Friday, April 25, 2008
Gabe Kapler piece
Monday, April 14, 2008, 7:42:10 AM | by Dave Cameron
Hey all. My name is David Cameron, and I’m thrilled to have been invited by David Appelman to join in the great work he’s been doing here at FanGraphs. You may have read some things I’ve written elsewhere, either at USSMariner, The Hardball Times, or Baseball Prospectus. I’m excited to be here, not only because the data that David has made available has been a huge asset to fans and researchers alike, but also because I look forward to seeing how we can explore the information available here, create some unique commentary, and build a community that rivals the quality of the knowledge found on this site. I’ll be hanging out in the comment threads regularly, so feel free to ask any questions or make comments there, and we’ll get the discussion started.
For my first post here, I wanted to take a look at what has to be the most exceptional story 2008 has brought us so far - the unbelievable return of Gabe Kapler. A year ago, Kapler was the manager of the Greenville Drive, a Red Sox affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League. At 31-years-old, he had retired from his playing career and was beginning a coaching career in the lowest rung of full season minor league baseball. He’d spent the previous few years bouncing between reserve roles and playing in Japan, and after a torn Achilles in 2006, it looked like he would never get a chance to fulfill the promise he showed as a prospect with the Tigers in the 90s.
However, unwilling to let his on field career end prematurely, he declared himself a free agent this winter and landed a contract from the Milwaukee Brewers. With a hole in center field while Mike Cameron serves out his suspension, Kapler has… well, to say he’s made the most of his opportunity would be the understatement of the year. After going 3 for 4 with a couple of doubles and a home run last night, he is now 11 for 26 with two doubles, four home runs, two walks, and a stolen base just for good measure. He leads the majors in batting average and slugging percentage (at .423 and .962 respectively), and his 0.71 WPA/LI ties him with Casey Kotchman, and just behind Albert Pujols, as the fourth best hitter per plate appearance in baseball. Kapler has been the Brewers savior as Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder struggle to start the season, and one of the main reasons the Brewers are 8-4 in their first dozen games.
In all likelyhood, this will go down as the best two week stretch of Kapler’s playing career, but it’s two weeks he wouldn’t have experienced had he stayed retired.
Labels: article, Brewers, Kapler
Brian Shouse Analysis
by Eric Seidman - April 18, 2008
Brewers reliever Brian Shouse is a late bloomer. Graduating from Bradley University in 1990 he debuted in the big leagues with the Pirates in 1993 albeit for just six mostly ineffective games. For the better part of the 1993 season up until 2002, Shouse shuffled around farm systems, playing for minor league affiliates of the Pirates, Orioles, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Mets, Astros, and Royals. His only other major league experience came with the Red Sox in 1998 as he struggled in only seven appearances prior to a demotion to Pawtucket.
In 2002, nearly ten years after his major league debut, Shouse found himself appearing in 23 games for the Kansas City Royals. While the numbers were subpar–15 hits, 10 runs, and 9 walks in 14.1 innings—he has been on a major league roster ever since.
He was terrific out of the bullpen for the Rangers in 2003 and 2004, going for 105.1 IP in 115 games; he struck out 74 while walking 32 as well as posting a 3.08 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. After a shaky 2005 and just six games in 2006, Shouse was sent to the Brewers for Enrique Cruz and cash. Since arriving in Milwaukee he has been stellar and consistent out of the bullpen. In 2006 he stranded 42 of 56 inherited runners and allowed his own runs in just 10 of his 59 appearances. His ERA of 3.97 may not come off as flashy but specialist relievers can have their numbers vastly changed with one or two bad appearances; since they are usually only in for one out, giving up one run looks much worse in 0.1 IP as opposed to 1.0 IP. In fact, take away an August 29th outing against the Astros, wherein he surrendered four runs, and Shouse finishes 2006 with a 2.91 ERA for the Brewers, allowing just 25 percent of inherited runners to score.
In 2007, Shouse built on his success the previous season by posting this line: 73 G, 47.2 IP, 46 H, 16 ER, 14 BB, 32 K, 3.02 ERA, 1.26 WHIP. On top of that he he allowed just 18 of 78 inherited runners to score. Those numbers are a little skewed as well because eight of those 18 scored in Shouse’s final five appearances. Up until September 16th Shouse had stranded 58 of the 68 runners he inherited.
This year, Shouse has made eight appearances, allowing just one run and five baserunners in 6.1 innings. He has stranded all 11 inherited baserunners, with a .159 BABIP. Shouse truly makes the best of what he has to work with as he primarily throws a 79-80 mph fastball and a 72 mph slider.
His WPA of 0.34 comes down to a WPA/LI of 0.28 due to his appearances largely coinciding with baserunners allowed by other pitchers. Despite this, Shouse has allowed just 32 of 145 inherited runners to score throughout his Brewers tenure, just 22 percent. In fact, of non-closer relievers with at least 120 games in the span of 2006-2008, Shouse ranks tied for seventh in percentage of inherited runners scored. Not too shabby for a near 40-year old with just about 14 years of minor league experience.
Whether or not this will continue is left to be seen but this 39-yr old lefty who failed to find a secure major league home until the age of 35 is definitely doing all he can to show why he belongs.
Labels: article, Brewers, Shouse
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Booze Problems in the fine city of San Diego
I'll post three articles in succession. The first regards the beer prices in San Diego. The second is only a few days old where tests were done showing the beer isn't as strong as it should be. The third is in response to it by the Journal Sentinel.
Ballpark suds'll soak you
Padres' beer prices up 4th straight year, as high as $9
By Michael Stetz
STAFF WRITER
March 29, 2008
The San Diego Padres have some kind of streak going. And it's got nothing to do with playing ball.
The team's organization has raised most beer prices every year since moving downtown to Petco Park in 2004. Opening Day is Monday and guess what: The streak lives on.
Pat Morris of Hillcrest carried a beer and a hot dog to her seat last night at the Padres game at Petco Park. The lowest-priced ballpark beer has risen to $6.50 for a 16-ounce domestic draft.
This season, prices will increase on all beer sold at the stadium, with the most expensive being $9 for premium brands. Last season, they were 50 cents less. The cheapest beer is now $6.50 for a 16-ounce domestic draft, up 75 cents.
All major league ball clubs charge a lot for beer, and all keep a close lid on how much they're making from it. The Padres are no exception, but we did some math of our own.
Information on beer pricing is available through the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Local beer distributors post the prices they charge area retailers. The Padres' vendor doesn't receive a discount for buying in bulk. That's against the law.
According to ABC records, a keg of Bud Light costs $76. That keg holds about 1,984 ounces, which produces about 99 20-ounce cups. The Padres charge $8.50 for a 20-ounce cup of Bud Light, meaning a single keg produces as much as $842 in sales.
The local distributor charges about 93 cents for a 12-ounce bottle of Heineken. That bottle, considered a premium brand, sells for $9 at Petco.
Even though Petco Park is partly owned by the city of San Diego, the city receives nothing from concession sales during games. Still, the Padres don't keep all the beer dollars.
The team must pay taxes and the vendor's cut, which the Padres wouldn't disclose. Sports retail experts say teams typically get between 40 cents and 50 cents per dollar on beer sales.
Why do the Padres – who have the final say on prices – charge so much for a simple beer?
The Padres say they're vastly different from a neighborhood bar, given their overhead and the limited dates they're open for business. The team also wants to discourage excessive drinking through higher prices, an executive said.
Not everyone buys that. Spectators in today's ballparks are treated like “captive prisoners,” said Bill Sutton, associate director of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida.
“They're locked up and can't get out,” he said, which gives teams leverage when it comes to pricing their concessions. “It's a crazy mentality.”
Beer prices at Petco are even higher than at the trendy Gaslamp nightclub Stingaree two blocks away.
A pint of beer costs $6 there and beer prices haven't been raised since the club's opening in 2005, said Ali Pouladin, lead bartender. A bottle of domestic beer costs $5.
“That's a lot for a beer,” he said of Petco's prices.
Out of control
Up the road, in Anaheim, the most amazing thing happened five years ago. The Angels actually lowered beer prices. The new owner, Arturo Moreno, thought prices had spun out of control and cut some by up to 20 percent. The Angels still haven't increased the price of a 14-ounce beer at Angel Stadium. It remains $4.50 this season.
