2008 Vent Thread (part 1)

[bklynbrewcrew]

I think Yost is brilliant for having gagne warming up again tonight. Then to make matters worse he brings in Turnbow who has not pitched a meaningful inning all season and who looks completely lost into a tie game when he has a rested Riske ready to go. This manager just seems to get dumber by the day. We look like a below average team offensively and that is flat out sad. How many guys can one lineup have that are hitting below 200. This season which I expected to be full of promise is looking more and more like another disappointment. Really why should I even vent at this point, I am so used to losing that it shouldnt be so painful.

[trwi7]

I still don't get why people are blaming Yost...

It's a tie game in the 9th inning. That's when you take your best available relievers and then work your way down the chain hoping that your best relievers hold them and your offense can scratch out a run. What does Yost do? He brings in probably his second worst reliever who hasn't worked in about a week into the game. Not surprisingly, he gives up the game winning run.

[bklynbrewcrew]

Turnbow is just not a major league pitcher at this point and if this team is serious about winning they will just release him already. Enough is enough.

[pebadger]

Three straight excellent outings by starting pitchers, not a single one of them figured in the decision, and two of them left the game with the lead.

[mastershake76]

We need an Official Curse A Blue Streak thread.

[pebadger]

LOL! "He's an All-Star pitcher." ROFL!

 

Thanks, Ned.

[adambr2]

Ned constantly saying, "It happens."

 

Firings happen too.

[PKBadger]

We need an Official Curse A Blue Streak thread.

 

Unfortunately, that's not an option due to board rules.

What I find useful is to take a piece of 8.5x11 paper and a Sharpie marker, and just write all the swear words out, first printing them and then repeating in cursive. Works wonders.

 

[mastershake76]

"He's an All Star pitcher"

 

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH HAAAAAAAAAAAAH HAAAAAAAH!!

 

I didn't realize all you needed was an undeserved all-star appearance from a previous year. What's Pete Vuckovich and Rollie Fingers doing these days? I think they have a couple of all-star games under their belts, too.

[Fatter than Joey]

Biff Pocoroba -- All Star Catcher

[adambr2]

Ricky Bones = All Star pitcher.

 

Also, maybe this should go in the Silver Lining thread, but I think we should all be feeling excited about how qualified we might really be to manage a major league baseball team.

 

I know that pitching your worst reliever in a tie in the 9th is probably a bad move.

 

I know that pitching your closer who has an injury history for a 5th straight day probably isn't smart.

 

I know that bunting with 2 strikes with a position player multiple times in a week isn't usually productive.

[valpocrewsader]

Taking my contact lenses out tonight made me think "contact play" and I considered gouging my eyes out right then and there.

[Big Jay of the North]

Here's an idea. Instead of going with the contact play how about a squeeze. Where's the small ball strategy when we need it? I know this team has a lot power but sometimes you need to think outside the box. Hart and Hall would be a great combination to pull it off too!

[trwi7]

We got Yosted and I have no alcohol to forget it!!!! Aargh.

[Blazer25]

Back-to-back Yostings!

Good call to keep him on for another season Doug.

Pathetic.

[adambr2]

Honestly, I'll tell you what my problem with Yost is this year. I'm tired of hearing like Turnbow pitched the 9th "because he needed to get his confidence up again."

 

When the game is in progress, I don't care about Derrick Turnbow. I care about the Milwaukee Brewers, and if I'm the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, my brain is telling me that Turnbow is definitely not the best choice to keep the game tied for my offense to have another chance to win. Nothing else really matters at that point. You play to win the damn game. If Turnbow isn't your best chance to do that at that point, you go with the guy who is. You use Turnbow once you've exhausted all better options to that point and the game still isn't over.

 

Look, I know Yost loves his players, and that's a good thing. Invite them over for a barbecue on your day off. Talk to them. But when the game is on the line, don't let your relationships with your players affect your judgement on your game decisions. That's not acceptable.

 

Ned's concern isn't to make Turnbow happy when he complains to the media or try to get Gagne his 40 saves this year. Ned's concern is to win baseball games. I want to see him go with his best options during the game to try to accomplish that. I don't want to see him trying to balance that with what his players want.

 

I am also tired of hearing people tell anyone that criticizes Ned that we would have done the same if another move was made. Why on earth would I have criticized him for doing a move that I had been hoping he'd do? It's not like I have a personal vendetta against Ned Yost. I wanted Riske in the 9th and I said that before Turnbow was put in. I agree with some of the moves he made tonight, like pulling Villy after the 7th and PH'ing Soup in the 8th.

[logan82]

I'm done.

