2017 Random News & Notes

[jerichoholicninja]

Rickie Weeks is playing 1B along with OF for the Rays. Many here shuttered at the thought of Weeks playing 1B. Amazing how quickly he went from preferring to sit on the bench instead of trying the OF to playing everywhere.

[DHonks]

I shuttered at the thought, because every time he covered first on a bunt I expected the ball to get thrown into RF. His footwork was terrible covering 1b, and he almost seemed to turn his head away from the ball as it arrived.

 

Of course, I also was wrong when I guaranteed that Fielder would whiff and one time take a routine throw to the face.

[Greenleaf1]

Turns out if the difference is between playing and not playing, Weeks doesn't much care.

 

If the difference is between getting paid and not getting paid, apparently he'll give any position a try.

[sveumrules]

Speaking of former Brewers first round picks it looks like the White Sox have requested release waivers on Brett Lawrie.

[yfinn6]

Speaking of former Brewers first round picks it looks like the White Sox have requested release waivers on Brett Lawrie.

 

My initial thought with this is that he must not be a well-liked dude in clubhouses. Maybe there are other financial or health-related reasons but I don't feel like doing any digging.

[homer]

A FB friend went to high school with Glendon Rusch and posted a pic of the two of them at spring training. He's pretty hefty now.

[gregmag]

Turns out if the difference is between playing and not playing, Weeks doesn't much care.

 

If the difference is between getting paid and not getting paid, apparently he'll give any position a try.

I don't mean to pick on you or on anyone else in particular, but because this "Weeks wasn't willing to help the team by playing outfield" meme has come up again, I want to note my respectful disagreement again. The team asked Weeks *during the season* (it was May 10, 2014) to play outfield for the first time in his professional career. That is a very, very different thing than asking a player to try to learn the position in the offseason and spring training. Asking a career 2b to just slap on an outfielder's glove during the season is idiotic -- how often does it happen? -- and I think Weeks was exactly right to say no.

 

(The stupidity is compounded, especially in retrospect, by the fact that the team's reason for asking Weeks to play lf was that Khris Davis was struggling. "Hmmm. Our 26 year-old, high-strikeout, high-power left fielder with the great minor league batting resume is struggling a month into his first full season. What to do? I know! Let's ask our declining 2b to play a position tomorrow or next week that he's never played as a pro. That way we can tank both guys' confidence, stunt the young player's development, and get a bat that doesn't play at 2b into an offense-first lineup slot." Genius.)

 

Maybe I'm wrong, and Weeks wasn't justified in refusing a flash audition in the outfield. Even so, (a) it would at least be a much easier transition to make in the offseason, making the two situations meaningfully different and thus making accusations of inconsistency suspect, and (b) I think a lot of players get more flexible once they've had to face the reality that they aren't starters anymore, and I don't think that's a blot on their character.

[jerichoholicninja]

Turns out if the difference is between playing and not playing, Weeks doesn't much care.

 

If the difference is between getting paid and not getting paid, apparently he'll give any position a try.

I don't mean to pick on you or on anyone else in particular, but because this "Weeks wasn't willing to help the team by playing outfield" meme has come up again, I want to note my respectful disagreement again. The team asked Weeks *during the season* (it was May 10, 2014) to play outfield for the first time in his professional career. That is a very, very different thing than asking a player to try to learn the position in the offseason and spring training. Asking a career 2b to just slap on an outfielder's glove during the season is idiotic -- how often does it happen? -- and I think Weeks was exactly right to say no.

 

(The stupidity is compounded, especially in retrospect, by the fact that the team's reason for asking Weeks to play lf was that Khris Davis was struggling. "Hmmm. Our 26 year-old, high-strikeout, high-power left fielder with the great minor league batting resume is struggling a month into his first full season. What to do? I know! Let's ask our declining 2b to play a position tomorrow or next week that he's never played as a pro. That way we can tank both guys' confidence, stunt the young player's development, and get a bat that doesn't play at 2b into an offense-first lineup slot." Genius.)