The move by the Angels hasn't exactly caught on league-wide, which might seem surprising. Fans loved it. And the Angels say the lower prices haven't resulted in more booze-fueled boorishness.
But the Padres say higher beer prices help maintain a family-friendly environment, which is one of the reasons they're more aggressive in raising those prices instead of others, said Richard Andersen, executive vice president in charge of ballpark management.
“We don't want to do anything to encourage excessive alcohol consumption,” Andersen said. “We want people to have a beer or two if they like. We're not interested in attracting people who want six or eight beers.”
Most concession prices at Petco aren't rising this year, he said. Of the 98 items offered, 57 remain unchanged. Peanuts are still $4.50 a bag. Popcorn is still $4.
The Friar hot dog will cost $4, up 50 cents from last year.
Andersen declined to say how much beer is sold during a Padres season, though the Boston Red Sox reported selling 3.1 million beers in 2004, with an attendance of about 2.8 million. Last year, the Padres attracted about 2.7 million.
Andersen did say the volume has remained pretty much consistent year-to-year, despite the annual cost increases.
The economics of beer works like the economics of everything else, experts say. A price can be set too high, discouraging consumption. Price beer at $30 a bottle and see what happens.
But sports concessions are free of one key element that exists in the open market: competition.
If a number of enterprises were allowed to set up shop and fight for the beer dollar, costs would drop. But the chance of that happening is about as likely as the Padres getting Alex Rodriguez.
Sutton questions the business approach many sports teams take with pricing, particularly in these tough economic times. If the customer believes he is being gouged, he'll begin to harbor negative feelings toward the franchise, he said. If the team performs badly, where's the incentive to hang with the club?
“That's not good long-term thinking,” he said.
Bitter taste
Beer has always been a big part of baseball. Breweries once owned teams. Today, a number of beer companies – Miller, Coors and Busch – pay to have their names on ballparks.
Years ago, fans could actually bring their own beer into some stadiums. That was the case until 1984 for the Padres, who played at Jack Murphy Stadium, now Qualcomm. Then the team complained that alcohol-related problems were increasing.
Other baseball teams banned carry-in beer, saying the change was needed to create a better ballpark environment. But there was another reason: money.
Paul Fordem, a San Diego County supervisor at the time, complained that the new ban granted the Padres “an absolute monopoly” on stadium concessionaires.
Talk about vision.
Another supervisor, Paul Eckert, wondered why, if the Padres organization really wanted to solve the alcohol problem, it wasn't banning all beer-drinking at games.
Today, fans keep forking over the money for beer, even though the prices can leave a bitter taste in their mouths. At an exhibition game last night at Petco Park against the Angels, the new beer prices were in place.
And even though fans said they've grown accustomed to higher prices, nobody was exactly applauding another increase.
“You come here expecting to pay a lot,” said Geoff Longenecker of La Jolla, who was sipping a Stone beer, which set him back $9.
He called the prices, “extraordinarily high,” yet was happy that at least the variety was broad.
Christina Curtin of Mission Valley said she should could buy a six-pack for what she paid for a single beer, a premium draft for $9. But she said she expected it, given that she was at a baseball game.
Marc and Jodi Stein of El Cajon said having a beer or two is part of the baseball experience, so they forked over $16.50 for two beers.
The guy behind the counter forewarned them that the price was going to be ugly, Marc Stein said. “He said, 'Believe it or not, it's $16.50, and you don't get a TV set with it.' ”
Staff writer James P. Sweeney and staff researcher Erin Hobbs contributed to this report.
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For it's 1, 2, 3.2 at the old ballgame
Beer is high on price, low on alcohol content
By Michael Stetz
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 18, 2008
SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune
Kevin Kimball, of San Diego, enjoyed a Bud Light last night at Petco Park. More bucks, less bang.
Padres fans already know beer sold at Petco Park has a higher price tag than the same thing elsewhere. But they might be surprised to learn some of the beer also has lower alcohol content.
Three of the downtown ballpark's domestic draft brands – Budweiser Select, Miller Lite and Miller Genuine Draft – contain 3.2 percent alcohol by weight.
Go to a bar and most regular domestic draft beer will have about 4 percent alcohol by weight. Most light beers run about 3.4 percent.
In other words, it's not just the Padres' batting lineup – producers of only six home runs so far this season – that's weak.
“It's kind of upsetting,” said Randall Brooks of Ventura, who was unknowingly drinking a 3.2 percent beer, a 20-ounce cup that set him back $8.50 at Wednesday's Padres game. “I should get what I'd get anywhere else.”
Padres fans at Petco Park might be surprised to learn some of the beer sold there has a reduced alcohol content.
By the numbers
There are two ways to measure alcohol content in beer: by weight and by volume. For lower-alcohol beer, the 3.2 percentage refers to alcohol by weight. The strength of various beers, in comparison:
4.0% Budweiser
3.4% Budweiser Select
4.0% Coors
3.4% Coors Light
4.3% Stone Pale Ale
4.0% Heineken
3.7% Corona
3.7% Miller Genuine Draft
3.4% Miller Lite
Online: For a March 29 story about rising beer prices at Padres games, go to uniontrib.com/more/beer
The Padres aren't required to divulge the alcohol content of the beer they sell. There's no mention at the concessions, which are run by a vendor called Sportservice, that the three brands are any different.
Padres officials say lower-alcohol beer, like higher prices, is part of an “alcohol management plan,” meant to keep fans from overindulging. They also say it's common practice in the sports industry and hardly limited to Petco.
It's unknown how many professional teams' vendors sell 3.2 percent beer at stadiums. Sportservice, a subsidiary of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Delaware North, runs concessions in as many as a dozen professional sports venues. Company officials didn't return phone calls.
Centerplate, which runs the concessions for the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium, didn't return calls, either.
“The Padres aren't alone,” said Chris Bigelow, president of the Bigelow Companies, a consultant to sporting and entertainment venues on food service management.
He said the difference in the quality of the beer is difficult to tell, “especially after the first one.”
The decision on what kind of beer to buy rests with Sportservice, said Richard Andersen, executive vice president in charge of ballpark management for the Padres. The difference in alcohol isn't that dramatic, he said.
The difference in cost is 32 percent. A keg of Budweiser Select goes for $76, according to California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control records. The 3.2 percent version of Bud Select runs $52.
“Wow, $8.50 for low-octane beer,” said Michael Shames, a consumer advocate who heads the Utility Consumers' Action Network in San Diego. He compared the move to that of oil companies, which have been accused of reducing octane in gas.
Bars don't peddle the lower-alcohol stuff, said Greg Anderson, owner of McGregor's Grill and Ale House near Qualcomm Stadium. “It's not a practice in the bar industry, as far as I know,” he said.
Stephen Zolezzi, executive vice president of the Food and Beverage Association of San Diego, said that to his knowledge, distributors don't offer such beer to local bars.
Zolezzi said he thought sports venues were required by law to sell lower-alcohol beer, but the ABC said no such law exists.
Petco's premium draft brands, such as Sam Adams, which contains 3.9 percent alcohol, are not lower-alcohol versions. The bottled beer is also the same you'd find anywhere.
Lower-alcohol beer has been sold at Padres games for years, according to the Padres organization. When the team moved from Qualcomm Stadium, the 3.2 beer – called “stadium beer” among some in the industry – made the ride to the downtown digs as well.
But today's higher beer prices could make the lower alcohol content harder to swallow. In 1988, a beer at a Padres game was $2. When adjusted for inflation, that $2 beer would be $3.61 today. The cheapest beer at Petco now is a 16-ounce domestic draft for $6.50.
“It's just another example of companies fleecing the public,” said Mark Reback, of Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog. Consumers are facing higher prices not only for necessities such as gasoline and food, but also while enjoying a simple baseball game, he said.
“Where does it end?” asked Reback, who recommended fans lodge complaints with any teams that sell weaker beer.
The 3.2 percent beer dates to Prohibition. Just before the booze ban was repealed in 1933, Congress allowed for 3.2 beer in an effort to jump-start the economy during the Depression and appease those clamoring for the right to imbibe.
