09/12/2004 - Brewers (Sheets) at Reds (Harang)

[batman]

09/12/2004 - Brewers (Sheets) at Reds (Harang)

 

If only 3,000 people tuned in last night, how many will be listening today? 1,500? 500?

 

Buck the majority. Listen to Bob and Jim. Watch the NFL on mute.

 MILWAUKEE CINCINNATI AVG HR RBI AVG HR RBI Scott Podsednik CF .250 11 35 Ryan Freel 2B .278 3 27 Bill Hall SS .251 9 51 Felipe Lopez 3B .265 6 23 Lyle Overbay 1B .312 14 77 Sean Casey 1B .332 23 90 Geoff Jenkins LF .262 22 79 Adam Dunn LF .268 42 91 Brady Clark RF .268 6 38 Austin Kearns RF .232 6 20 Russell Branyan 3B .235 8 20 Darren Bragg CF .200 2 5 Keith Ginter 2B .245 14 44 Javier Valentin C .221 5 16 Chad Moeller C .213 5 25 Andy Machado SS .364 0 1 Ben Sheets RHP .074 0 1 Aaron Harang RHP .042 0 0 (10-11, 2.93) (8-8, 4.59)

[DHonks]

Got the Cards-Rams on, and go Crew! I like the lineup today. While I don't mind Hall hitting second, I would prefer Clark or Ginter there. Putting Ginter in the 2nd spot might somehow get him to stop swinging for the fences

[batman]

Got the Cards-Rams on, and go Crew!

 

No Cards-Rams in 'sconsin, so I'm flipping back and forth between the Steelers/Raiders and Lions/Evil-Doers.

 

I like the lineup today. While I don't mind Hall hitting second, I would prefer Clark or Ginter there. Putting Ginter in the 2nd spot might somehow get him to stop swinging for the fences.

 

That probably won't happen, but he did thrive as a #2 and even #1 batter in the minors. I agree with Ned that Brady Clark would be a great #2 hitter:

 

"Brady's a guy who is patient enough to let Po steal. You can hit-and-run with him, he can hit behind the runner. He makes some decent contact. He does a little bit of everything."

-- Ned Yost, 07/31/04

 

I don't know what's changed since then, but it's pretty weird. Brady is right-handed, he doesn't have any power, he sees a lot of pitches, and he doesn't strikeout a lot. Given the other players available to Yost, I can't fathom why he doesn't love pencilling Brady in as his #2 hitter.

 

Is anybody watching this one on MLB.tv? Do they have the barebones broadcast available again? I can't remember the last time neither team televised back-to-back games... I think it was during the Puerto Rico Expos series. Boo.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Uecker: We say 450. Reds, to save embarrassment for Aaron Harang, call it 402.

 

JP: Plus the Reds used to own Branyan, so they're trying to minimize the magnitude of their mistake.

 

LOL. Nothing makes me happier than listening to a Russell Branyan blast... 'cept *seeing* a Russell Branyan blast, I guess.

 

Two runs for Sheets. The Brewers are really feeling generous today.

 

~Bill

[DHonks]

I don't know what's changed since then, but it's pretty weird.

 

I think it might have to do with Clark being one of the hottest Brewers in the 2nd half. Also, something I thought of while coaching softball, is that he gives us a second leadoff hitter. Weird analogy I know, but I had two speedsters and I put one girl 1st and one 5th. I found that the innings always seemed to end with the 3 or 4 hitter up, so the 5th hitter wound up leading off with the bases empty (a slash and a stolen base, and she's in scoring position).

 

With Brady, there's versatility hitting 5th. He can focus on moving the runners over (for a Branyan sac fly), he can try to dump one in somewhere, or he can try to drive one. I'd rather he hit second, but unfortunately he's needed to create some balance in the lineup. I don't mind Hall at 2nd for the reason that it forces him to play within his means. He's working the count better this year than in past years. He's driving the ball better. He's more aggressive on the basepaths. Recently we've seen him get singles and steal second rather than swing for the fences

[batman]

Interesting, DHonks, but I bet that the the increased number of outs that Hall makes compared with Clark just means less at-bats for Overbay, Jenkins, Branyan, et. al. Clark is on-baseing at a .377 clip while Hall is still below .300 at .288, so in a week's time (we'll say 5 plate appearances a game times six games) Clark will likely make 18 or 19 outs while Hall will make 21 or 22.

 

It's not a big difference, which is why lineups don't have that big of an impact on run scoring, but that's still maybe 3 less opportunities for Overbay or Jenkins. That adds up quick.

 

It would be nice if someone would ask Yost why he has been constructing the lineup this way. Unless we hear it from him, it's all just speculation as to his motives.

 

I don't like it, though. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif

 

~Bill

[batman]

The Muscle says back up off me 'cause I'm on fire.

 

Boom.

 

~Bill

[AJAY]

RUSSELL BRANYAN RULES !!!!

