2020-08-24: Reds (Bauer) at Brewers (Anderson) [Brewers win, 4-2 -- Offense tallies 7 hits and 4 runs off Bauer]

[adambr2]

Lol. Here we go again. Hope it works out better than yesterday.

[adambr2]

Sure seems like there's been a lot of low strikes called this year that were not strikes in previous years

 

Borderline, but I wasn't surprised it was called. One of those that could have gone either way. Too close to take in that situation.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Other than yesterday, Phelps has been a stud. Nice to see at least one of Sterns's signings this offseason work out so far.

[homer]

If your last name is Stephenson and you name your kid Robert why not go all out and just give him Louis as a middle name?

[adambr2]

Nice inning for Phelps. I just hate seeing Hader used like a 1990s closer. It just seems like a waste of his talents.

[Eye Black]

I just hate seeing Hader used like a 1990s closer. It just seems like a waste of his talents.

The Brewers seemed ahead of the curve with his past deployment and multi-inning usage. Obviously something has changed, it would be nice to know what specifically those reasons are.

[pacopete4]

I just hate seeing Hader used like a 1990s closer. It just seems like a waste of his talents.

The Brewers seemed ahead of the curve with his past deployment and multi-inning usage. Obviously something has changed, it would be nice to know what specifically those reasons are.

 

I hate to speculate but I wonder if an agent got in Hader’s ear about needing to close games to drive up his $ value come contract time.

[adambr2]

I just hate seeing Hader used like a 1990s closer. It just seems like a waste of his talents.

The Brewers seemed ahead of the curve with his past deployment and multi-inning usage. Obviously something has changed, it would be nice to know what specifically those reasons are.

 

I hate to speculate but I wonder if an agent got in Hader’s ear about needing to close games to drive up his $ value come contract time.

 

Hader doesn't have any say in the matter, I would hope. I mean he can have input but I would hope if he goes to Counsell and says "I want the 9th", that's not the end all be all.

[Eye Black]

Eugenio Suárez has hit two home runs off Hader in 14 previous at bats.

 

Edit: Not today.

[Underachiever]

I was glad to see Urias chasing down that pop up and not Hiura

[homer]

Counsell covered the one/two inning thing on the 15th:

 

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2020/08/15/brewers-manager-craig-counsell-unlikely-use-closer-josh-hader-many-more-multi-inning-appearances/3375306001/

 

Counsell: "I’m not sure how this is going to go," Counsell said. "There’s a couple different ways to think about it. I think our personnel is different this year, so it’s got me kind of considering some different things with how some other guys are throwing the ball and how we’re deploying our guys.

 

"I don’t know if I would commit to saying you’ll see Josh for a bunch of multiple-inning outings here. I don’t know if that’s going to be the case."

 

Hader: "Honestly, I like the one inning," he said. "You’re not going two, you’re not going up-down. I think the hardest thing is going up-down. It’s definitely a different kind of pitching when you have to go multiple.

 

"But if I can go in there one inning, call it a day and save the pitches and try to keep them low, that’s ideal, for sure."

[markedman5]

Big win

[Eye Black]

Well that was a much needed win. Hopefully they set the tone for good things to come this homestand.

[folly412]

That's one. Got to start somewhere.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

How the Brewers play this week is going to determine whether they are buyers or sellers this weekend. Go on the run, and they are likely to make an attempt to add. Scuffle, and we could see guys like Phelps, Anderson and even Hader hit the trade block.

[yourout]

Good start to the homestand

[adambr2]

Counsell covered the one/two inning thing on the 15th:

 

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2020/08/15/brewers-manager-craig-counsell-unlikely-use-closer-josh-hader-many-more-multi-inning-appearances/3375306001/

 

Counsell: "I’m not sure how this is going to go," Counsell said. "There’s a couple different ways to think about it. I think our personnel is different this year, so it’s got me kind of considering some different things with how some other guys are throwing the ball and how we’re deploying our guys.

 

See, I saw this when he said it and I still don't understand what he's getting at with it. What's different about the composition of our pen from when Hader was going multiple innings aside from the names on the jerseys?