After the repeal, beer makers started producing stronger beers, but several states kept the 3.2 standard. Today, six – Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma and Utah – continue to require that some retailers, such as grocery stores, sell the lower-content product.
Beer lovers in those states routinely complain about the quality of the beer.
Brewers basically add water to lower the alcohol content. Some critics maintain that brewers bring the content lower than 3.2, to make certain the beer passes muster in those states.
Anheuser-Busch – maker of Budweiser Select, among other brands – did not return calls.
Kathy and David Pence from Montrose, Colo., who were at the Wednesday Padres game, said they try to avoid 3.2 percent beer at home.
“We go to liquor stores to buy our beer,” said David Pence, because those outlets are allowed to sell the full-strength stuff.
The Pences weren't aware that Petco sold 3.2 percent beer, and they didn't understand the reasoning offered by the Padres. “If people want to get drunk, they're going to get drunk,” Kathy Pence said.
Not everyone minds the less powerful beer.
“To me, it's a minor thing,” said Rick Atwood, who was at the game drinking Miller Lite. “If they were doing so to a microbrew, that's a different story.”
__________________________________________________________________________
Your beer, your stadium
By Don Walker
Tuesday, Apr 22 2008, 09:41 AM
First the good news. Miller Park, home to the Milwaukee BREWERS, for crying out loud, does not serve beer with 3.2% alcohol by weight.
But they do at Petco Park in San Diego, according to this story. And the fans didn't know it.
Here's the key phrase in the story: "The San Diego Padres aren't required to divulge the alcohol content of the beer they sell. There's no mention at the concessions, which are run by a vendor called Sportservice, that the three brands are any different.
"Padres officials say lower-alcohol beer, like higher prices, is part of an 'alcohol management plan,' meant to keep fans from overindulging. They also say it's common practice in the sports industry and hardly limited to Petco."
Scary stuff if you're a beer drinker. Sportservice, by the way, has the concessions contract at Miller Park. And, as mentioned, officials there told me you get the real deal in the beer lines. No 3.2% beer for Brewers fans.
Sportservice is a huge company and has concessions deals with dozens of sports stadiums and arenas around the country. Naturally, we wondered if there were other stadiums that did the same thing.
A Sportservice spokesman said the practice at Petco was the exception, rather than the rule.
"The type of draft beer being served at Petco Park in San Diego is consistent with draft beer being served at many stadiums and large public gathering places in the state of California. This practice began at Qualcomm stadium under another concessionaire, and was carried through to the new ballpark," the spokesman said in a prepared statement.
In San Diego, opinion appears to be divided on the practice. Some cared, some didn't.
In the meantime, we'll keep you apprised whether this practice goes on at other stadiums around the country.
Labels: article, beer, Brewers, Padres
Monday, April 21, 2008
JS Beat Writer chat
April 21 mailbag
Q: Jason of Milwaukee - Did Dave Bush help his cause in St. Louis?
A: Brewers Mailbag - Probably. And now, with the Ben Sheets situation, Bush will probably get another start this week.
More importantly, he didn't do anything to lose his spot, albeit temporary.
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Q: Steve Schmidt of Marshfield, WI - IF the Brewers were to make a managerial move, would they promote from within or look outside of the organization?
A: Brewers Mailbag - Why, are you expecting a managerial move? I'm not.
Simmons, Ted.
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Q: Josh of Minneapolis - How is Gabe Kapler doing, can he play again this week?
A: Brewers Mailbag - I think Kapler is probably ready to play again.
If the opposing starting pitcher threw with his left hand, he'd have been playing. He's pinch hit several times now already. Yost is playing the platoon splits.
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Q: Jeff of Spring Valley - Is there concern over the lack of righty/lefty balance in the Brewers order?? I see very few teams with 7 out of 8 regulars hitting right handed. Seems like an easy bullpen matchup for other teams to plan around getting Fielder out. Can the Brewers be successful with only one regular leftie in the lineup??
A: Brewers Mailbag - I expect righties to be much tougher on the Brewers than lefties. At present, I believe they are 5-0 against left-handed starters and 6-7 vs. righties.
Didn't really answer the question. Yes, the Brewers do well against lefties. But I think if the righties can start to take more pitches via better pitch selection, they'll be in better position to succeed versus righties.
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Q: Josh of Minneapolis - Assuming Gwynn and Kapler have returned to health two weeks from now when Cameron comes back, how confident are you the Gross is the odd man out? Do you think there is any chance Gross gets waived when Gallardo comes back so the club can buy more time to make a pitching decision?
A: Brewers Mailbag - When Cameron joins the team, you'd have to assume that either Gross or Gwynn are headed out. Gwynn has an option. Gross does not. So, it comes down to whether the Brewers want to chance Gross clearing waivers.
I'll guarantee Gross doesn't clear waivers. Savvy teams like the A's & Red Sox have already kicked the tires on him this winter. Gross has not been hitting into much luck lately, and with Gwynn having an option, it's a no brainer.
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Q: Harry Balczak of Stevens Point - I've always wondered what the Brewers do with the roof at Miller Park when they are on a road trip. Do they open it and let the rainfall water the grass and let the sun in when it is nice? In the winter is it closed all the time? And how soon will they just save time and money and put in Field Turf?
A: Brewers Mailbag - The Miller Park roof is left open when the team is on the road to allow for sun, rain, etc. Many times over the winter, it's also left open. I haven't heard any talk of Field Turf but you never knmow.
Field turf within five years. I don't like the idea of it, but with the hassle of getting the field ready to begin each season, the idea has to atleast be considered.
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Q: Pat of Brookfield - Is there a golden rule that only the pitcher can bunt in the first 6 or 7 innings of a game? With runners on first and second with no one out, why not sacrifice an out to move the runners up. The first game at St. Louis Bill Hall grounded into 2 double playes and struckout once with runners on first and second with no one out. Now our road record last year was horrendous and we are on the road playing the team leading the division. If Billy Hall bunts we have Corey Hart up, our hottest hitter at the time with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Bruan wasn't in the lineup that night, and lets get some runs on the board especially on the road. To me its a no brainer!! I can see not bunting Braun and Fielder but anyone other than that should be sacrificing? What do you think of Yost's philosophy on this. Thanks
A: Brewers Mailbag - It depends on what kind of a bunter the player is. Bill Hall had only one sacrifice bunt all of last season.
Why give away outs? Sacrafices give away outs. Never a good idea.
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Q: Keith Niemuth of Neenah - Why not bat Hart second instead of Gross who bats like Sheets this year?
A: Brewers Mailbag - Hart bats fifth to protect Fielder and be there for RBI chances. He batted fifth much of last season and did quite well there.
Hardy's a good choice, too.
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Q: Dane Gabrielson of Black River Falls - Will Derrick turnbow finish the season with the brewers or will he be sent down to the minors. Also will this be his last year in milwaukee.
A: Brewers Mailbag - Turnbow isn't being used now with games on the line. I don't know how much longer the Brewers can carry a pitcher they don't trust.
Not sure, but they've had room for Chris Spurling, Greg Aquino, Matt Wise last year. Turnbow won't clear waivers, so he won't be sent down. He'll either be released (very unlikely) or traded for pennies on the dollar (50/50 chance).
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Q: Vince of Oak Forest - With the season being so early, it's probably hard for both of you to understand why some Brewers fans are upset with some of the losses the Brewers experience. The point is that Brewers have been living under "Murphy's Laws" since 1983, so when bad things happen, not making the playoffs again really does seem inevitable. My question (finally) is are there areas of the team that clearly seem better than last year?
A: Brewers Mailbag - The Brewers made one error on their just-completed nine-game trip. They rank near the top of the NL in defense. Believe me, that's a huge improvement.
Not to mention leading the league in "hitting with RISP."
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Q: Joel of Chicago (5 blocks from Wrigley...) - Hi Tom, Do you see us trying to move one of our extra outfielders before Cameron comes back? If so, what do you see as our needs? Thanks, and Go Brewers, Joel
A: Brewers Mailbag - When Cameron joins the club, I don't see the need for Kapler, Gwynn and Gross on the club. It'll be interesting to see who goes.
Gwynn goes to minors for depth purposes. Not too much else in the cupboard in AAA. Nix isn't much to write home about. Irribaren is still learing on the job in CF.