[RU Rah Rah]

Me angry. Ned no manage good. Throw TV through window when under-used and emotionally frail long-hair pitcher take mound in tie game in ninth inning.

[packer4rob]

Turnbow needs a change of scenery. I dont believe he'll ever right his ship here in Milwaukee. When he took the field last eve, you could already hear boos, and after he blew the inning, it only increased. For a guy who apparently has no confidence, getting booed before throwing a pitch is only going to make him think more about every pitch. I believe he needs to get a fresh start somewhere else.

And why, Ned, with extra arms on the staff, do you have Turnbow come in for a tie game in the 9th? You've gone out of your way to avoid using him in less stressful situations this year, and you bring him in for this? Did you not see his warm up pitches? A couple of them were in the dirt, the rest were high and outside. Its like throwing gasoline on the fire. And then, after having Gagne pitch his 4th straight day, and obviously not have it, you have him up in the pen ready to go for a 5th straight day? Riske seemed to be the better option at that point, he has closing experience.

There was plenty of blame to go around though. Our defense has been stellar all year, but Harts error hurt. And our timely hitting and advancing of runners seems to be slipping. I know its early, its a marathon, not a sprint, but come September, these games are going to hurt us i believe, especially the way the cubs are playing currently.

I feel a bit better after that rant. We're 11-8 and not nearly clicking on all cylinders. Braun hit the ball better yesterday, so maybe he's coming around. Lets get todays game and start a roll boys!

[The Ignitor]

Last year, I did not like Yost and hoped he might be fired. This year, I've seen nothing but solid decisions from Yost (except maybe not having Weeks bunt over the runner in Cincy, but that's nit picking considering the top of the line-up is coming to the plate). Not all decisions work out. No baseball team wins all 162 games, or wins every close game. Even smart baseball decisions look silly when they backfire. Considering how poorly our offense has been, and how bad are last three starters in the rotation have been, any rational, objective outsider would conclude that our manager has done a heck of job with the bullpen to get us the record we have. There was nothing wrong with the decision to use Turnbow last night other than the outcome. And the outcome was not as predictable as some of you make it out to be (go back and do some research on Tbow at home at the start of an inning last year). Given the fact that the team had played extra innings three times in the past four games, Yost was smart to go Tbow (who should have been able to get through the inning unscathed based on history at MP when starting an inning) and set up his pen for later. Besides, in order to not burn out the bullpen down the stretch, sooner or later Tbow is likely going to play a big role in this team unless Melvin is able to trade him (those are the facts, whether you like Yost or not, Tbow is still part of the roster until Melvin says otherwise).

 

You all need to get down from the ledge, as it is a long season, and if you overanalyze every decision you'll be nothing but frustrated for most of the year (pretty much the best team in baseball is guaranteed to lose 60 games even if the manager makes perfect decisions). This team will be around .500 (hopefully a little above) until the end of June, then there schedule will turn in their favor in July and September and they'll pour it on down the stretch. Honestly, what could be better than seeing the Cubs in first place this early in the season? Much better to be the hunter than the hunted, especially if the hunted is the Cubs. I may join you in calling for a change in manager much much later, but right now I'm simply going to enjoy the ride. I encourage you to do the same. Now flame away at me if you wish, but I promise you I'm happier watching baseball this year as a fan, then last year when I was armchair manager.

[BrewCrewForever]

I'm normally a Yost defender. But come on Ned, using him to get his confidence up in that situation? At some point doesn't it come down to production instead of not hurting guys feelings? This is a big boy league.

[fondybrewfan]

How about we have a blow out game one of these days. How many 1 and 2 run games can we have in a row? I had multiple heart attacks last night

 

and Prince, get your freakin head ouf your you know what. That 8th inning at bat was absolutely awful, pathetic, garbage, atrocious, etc. If you keep this up you are really going to be pissed next year when you don't get anywhere near Ryan Howard money.

 

Oh and cut those ugly sideburns, they are nasty

[Fatter than Joey]

Our defense has been stellar all year,

 

I disagree -- our defense has been awful.

[packer4rob]

Brewers defense is 3rd lowest in the entire leauge in errors made, with 8. Last year, we had the 6th most. Maybe this isnt "stellar" as i quoted, but it certainly is a great sign of strides the team has made.

[Fatter than Joey]

I don't put a lot of stock in errors as a means of measuring defense -- that said I would concede that we are making some improvements.

 

It is my opinion we are far away from being a team that can count defense as a strength, and unless we are scoring 5-6 runs every game we are going to struggle.

 

A good example would be that "double" Barton hit last night -- How does a ground ball that Hardy just misses turn into a double? -- bad defense.