Prince's future and Boras

[gregmag]

This is but one thread - it doesn't represent collective attitude towards the season, the team, or ownership.

 

Thank you! I really wish posters wouldn't presume to tell other posters what kinds of discussions we should or shouldn't be having. There's all kinds of stuff to talk about, and would it really be fun just to have 1,500 people posting "Go Brewers!" over and over?

 

This is why we employ Canadians to make such decisions for the team.

 

Line of the week.

 

Greg.

[mark brouhard is number on]

while i agree that most posters are generally positive and i realize this is a site to talk about all things brewer, the negative attitude that some bring about every topic gets old, especially during the most exciting season in a long time. in my view this season has been awesome to follow and look forward to each game. i guess i;m just not a nitpicker. i would also say the collective attitude of many on this site is definitely leaning toward the negative in a season where most should be positive. think how bad it would be if we really sucked

[Bucky Rules]

the negative attitude that some bring about every topic gets old, especially during the most exciting season in a long time.

This was my point. You can talk about whatever you like. But, this is just one more example in a loooooooooong line of examples (which I have pointed out from time to time) of how so many just can't enjoy the moment. And this one is just so typical. Prince hits a record breaking 50th home run, and we can't go a day without a thread saying that he's destined to be gone.

And spare me the "you don't have to read the negative threads". Well, they're everywhere. And even in the positive threads, 9 times out 10 we've got to wade through some backhanded compliments and negativism along the way.

Those people that can't enjoy this Brewers season must just have a perennial dark cloud hanging over their heads. I choose not to live my life in that fashion. And if I can bring some along with me along the way, I'll be even that much happier.

 

 

I really wish posters wouldn't presume to tell other posters what kinds of discussions we should or shouldn't be having.

I really wish that you wouldn't tell me how I should respond to those discussions. But, that's not going to happen either, is it?

[jason21nl]

Again... I have to laugh. The Brewers are in the midst of their most exciting season in at least 20 years, and probably 25 years. Yet, in typical Brewer fan fashion we spend our time worrying about the impending doom that may or may not happen several years down the road, instead of enjoying the journey

 

dude, the post asked a question and people are answering it with their opinions. I have to laugh that every time someone says something negative, that you and a couple others have to come back with "enjoy the ride" or "enjoy the journey and "in typical brewers fashion". Id be willing to bet people are getting a little tired of hearing that, just as much as you're getting tired of people worrying about the team. Don't worry, people will really enjoy prince for the next few years, and we'll enjoy every minute of it. However the question was asked about his future, and his long term future probably isn't with us.

[gregmag]

Bucky, you seem to be the one who's turning this day into a real negativity fest around here. No, I'm not going to stop telling you or anyone that I don't like your efforts to dictate what other people do and don't talk about, because I think those efforts are small-minded, controlling, and detrimental to good discussion. As to the preponderance of threads you don't like -- well, first of all, I think you're missing all kinds of stuff that isn't negative at all. Second, no matter how hard you try, you aren't going to get everybody in this community to follow your orders and turn this into Buckyworld, so maybe you should try tolerating those who approach the forum differently than you do.

 

Greg.

[jason21nl]

Those people that can't enjoy this Brewers season must just have a perennial dark cloud hanging over their heads. I choose not to live my life in that fashion. And if I can bring some along with me along the way, I'll be even that much happier.

 

 

one other thing, how do you know people aren't enjoying the season? I freaking hate ned yost, but I'm enjoying the season. I wish we were 7 games up instead of where we are now, but still doesn't mean I'm not enjoying the season. Ajay has his ups and downs, but Id be willing to be he is enjoying the season. Stop assuming that just because people have something to complain about, or they disagree with something, they aren't enjoying the season. You chose not to get worked up, good for you. Guess what, there are a couple thousand people on the board that aren't you.

[Bucky Rules]

dude, the post asked a question and people are answering it with their opinions.

"Dude" -- my point was to question the whole mindset behind the original question. And then to question the people falling in line like sheep to cry about something that may or may not happen years from now. I'm sorry, if you don't find that humorous - and tremendously ironic - in the midst of a huge personal achievement (in Prince's case) and what is still the team's first real pennant race in decades.

