I smell a hot streak coming...who's with me?

[DannoMac21]

Do I think Yost tore into the guys today? Yes.

 

Will Prince ever get out of his mini-slump? Yes.

 

Will Jenkins start producing eventually (every 2nd half)? Yes.

 

Will Suppan come strong down the stretch? Yes

 

Will Sheets return? Yes.

 

I know I know I just posted we were going to miss the Playoffs, but I'm trying to find every reason in the book to be positive. I definitely think we're gonna go on a hot streak sometime here soon, and will jump out to quite the lead again.

[TCSM]

no

yes

maybe

yes

yes

[JoeHova]

Do I think Yost tore into the guys today? Maybe, but who cares? If that worked, Bobby Knight would have 20 World Series rings.

 

Will Prince ever get out of his mini-slump? Hopefully, but he wore down badly last year too. My theory is that it is because of the lost half year of development he got in 2005, when he was used strictly as a pinch-hitter for the last month and a half.

 

Will Jenkins start producing eventually (every 2nd half)? Probably. He's hit much better in the 2nd half every year since 2003. However, at some point that won't happen and he'll be done. I hope it's not this year.

 

Will Suppan come strong down the stretch? I don't see why he would, unless by "come on strong" you mean that he'll have a 4.5 ERA rather than a 5 ERA. His career first and second half numbers are almost identically mediocre. The more I see Suppan, the more I wonder how a good GM could have wanted to give him 1/7th of his available payroll. Too bad that the braintrust panicked about the injuries last year.

 

Will Sheets return? Yes, but it won't matter much. Gallardo has pitched as well as Sheets and he's not going to be in the rotation when Sheets is back (a move I wholeheartedly agree with, by the way). The net effect will most likely be non-existent because the team will just be swapping it's 2 best starters, rather than demoting one of their worse ones to the bullpen.

[wisconsinfan47]

Do I think Yost tore into the guys today?

 

Hopefully. This is more important that some might think. Yost doesn't seem like a yeller, so when he does it, you listen.

[rluzinski]

Is the theory that the Brewers are losing because they aren't properly motivated and Yost yelling at them will motivate them? That might work in Little League, I guess.

[naivin]

Quote:

---

Do I think Yost tore into the guys today?

---

 

No. Nor should he have as that would accomplish nothing. This team has been nothing if not resilient, and last night's pathetic performance was a real surprise. Yost going nuts on them would only serve to freak them out more and make the situation appear more dire than it actually may be.

[Fatter than Joey]

Yost -- I am not sure yelling stupid things, is better than saying them. That said I hope someone tears into him for having Wise pitch to Pujols.

 

Prince is doing OK -- He is hitting less HRs -- but his OPS is still decent.

 

Jenkins -- He has had a stacked deck all year facing RHP. I'm afraid this (June-July) is about as good as he will get. I think the only thing that could improve is if Yost starting PHing for him late in the game when LHPs are brought in.

 

Suppan -- Incrementally better.

 

Sheets -- I hope Sheets gets back -- Effectively I dont think that will translate into wins, as he will be replacing Yo. If Sheets replaced Soup, Cappy or Bush in the rotation -- then you may see some wins.

[Tbadder]

I guess I'm working on the theory that:

 

Fielder is wearing down, a real surprise given his body type and level of conditioning

 

Week's injury will not go away this year, and that hitting simply reaggravates it on a daily basis

 

J.J. had his offensive career half year and is more or less done at bat, and that he is injury prone and will miss more time

 

Braun is well, I don't know, too early to tell

 

that Jenkins and Mench will hover where they are, which isn't really an acceptable major league leftfielder

 

that Hall will continue his mini-comeback but can't carry the team

 

that Hart will slowly, very slowly get worse across the board

 

that Sheets will comeback and get in 4 or 5 starts before departing once more

 

that Gallardo will run out of innings but the Brewer brass will push him with not so good results this year or next

 

that Suppan stabilizes as a fair to mediocre pitcher, and that St. Louis uses 40 million dollars to sign an above average player who contributes to a winning team

 

that Bush continues to fluctuate

 

that Vargas, who is currently selling his soul to the devil, continues in his blasted good luck

 

that Capuano pitches so bad the Brewers have a chance to sign him cheaply in the off-season

 

that the bullpen as whole continues it's downward slide to the league average while having some superb moments

 

that the Brewers miss the wildcard but not closely as Atlanta makes the right moves down the stretch

 

that's the theory I'm working on.

 

And if I'm completely wrong, and hopefully so, that the young Brewers will go out in the first round of the playoffs because how a team wins and loses on a daily basis is important, and they are losing in such a ridicously non-competitive, lacking mental toughness, way that anything they do do well is nothing but false hope. That's my working theory.

[crossface21]

Very positive approach. Well done.

