Fielder quote- "6 runs should be enough IMO"

[bucksman4]

I think there's an awful lot being read into this quote that isn't there. In fairness to Prince, this is one sentence out of a twelve-paragraph article. On the great majority of days, six runs definitely ought to be enough to win.

I would have to disagree with that assumption. If you have the opportunity, listen to the post-game interview Prince Fielder gave ( http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=649108). He clearly makes it a point say 3-4 times that the team should be able to "hold leads" and "6 runs should be enough." The point is, he is NOT talking about the offense here. He was wise to never say "our pitching staff should be able to hold a lead" directly as he has an out clause by saying the team's defense or whatever could be a reason for blowing the lead. But, bottom line, I'm glad to see someone calling people out in the clubhouse.

[1992casey]

What made the "reading in stuff in that wasn't there" comment, it was in reference to some of the comments that Prince was somehow out of line.

 

Thanks for the link. I'll get to it when my dial-up allows me time to load and listen. Defense has definitely been a contributing factor to some of the blown leads, and I think it's fair to say that Prince has been part of that. If he's including himself as a reason for the team's poor play, all the better.

[BillScottCanRake]

I wish I knew when it was OK for someone to say something like this and when it's not.

 

People kept saying "this team needs to show more fire, and show they care." Well, Fielder has done that twice in the last 7 days and he's been suspended once and now he's not a team player.

[Fatter than Joey]

People kept saying "this team needs to show more fire, and show they care."

 

You will never hear me talk about "team fire", but I do think that no one wanted Prince to get tossed for three games, that was bone-headed, or say something that throws some of teammates under the bus, and absolving himself.

 

Personally, I wish they would show a little fire by playing MLB level defense.

[davego]

Lets not overlook the fact that Prince is correct. When you are right, you can say it. Might be uncomfortable, but fair. Anyone ever read the "No ******* Allowed" That is theme of the book. Not to ignore the white elephants in the room.

[homer]

I'm kind of surprised they haven't had one of those player only meetings. Not sure what it would accomplish....just surprised they haven't had one.

[Patrick425]

I'm kind of surprised they haven't had one of those player only meetings. Not sure what it would accomplish....just surprised they haven't had one.

I think they did before the game on Friday (?), according to the Journal/Sentinel.

 

Again, seriously, am I the only one outraged at Princes ABs in the 5th and 9th innings and his total mis-management of the pitch count.

[craigharmann]

All that came out of the meeting on Friday was haircuts, or so it seems

[BillScottCanRake]

Again, seriously, am I the only one outraged at Princes ABs in the 5th and 9th innings and his total mis-management of the pitch count.

 

I am disappointed - who wouldn't be? - but outraged? When a player has 650+ plate appearances over the course of a full season, they are gonna have bad ABs. I can't be outraged just because those ABs happen at an inopportune time once in a while- especially when their two run home run was a big reason they were even in the game in the first place.

[Thurston Fluff]

Yeah, I don't think that this crosses the line.

 

I almost wish that someone would blow up, though. Maybe the team needs to get fired up somehow.

 

I wish the team would quit looking for that one magical thing to get it turned around. What they need to do is start fielding the balls hit more than 2" to the left or right of the defender, putting together good AB's everytime they are at the plate and play fundamentally sound baseball overall. No magic just better more professional major league caliber play please.

 

I think FTJ is right. If Prince meant we need to help our pitchers out more by playing better defense along with better pitching fine. Somehow I don't think he meant that.

[BrewCrewForever]

I agree with Prince. You score 6 runs off a guy like Harang, that is damn good. Capuano didn't pitch bad today, but he did make a couple bad pitches and that cost him another game. Now that is 0-16 in his last 16 starts.

[Patrick425]

am disappointed - who wouldn't be? - but outraged?

Yeah, I am "outraged". It's completely inexcusable. Maybe I shouldn't just single out Fielder, but these are ML ball players and this is pretty basic stuff that anyone with half a brain knows. It's like bizzaro world, he does just the opposite of what you are suppose to do in those situations. Instead of thinking "Hey, I'm ahead in the count and I got a .340 hitter behind me, so I think I'll work the count and let them walk me, then maybe Braun can do some real damage", he thinks "Hey, I'm ahead in the count, so I can swing at anything because I'll still be ahead in the count and who knows, maybe I'll get a hold of one and then I'll be a hero and everyone will love me."

 

I know, I know, I'm going to get people asking how I can possibly single out the MVP candidate in the lineup, but c'mon, how about playing like a team instead of like a bunch of individuals?

 

It would be different if it appeared that he was learning but apparently, based on his 9th inning at bat, he's not. Then he does the opposite when he has 2 strikes on him. He watches a bordline pitch go by (that he should have swung at) and gets called for the 3rd strike which results in a blow up with the ump and a 3 game suspension.

 

Do the coaches talk to these guys at all about working the count, being selective when you are ahead in the count, being aggresive when you are behind in the count, thinking about who's up behind you, etc. I swear, it's like these guys have never been coached on any of this stuff in their life by any coach at any level.

[brewcrew00]

Maybe Prince should have drove in that runner on third with one out in the middle of the game as well. That is something that needs to be done from a MVP candidate. It was a team loss, once again.

 

Prnice isn't exactly advertising himself as an MVP candidate, the fans are putting that label to his name. The pitching staff needs a serious gut check, and I can only hope this provides it.

 

Perhaps Prince's comment was directed at Yost and his poor decision making, as opposed to the pitching staff.

 

I would have to go with no on this one, generally speaking calling out your manager is never a good move. This starting rotation needs to be able to pitch with a lead, as does the pen.