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Q: Michael of Shorewood,WI - Is there any justification at all for taking either Manny Parra or Carlos Villanueva out of the rotation in favor of keeping Dave Bush in it? Bush may have had a few seasons with a .500 record (albeit an ERA above 4) but it's as simple as this... Brewers are 8-6 overall. 0-3 when Bush pitches. The Brewers can't afford to pencil in a loss every 5th day because Bush has "history on his side" as Ned says.
A: Brewers Mailbag - Yost and Maddux like Bush, therefore he gets a longer leash. He did win 12 games in 2006 and 2007 in the back of the rotation.
Pitchers that can log 200+ innings are valuable. You don't just banish them to the bullpen after 3 mediocre starts. You can't also plan on having Parra & CV go over 200+ innings this season either. You need to monitor their innings & pitch counts more than you do Booshy.
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Q: Paul Johnson of Dubuque - How long before the Brewers fire New Yost? This season is looking like a repeat of the previous seasons-----time for a change.
A: Brewers Mailbag - Yeah, the manager is doing a terrible job. The team is 11-7 despite most of the key hitters struggling, and some of the starting pitchers as well. Got to be the manager's fault. Sheesh.
He hasn't done that horrible. He's made a few questionable moves with the bullpen of late w/Gagne going 4 games in a row and warming for a 5th, plus using Turnbow in a high leverage situation when he hasn't pitched in a meaningful game all year while on a 14 man staff. But he's done well with lineup construction so far.
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Q: Mark of Kimberly - Is Gabe Gross the worst major leaguer you have ever seen?
A: Brewers Mailbag - Perhaps you have forgotten Enrique Cruz. Or Chris Barnwell. Or... Let's just say this: no.
Chad Moeller? Raul Casanova? Mark, you are not a wise person. Hey, Matt Wise?!
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Q: badgermitt of Mequon - It is early and we should not panic. It is a long season. ok, I said it 5 times fast. It seems like the same ol' Brewers, starters not getting 6 innings and no timely hitting.
A: Brewers Mailbag - And yet the team is 11-7. Not too shabby.
The starters ARE going 6-7 innings. And the team is getting timely hitting. Leading the league in "avg w/risp."
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Q: Zachary of Chicago - Will you please tell Yost to get a clue and get GABE GROSS OUT OF THE LINEUP?!?!?! Why isn't Kapler starting and why has he all of a sudden decided to make all these minor adjustments to the starters that aren't paying off?
A: Brewers Mailbag - Kapler has been injured. That's why he hasn't been starting.
I think Zachary would like see Kapler swing the bat w/one hand over Gross at this point.
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Q: Fearful of Janesville - It seems to me these guys need a kick on the pants to get going. It seems Ned Yost either won't or doesn't know how to energize this team. I get this awful feeling that he's becoming a "Players Coach". Also, when pitching is such a scarce commodity, how is it that the Brewers felt they should release Claudio Vargas(23-16 last two years) and retain the likes of Turnbow and McClung? Your thoughts.
A: Brewers Mailbag - The Brewers liked the starters they kept more than Vargas, who had a $3.6 million contract. If he was such a great pitcher, why wasn't he immediately snapped up by a big-league team. Instead, it took him two weeks to get a minor-league deal with the Mets.
Good answer. W/L stat is the end all/be all stat to judge talent on: note to self...
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Q: Andy of Chicago - Tom/Anthony, I've heard that Ned Yost is quite the fan of coffee. As a coffee connoisseur myself, I'm curious as to the type of coffee he drinks, and how many cups per day he usually downs. Thanks guys and keep up the good work!
A: Brewers Mailbag - I know he frequents Starbucks quite often. Not sure what he's got in the pot in his office. I'd say he drinks around 12 cups a day. And that might be a conservative estimate.
3 dozen cups, my guess. And that's on an off day.
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Q: T. Jones of Oconomowoc - Did Tony Gwynn Jr. sleep with Yost's daughter? Why are we not giving this kid a fair shake? I understand he got hurt this year. Last year he was hitting over .300 and was sent down and this year he comes off the DL to be sent down again. Coming back cold can't be any worse than Gross.
A: Brewers Mailbag - Perhaps you didn't hear the news that he injured his hamstring.
Yost has a daughter? Is he supposed to play over Cameron next week too? The kid has absolutely no power to speak of, that's why he doesn't get a fair shake.
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Q: Walt Kaufmann of Mequon - For Tom: Why has nothing been said over the years about Gary Sheffield's time with The Brewers. As a Brewer; he admitted purposly booting balls during actual games just so he could rid himself of being in Milwaukee. Isn't that the same as cheating or as bad as gambling or taking a banned substance? Nobody says boo about that situation and his play actually could have affected the outcome of those games. It really steams me off. Where are his ethics and why hasn't Major League Baseball done anything?
A: Brewers Mailbag - Gary Sheffield hasn't played with the Brewers since 1991, so I wouldn't call it a timely subject. Plus, he later recanted and said he didn't make errors on purpose. You have to realize that Sheffield says a lot of stuff. A lot.
Seriously?!?! Wow... Walt, it was **17** years ago! Let it go buddy.
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Q: TOM of PALATINE - IF THE ORIOLES OFFERED BRIAN ROBERTS FOR RICKIE WEEKS, WOULD MELVIN CONSIDER IT? I THINK WEEKS IS JUST A TEASE, AND WILL BE AN AVERAGE MAJOR LEAGUER
A: Brewers Mailbag - I'd make the trade, merely because Roberts is productive now and Weeks has yet to be consistent. That's assuming you want to win right now. Weeks would have the higher ceiling in the long-term.
Jesus... these are your beat writers hard at work. So, how much salary does Brian Roberts make? Oh, right. The only thing Roberts does better than Weeks is play defense. Weeks has more power by far. They both get on base. They both steal bases.
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Q: Jeff Reseburg of Sheboygan - My wife thinks the Brewers should shell out big money for Ben Sheets to stick around. Given his mediocre win/loss record, and his being prone to injury, how could she feel that way?
A: Brewers Mailbag - Sometimes, it's hard to figure out wives. And they'll say the same about husbands. That's why divorce lawyers do such good business.
Heh, good one. The Crew are damned if they sign him, and damned if they don't. They can't win on this one.
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Q: Wil of Las Vegas from Kenosha - Hi! Thanks for adding this feature! My question is: Why doesn't Corey Hart bat leadoff with Weeks dropping to 6th or 7th in the order? Didn't Corey bat lead-off for awhile last year and do well? With Corey's baserunning acumen and better on-base %, it would seem like a no-brainer and maybe jump-start the offense. Your thoughts?
A: Brewers Mailbag - Hart is a nice run-producer in the No. 5 spot. He was very successful there last year.
Too bad the entire lineup couldn't be made up of Corey Harts... sigh.
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Q: Maurice of Milwaukee - Hi i'm a african American who is a big Brewers fan? So here my question With six picks in the first two rouds what positions/Pitchers you think they will look at ?
A: Brewers Mailbag - Wow, it's way to early to project that stuff right now. They don't even get their first pick until No. 16, I believe. The draft board doesn't firm up until the final days before the draft. Check back then.
Hooked on Phonics worked for me. Me no understand Ebonics. Yeesh. They'll hopefully go w/the 'best player available' route as long as they are deemed signable.
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Q: Greg of Racine - The disparity between the Brewers home & road records last year was ridiculous. Did they play over their heads at home? Was there a reason for being sluggish on the road? Are the Brewers changing anything in their road regimine to improve this year?
A: Brewers Mailbag - There's no rhyme or reason to any of that. They did acquire some veteran players, who perhaps can be a stabilizing influence. They're off to a better start on the road this year.
I will crap my pants when they sweep a team on the road this year. Haven't done so since 2004.
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Q: Trevor Smith of La Crosse, WI - Hi Tom, A few times I have heard both the radio and tv crews comment on Jason Kendall and his overall better handling of pitchers, than they were last year. Are these comments referring to Johnny Estrada or Damian Miller? Thank you!
A: Brewers Mailbag - Estrada did most of the catching, so I'll let you figure that one out.
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Q: Joe of Combined Locks - The Brewers homegrown players seem to be poor at bunting. How much emphasis does bunting (especially for pitchers) get in our minor and major league system?