 

Maybe I'm wrong, and Weeks wasn't justified in refusing a flash audition in the outfield. Even so, (a) it would at least be a much easier transition to make in the offseason, making the two situations meaningfully different and thus making accusations of inconsistency suspect, and (b) I think a lot of players get more flexible once they've had to face the reality that they aren't starters anymore, and I don't think that's a blot on their character.

 

Weeks was a CF in college, I understand you specified "pro" but he'd played there before and not really all that long ago. And I always hate the "hurt a guys confidence" argument. This is the big leagues you perform or you lose your job and if you lose your job you bust your ass to get it back not have a pity party. Take a look at any Joe Maddon team, guys play all over the place.

[3and2Fastball]

Weeks was a CF in college, I understand you specified "pro" but he'd played there before and not really all that long ago. And I always hate the "hurt a guys confidence" argument. This is the big leagues you perform or you lose your job and if you lose your job you bust your ass to get it back not have a pity party. Take a look at any Joe Maddon team, guys play all over the place.

 

The point was, as already stated, they asked him to make the change in season. Maddon's players learn positions in Spring Training, get trained and developed and are ready to go on Opening Day. Huge difference.

 

If you think someone can go from being a college outfielder to eleven years later learning MLB on the fly, without a day of playing OF in between, you are severely underestimating the difficulty of playing MLB OF.

[jerichoholicninja]

Weeks was a CF in college, I understand you specified "pro" but he'd played there before and not really all that long ago. And I always hate the "hurt a guys confidence" argument. This is the big leagues you perform or you lose your job and if you lose your job you bust your ass to get it back not have a pity party. Take a look at any Joe Maddon team, guys play all over the place.

 

The point was, as already stated, they asked him to make the change in season. Maddon's players learn positions in Spring Training, get trained and developed and are ready to go on Opening Day. Huge difference.

 

If you think someone can go from being a college outfielder to eleven years later learning MLB on the fly, without a day of playing OF in between, you are severely underestimating the difficulty of playing MLB OF.

 

They just shoved Perez out there in the middle of the season with only a smattering of winter league inning in the OF. Kris Bryant never played a position outside of 3B as a professional yet as a rookie he played all 3 OF spots and 1B. One thing that has always bothered me about MLB is players who refuse to TRY another position or management that refuses to TRY someone at a new position. Rickie Weeks refuses to try the OF, well that's ok because it would be too hard. Scooter Gennett wants to try other positions, he's terrible and wasting everyone's time. This isn't football where trying a DT at WR would be a failure. Catchers and some first basemen are the only ones who really have any business refusing to at least TRY another position.

[Eye Black]

ARTICLE: Tyler Thornburg is taking some time off while he battles what is deemed mechanical issues and a "dead-arm period." Statistically he has had a rough Spring thus far allowing 7 hits and 9 runs (7 ER) over 1.1 innings.

[Warning Track Power]

ARTICLE: Tyler Thornburg is taking some time off while he battles what is deemed mechanical issues and a "dead-arm period." Statistically he has had a rough Spring thus far allowing 7 hits and 9 runs (7 ER) over 1.1 innings.

While I hate to see ex-Brewers stink, it is fun to think about the quality of prospects and potential regulars that just trading relievers have brought the Brewers.

 

Smith: Bickford and Susac

Thornburg: Dubon and Shaw

Jeffress: Hard to know for sure as he was the secondary piece to Lucroy, but I would venture it is Cordell and a % of Ortiz

[gregmag]

Weeks was a CF in college, I understand you specified "pro" but he'd played there before and not really all that long ago. And I always hate the "hurt a guys confidence" argument. This is the big leagues you perform or you lose your job and if you lose your job you bust your ass to get it back not have a pity party. Take a look at any Joe Maddon team, guys play all over the place.