 

I have to laugh that every time someone says something negative, that you and a couple others have to come back with "enjoy the ride" or "enjoy the journey and "in typical brewers fashion"

If I actually responded every time someone says something negative, I'd have no time to do anything else... like, breathe.

[Thurston Fluff]

For comparison purposes one might want to look at another exceptionally large, but not fat, person like Reggie White. Reggie seemed to age pretty well for such a big person

From Wikipedia

White had suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia most likely caused by the sarcoidosis he had lived with for years. [1] The Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office ruled that White most likely died from cardiac and pulmonary sarcoidosis. [2] It was also stated that sleep apnea, which White was known to suffer from[3] may have contributed to his death.[4] Sleep apnea is known to affect large, muscular individuals like White more often than people of an average size and build.

 

That isn't aging very well.

 

Since this was about aging athletically I thought it was self explainitory that I was talking about aging as an athlete within the context of how he performs in the later parts of his career. I guess it wasn't as obvious as I thought.

[DatHoser]

We're multi-tasking, that's all. Even the most pessimistic of people, myself included, can't deny "enjoying the ride." I'll be at the game tonight scoreboard watching with everyone else. But we can take a step back and look objectively at the future. This topic is a very legitimate one for discussion. Who knows, maybe Prince could end up as the Mark Fidrych (sp?) of this decade - but I doubt it. I do tend to agree that we should enjoy having him as a Brewer while we can and see what happens a couple years down the road. A small market can't afford to take a chance on buying out his arby years and extending it at a high price. While it's a great idea if he stays healthy, there's the "what if " factor - mainly injury but possibly performance issues as well. A mistake of that magnitude would cripple this franchise.

[Fatter than Joey]

Again... I have to laugh.

 

Go ahead and laugh your ass off, refrain from typing that though. Any post that starts with "I have to laugh" is usually not funny, far from topical and sucks.

 

But, this is just one more example in a loooooooooong line of examples (which I have pointed out from time to time) of how so many just can't enjoy the moment.

 

What do you bring to the table in these discussions besides "pointing things out from time to time", it's non-topical and an overall waste of bandwidth.

 

The original poster wanted to discuss the possibilities of keeping Fielder into the future. Given the Brewers history/small market/Prince's girth/etc. It is perfectly reasonable and probably realistic to be suspect at the chances that Prince is a Brewer in his 30s.

 

If you wanted to interject optimism, you could certainly substitute your cliche rants, and offer a "positive" argument as to why you think it is possible that Prince will be a Brewer when he is 30.

 

Anything could happen, take the positive side and run with it, rather than telling us we aren't having fun.

[davego]

Just had Scott a blank check an ask him to fill out the amount. (only 1/2 kidding).

[dadofandrew]

Prince is very unlikely to age gracefully, as others have mentioned. Boras does not allow the buying out of free agent years.

 

I'd rather look at the others (Hart, Braun, Weeks, Hardy, Villy, Yo) myself.

[Fatter than Joey]

I'd rather look at the others (Hart, Braun, Weeks, Hardy, Villy, Yo) myself.

 

Yep -- agree 100%

[JoeHova]

I can see why you guys are all glad Prince will be gone after 2011. After all, Frank Thomas was washed up by the time he was 27. So was David Ortiz.

 

 

That was sarcasm. Actually, neither one was close to washed up. Even Mo Vaughn had his 3 best seasons after turning 27. And Mo, David and Cecil were nowhere near as good as Prince is now when they were 23. Thomas was better (a lot better), but he had arguably the best start to a career all-time (174 was his lowest OPS+ in his first 8 seasons).

 

I think that all this talk about how Prince will be washed up early is wishful thinking. Sure, he's big. But he's also a great athlete. Also, being a 1st baseman doesn't take all that much athleticism in the first place. Prince is average now and will be fine at 1st for at least a decade. He may or may not be a future DH, but the time when a team would have to make that decision is far in the future.

[RightFieldCoder]

I find it hard to believe Prince will be back.

1) Boras

2) It will take so much money to keep him, unless Mark finds new revenue streams we'll lose a bunch of other players. We might even lose our GM. Hicks signed ARod to that huge deal and it crippled what DM could do down there. The same thing would probably happen up here. We might get stuck doing what Texas did and pay another team to take him just to free up a little bit of money.