A: Brewers Mailbag - Everybody works on bunting about the same. I don't think many players are proficient at it, for whatever reason. You'd think the pitchers would be way better at it than they are.
Well, pitchers don't start to hit in games until they reach AA, for starters. Also, bunting is a lost art because when you're in the minors, you really aren't there to bunt. Every single one of these major leagures were run producers in the minors and weren't really looked to for bunting.
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Q: Ardena Sering of Wisconsin Rapids - Did Gabe Kapler receive any good natured ribbing for stupidly running in the outfield wall during B.P. ? I sure hope that he did.
A: Brewers Mailbag - I'm sure he heard about it. You don't see many guys get injured in that fashion.
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Q: rick smith of lynchburg va. - among these starters ; which is most likely not to be the opening day starter in 2009 hardy weeks hall hart and why do you think your choice will happen thanks
A: Brewers Mailbag - I would think all of those players would be starters in 2009. But Weeks needs to get going.
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Q: Brewer Fever of Hartford - Has anyone in the Brewers organization raised the idea to Rickie Weeks that he scrap that bat waggle timing mechanism and go back to the swing he used in college where he won the NCAA batting title? It wouldn't hurt his eye at the plate, and he might even sprinkle in a few more base hits. It just seems odd to abandon what worked and stick so long with an approach that has him below the mendoza line.
A: Brewers Mailbag - I haven't heard anybody mention that he stop it. But he needs to figure out something that makes him more consistent.
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Q: Keith of Tampa - It's obvious that Gagne is a $10 million mistake...and Weeks is gonna see .100 before he sees .200. How 'bout they both go to Music City for awhile and see if they can achieve success at the AAA level, as it is obvious they can't at the MLB level
A: Brewers Mailbag - Do you really think the Brewers would try to send Gagne to the minors?
I want you as the GM, Keith.
Labels: JS chat
Friday, April 18, 2008
Carlos Villanueva article by John Sickels
by John Sickels on Apr 17, 2008 1:30 PM EDT
Carlos Villanueva was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2002. He made his pro debut with the AZL Giants that year at age 18, posting an 0.59 ERA and a 23/3 K/BB ratio in 30.1 innings. His command was obviously outstanding, but his mediocre stuff kept him off most prospect lists, including mine, pending higher level data. I would have given him a Grade C.
Villanueva returned to the Arizona Rookie League in 2003 and became a starter, going 3-6, 3.97 with a 67/13 K/BB in 59 innings with 64 hits allowed. Again the strong K/BB stood out, but as a league-repeater he needed to prove out at higher levels to move past Grade C.
The Giants traded him to the Brewers in March, 2004. Milwaukee sent him to Beloit in the Midwest League where he had a solid season in the rotation, making 21 starts with a 3.77 ERA and a 113/30 K/BB in 115 innings. HIs only negative stat was 20 homers allowed. By this time he'd boosted his velocity a bit into the 88-92 range. I gave him a Grade C+ in the 2005 book, pointing him out as a sleeper if he could get the home run tendency under control.
The Brewers sent him to the Florida State League to begin 2005. He did great, posting a 2.32 ERA in 21 starts with a 124/32 K/BB in 112 innings. A late promotion to Double-A resulted in a 7.40 ERA in four starts with a 14/9 K/BB in 21 innings with 21 hits allowed. His fastball was back to the 87-88 range at the end of the year, and scouts indicated that Double-A hitters weren't as easily fooled by his arsenal, granted the sample was small. I lowered him to Grade C in the '06 book, noting however that he deserved more chances and that he still had some sleeper potential.
Villanueva opened 2006 in Double-A and pitched well; he continued pitching well in Triple-A, then ended the season with 53.2 strong innings for the Brewers. Last year he pitched 114 innings for Milwaukee with a 3.94 ERA. In 168 career innings entering 2008, Villanueva has a 138/64 K/BB with 144 hits allowed and a 3.86 ERA.
What does the future hold?
PECOTA seems to hate him, giving him a collapse rate of 60% entering 2008. His comparables list includes scary comps like Todd Van Poppel and Ken Cloude, but also a few more successful guys like Mudcat Grant and Moe Drabowsky. Although in the rotation right now, my personal belief is that he is best utilized in the long relief/spot starter role, and that as a full-time starter he would be more likely to get overexposed and fail.
Villanueva is a Grade C/C+ prospect made good, and I tend to root for guys like this. If he stays healthy I think he will have a mixture of good and bad seasons, the kind of guy who will post a 6.00 ERA in a bad year, drift to another team, then turn things around quickly and post a 3.00 mark in a limited role, before being overexposed and struggling again. In the end I think Villanueva balances out as an average major league pitcher overall, but that's not an insult, and he gives hope to every guy in Double-A who has average stuff and is looking for a break.
I tend to agree w/Sickels for the most part on this one. I think Carlos is more of a pitcher than a thrower. He seems to have some polish and knows what he's doing out on the mound. Being a little smaller in stature than an ideal sized pitcher, he tends to wear down much more over the course of a season. I don't think it helped him last year either that he was yo-yo'd around as a long reliever, setup man, spot starter, and then starting pitcher. He may not have actually pitched a career high in innings, but his arm took more abuse due to being warmed up, sat down, etc. in the bullpen when he had never pitched in relief before.Labels: article, carlos villanueva, john sickels
Monday, April 14, 2008
Memorabilia Pic
Here's a picture of some recent bobbleheads I've obtained. From left to right...
- 2008 Prince Fielder Milwaukee Brewers SGA retro version (1 / 5,000) - 2008 Ryan Braun Forever Collectibles ROY version (487 / 504) - 2007 Don Sutton Milwaukee Brewers SGA regular version (1/40,000) - Bernie Mac Mr. 3,000 movie promo - Rickie Weeks Forever Collectibles 'On Field' version (355 / 2,008)
Labels: bobblehead, memorabilia
Article on former Brewers draft pick & brother of Rickie, Jemile Weeks
By Heather Dinich
ESPN.com
March 18, 2008
CORAL GABLES, Fla.
-- Three years ago, Jemile Weeks walked slowly across campus at the University of Miami, prolonging his arrival at his first class as a freshman. The small but speedy second baseman couldn't quite cross the threshold into the classroom -- not yet.His father, Richard, was in the midst of negotiating Jemile's value with the Milwaukee Brewers. Once his son actually stepped into class, all deals were off.
Jemile Weeks shined during his first trip to the NCAA tournament in 2006.
Weeks' cell phone rang. It was his dad, with an update.
"I said, 'Well, Jemile, they went from 850 [thousand] to 855,'" Richard Weeks recalled. "It's not moving where we want.'"
"Well, should I go to class?" Jemile asked.
"No, not yet, not yet," Richard said. "We're still at the table. I'll call you back."
Jemile Weeks, who was drafted out of high school by Milwaukee in the eighth round, likely would have gone had the Brewers upped the ante to $1 million.
Instead, he went to class.
At 18, Jemile turned down mega money and the opportunity to join his older brother, Rickie Weeks, who is currently the Brewers' second baseman. Skipping college for a lucrative baseball contract is a decision many elite high school baseball players make, but for Weeks, the favorable odds of winning a College World Series at Miami and time to further develop as a player outweighed Milwaukee's offer and the chance to play with his brother.
"My family, they knew I was going to make the right decision, whichever decision I made," Weeks said. "My brother told me I've got two great choices in front of me. Do what you feel is best."
Now, with Weeks in the lineup as a junior, the No. 6-ranked Hurricanes (13-2, 5-1 ACC) have a legitimate shot to return to Omaha and win it all. For Weeks, who intends to pursue his major league dream again after this season, it's probably his last chance at the title.
"This year, the way we started off, if we can stay consistent, I think this team can go real far and maybe win a national championship," Weeks said. "I want to be a part of that. That was one of the biggest things that influenced me to come here. … I wanted to be a part of a great team, and I thought Miami was that place."
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By choosing Miami, Jemile wound up where his brother wanted to go.
Rickie Weeks had hoped to play for the Hurricanes, but wasn't recruited by Miami. Coach Jim Morris admitted he "made a mistake," but wasn't about to make it twice.
