument to use if he does this for an entire season. Like I said players get hot all the time. They just don't maintain it. Part of what was so amazing about Juice Bonds was not how hot he was but how long he stayed hot.

[NYChez]

Not enough attention is being paid to the fact that the allegation came from a player whose most effective years were his age 36 and 37 seasons (a similar pattern as Roger Clemens'). He's accusing a 30 year old of having a good first half of April?

[gregmag]

 

As for what Lackey said, who cares? He isn't commissioner and he is just saying what you know most of the league is saying, justified or not.

 

Most of the league isn't 'saying ' it. Nobody besides Lackey and Bosio are saying it. I expect that a lot of people might think it. I also would expect that players and coaches in a sport with countless dumb unwritten rules would understand the very common life process of thinking something but not saying it out loud because you're a decent human being with some common sense and a filter.

 

When my wife asks if I think one of her girlfriends is attractive, I say 'she's okay I guess' and drop it. I don't yammer on about how gorgeous she is and what I'd like to do with her.

It's ironic when someone uses "everyone else is doing it" to justify baseless, slanderous accusations of PED use, given that "everyone else is doing it" seems to be how players often rationalize using PEDs.

 

I don't care what anyone is saying behind closed doors, because I don't know about it. Lackey got beat; he whined; and he chose to take out his inadequacies on another player's reputation and character with absolute zero justification. He's scum, and so is Chris Bosio. I hope very bad things happen to both of them.

[FVBrewerFan]

Like it or not, it's part of the game now. Whenever a player comes out of nowhere with monster numbers it will come up. From fans, from media, and yes even other players and coaches. But if you're a player, better be ready for the consequences of throwing around hints without backing it up with any evidence.

[The stache]

Two more for Thames tonight. 10 homers on the season through 20 games and 3 innings. Wow.

[bork]

Two more for Thames tonight. 10 homers on the season through 20 games and 3 innings. Wow.

 

He is tied with Carlos Lee for the most HRs in April.