 

Here's the secret to the whole question: it shouldn't bother people too badly when Prince leaves. Who will man 1st base when Prince leaves? Either LaPorta or someone we draft in '08/'09. That's the team we are building here. Guys like Prince, Braun, and Weeks will be brought up to play in their prime and then allowed to leave. By that time we should have another crop to bring up. You also keep some good but not MVP guys like Hardy, Hall, Hart to serve as the "veteran presence" like Jenkis, Miller, Counsell. If a guy like Prince wants to stay in Milwaukee for less than he could get elsewhere I'd sign him back. But there is no reason to sign him longer than 4 years at a time or get in a bidding war for him.

[dadofandrew]

Actually Joe, if he puts on much weight at all, and/or starts having leg issues, he might have trouble playing 1B next year. I doubt that will occur, but it gets a lot more likely as he ages.

[homer]

"I think that all this talk about how Prince will be washed up early is wishful thinking. "

 

I think that's an overstatement of the overall sentiment.

[Invader3K]

It does get a little old, how any time a baseball player is a little bit big, people assume he's going to be crippled by the time he's 30. There's tons of examples to the contrary.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

I agree with some of the prior posters that say extend him out. This could be a win/win for both sides. If he is worthy of a mega-contract, there is no way the Brewers will be able to hang onto him after 2011. They could probably afford the first couple years of that contract, but not the term it would take. They could do a 6 year deal with an option for 7. It locks in the cornerstone of the franchise for 6 years and gives us a bigger window to go for it. Prince takes the risk off the table and locks in a lesser contract, but gets some coin upfront. I think this makes sense for both sides.

 

The window now for the Brewers is 3-5 years...they may be able to get it to 6...after that, the economic realities will make it tough on a franchise like Milwaukee.

[Mass Haas]

It does get a little old, how any time a baseball player is a little bit big, people assume he's going to be crippled by the time he's 30. There's tons of examples to the contrary.

 

Tons of examples? We're talking media guide 260, which we all know is at least 280. Prince's unique body type means there's anything but "tons" of examples, in fact, there's like, maybe, zero. So don't toss out the Matt Stairs-big types, because Prince at his height and weight combo is very unique.

[pitchleague]

just a tad off-topic (maybe) but does Boras also help out with marketing Prince (i.e. Pepsi commericals, video game covers, etc.)?

 

Anybody think Prince will get hit with a bunch of offers this off-season to do commericials, photo shoots, and the like?

 

I kind of hope so. We haven't really had a truly marketable player since the Yount/Molitor years--and that was pre-internet and computer boom.

[rluzinski]

Tons of examples? We're talking media guide 260, which we all know is at least 280. Prince's unique body type means there's anything but "tons" of examples, in fact, there's like, maybe, zero. So don't toss out the Matt Stairs-big types, because Prince at his height and weight combo is very unique.

 

Exactly. No one knows exactly how he'll age but it's fair to assume that it will have some negative effect. That doesn't mean that he's be useless at age 30 necessarily but if a GM had to guess right now, he'd be smart to assume a faster-than-normal decline. It would just be an educated guess, however.

 

Prince will go somewhere else and have great success. THe Brewers will get their draft picks and reload.

[TooLiveBrew]

Anybody think Prince will get hit with a bunch of offers this off-season to do commericials, photo shoots, and the like?

 

Yes, I do, and I agree it'll be refreshing. Have no doubt that nearly every baseball fan in America knows at this point the answer to the following:

 

Who was the yougnest player ever to post a 50-HR total in a single season?

 

Think how when Ryan Howard went from a relatively well-known prospect to hitting 58 dongs last year. Same effect.

[xisxisxis]

Prince will go somewhere else and have great success. THe Brewers will get their draft picks and reload.

 

I agree that at some point we will lose Prince, but I would like to see an attempt to get him under contract for 2-3 years of Free Agency (to around age 30). If they backload the contract I would hope the Brewers would then have the flexibility to trade him at age 28-29 if the situations is such that the Brewers can't afford him for something more valuable that draft picks (one of these collective bargainings they are going to disappear). If Boras/Prince are intent on testing the FA waters as soon as he is eligible, then concentrate on Braun and other components of the next winning brewers team and go year to year with Prince.

[clancyphile]

I'd go with 7 years, with an option for three more.

 

Try to get the same sort of deal lined up with Braun a bit down the road as well.