"The first time I met Jemile, I told his dad, 'We're not messing this up again,'" Morris said with a smile. "'Let's sign this one.'"
Jemile Weeks had the chance to follow his brother Rickie into the Brewers' organization.
Weeks' teammates wondered, though, if he would ever show up.
"Before I even knew him, we came to school a couple days early, and Jemile wasn't here yet," outfielder Blake Tekotte said. "We were like, 'Hopefully he comes.'"
Weeks was still weighing his options. He was a scrappy 155 pounds coming out of Lake Brantley High School - a factor that probably caused the Brewers to pause during negotiations. But Weeks also knew he had room to grow. He turned to his brother, who played at Southern University and was drafted in 2003, for advice.
"You try to give him the pros and cons of it," said Rickie Weeks, who was in the minors at the time. "I told him if you were to come out, you'd have some money in your pocket and you'd be able to start your career off early, being a young guy, try to work your way up. Then again, going to college, you have some experience under your belt, getting older, mature, stronger, which is only going to help you out in the long run."
After a few prayers (his mother, Valeria, is a pastor at a church in Orlando) and some more thinking, Jemile arrived at Miami. Milwaukee's unwillingness to budge financially made the decision final.
"The day before school started I see him rolling up at night," Tekotte said. "I was like, 'Oh, thank God.'"
They've been roommates ever since.
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Weeks wasted no time showcasing why more pro scouts were looking at him than college recruiters. As a freshman in the College World Series, Weeks had a .308 average and scored three runs. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Lincoln Regional for hitting .583 (7-for-120) with eight runs, four doubles, three walks and four RBIs. And in the Oxford Super Regional, Weeks hit .500 with three home runs, eight RBIs, five runs and two intentional walks.
"He lit it up when it counted," Morris said. "He's shown us what he can do."
Weeks' career was derailed last season, though, with a hamstring/groin injury that kept him out for 11 games. The Hurricanes missed the quickest bat in their lineup.
Draft eligible this year, this season could be Jemile Weeks' last chance to win a CWS title.
"It's hard to replace a guy like that in the 2-hole," outfielder/pitcher Dennis Raben said. "He's got speed, power, he gets on base. He plays great defense. It's hard to replace anyone like that, but especially him. He's like a sparkplug in the lineup."
Weeks took off the whole summer and turned down a spot on the U.S. National team to rehab.
"It built my desire back so much to come out here and just give it all this season, give it all I got," he said. "You never know when it's done."
According to Morris, it might just be the beginning for Weeks, who is batting .345 and already has 10 hits, seven RBIs and two home runs in seven games.
"We're expecting him, to be honest, to be even better than his freshman year," Morris said. "It's two years later, he matured, is getting stronger. I'm expecting really good things."
So are his teammates.
"He's fast and he's got some explosiveness for being a little guy," Tekotte said. "It's huge having him healthy and having his legs healthy under him. He's going to be a huge part of our success early this season."
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No doubt his entire family will be watching -- and listening.
The elderly blind man who sits in the stands next to Richard Weeks at Mark Light Stadium is the patriarch of baseball in the Weeks family. Victor Weeks, Jemile's grandfather, was an outfielder for the Negro League's Newark Eagles in the late 1940s. Last Christmas, Jemile and his brother unwrapped books on the history of the Negro League.
"He's a real inspiration to me," Jemile said. "Just having that in your background, and understanding and listening to the stories, it inspires you even more."
For more than 30 years, Jemile's grandfather has been able to see only shadows because of his severe glaucoma, but that hasn't stopped him from following every pitch. Even when Victor can't make it to the games, Richard gives him the play-by-play from his cell phone.
"Strike 3," he said while on the phone during the series opener against Florida. "Changeup, inside corner."
Richard Weeks played, too, as an outfielder at Seton Hall and Stetson. He taught his sons the game early, and would throw them batting practice in their house with a balled-up sock.
"Baseball has been around me all my life," Jemile said.
"He was born for it," his father said.
There's always still the possibility he winds up playing with his brother again.
"I hope one day we do," Rickie Weeks said.
It's just not time to leave the classroom -- yet.
Labels: article, jemile weeks
Article on Brewers Scouting Director, Jack Zduriencik
Jim Seimas, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Jack Zduriencik, 57, rattles off names with excitement, like he's a youngster flipping through his collection of baseball cards: "Paul Snyder, Huey Alexander, Howard Haak, George Genovese, Larry Doughty ..."
All five men are a part of a predominantly unknown but important fraternity -- they are or were baseball scouts, the behind-the-scenes men who help assemble the talent fans see in Major League Baseball.
"A lot of those guys are past now, but they are legends in the scout world," said Zduriencik, the Milwaukee Brewers' special assistant to the general manager for player personnel. "There are a lot of good scouts in this industry. And there's a lot of good scouts who have passed away who left their mark on baseball."
Zduriencik, who has held a front office job with the Brewers the past eight years, is now in his 25th year of scouting. And he's one of the game's greats.Last year, Baseball America magazine named him the Major League Executive of the Year, marking the first time the publication has given the award to a non-GM. Zduriencik is one of dozens of scouts in Los Angeles this week to scout talent at the 16-team National Classic, which features five of the nation's top-25 ranked teams by Baseball America, as well as local powerhouse Aptos High.
Zduriencik, his balding head cleanly shaven, looks like a regular fan at the National Classic. He's decked out in a Hawaiian shirt, blue jeans and running shoes. He chews tobacco as he exchanges tales with a swarm of coaches from Seminole Ridge High in Florida, a state he recently visited while on a scouting excursion. He doesn't carry a radar gun, but he's got a Blackberry, and it seemingly never stops ringing. Once it's his wife, other times its other Brewers area scouts giving him updates and clarifying their schedules.
Zduriencik will see dozens of games over a four-day span here. Zduriencik doesn't need to comb through a media guide to know which players he wants to see. When he watches Aptos play, he already knows about pitcher/infielder Kevin Eichhorn, speedy center fielder Bobby Crocker and several other stars on other teams -- he saw them at the Area Code Games in Southern California last summer. Or maybe at another showcase, like the AFLAC All-American Game.
Zduriencik was an international scout with the Los Angels Dodgers and now works as a national scout, flying all over the country.
"I was in Atlanta over the weekend, in Tennessee prior to that, Florida prior to that," he said.
One of his many duties is to coordinate schedules with his regional scouts. Regional scouts mostly drive and they rack up anywhere from 25,000-35,000 miles a year attending high school and college games.
He was once one of them, and is also a former minor league player and high school and college coach. Most scouts have a baseball background. Their pay is based off their experience level, and scouting salaries start around $35,000 and can reach six figures. Zduriencik is now a higher-level guy.
The National Classic is being staged at four ballparks, and Zduriencik will visit them all in one day and repeat this trend for the entire tournament. There are plenty of pro prospects to see. Orange Lutheran pitcher Garrit Cole, an AFLAC All-American pitcher who throws in the high 90-mph range, is among those competing in the event. He's projected to be a first-round pick.
"I started at 8:30 a.m. and I'll probably get back to the hotel at 10:30 p.m.," he said. This is a daily ritual, and after the tournament he'll head off to another and repeat the cycle.
And on the rare occurrence he makes it back home to Milwaukee to be with his family, he'll bring his work home with him. It's a job that keeps him busy nearly year-round. "I have a very understanding wife, Debbie," said Zduriencik, who has been married 25 years. "She's tremendous. She understands what the job is all about and when we got married she knew I was a baseball guy.
"But she's a baseball fan, When she sits in Miller Park [in Milwaukee] and the players run on the field, she realizes her husband had some responsibility for these guys. It's kind of exciting for her as well."
The Brewers are on the rise, and look to be contenders for the National League Central Division title. Zduriencik and his scouts are a key factor in the Brewers' rise. They helped single out the players who display big-league potential. Just look at the Brewers' youth-laden roster of stars: outfielder Corey Hart [11th round of 2000], shortstop J.J. Hardy [second round of 2001], first baseman Prince Fielder [first round of 2002], second baseman Rickie Weeks [first round of 2003], budding ace Yovani Gallardo [second round of 2004] and third baseman Ryan Braun [first round of 2005].