[brewcrew00]

but these are ML ball players and this is pretty basic stuff that anyone with half a brain knows

 

These same MLB hitters are also facing MLB pitchers. Clearly Prince was looking for something else he didn't get, and I'm pretty sure Prince understands hitting seeing as he's only in his second season and mashing at the MLB level.

[Patrick425]

Clearly Prince was looking for something else he didn't get

Well if he didn't get it, then why is he swinging at it when he's ahead in the count?

 

I'm pretty sure Prince understands hitting seeing as he's only in his second season and mashing at the MLB level.

I never said that he doesn't understand how to hit a baseball, but clearly he and others on this team have demonstrated that they have some things to learn when it comes to working the pitch count. I'd like to get a stat on how many times the brewers have struck out looking vs the rest of the league or what their team batting average is when they are ahead in the count (2-0 or better) vs the rest of the league.

[brewers19]

Team stats

2-0 Count: .357/.362/.530

3-0 Count: .500/.991/1.000

3-1 Count: .301/.708/.494

 

Pretty damn good, I'd say.

[Patrick425]

Team stats

2-0 Count: .357/.362/.530

3-0 Count: .500/.991/1.000

3-1 Count: .301/.708/.494

 

Pretty damn good, I'd say

Well, the stats should be good when you are ahead in the count, but how do they compare to the rest of the league?

[brewers19]

National League

2-0 Count: .343/.342/.607

3-0 Count: .396/.966/.781

3-1 Count: .348/.682/.611

 

So right around, if not slightly above, average.

[lukevan]

Well if he didn't get it, then why is he swinging at it when he's ahead in the count?

 

That's baseball. The pitched looked sweet, but it was a 2 seamer that ran away, if it had been a four-seamer it might still be flying. I guarantee Yost wanted him swinging if he got a good pitch. Weathers just made a better pitch, it looked maybe an inch or two outside to me.

[BillScottCanRake]

Yeah, I am "outraged". It's completely inexcusable. Maybe I shouldn't just single out Fielder, but these are ML ball players and this is pretty basic stuff that anyone with half a brain knows. It's like bizzaro world, he does just the opposite of what you are suppose to do in those situations. Instead of thinking "Hey, I'm ahead in the count and I got a .340 hitter behind me, so I think I'll work the count and let them walk me, then maybe Braun can do some real damage", he thinks "Hey, I'm ahead in the count, so I can swing at anything because I'll still be ahead in the count and who knows, maybe I'll get a hold of one and then I'll be a hero and everyone will love me."

 

Or maybe he wasn't thinking about any of those things and he just had a couple of bad plate appearances?

 

You make it sound like he's the first hitter in the history of baseball to have two bad at-bats in a game (with regard to approach and not results). I think it an incredible reach to expect that over the course of a full season and 650+ plate appearances that any player, no matter how incredibly good or how incredibly sucky, a player won't have some incredibly stupid plate appearances, and that some of those will happen at the most inopportune time. That's why I think "outrage" is misplaced.

[Nearsighted Views]

I'm going back to the original comment and when I look at, I ask myself: "True or False?"

 

It's a true statement. The rest is just speculation.

 

I'm sure Cappy could have said "1 run in 8 innings should be enough to win."--a true statement--and we would have blasted him.

 

Bottom line from reading through this thread--there is a TON of blame to go around right now. This whole team sucks from top to bottom right now in all phases of the game. When they score, there's no pitching. When there's pitching there's no scoring or defense.

[pitchleague]

man, I'm so tempted to make a sign for tonight that reads, "Six Runs Should Be Enough!" but I'm not a sign kind of guy.

[brewmann04]

I agree with Prince Comment 100% more than about his comment about the Fans Booing.

 

It is about time someone questioned why this pitching staff can"t hold 5 or more run leads.

 

The offense gets blamed for not adding on runs after the score 4 or 5 early

 

can"t this pitching staff hold those big leads. yes i know teams blow leads like this once in a while but the way the brewers have done it is totally inexcuseable.

[Patrick425]

Or maybe he wasn't thinking about any of those things and he just had a couple of bad plate appearances?

 

You make it sound like he's the first hitter in the history of baseball to have two bad at-bats in a game (with regard to approach and not results). I think it an incredible reach to expect that over the course of a full season and 650+ plate appearances that any player, no matter how incredibly good or how incredibly sucky, a player won't have some incredibly stupid plate appearances, and that some of those will happen at the most inopportune time. That's why I think "outrage" is misplaced

As a MLB player with your team in the middle of a pennant race, in the middle of a close game I find it inexcusable to "not be thinking about any of those things". It's baseball 101 and to have two ABs like that, at this point of the season, in this situation, is unbelievable. The pitch he swung at on 2-0 in the 5th inning was not anywhere close to the strike zone.

 

You are right though. It's not like he's done this all season. That's why it's perplexing to me. In fact, on Thursday he showed some patience and walked his first two ABs when the rest of the team was really struggling against Wainwright. However, he didn't score. So, maybe he's frustrated with it and doesn't feel like accepting walks helps at all and feels that he needs to do everything. I don't know, maybe you're right, maybe outrage is a little strong, but it's still very frustrating.

[crewcrazy]

I got the feeling that Prince was trying a little too hard to be the hero yesterday, trying to pull a pitch like the one he swung at to end the game. I don't know why Prince swung (if I had to guess, I would think it was because that pitch was closer to the strike zone than anything he'd seen since his HR and figured it was the best pitch he was going to get), but I can't fault him for doing so. If that grounder somehow gets through and the Brewers tie the game, Prince gets praised by everyone here for being patient and waiting for a pitch he could do something with. It did look like ball four to me, but it seems like Prince has been susceptible to those pitches that are a little outside lately ever since his confrontation in Houston.