2017-07-26: Brewers (Nelson) at Nationals (Gonzalez) 6:05 PM CDT [Brewers lose, 8-5]

[LouisEly]

There's paperwork, physical blah blah blah. It's 2017, get to DC immediately and get that stuff done in the morning. It's not 1933 where you have to wait for t he steam train on the B&O line.

The problem is that until that paperwork and physical are completed, he's still property of the White Sox, and they dictate where he is.

[superfly]

Really don't get the whole excuse for not building a bullpen stuff. If you have nothing but ?'s as your starters YOU BETTER HAVE SOME HELP ON THE BACKSIDE. It's common sense, whether you're looking to contend or not.

 

It ain't like the Brewers came anywhere close to maxxing their salary out going into ST, we were/are rolling in cash.

[Matt1969]

Who gets sent down when Swarzak added? I say Hughes or Barnes?

[Boomer5]

Who gets sent down when Swarzak added? I say Hughes or Barnes?

 

Phillips has already been announced.

[OnaBadger58]

Who gets sent down when Swarzak added? I say Hughes or Barnes?

Phillips was sent down.

[adambr2]

Really don't get the whole excuse for not building a bullpen stuff. If you have nothing but ?'s as your starters YOU BETTER HAVE SOME HELP ON THE BACKSIDE. It's common sense, whether you're looking to contend or not.

 

It ain't like the Brewers came anywhere close to maxxing their salary out going into ST, we were/are rolling in cash.

 

So because we had a ton of extra salary flexibility in the off-season, dropping 30M on free agent relievers would have been a good use of it in a year we weren't expected to do anything?

[OnaBadger58]

Really don't get the whole excuse for not building a bullpen stuff. If you have nothing but ?'s as your starters YOU BETTER HAVE SOME HELP ON THE BACKSIDE. It's common sense, whether you're looking to contend or not.

 

It ain't like the Brewers came anywhere close to maxxing their salary out going into ST, we were/are rolling in cash.

Going into the season with Knebel, Feliz, Barnes, and Hughes doesn't sound all too bad. Torres had a good year last year. It's not that easy to build a bullpen in one year. Look at who the top RP were in FA. They are either expensive closers or journeymen. Did Stearns miss on Holland, sure, but what did you want?

[superfly]

Really don't get the whole excuse for not building a bullpen stuff. If you have nothing but ?'s as your starters YOU BETTER HAVE SOME HELP ON THE BACKSIDE. It's common sense, whether you're looking to contend or not.

 

It ain't like the Brewers came anywhere close to maxxing their salary out going into ST, we were/are rolling in cash.

 

So because we had a ton of extra salary flexibility in the off-season, dropping 30M on free agent relievers would have been a good use of it in a year we weren't expected to do anything?

 

Gee, the Phillies didn't seem to have trouble with the concept, they traded for Neshek for PTBNL or cash in November. That was a 6.5m option. The A's didn't have trouble opening the wallet for 37 year old Santiago Casilla. Marlins and Brad Ziegler or Tazawa? Etc etc

 

Nobody said to blow the payroll. Oh by the way, Feliz is throwing about a 2.7 era for the royals since we dumped him off for nothing. With the pathetic state of these castoffs we have that was an error.

[Matt1969]

OOPS!!!! Thank to those who mentioned the Phillips transaction. I did not hear. I'm disappointed. I'd like to see Phillips stick and stay and any and all relievers sent to Little League or lower.

[Boomer5]

Really don't get the whole excuse for not building a bullpen stuff. If you have nothing but ?'s as your starters YOU BETTER HAVE SOME HELP ON THE BACKSIDE. It's common sense, whether you're looking to contend or not.

 

It ain't like the Brewers came anywhere close to maxxing their salary out going into ST, we were/are rolling in cash.

Going into the season with Knebel, Feliz, Barnes, and Hughes doesn't sound all too bad. Torres had a good year last year. It's not that easy to build a bullpen in one year. Look at who the top RP were in FA. They are either expensive closers or journeymen. Did Stearns miss on Holland, sure, but what did you want?

 

Well, for example Hahn knew enough to invite Swarzak to camp. He got him for free and then picked up our 18th prospect 4 months later for him.

[OnaBadger58]

You mean the Tazawa with the 5 ERA? Or the Casilla that blew a 2-0 lead in the 9th tonight and has a 4.66 ERA? Not the Ziegler with the 6.5 ERA? How bout that Joe Blanton with a 7.24 ERA?

[Ennder]

Sorry Boomer5 but you are really embarrassing yourself in this thread.

[ReverendBrewmeister]

OOPS!!!! Thank to those who mentioned the Phillips transaction. I did not hear. I'm disappointed. I'd like to see Phillips stick and stay and any and all relievers sent to Little League or lower.

 

Don't care for sending down Phillips either. Wanted to have him play CF tomorrow against Scherzer. Play a little matchup, keeping Brinson from the hard righties. Sort of a soft platoon with the two rookie CFs.

 

Figured there would've been a reliever to send out, given the past performances and adding Swarzak to the bullpen staff.

[pitchleague]

I didn't read the thread but did it appear to anyone else that Nelson got squeezed a bit on a couple of those pitches from the 4-pitch walk in the 8th? I thought so, but I was watching the game while doing school work and I didn't have my glasses on, so the television was slightly blurry.