The goal is to single out and evaluate talent as much and often as possible. And the wear and tear it puts on the body is fierce, Zduriencik said. "When I get home I'm excited, but I'm also very tired," he said. Sometimes sleep is compromised. Other times, it's a healthy diet that falls by the wayside.
"You have to be careful, and quite honestly most of us aren't," he said. "We get absorbed in this thing and it's kind of addicting. You want to see and get to the next player and see as many players as you can. When the day is said and done, you have to be smart on how you do things."
Zduriencik comes and goes from his perch along the first base line while the Mariners play. Few scouts often stay for the duration of a game -- there's too many games and players to see.
They fill out charts on specific players and document their skills based on the positions they play.
"Players are what they are," he said. "Just because a guy is 6-foot-5, doesn't mean he's going to be better than a guy whose 5-11. Players are players and all you're asking them to do is go out and show what they can do. Whatever their skill sets are regarding the positions they play, it's our job to project how they're going to be major leaguers down the road somewhere."
Evaluating high school and college players is a different process, he said. "When you look at these kids, you have to realize they're an unfinished product. It's not like looking at a kid whose in his third or fourth year of college. When you look at a high school kid, there's more room to project because, chances are, three, four, five years from now he's going to be considerably larger than at this time."
Scouts usually band together at games. When looking at pitchers, most are perched behind home plate with radar guns in hand. But a pitcher's velocity is one of many things scouts are looking at.
"Size is important, arm action, velocity ..." Zduriencik said, trying to play down the velocity thing. "As youngsters, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine were registering at 93 mph. They became great big league players because they had a breaking ball. They had great command, learned how to spot things, stayed healthy ... What is pitching? Pitching is upsetting hitting. If a pitcher has other things he can do to upset timing, that's very important."
On position players, scouts look at size, arm strength, fielding ability, and quickness he said. They're also looking for guys who can swing the bat. But they always don't get big results when checking out highly-rated prospects. "If a guy strikes out three times, what does that mean?" Zduriencik said. "He's a bad player? No, he had a bad day. So you go back to your area scout and he may tell you [later on] that he's going off like crazy."
A team will try and get as many looks at the same player as it can leading up to the June draft.
Often, scouts from rival organizations are at the same events. While they band together at games and socialize with each other, they never mention who they're looking at or what they think of a player.
It's like the movie "Fight Club." First rule of scouting -- never mention who you scouting.
"I'm not going to talk about players," Zduriencik said. "We all do what we can to get the edge and beat the other guy. That's what it is, a very friendly, competitive natured business, if you will."
And Zduriencik is one of the best at it in the game.
Labels: Zduriencik
New Approach
Also, I am a huge fan of collecting Milwaukee Brewers & Milwaukee Braves memorabilia. I also dabble in Penn State, Wisconsin, Marquette, and Green Bay Packers items as well. I think I'm going to start cataloging it and will post pictures of what I've acquired over the years on here as well. It'll be my way of keeping track of what I've got.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Thanks a lot, Favre...
HR,
rough day...funny how you can just take #4 for granted, but i guess we're in mr rodgers neighborhood now. yippee! i don't think that i've ever been in this sitution before: looking more forward to the next BREWERS season that i am the PACKERS! yikes.
you know what, though, i hate packers season ticket holders anyway. you can take all the tradition and shove it up every season ticket holders a$$. just because i'm not some in-bred green bay hillybilly who's family never left the city limits should not relegate me to putting my name down on the "waiting list" in hopes that my kid's kids will get the tickets. f'off. all of you.
sorry for the off-tangent rant. i've said my peace. have a nice day.
bt
Frankly, that is one wierd response, but after re-reading it - it's pretty much dead on with how I feel too. Sigh.
Monday, February 18, 2008
MLBTradeRumors.com
Friday, February 15, 2008
The latest approved video
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Us poor Irish fans...
Saturday, February 09, 2008
"Screamin' A. Smith" has a blog, seriously.
Here's his blog: Stephen A Smith's 'My Blog"
If you've got some time to kill, I'd suggest reading the comments section in his very first post. Granted, I don't care for the guy, but the comments seemed to get a wee bit out of hand even for my liking.
Mike Cameron signing
Here's a conversation I had with a friend of mine:
Dave: Really, were moving Bill Hall again? Although I do like him at third. but what's the point in signing an over the hill Cameron for one year - is this really the solution??? Don't know how I feel about this, I have a feeling one year from now the entire left side will shift again.
Hot Rod: Ok, here's my thinking.... there wasn't much he could do. The only other option Melvin really could have done was to wait out the Santana / Bedard / Joe Blanton sweepstakes (why those trades are taking forever is another rant) and trade 1 or 2 or the excess starting pitchers he has now -- Capuano, Bush, or Vargas for either a 3B that uses an actual glove, or a LF that actually takes a walk. But since the dominos are taking forever to fall in place for some reason, Melvin had to look elsewhere since time was a factor - ultimately he had to tell Braun which position he would suck at defensively in 2008 so he could try and maybe figure out how to use a glove a little better....
I think signing Cameron was okay, especially since it's only a 1 yr deal w/a club option for '09 - but it depends on how much the deal is worth. I sure as h#ll hope it's not Gagne-esque $10M money, hopefully around $6M. The big loser is Bill Hall. What, are they planning on having him play a different position every year? SS? Check. CF? check. 3B? check. Utility? Check. While Hall made big strides defensively w/the glove in CF last year, Cameron has 3 Gold Gloves and is much better. If Hall is even league avg @ 3B defensively, it'll be a huge defensive upgrade.
Cameron in CF > Hall in CF
Hall @ 3B > Braun @ 3B
Braun in LF > signing Luis Gonzalez
There are gonna be a lotta strikeouts in that lineup next year, but Cameron also took some walks over his career as well. So, Melvin actually upgraded the team defense dramatically while not having to trade anyone of significant value. It'll be nice to have those extra chips available come trading deadline too.
Dave: I don't think they gave braun enough time a third - he's a great athlete, much like Weeks, who's to say he couldn't improve with time. what happens when we want to bring LaPorta up next year or maybe even this year? I just think you'll see more shuffeling again next year. Your right, Hall gets screwed again.
am I an idiot but why not just move Hall over to left? Is Braun really that hopeless at third?
Your right though, its going to improve the defense, (why are we so confident Braun can play left spectacularly? maybe its that easy of a position). I'm just not doing jumping jacks over this move, but its not like we lost anything.
Hot Rod: agree w/ya - there really wasn't an easy solution to the problem. If you were to look at any advanced defensive metrics - you'll see that they all basically agree that Braun had the worst defensive year of any third baseman in the last 100 years. So even if he does improve drastically - that's a big if - that'd only get him to say, maybe league-avg if he's lucky. I think the big thing w/his D last year was his footwork which lead to a bunch of Chuck Knobcock-like throws to Fielder. In the outfield, he won't have to make as many precise throws. Plus his spead will allow him to run down a lot of balls in gaps (hopefully).
I was actually thinking the same thing as you the past couple months about getting a stopgap for the outfield to transition into Laporta, but when I actually realized just how bad Braun was last year, I sort of shifted gears. I think it's safe to say he's in the OF for the rest of his brewer career. Two options when Laporta hopefully pans out: depending on when he is ready, you could do some more shifting and make Hart your CF and leave Hall at 3B finally, or if it takes him a bit longer, Fielder may have already priced himself out of MIL w/Boras and is traded, meaning Laporta could go back to his natural position of 1B.
But yeah, moving Hall over to LF would have been fine, but I think it shows Melvin ultimately didn't / doesn't want Braun anywhere infield dirt, unless he's running the bases. My opinion....
Dave: I agree with your last thought, Melvin really has no confidence in Braun playing infield. It just seemed like he explored a lot of avenues this off-season to get him out of there. I do like hall at third - can we just leave him somewhere so he doesn't have to think about defense and he can put up his 90 RBI's
Hot Rod: Agreed!! Vinny Rottino, he is not. My only concern now is that I hope Braun doesn't fall off a cliff offensively in LF and idiots start chiming in that it's because of a defensive change that led to an offensive regression. I think that might have been some of Hall's problem last year before he hurt his ankle. And at either position, I sure don't see Braun putting up the numbers he did last year for a full season - Al Pujols, he is not either! But if he is, I sure won't complain.