[Ennder]

The starting pitching seems to have turned things around, the hitting is still all over the place, the bullpen has cost us 4 wins since the all star break which is the difference between happy fans and unhappy ones. Unfortunately our next home games are against good teams.

[wisconsinfan47]

That might work in Little League, I guess.

 

It seems like everyone wants to reference "Little League" lately in comparison to our Brewers:

-"Yost put out a Little League lineup."

-"That double steal might work in Little League."

-"These players aren't in Little League, and are therefore self-motivating."

 

Of course I paraphrase, but that last point really bugs me. Let's not forget that certain things remain essential to all levels of baseball (or sport, for that matter), regardless of age: confidence, discipline, focus, etc. If any of such traits are lacking, players often need to be motivated to get them back. Who better to do so but the skip himself?

 

On this team in particular, I don't see any one player as a veteran leader in the clubhouse. Jenkins just doesn't have that air about him, Prince is a lightning rod, but young. Counsell, Mench, Shouse? Gimme a break...

 

I'm tired of watching half-hearted at-bats and lackluster play anywhere away from Miller Park. I really feel like somebody needs to rip this young, impressionable, team a new one. Unfortunately I don't really see our ho-hum manager doing so.

[naivin]

Quote:

---

I'm tired of watching half-hearted at-bats and lackluster play anywhere away from Miller Park.

---

 

So your position is that they are not trying when they play on the road?

[Tbadder]

YES!!! Half-hearted at bats have been driving me nuts too. The win in Cincy the other night was the exception. Back to back Braun and Prince took pitches, fouled off pitches, and really had a professional approach. It was a joy to watch. I thought, hoped, that maybe the team would watch and learn...but nothing. Same old approach next game and after that.

[BrewCityUnit]

If the Brewers win the division, the excitement and nervousness that August and September will bring will be well worth it. Starting today we are tied in the lost colum with the Cubs with 9 weeks of baseball to play. I can't wait for the stretch drive....this is going to be fun, and yes I am confident we will come out on top. There is no other team I would rather be competing against for our first NL Central title.

[wisconsinfan47]

So your position is that they are not trying when they play on the road?

 

Not necessarily. I don't know what it is, but something is wrong when you go 5-12 vs. sub-.500 teams on the road since June 21, while going 11-5 at home against similar opponents during the same stretch.

[MoneyballMan]

rluzinski, do you think anyone posted in the clubhouse that you promised to take that WSP picture off your profile if they make the post season? Maybe some of them think she's still in charge!

 

And I still think you should up up the glamour shot of her....

[drezdn]

It's going to happen. Everyone, think only positive thoughts.

[TerraceReserved]

Quote:

---

Is the theory that the Brewers are losing because they aren't properly motivated and Yost yelling at them will motivate them? That might work in Little League, I guess.

---

 

Well actually, rluz, according to Sparky, who arguably has one of the greatest baseball minds of the 21st century, it is. He blamed the 2 hit performance Saturday night on Yost becuase he didn't motivate them or show enough emotion, or some other bologna.

 

note: I didn't put this in blue on purpose, didn't think it fit well.

[rluzinski]

Other than the actual result of the poor ABs, what clues am I missing to suggest that lack of effort could be a cause? Estrada is the only guy you could make any kind of reasonable case against, IMO. For anyone else, you are simply assuming that lack of success = lack of motivation, based on nothing, at least that I am aware of.

 

It just comes down to frustrated fans wanting to see the source of their frustrations be punished, IMO. Pretty peculiar and counterproductive consolation if my theory is correct.

[davego]

Im not sure about yelling at mostly grown men, but I do think you can play the 'I expect more' and 'we are better then this' speech. I know that @ some point players know those things are correct. If Ned (or the head of any team) says those things, it may bring to a head whatever issue there might be. I guess since we are not in the clubhouse (and there is no stat to measure) you leave this one up to the powers that be.

[crossface21]

It's a young team that hasn't experienced this type of pressure yet, and a few key cogs of this team haven't played this many games in a season because of injuries, learning by watching, etc. Let's see if this team completely folds or learns on the run. So far they haven't done a great job, but there are still plenty of games left to turn it around.

[Brian the Automator]

I'll say:

 

Hot streak

Cold streak

Hot streak

 

Brewers win the division by 2 games.

[danzig6767]

4-2 home stand followed by 2-4 road trip

[fstorm1]

Honestly, I think the whole season has been a hot streak. We're a day or so away from August, and the team's in first place. I'm happy they're at least in this position. Like so many others, I've waited a long time for this.

 

Would I like to see them win the division by 20 games? Sure, be alot less nerve-wracking, but then what's the fun in that?!?

 

Love ya Brew.

[Brian the Automator]

[ Would I like to see them win the division by 20 games? Sure, be alot less nerve-wracking, but then what's the fun in that?!? ]

 

Well, the co-pays on my blood pressure medicine could have gone towards making improvements on the site..... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif