Cirillo: "I'd like to be a Brewer again"

[Ennder]

I'd rather have Counsell than Cirillo so my vote is no. Cirillo is a poor defender who can't play every day and can only hit lefties. Counsell is by far the best defensive player on the team and while he can't hit a lick he just seems more useful to me. Counsells glove saved 16.4 runs last season according to the plus/minus system and that was in roughly halftime play.

 

Now as a platoon mate with some LH player at 3B and backup for Fielder he makes some sense, but I don't see anyone else on the team that is worth dropping to make room for him.

[derflotr]

I'm not sure of the status of Tony Graffanino. I know that the injury is going to keep him out until mid-season, so I'm not sure if the Brewers plan on bringing him back for 2008.

 

If they do, I don't think it's necessary to bring in Cirillo as a utility infielder, because Dillon can be the backup until Graf comes back.

 

However, if Graffanino is released, I would be all for signing Jeff. The Brewers will need more depth in the infield - we don't know for sure if Joe Dillon can deliver over the span of a full year like he did towards the end of last year.

 

I'll echo many other posters here and say that Cirillo's my favorite player; he's a true Brewer. I'd love to see him back in a Brewers uniform.

[Team Canada]

Nope, Graffy will not be back.

[trwi7]

Cirillo is a poor defender who can't play every day and can only hit lefties.

Well at least Cirillo is a better offensive player than Counsell. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[MNBrew]

Cirillo is a poor defender who can't play every day and can only hit lefties.

What the heck? Wrong and wrong.

 

With regular PT, Cirillo is not awful against righties and does hit lefties pretty well, even in a down year like last year. And since when and by what standard has Cirillo become a poor defender? Cirillo's gotten older, but he's still a solid and dependable player on both ends of his game.

 

Ennder, your perspectives typically come across as rather credible, but a remark like that -- especially without any supporting information -- sounds like the sort of thing normally said by some on this site who only look at stats and hardly ever actually watch the guys play.

[Ennder]

Cirillo hasn't been able to hit righties since 2001 posting a sub .600 OPS many of the seasons in that span and only breaking a .700 OPS one time. His fielding I cannot comment on at work as I don't have a link to the info here.

 

Sorry but most of the Cirillo love is based on remembering what he did for us in the past and the brief good stint he had with us in 2006. He cannot play every day and he is not good against righties.

[PeaveyFury]

Cirillo himself said that he couldn't play everyday anymore (and that was 2 seasons ago), and his stats clearly show that he struggles against RHP at this point, and has more or less almost since he left Milwaukee the first time.

 

Not sure about his defense, though.

[reillymcshane]

Cirillo over the past three years has a .925 OPS against lefties. Against righties it's .683.

 

He's strictly a lefty killer. Nothing wrong with that - he was a perfect fit with Koskie. If we can land someone like that (Blalock has been suggested), then he might be worth it.

[Bert55]

Cirillo is clutch....couple of years ago during the last game of the season, during the giveaway....Cirillo was near us giving away stuff. When I was yelling don't forget the kids....He smiled and started giving bobbles to the young kids. He then came over to me , reached into his back pocket.....pulled out his batting glove and said " here is something for the big kid too.

 

I will never forget that and neither will my son.

 

Class act....good guy....a Brewer........nuff said

[jason21nl]

I too would love to have him back. I don't bye the argument that counsell is more important because he is left handed. Does it really matter which side you hit from if you can't hit? I do bye that counsell is a better defender than Cirillo. We could cut Counsell right now, and I wouldn't be saddened one bit.

[jason21nl]

Cirillo is clutch....couple of years ago during the last game of the season, during the giveaway....Cirillo was near us giving away stuff. When I was yelling don't forget the kids....He smiled and started giving bobbles to the young kids. He then came over to me , reached into his back pocket.....pulled out his batting glove and said " here is something for the big kid too.

 

I will never forget that and neither will my son.

 

Class act....good guy....a Brewer........nuff said

was the final game a throwback game? because a couple years ago, on a throwback game, he gave me his game used hat from that game. As of right now, its the last hat he wore at home for the Brewers.

 

[JJHardy7]

I wouldn't mind Cirillo back with the Crew. I'd like it if we didn't have Counsell, but here's a fearless prediction...Brad Nelson makes the roster as a utility player. I got that impression during the Nashville games this past year and I still have it. The Brewers like Nelson's bat still -- but they have made a point to move him around a bit. Just a thought.

[dadofandrew]

Counsell can play 2B & SS, Cirillo cannot. Very shortsighted to even suggest Jeff could replace Craig.

[Bert55]

was the final game a throwback game? because a couple years ago, on a throwback game, he gave me his game used hat from that game. As of right now, its the last hat he wore at home for the Brewers.

Cirillo was along the 3rd base side when he came over to us. If it is the giveaway for the last home game of the season, then Throwback is correct.

[twobrewers]

Sorry but most of the Cirillo love is based on remembering what he did for us in the past and the brief good stint he had with us in 2006.

My Cirillo love is based on him as a person. And him wanting to return to the Brewers. But I do recognize, he doesn't really fit with our plans.

 

Is it too late to fire Sveum and let Cirillo be the 3B coach?

 

(Notice, that is not in blue)

[logan82]

Now as a platoon mate with some LH player at 3B and backup for Fielder he makes some sense, but I don't see anyone else on the team that is worth dropping to make room for him.

Who are our 4 bench players that leave no room for Cirillo? Right now I see Dillon, Counsell and Gross with the aquisition of a left fielder or 3B.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

Who are our 4 bench players that leave no room for Cirillo? Right now I see Dillon, Counsell and Gross with the aquisition of a left fielder or 3B.

Add in Gwynn and Rottino as two other options for the bench. But that's it. And only Counsell and Gross seem to be locks to me. So a Cirillo pickup would not surprise me at all.

[PKBadger]

Who are our 4 bench players that leave no room for Cirillo? Right now I see Dillon, Counsell and Gross with the aquisition of a left fielder or 3B.

 

You're forgetting the 2nd catcher - whether it's Rivera, Munson, or ???

[twobrewers]

And only Counsell and Gross seem to be locks to me.

I would say Dillon is pretty much a lock as well. It isn't like he just had a hot streak in MLB last year - he was fantastic the whole year in AAA as well.

 

He will likely back up Prince, Weeks, Braun (or the 3B) and play a little outfield.

[logan82]

You're forgetting the 2nd catcher - whether it's Rivera, Munson, or ???

No, I didn't forget the backup catcher. 8 everyday starters+4 bench players(2 infielders, 2 outfielders)+1 backup catcher.

[Zycho32]

*siiiiiiiiiiiigh...*

 

Why is it the really GOOD baseball transactions never fit the ballclub right?

 

What are Cirillo's opinions of coaching?

[Ennder]

Cirillo was above average at 3B last year so I was wrong about the defense. I think our bench guys are Dillon, Munson, Counsell, Rottino? and whomever replaces Mench in the OF, Gwynn maybe? I guess Cirillo could replace that Rottino.

[MNBrew]

Cirillo was above average at 3B last year so I was wrong about the defense. I think our bench guys are Dillon, Munson, Counsell, Rottino? and whomever replaces Mench in the OF, Gwynn maybe? I guess Cirillo could replace that Rottino.

I really like Rottino as a future Brewer, but he is anything but a sure thing. He has had 2 mostly solid AAA seasons but has hardly put up Hart-like AAA numbers. I'd take Cirillo over Rottino without thinking twice. Cirillo's a proven team-first, productive & professional MLB hitter & fielder. Rottino hasn't done much in his couple call-ups in addition to his solid though unspectacular AAA production.

The Brewers have 6 OFs on the roster at present if you include Dillon. Take away Drew Anderson, who won't make the team short of a pile of injuries, and Dillon's already your 5th OF as well as a utility infielder (3B, 2B, 1B).

 

4 starting IFs plus Counsell leaves room for Cirillo as a corner IF & 2B backup (both Counsell & Cirillo can play all 4 positions, though Counsell @ 1B and Cirillo @ SS are more emergency, get-by-for-a-game sort of situations). Al, Cirillo sure can play 2B in a satisfactory way.

 

More points:

 

Counsell vs. RHP in '07: .234

Counsell vs. LHP in '07: .157

 

Cirillo vs. RHP in '07: .238

Cirillo vs. LHP in '07: .271

 

How anyone could even put Counsell & Cirillo in the same league offensively is absurd. Counsell hits righties - his more advantageous matchup - WORSE than Cirillo does in his disadvantageous matchup. And that was a definite off year for Cirillo compared to his '05 & '06 production as a Brewer, which gives just cause to anticipate more respectable numbers if he were to return to Milwaukee. The even cooler thing is how badly he'd like to play for the Brewers AND just how much better he plays as a Brewer than on any other team.

[TooLiveBrew]

Counsell's OBP is where he outperforms Cirillo v. RHP - fwiw. And not to be super-negative, but one reason why many think Rottino can be more/as serviceable than/as Cirillo is the ages. Rottino's in his physical prime, where Jeff's on the downside of his career and can't take as much of a beating as he used to be able to. I wish we had/have room for Jeff. You never know what might change in a day or two with possible/impossible trades.

[SmartBall]

I also would like to see Rottino on the team because he is more versatile. He can play corner infield and corner outfield and would be a third catcher. That is helpful on days where Kendall won't start but you might need a guy to get on base in the seventh inning, Kendall could pinch hit knowing that if by chance he gets hurt the team is still covered behind the plate.