Rolling Rich People Conversations - Your 2015 Milwaukee Brewers Thread

Post all your Uecker quotes, tailgating tips, Carlos Gomez GIFs and Hank the Dog gossip here.

Let's prove the doubters wrong by not finishing last in the division.

annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd we're off....

http://brewersbeat.mlblogs.com/2015/02/11/lucroy-sidelined-by-hamstring-injury/

funnily enough -- how Lucroy makes batters swing at bad pitches:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25564

Love this guy so much. He's a boring player to make the face of the franchise (too clean, too perfect), but he's so consistent and well rounded.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/12/phillies-rejected-brewers-offer-of-jonathan-broxton-for-jonathan-papelbon/

Brewers seem dead set on signing Papelbon sadly, but at least they're clinging to their prospects

they have prospects?

are we past "peak closer"?

I don't get why the don't just resign K-Rod. He's a fraction of the price; he continually comes through for the team; and he's actually younger than Papelbon. No shame in sticking with what works.

Bought tickets to this one

http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/mil/images/ticketing/y2015/im_starwarsnight_300x300.jpg

Yikes I had no idea K-Rod was seeking 10-mil for one season. If his final price is anywhere near that let's just duct tape Henderson and hope for the best

k-rod signs for two years, no terms yet

sounds like $9m guaranteed for both years (lol), presumably with incentives

Looking like $3m this year; $6m next.

This is better than Papelbon, and we didn't have to give up a prospect. It doesn't make sense to go into a year where we're contending without a closer, and this actually makes our bullpen pretty solid (K-Rod, Broxton, Smith, with wildcards Henderson and Thornberg).

@Haudricourt 1m1 minute ago
So, sorry about those initial figures I had being off. I have it confirmed that K-Rod's deal with #Brewers is for $13 million over two years

Ack :(

that's still not very terrible.

yankees signed mat gamel; hope he can avoid further doom

Poor guy. I saw him at AAA Round Rock like 5 years ago and he already seemed defeated

Tom ‏@Haudricourt
Pitching line for #Brewers No. 5 starter Jimmy Nelson in AAA game this morning: 4.1 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 4 BB, 6 K. 86 pitches.

Jesus

BTW I am loving the fact that we are flying under the radar so far. No pressure, no expectations, no nothing; best possible scenario.

Yeah, I agree. I think the team is way underrated but that doesn't hurt anything.

I don't like that Logan Schafer somehow made the roster, however.

yeah that bodes ill

Offense has been great this spring... Segura's getting on base like it's spring 13 again; Braun has bounced back, Lucroy is a machine, Davis is crushing it. But I still feel like the lack of power on the bench is gonna do us in. No excuse to have Schafer pinch hit.

jesus i take everything back

I don't think many are too excited for this given the NCAA final tonight but damn was this anticlimatic

Ha, just one game. No need to press the panic button yet, ugly as it was

Matthew Kory, BP:

Brewers starters have walked four batters in 33.2 innings, proving you don’t need bad control to be lousy at pitching.

Lucroy is a machine

Seems like he needs some oil

I'm optimistic. Bottom of the order (sans Gennett) is doing pretty well. I think Gomez and Lucroy are gonna find their groove and the pitching is going to settle in. And I'm liking what I see out of Lind. Gonna be a fun season, even if we're gonna be under .500 for much of it

it's 6 games in, everyone has batting averages like .125 or .400 or whatever

I don't expect the team to be real competitive this year; best case scenario Khrush Davis has a monster season, Braun regains his past form, and Nelson turns into Sheets 2.0, worst case...well anything's better than leading the division the whole year and then collapsing spectacularly like last year

I can forgive last season. We were contenders and even favorites for like 2/3s of it. That's much better than falling out of contention in May

:(

I think you are otm with that last post, this sucks

Obviously they're really in a prolonged slump, they haven't hit home runs and everyone seems to be on a slide at once, but I dunno, the team doesn't seem all that good. Our star player is oft-injured and hasn't really been the same since his suspension. Our other star (Lucroy) is not hitting at all. They haven't drafted any real impact players in a long time; I'm a fan of Scooter, Peralta, and Davis, but they all seem like league-average 2-3 WAR guys thus far. I dunno. The season is still young.

which oft-injured star who hasn't really been the same since his suspension are you talking about? Braun or Gomez?

I'm trying to look for West Bend Silver Linings here, but I'm just not finding many. How are all our sluggers slumping at the same time? And for so long?

Like, Jean Segura is carrying the offense. And this is the worst time for a Gomez DL stint. During our darkest hour we lose the one player who seems to be having fun.

@AdamMcCalvy
Bad combo: #Brewers are last in the Majors in home runs (three) and quality starts (two).

And the home run thing doesn't make any sense. What gypsy curse made this entire team stop hitting homers?

xpost my comment looks snarky but i wasn't trying to be! i was just curious that you only mentioned two "stars" on the Brewers (Lucroy and someone else) because i think of Gomez as a star and i think Braun's still got it as well.

