Rotation After Break: Sheets, Suppan, Cappy vs. Rockies

[pebadger]

Anyone read/heard anything with respect to how the pitching rotation will be set coming our of the All-Star break? WIth 18 games in the first 17 days following the break, the entire staff will be tested regardless of the rotation.

 

It would seem to make the most sense to pitch Sheets on Friday, so as to maximize his starts. With a Friday start, Benny also would then be in line to pitch one of the ends of the Saturday, July 28 doubleheader in St Louis, which may be desirable in terms of trying to save the bullpen in at least half of the twinbill. The only question is whether Ned believes Benny will be ready to go on Friday. Since Tuesday would be his 'normal' start day anyway, I don't think that the inning he throws in SF should make any difference, but maybe the travel and associated AS game commitments will. No way he should start any later than Saturday.

 

After Sheets, it almost seems you can pretty much put the rest of the guys' names in a hat. I guess it could come down to prospective matchups (both in terms of opposing pitcher and which teams hit which pitchers) in figuring out who starts when after that.

[1992casey]

I'm betting on Sheets on Saturday. If I remember correctly, Ned has 'allowed' for All Star appearances in the past. Saturday would be three days rest; that ought to be plenty.

 

After that, I think I'd try to give Capuano extended rest and stick Vargas at the end. Based on the turns the starters have now and adjusting for Sheets and Capuano, I might like this:

 

Bush

Sheets

Suppan

Capuano

Vargas

[UWRyan428]

Or Tony LaRussa could just burn up Sheets' arm in hopes of catching us after the break... Perhaps, blame it on the All-Star game festivities and the vino of Napa... I'm just saying, there's something about the gent I don't trust, like how McGwire seemed to follow him. I'm just saying, Jose Canseco wasn't juicing until he joined LaRussa in the clubhouse... Maybe Carpenter's juiced. Explains the arm problems... Wait, what was I saying about our rotation after the break?

[Sundown Kid]

Unfortunately the question raised in this thread has no easy answer. A related question was posed by my 9-year-old son who asked me what the Brewers would do if they clinched their division with a whole week left. I replied that it would give Yost a chance to align his pitchers for the playoffs, allowing for Sheets to start game one. Then came the next logical question--who starts game 2? Right now, I do not like any of the answers. It's a good thing that the offense has been mashing.

[lcbj68c]

That's easy. Jeff Suppn starts game 2. Given his playoff experience and ability to keep the team in the game, he has the 2nd most wins among the starts, eats lots of innings. Jeff Suppan starts game #2, hands down. Only other option would Capuano if the opponent has a ton of tough lefthanded batters. Other than it, it's easily Suppan.

[1992casey]

In the playoffs, it's definitely important to get your best pitchers in first and line up the others accordingly. I agree that there isn't a clear cut rank-order for Capuano, Suppan, and Bush.

 

That pretty much makes the post-All Star rotation a non-controversial subject. Ned would have to venture into the bizarre to do something disconcerting.

 

It's fun to speculate anyway, though.

[1992casey]

You're talking game two of the playoffs? right, lcbj68c?

 

Suddenly, we've got two game twos in this thread. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Lil Dummy]

I don't feel strongly about the rotation coming out of the break, one way or another. The only way it's interesting, to me, is if Villanueva is in it.

 

As for the hijack topic here, I'll play. Looking into my crystal ball, I'd go with a four man playoff rotation of:

 

Sheets

Capuano

Suppan

Gallardo

[lcbj68c]

yeah casey, game 2 of the first round of the playoffs. I think it's clear-cut Suppan given the reasoning in my earlier post. Maybe Capuano if the opposing teams have a ton of lefties only. Suppan has the 2nd most wins of any starter, has playoff experience (hell, add a NLCS MOP player award). Give him the ball, despite a higher than anticipated regular season ERA.

[mothershipconnection]

I'd go with the hot hand in deciding playoff rotation if numbers are equal or very close. Should Suppan and Cappy pitch equally well, then you give the nod to Soup because of experience. If the difference in recent performance is at all significant, though, you toss experience and everything else aside and go with the guy who flat-out pitches better.

 

When you get to the playoffs, April, May, June, and July don't matter too much. What matters is who's gonna win you one game.

[1992casey]

Ben threw 14 pitches last night. Does that make it 'safe' for him to pitch on Friday?

[JohnBriggs12]

There are 74 games remaining in 80 days. That's 15 starts for Sheets, 16 if you skip the 5th starter a couple times. As long as Sheets starts in the weekend series, he makes those same totals.

 

Right now Bush has the best form of the rest so he should start this weekend along with Capuano, who needs to build his arm strength. I think his collapse Sunday (which should have been anticipated by Yost), had a lot to do with 3 weeks of inactivity, combined with heat.

 

Suppan needs to clear his head and figure out what he's doing wrong. A few extra days might help.

[unsanitary999]

brewers.com says that it's going to be Sheets - Suppan - Capuano for the three game set against the Rockies.

[1992casey]

Cool. I'll update the thread title.

[bklynbrewcrew]

Should be Sheets, Bush, Capuano vs Colorado. What exactly has Suppan done to be designated the number two starter. Oh yeah he got the contract that says he is the number two starter. Bush is the only one pitching well other than Sheets and he gets designated the number 4. This organization is not handling this staff the right way at all in my opinion. Hopefully it doesnt cost us a playoff spot.

[hurricanecrush]

Does it really matter if Suppan is the number 2 or number 4? Other than the number 5, who gets skipped occasionally, it doesn't seem to make much difference between 1-4 in my opinion. What if Sheets wasn't ready to pitch until Sunday, would that make him the number 3?

[hauser42]

Does it really matter if Suppan is the number 2 or number 4?

 

It does to the fans that thought Suppan was going to be like a second ace on the team. He is doing his job of eating innings and for the most part giving the team a chance to win.

 

 

His contract might be large but it was the going rate this off-season. I would like to know what some of these Anti Suppan posters would have done in the offseason? Not sign a solid pitcher and hope that our young guys could carry the load, trades some youth for another arm.

[1992casey]

I'm with hurricane on this one; I don't think it matters much. Without the benefit of the article, I'm not necessarily going to assume this means Ned thinks Jeff is his second best pitcher. (I don't have RSS set up right now and mlb.com home pages aren't practical to load on dial-up.)

 

As a reminder, we have several discussions going to discuss the 'virtues' of the individual pitchers:

• Gallardo is Better Than Bush/Vargas (in the designated thread list)
  
• Was Suppan the wrong choice?
  
• Capuano: One year wonder?

[hkdakd]

I thought I read in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal that Yost wasn't annoucing his rotation for after the All Star break till Thursday afternoon. If that is still the case all the sites that have the names posted for the games this weekend are speculating. Since Sheets threw on Tuesday I would guess that he is pitching on Saturday. I would also guess that Suppan is starting on Friday.

[rluzinski]

and mlb.com home pages aren't practical to load on dial-up

 

They have a narrowband version, just so you know.