[DHonks]

okay batman, just you and me I think. So any free agents you'd like to see us go after? The Journal Sentinal had a list today or yesterday. As much as I'd love to see a hitter added, I had a hard time finding a hitter in the $5-9 million range that I'd like to add. I guess if Glaus is let go, I'd love him. But I think I'd almost rather spend some money on Brad Radke. Suddenly a rotation of Sheets-Radke-Davis-Hendrickson-Capuano is a mighty solid blend of veterans and youngsters with potential.

 

Granted, I'm not sure we will see the payroll increased beyond $35 million, but those are two guys I'd love to see targeted. The problem with Glaus is that I want to see Branyan here next year batting 5th or 6th all season.

[DHonks]

any distance on that homer?

[batman]

Granted, I'm not sure we will see the payroll increased beyond $35 million, but those are two guys I'd love to see targeted. The problem with Glaus is that I want to see Branyan here next year batting 5th or 6th all season.

 

I'm with you there. I'd like to see the Brewers take a long look at Damian Miller behind the plate... he's getting old, but he could give us two years as a solid hitter and good defender, particularly important given that our pitching staff is going to be pretty young hopefully.

 

Beyond that, I would just as soon have DM and the gang focus on pitching. Radke is an interesting name... someone of that ilk that is established, healthy (hopefully Brad can now be considered that), and can keep the ball on the ground would be perfect. That rotation looks mighty solid, and with guys like Santos and Wise and De La Rosa in the bullpen or at Triple-A in case of injury or ineffectiveness, we would have some much-needed depth. Robert has been pointing out lately that you really need six or even seven starters to get through a season, and I'm not sure we have that right now.

 

Above everything, though, I really hope they aggressively pursue a long-term deal with Sheets. If he isn't down with resigning, then I guess we'll just have to live with that decision. But if we have money to spend, he's the guy that deserves it. You just can't replace a young workhorse ace.

 

~Bill

[batman]

And I didn't catch a distance on Branyan's second homer, but JP just mentioned correctly that he has 10 homers in 104 at-bats. That's incredible.

 

~Bill

[DHonks]

10 homers, 16 non-homers. just amazing.

 

And I agree batman. Pitching is something you can never have enough of. Especially established pitching. I'd be offering Sheets about 3 years at $27 million ASAP.

[DHonks]

damn it Brady, now they might pull the pitchers before Russel comes up

[BuckyTuba]

ok sheets, 7-0... you got this one.

[batman]

That sounds about right, DHonks... hopefully new ownership makes that, or even a higher total, a feasible number.

 

Brady Clark has been insane lately... another home run today. He must be eating his Wheaties. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

~Bill

[BuckyTuba]

we gotta give branyan a shot next year.

[batman]

So JP and Bob both want Branyan back, with JP lobbying pretty hard. I really do think that if he got 500 at-bats, he'd hit 40-50 homers.

 

3-for-3 with two bombs and a double that Ueck said would have gone in the river if he had elevated it. Beautiful.

 

~Bill

[DHonks]

milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...&fext=.jsp

 

 

gotta run, but that article excites me

[colbyjack]

Well, given the $27.5 million dollar payroll this year, they really have nowhere to go but up. As noted in the article, raises to Sheets & Kolb will automatically bump up the payroll. Stories like this are only going to falsely give hope to $40-50 million dollar payrolls with more false hope of big-name free agents. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but unless a new owner comes in & bumps up payroll on his own, I wouldn't expect much more than $30-$35 million.

 

Enough of that. Great game today, and great to see the team give Sheets some run support.

[batman]

Boom for Jenks. This is fun!

 

And the Evil-Doers are losing, too.

 

EDIT: And so Todd Van Poppel hits Brady Clark intentionally with a pitch. That's one of those "old school" norms that I just don't understand. The opposing team knocks you around and takes you deep four times, so you hit them? Why don't you hit yourself - you're the one who can't get anybody out.

 

And the Muscle walks. 3-for-3 with 2 HR, a 2B, and a BB. Nice.

 

~Bill

[stkmtimo]

I didn't support Brady Clark much (a little, but I wanted Grieve to get most of the time) at the beginning of the season but when he was the only Brewer doing much of anything right after the All Star break, I became one of his biggest supporters. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif

 

Tim

[tyguy20204]

Eleven runs for sheets? That's like a month supply for him!

[endaround]

Am I the only one who was present during Clark's August?

[batman]

Judging by the size of many of the game threads, I think there's a good chance you were, endaround. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

Big Ben has been dealing today. Remember when we were all worried about him regressing back into pre-2004 form? Hopefully those concerns have been answered... he might never pitch as well as he did in the first half, but he's been on fire again for four starts in a row. Today he's allowed just three hits, no walks, and has fanned ten. And he's not done yet.

 

Love is an appropriate emotional response.

 

~Bill