He was talking about Braun, who has been a shadow of his former self since he came back. If Braun had put up his usual numbers last year, we would have made the playoffs. And even though I believe his thumb explanation, and I think he'll be better this year than he was last year, his ceiling has never seemed lower.

yeah, Gomez is our other other star, but he's hurt now, so who knows

I had no idea how bad the Braun thing was until you look at his numbers post-2012 - only 2.2 WAR since then, and his 2014 numbers are really bad even though he didn't miss all that much time. I'm concerned that he's completely fallen off a cliff since getting busted for roids (barf)

I think most of the decline is age and injury related. I think that's about the extent to which the PEDs come into play; without them he's injured more.

Some terrifying perspective. The Brewers are:

30th in runs scored (30)
30th in home runs (3)
30th in RBI (28)
T-29th in stolen bases (2)
29th in BB% (5.4%)
29th in total walks (23)
30th in ISO (.086)
27th in batting average (.217)
30th in OBP (.267)
30th in SLG% (.303)
30th (naturally) in wOBA (.253)
30th in wRC+ (58)
23rd in Fangraphs' baserunning stat (-0.7)
29th in position player fWAR (-0.5)
1st at swinging at pitches outside of the strike zone (37.6%)
T-21st at swinging at pitches inside the strike zone (63.4%)
T-3rd in swingin' away -- i.e. highest percentage of pitches swung at (49.8%)
11th in swinging strikes (9.8%)
T-2nd in errors (12)
29th in fielding percentage (.973)
24th in double plays turned (16)
T-3rd in wild pitches (7)
23rd in pitcher K/9 (7.18)
9th in pitcher HR/9 (1.04)
1st in pitcher BABIP (.325)
30th in pitchers left-on-base percentage (64.1%)
3rd in ERA (4.76)
25th in pitcher fWAR (0.5)
T-2 in runs allowed (65)
30th in run differential (-35)
2nd in opponent batting average (.280)
6th in WHIP (1.38)
3rd in opponents line drive percentage (23.1%)
1st in getting opponents to swing away (50.5%), but opponents are making contact over 80% of the time
T-5th in sac bunts (4)
T-26th (last) in sac flies (1)
28th in percentage of plate appearances with a platoon advantage (37%)
23rd in pitches seen per PA (3.72)
1st in opponents extra base hit percentage (10.1%)
1st in injuries sustained while showering

http://www.brewcrewball.com/2015/4/20/8457907/brewers-mlb-rankings-stats-2015#301008158

hah, what's the story behind that last one?

https://instagram.com/p/1s_VNeCR0C/

He's going to miss a couple days

@based_ball
out-of-zone swing rate, teams:

...
26: Diamondbacks, 32%
27: Rockies, 33%
28: Royals, 33%
29: Twins, 34%
30: Brewers, 39%

Lucroy on the DL with a broken toe...I know it's early but what a frustrating season this must be for him

This is literally the bleakest article I have ever read about the team. And to add insult to injury, it's impeccably reasoned. Arg.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-untimely-collapse-of-the-milwaukee-brewers/

yeah I read that and I really can't argue with any of it. what it really boils down to is the drafting aspect - dunno if this is standard but they've whiffed on a lot of their first rounders. they've managed to get the occasional decent dude but so many have come up at 26-27 and I don't know how many of them will be in the majors five years from now (Scooter? Davis? hopefully Nelson?)

man, this game has been nuts, 7 home runs, including 3 grand slams...most by the Reds of course

Such a fun game. And even though we got slaughtered, it felt like a victory in a sense, just to see the offense return to life a little.

Jason Rodgers' fielding is a big problem though. His error cost us four runs.

Reds lucky Lucroy is not around, that guy always hit's a ton against them.

Votto also happy Gomez not there to rob him of a home run (although he would be super human to bring back that one to center last night).

Jay Bruce seems to always hit well up in Milwaukee. I'm pretty sure he has hit at least 1 other grand slam in Milwaukee.

orlando arcia is hitting .450 (with 4 strikeouts in 13 games) for double-a biloxi. 20yo shortstop with plus-everything except power

so there's that

one thing i like about mark reynolds is that he's not afraid to strike out

a lot of players would try to adjust their swing to make better contact, but mark reynolds recognizes that striking out is just part of the game. about 32% of it

one thing i like about mark reynoldsthe brewers is that he's they're not afraid to strike out

Actually the Brewers have been showing a lot of discipline at the plate lately; yesterday they were taking pitches left and right, waiting for good ones, wearing down the starter. Smart ball, even if it's not what I'm used to from them.