 

The point was, as already stated, they asked him to make the change in season. Maddon's players learn positions in Spring Training, get trained and developed and are ready to go on Opening Day. Huge difference.

 

If you think someone can go from being a college outfielder to eleven years later learning MLB on the fly, without a day of playing OF in between, you are severely underestimating the difficulty of playing MLB OF.

 

They just shoved Perez out there in the middle of the season with only a smattering of winter league inning in the OF. Kris Bryant never played a position outside of 3B as a professional yet as a rookie he played all 3 OF spots and 1B. One thing that has always bothered me about MLB is players who refuse to TRY another position or management that refuses to TRY someone at a new position. Rickie Weeks refuses to try the OF, well that's ok because it would be too hard. Scooter Gennett wants to try other positions, he's terrible and wasting everyone's time. This isn't football where trying a DT at WR would be a failure. Catchers and some first basemen are the only ones who really have any business refusing to at least TRY another position.

Again, you keep ignoring the crucial in-season / offseason distinction -- except for Perez, who is a fair guy to bring up. I thought about him. Maybe everybody could be Hernan Perez if they only had the strength of character, but I doubt it. Perez is a savant; his versatility is a skill. If it was a common skill, then every 80-90 OPS+ guy in the league would do it; but only a few actually can.

[Thurston Fluff]

Again, you keep ignoring the crucial in-season / offseason distinction -- except for Perez, who is a fair guy to bring up. I thought about him. Maybe everybody could be Hernan Perez if they only had the strength of character, but I doubt it. Perez is a savant; his versatility is a skill. If it was a common skill, then every 80-90 OPS+ guy in the league would do it; but only a few actually can.

 

How could anyone know if Weeks could have done what Perez did or not unless he tried it? It's not too much to ask someone sitting on the bench while being paid like a starter to at least try to be more flexible in that role.

[trwi7]

Will Smith has damage to his elbow ligament and is going for a second opinion. Guessing he heard the words Tommy John surgery in the first opinion and didn't like the sound of that. He didn't look very good last year and it looks like we traded him at the perfect time.

[FVBrewerFan]

Weeks was a CF in college, I understand you specified "pro" but he'd played there before and not really all that long ago. And I always hate the "hurt a guys confidence" argument. This is the big leagues you perform or you lose your job and if you lose your job you bust your ass to get it back not have a pity party. Take a look at any Joe Maddon team, guys play all over the place.

 

The point was, as already stated, they asked him to make the change in season. Maddon's players learn positions in Spring Training, get trained and developed and are ready to go on Opening Day. Huge difference.

 

If you think someone can go from being a college outfielder to eleven years later learning MLB on the fly, without a day of playing OF in between, you are severely underestimating the difficulty of playing MLB OF.

 

I'm sorry but I don't agree- at all. Weeks was getting a healthy paycheck to play for the Brewers. If his manager wants him in the OF, that's what you do. It's not a democracy. Maybe he would have really struggled out there, maybe not. That's not the point. Just as when the manager asks you to bunt, you don't swing away.

[I Heart Brewers]

Will Smith has damage to his elbow ligament and is going for a second opinion. Guessing he heard the words Tommy John surgery in the first opinion and didn't like the sound of that. He didn't look very good last year and it looks like we traded him at the perfect time.

 

Smith, Jeffress, Thornburg. Sterns got lucky these guys were traded before injury/substance issues. I hope there are a few more that can be flipped before the end of the season. Although, I don't think any currently on the roster have the kind of appeal the former three had.

[AdvantageSchneider]

I'm sorry but no reasonable person can be upset Weeks didn't try OF in the middle of the season for the Brewers. Position changes should take place in the offseason. Braun moves from LF to RF in the offseason. Same thing when he moves back. Same thing with Cal Ripkin. He moved to 3rd for about 10 games and then moved back. When he finally moved to 3rd it was in the off season. Bill Hall played everywhere in the IF pretty well and he was horrible in the OF even with having the entire offseason to work on it.