 

He was using him for multiple innings when we had Hader/Knebel/Jeffrey's available for late innings, so it's not that we just have better options now.

[Eye Black]

A Brewers win and a game that took less than 3 hours... what a time to be alive.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Counsell covered the one/two inning thing on the 15th:

 

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2020/08/15/brewers-manager-craig-counsell-unlikely-use-closer-josh-hader-many-more-multi-inning-appearances/3375306001/

 

Counsell: "I’m not sure how this is going to go," Counsell said. "There’s a couple different ways to think about it. I think our personnel is different this year, so it’s got me kind of considering some different things with how some other guys are throwing the ball and how we’re deploying our guys.

 

See, I saw this when he said it and I still don't understand what he's getting at with it. What's different about the composition of our pen from when Hader was going multiple innings aside from the names on the jerseys?

 

He was using him for multiple innings when we had Hader/Knebel/Jeffrey's available for late innings, so it's not that we just have better options now.

 

Namely, Cory Knebel was an All-Star closer, so Hader could be used in multiple late-inning fireman roles in 2017-18. Hader was moved to the closer's role after Knebel went down with TJ surgery in 2019 Spring Training.

[MrTPlush]

Hader’s previous deployment was also during a time when the Brewers had other high profile relievers around him Knebel/Jeffress and those guys were the neglected 9th inning guys. Now Hader is by far the most proven elite guy in the pen, thus why he is probably neglected as a 9th inning guy.

 

It doesn’t have anything to do with Hader, his agent, and money. The Brewers make the decisions and there is really no reason they need to appease Hader...not like they would ever give him some mega reliever contract and are trying to make him happy for a future team friendly deal. They would be better off not having him close and reducing his arbitration salaries with him not closing games.

[pacopete4]

It wouldn’t shock me to see an organization appease a player and their agent at all. Not saying it is happening or should happen. But it wouldn’t shock me in the slightest.

[adambr2]

But why do you HAVE TO have your best guy dedicated to the 9th inning and 9th inning alone? What if the meat of the order is up in the 8th? What if a string of lefties is up in the 8th?

 

Why does there have to be one specific guy assigned to complete the task of getting the last 3 outs of the game? Why can Phelps/Devin Williams/Peralta not accomplish that on certain days while Hader maintains a flexible role?

[brewerfan82]

I don't necessarily agree or disagree with it, but I don't think it's about having their "best" guy dedicated to the 9th, they just want to make sure they have someone they trust in that role. When they had Knebel/Jeffress they felt they had guys they could go to there. Maybe Williams/Phelps gain that trust over time as well, but I think right now they feel like Hader's the only proven guy they have and they want to make sure they lock down that 9th inning when the lead is there.

[SomewhereInTime]

I don't necessarily agree or disagree with it, but I don't think it's about having their "best" guy dedicated to the 9th, they just want to make sure they have someone they trust in that role. When they had Knebel/Jeffress they felt they had guys they could go to there. Maybe Williams/Phelps gain that trust over time as well, but I think right now they feel like Hader's the only proven guy they have and they want to make sure they lock down that 9th inning when the lead is there.

 

And then the random day comes where Hader isn't there and Claudio sets them down 1-2-3 for a save.

[SomewhereInTime]

Hader’s previous deployment was also during a time when the Brewers had other high profile relievers around him Knebel/Jeffress and those guys were the neglected 9th inning guys. Now Hader is by far the most proven elite guy in the pen, thus why he is probably neglected as a 9th inning guy.

 

It doesn’t have anything to do with Hader, his agent, and money. The Brewers make the decisions and there is really no reason they need to appease Hader...not like they would ever give him some mega reliever contract and are trying to make him happy for a future team friendly deal. They would be better off not having him close and reducing his arbitration salaries with him not closing games.

 

I would hardly call Knebal or Jeffress "neglected 9th inning guys". Those guys were closers on good teams. When you have a good team, there tends to be a lot of late leads to protect. In 2017 Knebal pitched 76 innings. In 2018 Jeffress pitched 76.2 in the regular season and 8 in the post season.

 

If this Brewers team was better they'd have many more innings for Hader to pitch.