Ted Simmons new bench coach!

[Fatter than Joey]

I think most of the ML clubs would have loved to have Simmons in their fold

 

Perhaps.. Probably moreso in the front office --

 

We needed to hire a good coach. And I strongly believe they've done that. Simmons understands the game and understands people.

 

Simmons has no track record coaching.

[Thurston Fluff]

I hope I'm wrong. I really do. As far as Simmons, is this Ned's decision or Melvin's? Because if this was a Ned hire, I see it as Ned not wanting Kremblas for fear of being replaced by him mid-season.

 

Kremblas wasn't even the first choice last year for a job that was taken by another internal guy. I think fans here think more of Kremblas' status ready for a big league manager's job than the Brewers do. If he was so ready for the job why isn't his name linked to any job that came open this past year? Kremblas has done nothing to show he makes better game managemnt decisions than Yost. His motto is "how do you know until you try?" that from an article linked on the minor league pages on this site. Kremblas' resume so far has been of an up and coming guy who has won for teams whose priority wasn't about winning. Nothing from any credible source I've read or seen linked here suggests Kremblas as the manager in waiting for the Brewers now. In fact if you look at it logically if Yost is fired it would make sense to go outside the organization for an experienced manager not take a chance on another unknown.

So all things considered Ned couldn't care less if Kremblas, and his idea's of seeing if a catcher can steal home (yes, he was predicatably thrown out), was with the team or not. I'd guess if Yost felt he was the best man for the job he would also have felt he was the best man to help him keep his job. In no way do I think Kremblas has anything on Simmons that would make me feel he would have been a better choice for the job.

[JohnBriggs12]

I think those of you out there worrying that Yost getting fired means it will have been a bad season are misreading Melvin.

 

Yost has the shortest leash in baseball right now. They aren't going to wait 80 or 90 games in or wait until they are 15 games under .500. If the Brewers are healthy (re: Sheets and Gallardo have made vitually every start, Fielder and Braun haven't been on DL), and the team isn't 5-10 games over .500 in early June and they've blown games in the same fashion as 2007, Yost is toast.

 

That should leave plenty of time in that division for a new manager to right the ship and win the thing.

[Chkyhks2and0]

By the way, what about Sveum made him a bad 3B coach and a bad bench coach? What evidence does anyone have to suggest this? It's put out there in this discussion like it's fact. You can like or dislike the guy. But the way this forum tends to work, support your assertions.

Because he got ran out of Boston before he was hired in Milwaukee. Boston thought he took too many risks in sending runners from 3rd to home. As for bench coach people thought he made even worse decisions than Ned when Ned was getting thrown out of games.

[homer]

"Yost has the shortest leash in baseball right now. They aren't going to wait 80 or 90 games in or wait until they are 15 games under .500. If the Brewers are healthy (re: Sheets and Gallardo have made vitually every start, Fielder and Braun haven't been on DL), and the team isn't 5-10 games over .500 in early June and they've blown games in the same fashion as 2007, Yost is toast. "

 

So what happens if they start out 24 - 10 again?

[Invader3K]

Ted Simmons did some guest commentary during that '82 team ceremony game a couple months back, right? If so, I was definitely impressed with him then. I think he could help the team a lot with his thought process.

 

That said, I hope Yost, Sveum, Simmons and co. are periphery to the team on the field, and that the Brewers have gotten the '82 nostalgia-mania out of their systems for good.

[trwi7]

Un no, not a shock, Rick, not if you had read any number of posts here at Brewerfan hinting that it was a done deal. When will they learn?

 

You obviously don't remember that chat he did a little over a month ago.

 

Q: PeaveyFury of brewerfan.net - How often do you read brewerfan.net?

 

A: Rick Braun - Counting my next time, once.

LINK

[AJAY]

From everything I have heard from former teammates, it seems that Simmons is one of the smarter baseball minds out there. Ned Yost has always raved about Simmons. I also think Simmons brings a little edge in terms of personality and presence. Maybe Simmons should be the manager and Yost should go back to being his backup (just like in 1982).

[patrickgpe]

A: Rick Braun - Counting my next time, once.

maybe he should, since brian continues to outscoop the journal. It might make him look like a better sportswriter.

[Thurston Fluff]

Because he got ran out of Boston before he was hired in Milwaukee. Boston thought he took too many risks in sending runners from 3rd to home.

 

I'm not necessarily disagreeing but was he ran out of Boston or was it more the fans who didn't like "send em sveum"? I thought he still had a job but Boston let him go to the Brewers. Either way while he was a risk taker at thrid he did do a good job getting Weeks up to speed defensively and seemed like he did well in other areas of his job as a third base coach.

[Roscoe Chill]

So how do we know SImmons is cerebral?

 

If you heard him in the broadcast booth for about three innings (?) during a game this year (the '82 reunion maybe?) then you just know this is a great move. A bunch of posters even responded in the game thread that night or during the chat how great it would be for Ted Simmons to be the Brewers' manager. Quite frankly, I'm shocked.

 

During that game, he went on about how if you do something weird as far as decision making as a manager, you darn well better have an explanation for it, and an explanation doesn't mean you had a feeling (paraphrasing)...it was if he was almost taking a dig at Yost.

 

I'm delighted that it would seem that a replacement for Yost is now in the fold, one with front office experience to boot. Great hire.

[bjkrautk]

Simmons learned it early from a St Louis coach who broke it down simply.

 

ABC: Get on, get him over and get him in.

 

A simple approach to hit the ball to the right side after a lead off double where you might just get a hit but at worst you moved the guy over. Way too many times the Brewers stranded a runner at second after a lead off double. This simple adjustment could make a two game difference.

 

I was thinking about the conversations during the '82 reunion as soon as I heard the announcement. What I love about the hire is the way Simmons (and some of the other veterans on the '82 team) would quiz their teammates about their mental approach to a play, or AB, etc. I think Prince is just the type of guy who could take that mantle on himself, and make the players around him better.

 

My biggest gripe with the Brewers teams of recent years is that they don't play A-B-C baseball. Leadoff XBH should turn into runs; it's a big pet peeve of mine to see batters striking out with RISP and less than 2 outs; IMO, it's the sign of a bad approach. It's not always about making outs, as it is possible to get a hit while hitting behind runners, etc....but when you do make an out, let it at least be a productive one. Getting the occasional run pushed across in this manner will make the offense less dependent on the longball, which should be a goal for this team (while scoring more runs).

 

I saw the rumor here once or twice, but wrote it off b/c I thought Simmons had a front office job.

[Thurston Fluff]

Simmons learned it early from a St Louis coach who broke it down simply.

 

ABC: Get on, get him over and get him in.

 

A simple approach to hit the ball to the right side after a lead off double where you might just get a hit but at worst you moved the guy over. Way too many times the Brewers stranded a runner at second after a lead off double. This simple adjustment could make a two game difference.

I was thinking about the conversations during the '82 reunion as soon as I heard the announcement. What I love about the hire is the way Simmons (and some of the other veterans on the '82 team) would quiz their teammates about their mental approach to a play, or AB, etc. I think Prince is just the type of guy who could take that mantle on himself, and make the players around him better.

 

My biggest gripe with the Brewers teams of recent years is that they don't play A-B-C baseball. Leadoff XBH should turn into runs; it's a big pet peeve of mine to see batters striking out with RISP and less than 2 outs; IMO, it's the sign of a bad approach. It's not always about making outs, as it is possible to get a hit while hitting behind runners, etc....but when you do make an out, let it at least be a productive one. Getting the occasional run pushed across in this manner will make the offense less dependent on the longball, which should be a goal for this team (while scoring more runs).

 

I saw the rumor here once or twice, but wrote it off b/c I thought Simmons had a front office job.

I don't think Yost disagreed with any of this. In fact I think he preached it like every manager and coach everywhere does. Whether the players are capable or willing to do it is another story. It's not like Simmons is saying anything differant or incredibly insightful. Nor do I think his belief in that approach is why they hired him. I think it has more to do with helping Ned with certain matchups, when to greenlight someone, when to hit and run, when to get pitchers up ect.

[PKBadger]

MNBrew wrote:

 

By the way, what about Sveum made him a bad 3B coach and a bad bench coach? What evidence does anyone have to suggest this? It's put out there in this discussion like it's fact. You can like or dislike the guy. But the way this forum tends to work, support your assertions.

Our SS probably wouldn't have a surgically-repaired ankle...

[whizkid]

If you start with the idea they felt Ned was a good manager whose weakness was game strategy this move looks good. Ned's future depends on him understanding he needs help in area that he wasn't getting with Sveum. This move looks to me to be one of him underatanding that and willing to do something about it. I think he will be successful next year because of his ability to address his weakness.

 

Well put. Ned's public defensiveness about anyone questioning his in game and lineup decision making would lead us to believe he thinks he knows everything and doesn't need to change or develop in these areas. What he admits to privately or what Doug/Gord may have told him about this in their post season meetings we don't know. I hope your take is correct.

 

 

[homer]

"Our SS probably wouldn't have a surgically-repaired ankle..."

 

Sending Hardy was the right move. Burrell made a great play.

[Big Reed]

I like the move. I liked the original trade that brought Simmons to the brewers. Dumb guys are not hired as GM's no matter how bad the ownership (Pirates) is.

 

makes me happy.

[Thurston Fluff]

With regard to Sveum's penchant for getting runners thrown out I can't help but think it's easier to be critisized for guys getting thrown out than it is to be critisized for not sending a guy. I don't know if being to conservative is any better than being to aggressive. It's just one is more visable than the other. While there is a disticntion between careless and aggressive I like guys who make the defense work over ones who waits for the next batter to get a hit instead of trying to score with the one they just got.

[billyhallfan]

Sending Hardy was the right move. Burrell made a great play.

 

I completely disagree, whenever hardy rounded the bag I remember yelling at the tv because he was going to be out, of course fasano didn't move, and the rest is history. I was trying to find a video and I couldn't, but I don't think it was the right move at all.

[homer]

Well Burrell sucks for one, so the fact that he barehanded it and threw a strike to home plate was kind of surprising. Fasano did a great job blocking the plate too.

[sbrylski]

Pat Burrell barehanded the ball and threw a perfect strike to Fasano. It was 50/50, but Burrell was perfect.

 

I too thought Sveum did fine as the 3B coach.

[patrickgpe]

Dumb guys are not hired as GM's no matter how bad the ownership (Pirates) is.

Sal Bando??

[AdvantageSchneider]

Well, this article does not instill confidence in Dale at 3rd, based on his Boston time.

 

As third base coach in a baseball crazed market, Sveum was no stranger to criticism in Boston. He has been called out by fans who felt he waived runners into unnecessary outs at home plate, and also for holding runners at third base when it appeared he should have sent them in to score.

 

On July 16, Sveum was booed and blamed, along with catcher Doug Mirabelli, in a 7-4 loss to Randy Johnson and the Yankees. Mirabelli was tagged out going from second to third when Sveum held Kevin Millar at third base after a Bill Mueller single to center with Millar on second and Mirabelli on first.

 

''It (the booing) doesn't bother me that much," Sveum said after the game. ''It's just the passion of the fans in Boston and it's a situation we appreciate here. Hey, if it takes the pressure off the players, give all the boos to me."

 

In Aug. 2004, Sveum caught additional flack for his aggressive philosophy after watching D-Rays center fielder Rocco Baldelli throw out Dave Roberts for the first out in the ninth inning of a 5-4 loss at Tampa Bay.

 

"Baldelli hasn't made a whole lot of good throws," said Sveum, who might not have known Baldelli led the league in outfield assists in 2003 (14) and had six in 2004. "Obviously he pulled one off tonight. They made a great play. To be honest with you, if we did it the same tomorrow night I'd do the same thing. It's obviously a situation where you got that kind of speed on the bases and you got a closer (in the game)."

 

A week later, Sveum caught the ire of Fenway fans when Baldelli threw out runners at the plate on back-to-back at-bats at Fenway Park.

 

"Rocco Baldelli's been a pain in my butt," Sveum said of the Rhode Island-born outfielder at the time. "But, as long as I'm not getting booed for holding people all the time, I'm all right."

 

"I guess no publicity is bad publicity and I've gotten a lot of publicity," said Sveum whose decisions to send runners home resulted in four outs at the plate during that bad Aug. stretch in 2004. "There's no doubt about that."

 

"It's part of the job," the embattled Sveum said. "Guys are going to make plays sometimes and I'm going to look bad. If those throws (from the opposing outfielders) go two feet left or right, we're not even having this conversation."

 

"You don't go through 162 games and not get anybody thrown out," Sveum said. "I'm confident in my decisions, my ability, and my instincts."

 

"It's a no-win situation," Sveum said about his higly-visible position. "You don't get credit when you send guys home and they're barely safe by an inch, but you are going to get chastised when they're out in a bang-bang play. You don't get brownie points for sending Pokey (Reese) on an inside-the-park home run."

 

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2005/10/sveum_leaves_so_1.ht

 

Overall, two thumbs up for the Simba hiring. More smarts in the organization is a good thing. However, we did fire the wrong coach. Leva should still be at 3rd.

 

Why do I think that if Leva had played for the brewers and Dale hadn't Leva would still be on the staff right now?

[sbrylski]

He did well for us in 2006, that's all I care about. Not what the Boston media thinks of him.

[AdvantageSchneider]

Did the Boston media make up Sveum's quotes about not knowing Baldeli has a good arm, or that he doesn't care about being boo'd as long as he's not holding runners?

 

Those aren't good quotes for a 3rd base quote.

 

Leva was better in 2007 than Dale was in 2006.