07/17/2004: Brewers (Sheets) at Cubs (Maddux) 3:05 CDT

[JaNelson52]

Blech, are you serious here?

 

Yep.

 

If you haven't noticed the Brewers are 3 games over .500, for the first time in over a decade, they are on pace to finish like this.

 

True, but 84-78 isn't going to make the playoffs.

 

The brewers need to attempt to acquire an above-average bat that is not getting payed to much. I know that does sound a little easier than it really is.

 

Exactly.

 

Why can't the Brewers just try this season, have a lil fun in '04....c'mon!!!!!!!!

 

They are trying. They just aren't good enough. That's why they should be sellers this year.

[brettac1]

Rusch walked 4 guys in 5.1 innings the other night.

[Anders34]

How about Randy Johnson, Mark Prior, Matt Clement, Carlos Zambrano, Tom Glavine, and Roy Oswalt? This team has beat good pitchers. There is no question our offense sucks, but everyones expectations have gotten too high. You cannot expect to get to the playoffs with only 1 batter over .300 and nobody with >15 HR. Personally, I am really looking forward to seeing Hart, Krynzel, and Weeks get some major league PT in Sept.

[JaNelson52]

Rusch walked 4 guys in 5.1 innings the other night.

 

But the Brewers didn't hit much against him, either. Two hits off Glendon I believe, correct?

 

As long as the opposing pitcher doesn't walk an obscene amount of batters against the Brewers lineup, I would argue that he has better than a 60-40 chance of winning.

[batman]

I don't disagree with you about being sellers, Jason, but it just seems like everyday brings a new revelation about how we aren't a very good offensive team. Without a productive Podsednik or Jenkins, we have a lineup filled with average or below average players and Lyle Overbay. When your leadoff hitter has a sub-.330 on-base average and your #3 hitter has an OPS under .750 (!), you just aren't going to score a lot of runs. Add in a horrible catching duo and our collection of valuable but not exceptional players like Counsell, Ginter, and Grieve just aren't going to be able to carry the team.

 

In other words, we shouldn't change our trading strategy because of our particularly acute offensive struggles of late. Selling Vizcaino has always been a good idea, as has been dealing Spivey and probably Counsell. I like all three of those players, and they all can be valuable contributors, but none of them is particularly cost-effective and they are all unlikely to be retained beyond this season.

 

This Brewers team has gotten this far with [edit: corrected "without"] a below average offense. With some good fortune and a return to form from the aforementioned duo of underproducing outfielders (and hopefully some improved play from our other under-contract-and-sucking-"star", Wes Helms) they will likely continue to play well, at least as long as the pitching holds up. We should be reveling in the goodness of this all, not bemoaning the fact that we don't score a lot of runs.

 

~Bill

[ja002h]

With 1.5 months left, I'm not quite sure what the point of the number of teams between us and the leader is. If we're 1 game back, I don't care if there's 10 teams tied with us, we're still 1 game back. Maybe if there's 2 weeks left and you still have a couple teams along with you that becomes an issue, but saying that 5 teams within 3 games is some sort of insurmountable hurdle doesn't cut it for me.

[batman]

To clarify, there is no amount of "buying" that could help this club to the same extent that a productive Scott Podsednik and Geoff Jenkins would. Those two players were keys to our offense coming into the season, and Team Canada put together a collection of players to complement them. Lyle Overbay has been a huge surprise, and that has helped enormously, but our offense just isn't built to produce with negative contributions from Jenkins and minimal contributions from Podsednik. If those two players were producing as they were expected to coming into the season, we'd be an average offensive team (or perhaps a little worse, but certainly better than we are now).

 

~Bill

[badgerfan.tgf]

Quote:

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True, but 84-78 isn't going to make the playoffs.

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No, we won't make the playoffs with that record but it would build some positive momentum that this franchise hasn't had in over ten years. Casual fans will start to think the Brewers are on to something, buy more tix for next year and start a positive flow that will end in payroll being increased.

 

While I'm against trading away the future, I think that acquiring some sort of bat that will help the club reach 85 or 86 wins will be a great PR move and only help the reputation of the club.

[Shampoo4U]

Would you guys please shut up about starting Clark today-- if the rest of the team each would have had as many hits as Clark today this team might have scored a run. Why not complain about Podsednik and his AWFUL .250 average and Jenkins and his stinking .252 for all his millions. At least Clark is batting .269. The only true hitter on the Brewers is Overbay-- without Overbay this O totally stinks and would be lucky to score any runs per game-- not just when Sheets pitches.

[endaround]

Because Clark has proven that he is a 5th outfielder over many ABs. When you have two outfielders on teh bench that can outhit him, there is no reason to put him in on a day when you have Erickson as your starting 2B.

[H0FFY]

It is really true. We have made our bed, now we get to lie in it. And inside that bed with us is Pods and Jenks and Helms and Limps (Spivey) and the Two Headed Yost (Moeller and Bennett).

 

In any way you look at it, there is nothing to do except see if the afformentioned guys decide to start playing baseball. If they just improve to near THEIR potential... not all star potential but THEIR potential, we have a decent offense.

 

But I guess at the same time the pitching could fall back to earth. I think the first month our offense was so hot and pitching terrible, then for a couple of months the pitching has carried the team.

 

I cannot see us trading for this year at all. But I still advocate taking on some teams dud contract of a good player. I mean it is like overpaying for a free agent or using a draft pick.

 

In any case, we just need to watch these guys bat and grin (clench) and bear it.

[jmon482]

Quote:

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True, but 84-78 isn't going to make the playoffs.

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I'm not going for the playoffs, im going for a ton of excitement culminating into a great season next year and even better seasons to come.

[danzig6767]

I've been saying it for awhile,today was the Brewers offense to a tee,no power.We played a team with a mediocre offense,but they at least they have a few bats that can go yard.When your offense has a SLG% under .400,you will not score runs.

 

We have zero hope of a wild card run,even if Pods/Jenkins heats up,the lineup has to many holes.The sad thing is who knows when we will have a top 5 ERA pitching staff again, just wasted by an anemic offense.

 

Its a real drag to follow a team that a 2 run lead feels devastating,even early in a game.I've gotton to the point that im suprised when we score a run,like an 8th grade team facing a college team.I always expect the worst,regardless who is batting.

[PeaveyFury]

EDIT: And two of those teams at the head of the pack, San Francisco and San Diego, are two teams the Brewers don't play again this year.

 

Wow, I guess someone should inform the Giants to cancel their hotel reservations for September in Milwaukee....