[trwi7]

The A's didn't have trouble opening the wallet for 37 year old Santiago Casilla. Marlins and Brad Ziegler or Tazawa? Etc etc

 

You seriously just named two relievers who have been Rob Scahill like in their ineffectiveness but we would've had to pay nearly $30 million for them. Casilla has been no better than Hughes this year (including tonight) and I'm pretty sure he wanted to stay in the Bay Area anyways.

 

Is this about money? Like you wanted him to go out and spend a crap ton of money on old and/or not good relievers to make you think he's trying to improve the team? Because that's the only reason I can think of for you naming those three guys and trying to make it an indictment on Stearns for not signing them.

[trwi7]

OOPS!!!! Thank to those who mentioned the Phillips transaction. I did not hear. I'm disappointed. I'd like to see Phillips stick and stay and any and all relievers sent to Little League or lower.

 

Don't care for sending down Phillips either. Wanted to have him play CF tomorrow against Scherzer. Play a little matchup, keeping Brinson from the hard righties. Sort of a soft platoon with the two rookie CFs.

 

Figured there would've been a reliever to send out, given the past performances and adding Swarzak to the bullpen staff.

 

I'm sure we'll get something stupid like Perez in CF tomorrow.

[TJseven7]

I didn't read the thread but did it appear to anyone else that Nelson got squeezed a bit on a couple of those pitches from the 4-pitch walk in the 8th? I thought so, but I was watching the game while doing school work and I didn't have my glasses on, so the television was slightly blurry.

 

2nd or 3rd was a strike clearly. Memory fails me. 4th ball was given as a strike a few times tonight in other spots.

 

Umpires zone was a shape that i dont recognize... he was very inconsistent.

[adambr2]

Really don't get the whole excuse for not building a bullpen stuff. If you have nothing but ?'s as your starters YOU BETTER HAVE SOME HELP ON THE BACKSIDE. It's common sense, whether you're looking to contend or not.

 

It ain't like the Brewers came anywhere close to maxxing their salary out going into ST, we were/are rolling in cash.

 

So because we had a ton of extra salary flexibility in the off-season, dropping 30M on free agent relievers would have been a good use of it in a year we weren't expected to do anything?

 

Gee, the Phillies didn't seem to have trouble with the concept, they traded for Neshek for PTBNL or cash in November. That was a 6.5m option. The A's didn't have trouble opening the wallet for 37 year old Santiago Casilla. Marlins and Brad Ziegler or Tazawa? Etc etc

 

Nobody said to blow the payroll. Oh by the way, Feliz is throwing about a 2.7 era for the royals since we dumped him off for nothing. With the pathetic state of these castoffs we have that was an error.

 

First of all, using the Phillies and A's pens as examples is kind of silly, considering they have the 23rd and 27th ranked bullpens while we are 19th.

 

And we DID make a move along those lines. It was Neftali Feliz, and if didn't work out here.

[DuWayne Steurer]

"Jacob has been our 8th inning guy."

 

That's the problem Craig. You never deviate from The Book.

[SomewhereInTime]

"Jacob has been our 8th inning guy."

 

That's the problem Craig. You never deviate from The Book.

 

There's no foolproof way to go about this right now. Barnes has been bad (also unlucky) in two straight games, now has an ERA at 4.30. Drake has gotten hit hard his last two outings and is having a pretty miserable season, Torres as well. Peralta is a lost cause, Hughes has been really good the last month or so but today he joins the rest of the group and gets shelled. It's not easy when you need about four new bullpen arms.

[Pugger]

So I know we all like to nitpick lineups for us. I was thinking this last night and it happened again today for the Nats, and how they put poor hitters at 1 and 2 while having four of the top 10 hitters in baseball batting lower. Classic Dusty old school thinking that you have to put a fast guy there.

 

Counsels just as dumb with Villar leading off - fast but can't get on base

 

Agreed. If the guy you want leading off can't get on base what good is he? Don't you want guys on base in front of your big boppers? And sometimes when Villar does get on he makes stupid base running decisions. smh

 

If you put in a reliever who is throwing strikes why would you take him out? Because of a match-up? Hader was being groomed as a starter so what difference does it make if he is facing a righty or a lefty? CC has done this with other pitchers as well.

 

Often Counsell will only have one guy warming up in the bullpen. If the guy you bring out in relief just doesn't have it that day why don't you have anyone else ready - just in case? Then by the time you get another pitcher up and ready your poor guy on the mound who can't throw anything but a fast ball for a strike gives up a bunch of runs late and you're screwed.

 

This year before the All-Star break the team was winning but even during that time period Counsell had done some dumb stuff as manager but because we were scoring left and right nobody cared. I remember when he was hired and folks cheered I scratched my head and I wondered why. Craig has never coached at the major league level and we appoint him to run the big league club? This reminded me of when the Packers decided to hire Bart Starr and we all know how that one went.

[TURBO]

Is there a stat someplace that list bullpen losses by team?

 

We have to be in the top 5 in that category, right?

[lcbj68c]

The Milwaukee Brewers....snatching defeat from the jaws of victory more often than their opponents since 1970.

 

Sadly I followed the game on the internet and knew exactly how it was going to play out from about the 5th inning on. It's just so predictable and has been for some time. Impossible stat to track down, but I gotta imagine the Brewers are somewhere around a .100 winning percentage in games in which they lose after being ahead multiple runs after the 6th inning vs winning in which they are multiple runs behind after the 6th inning.