Just hope this gets them over the hump and I can waste hundreds of dollars on playoff tickets this year.
Chris Berman, um, wow....!
And it gets better...
And it gets better...
And the best one of all, Emmitt Smith, thank you...
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Another Canadian, eh?
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Rolen, here we go again....
It’s obvious I don’t want Rolen at the expense of giving up potentially both Capuano AND Bill Hall, plus having the Cards not pick up any of Rolen’s $36M remaining on the 3 yr contract. Would I like to have Rolen next year in a Brewer uniform, absolutely. It’d help the 2008 defense by moving Braun to LF. It’d probably be a swing of 2-3 games w/o looking it up. But what happens if Rolen goes down, who is the backup – Counsell, Dillon? I just don’t think Rolen can be counted on, which is why he’s on the block in the first place.
Looking down the road, what happens with 2007 1st round pick, Matt Laporta who is being groomed as the LF of the future? He wouldn’t have any place to play if he’s ready by the beginning of 2009. He sure isn’t going back to play first base, not w/Prince there right now. I suppose you could look to move Hart to CF and get rid of Hall for useful parts, but that’s a year away and a best case scenario presuming Laporta is able to be ready considering he still hasn’t even sniffed AA-ball yet.
I think the best case option would be to sign either A) Kenny Lofton, or B) Luis Gonzalez for a one year deal w/a team option for 2009. That way Braun gets to stay at a defensive position that is more valuable, and there’s a nice transition to Laporta either in 2009 or 2010 in left field. And if Laporta’s defense doesn’t happen to work out in LF, he could probably look to move back to his natural position, 1B, once the inevitable happens…. Prince is a Scott Boras client after all….
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Winter Meeting rumors swirling....
Potential Doug Melvin moves....
Long Absence....
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Various Tidbits
SHEETS IN WBC
As of now, Ben Sheets is on the preliminary roster for the World Baseball Classic, against GM Doug Melvin’s best wishes. While I share the same views as Melvin and do not want Sheets to play, I honestly don’t see it as much of a problem as of right now. The pre-lim roster has 60 players on it, and it must be cut in half to 30 players. It also just happens to be that the U.S. roster is deepest at pitching. With Sheets’ injury rehab causing him to perhaps not be 100% by March, I think it would be foolish to waste a spot on Sheets when another candidate could easily do just as good of a job as Ben. Look at the depth that is out there for starting pitching: Roger Clemens, Roy Halladay, Jake Peavy, Dontrell Willis, Jeremy Bonderman, Andy Pettite, Tim Hudson, Al Leiter, C.C. Sabathia. That doesn’t even include the dominant relief pitchers like Brad Lidge, Chad Cordero, Billy Wagner, and Joe Nathan.
BILL HALL TRADE RUMORS
There have also been many inquiries from teams like Boston that have tried to pry Bill Hall away from the Brewers after they acquired Corey Koskie from the Blue Jays for a bucket of balls and a bag of peanuts. With the acquisition of Koskie, that moves Hall back into the super utility role and platoon partner w/Koskie at third base. While I’m sure Melvin could get a ton for Hall on the open market, let me tell you why he won’t be going anywhere in the foreseeable future. Take a look at the current 40-man roster and tell me who could back up J.J. Hardy if he were to get injured. Would you honestly feel comfortable with Zack Sorenson as an everyday shortstop? Neither would I. Also, who’s to say Rickie Weeks will be able to stick long term at second base defensively? Hall could shift to 2B and Weeks could end up in CF down the road. The Brewers finally have depth throughout the roster, so why would you want to get rid of it now?
WASHBURN OFFER 3YEARS/21M
Despite all the comments from Doug Melvin that he had absolutely no interest in offering Jarrod Washburn a significant contract, it was finally leaked that he extended Washburn a 3-year, $21 Million contract. Let me be the first to say I’m glad Seattle offered a 4-year, $38 Million deal. Signing Washburn would have cost the Brewers their 1st Round pick in the draft as compensation, plus it would have added a huge chuck of change to the team salary. It wouldn’t have been a big problem for 2006, but when 2007 and 2008 role around, there wouldn’t have been as much money to pay others their raises – like Billy Hall – in arbitration. By using the likes of a Dave Bush in the rotation for $300K instead of a Washburn at $7M per year, it leaves the club a ton of financial flexibility in the future years.
J.J. HARDY ARTICLE
A nice article from a neutral perspective about the progress Hardy made in 2005. Hardy article
Monday, January 16, 2006
How the Mighty Have Fallen.....
The news about Bob Brainerd keeps getting better and better for me....No longer is this no talent, ass clown going to be gracing us with his presence on Brewer games, but now he has been replaced as a part-time liason at Fox 6 in Milwaukee.
That's too bad, I think I'll cry myself to sleep tonight.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Give Thanks!
Oh yeah, I'm headed back to Spring Training again!
Friday, November 18, 2005
The Rule V Draft
As of right now, the 40-Man Roster currently has the following 33 players listed.
Pitchers
46 Mike Adams
57 Jeff Bennett
52 Jose Capellan
39 Chris Capuano
49 Doug Davis
51 Kane Davis
47 Jorge De La Rosa
37 Dana Eveland
58 Gary Glover
40 Ben Hendrickson
70 Mike Jones
43 Justin Lehr
33 Wes Obermueller
55 Tomo Ohka
71 Dennis Sarfate
15 Ben Sheets
59 Derrick Turnbow
38 Matt Wise
Catchers
26 Damian Miller
21 Chad Moeller
Infielders
31 Russell Branyan
28 Prince Fielder
2 Bill Hall
7 J.J. Hardy
11 Lyle Overbay
23 Rickie Weeks
Outfielders
27 Brady Clark
8 Nelson Cruz
1 Corey Hart
5 Geoff Jenkins
10 Dave Krynzel
45 Carlos Lee
74 Brad Nelson
Among the players the Brewers need to consider for the 40-man over the next couple of days, otherwise they risk losing them in Rule 5:
UT Vinny Rottino
MR Mitch Stetter
SS Enrique Cruz
CF Tony Gwynn, Jr.
LHP Manny Parra
SP Ty Taubenheim
SP Carlos Villanueva
CF Steve Moss
C Lou Palmisano
2B Hernan Iribarren
It seems as if teams in the past have gone into the Rule V draft with an "all or nothing" approach, so I don't know if I would consider adding fringe prospects such as Taubenheim, Villanueva, Moss, Palmisano to the roster. Also, reserve outfielders also seem to stick on active rosters for an entire season more often than not. Backup outfielders have become somewhat of a Rule 5 commodity the last few years, and even if they don't make the big squad, the team that drafted either Gwynn or Moss (and especially Gwynn on name alone) could probably keep them in a cash trade. With all the young pitchers in the Brewers organization that could be Rule V eligible having arm problems, big league teams are less apt to keep younger arms around all year. I'd say it is almost a guarantee that either Gwynn will be added to the 40-man or he will be taken in the Rule V.
So, who would I protect? The lead-pipe locks are Manny Parra, Hernan Iribarren, Mitch Stetter, Enrique Cruz, and Tony Gwynn, Jr. As far as others that I might consider adding that are on the proverbial bubble would be Rottino, Taubenheim, and Villaneuva. If those five were added to the 40-man, that would leave the roster currently at 38, room for two more players to be added either through free agency or trade. It is all but certain that Jeff Cirillo and Rick Helling will be back with the club, so they would have to be added at some point. With those two added, the roster would reach its limit. I just find it hard to justify protecting prospects that are not projected to be more than reserves, i.e. Moss, Rottino, and even Cruz to some extent. As far as pitchers, Villaneuva and Taubenheim each had spectacular years statistically speaking last year, but they do not project to be much more than roster filler at this point.
So, it'll be interesting to see what GM Doug Melvin decides today as the deadline approaches for rosters to be set.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
YOUNT IN AS BENCH COACH
I just hope Nedley sure knows what he's doing by adding Yount to the staff. I hope Yount has something to offer the young players, as I don't really see his hiring as anything more than a publicity stunt. I do realize he was a coach in Arizona under Brenly before he was fired and all, but I'm hoping that the move was made to make the team better off as well as bring excitement to the club. I guess only time will tell.