Reynolds did feel like a true Brewer, though: a scruffy, two true outcomes type.

well he does remind me of Rob Deer, who is of course the greatest Brewer of all time

Holy shit, so much talent on the team right now . . . Shane Peterson

let's not get carried away

haha, I should have written "hot batters" or something

But for real: Braun, Gomez, Lucroy, Para, Lind, paired with a suddenly hot Ramirez and hot bats from Peterson and Perez (!)... it's a thing to behold, for the time being

Jungmann pitching pretty well too.

https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6RCOX_nM7xJY6dF4GLBpanGVO2E=/0x225:2000x1558/2400x1600/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46680566/GettyImages-479497282.0.jpg

?

Just a vile 24 hours. We missed a big opportunity to start our rebuild, and now the Mets have marked a perfectly healthy, highly tradeable player as damaged goods. And then the Cards pass on Lind and sign a contract that'll double their TV revenue. This game isn't fair.

you've examined Gomez, eh?

if the Indians managed to get Rob Kaminsky for Brandon ugh Moss, I imagine the ask for Lind was waaaaay more than what the Cardinals would have been willing to do

@Haudricourt
The more details I get on nixed Gomez trade, the more it sounds as if it became more financial matter than medical matter. Anyone surprised?

fp'd karl malone for using 'ask' in that fashion

@Ken_Rosenthal
#Mets also asked #Brewers about getting comp pick and/or cash in deal. MIL said no.

I'm sure Parra is still going somewhere. There's a still a possibility Gomez or Segura get traded. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Lind, though. Would love to sell high while he's hot.

So, what really happened that led to the Mets calling off the deal? A source familiar with the talks on both sides said a series of events that were actually financial, not medical, were the key factors.

That source said in initial talks, the Mets wanted the Brewers to take centerfielder Juan Lagares in the trade. The Brewers said no, in part because Lagares has an elbow issue but also because he has a four-year, $23 million contract extension that kicks in next year and they didn't want to pick up the money.

So, after further talks, it was decided that the Brewers would take Flores in addition to Wheeler, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and won't be able to pitch before next June. The source said the Mets then asked the Brewers to throw in the 2016 Competitive Balance Round B pick they were recently awarded and the Brewers said no.

The source said the Brewers then were asked to put some money in the trade to cover part of what's remaining on Gomez's contract, including a $9 million salary next year. Considering the talent level of Gomez and his reasonable contract, the Brewers understandably declined to put any cash into the deal.

It was only then, according to the source, that the Mets came back and said they were calling off the deal because of concerns over Gomez's medical records.

So, this became a financial issue in the end, which many people would say is not surprising considering the financial constraints the Mets have been operating under in recent years.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/320022541.html

interesting if true

this whole thing is so weird

really hoping Gomez, Parra, and Lind all move by the end of the week. Lohse too, though I'd gladly accept a bucket of baseballs for him at this point.

I don't understand the ins and outs of waivers, but probably the best bet is just to release Lohse in the hopes that somebody picks him up and takes on his salary, right? Obviously nobody would give us any prospects for him

so Boras seems pretty steamed. would be pretty justified if the Mets are making false claims about Gomez's health, when they are actually just being cheap.

@AdamMcCalvy
Asked whether he's hurt, Carlos Gomez said, "I don't have no problems. I'm playing, and I feel really sexy about it."

tbf boras would say water was fire if he thought he could get water a 6-year deal on the open market, but I don't necessarily buy the mets' line either xp

Astros Agree To Acquire Carlos Gomez, Mike Fiers

seems like a decent haul. phillips is good, santana has been killing the ball this year

all 4 of these guys, minus maybe the reliever, could be in the majors in a couple years. the Astros farm system is insane.

Seems a good fit for the Brewers, who I can't imagine committing to a long rebuild. I'm guessing they're eying 2017

Also, there goes Para... nice!

@Haudricourt 1m1 minute ago
#Brewers will get Zach Davies, who is pitching for Baltimore's AAA Norfolk affiliate. Is 5-6 with 2.84 ERA in 19 games.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2015-mlb-trade-deadline-houston-astros-milwaukee-brewers-carlos-gomez-mike-fiers

Yeah I don't see them going full bottom-out rebuild like the Astros or the Nationals did, Melvin doesn't seem like that kind of GM (for better ot worse) and I think they'll have pieces to compete in 2 years. Glad we got these deals done, hopefully Lind is next. It seems like it's been forever since we had more than like one or two players in the minors to look forward to seeing.

Really excited the team is actually rebuilding, but the weight of this is starting to sink in. They've just traded 20% of their 25-man roster.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/projecting-the-prospects-in-the-carlos-gomez-trade

:)

melvin moving to 'advisory role'

was expecting him to be canned at the end of the season so this is no real surprise, still, who's on the GM market?

congrats Braun! 252! most in franchise history.

nah, fuck that guy

I feel like we should have sold Lucroy. Especially watching him the last few weeks. His values was never going to be higher.

Nice story:

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/148128306/nevin-ashley-promoted-by-milwaukee-brewers

Ken Rosenthal ✔ @Ken_Rosenthal
Sources: #Brewers receive permission to interview #Athletics asst GM Dan Kantrovitz for their GM opening, sources tell me and @jonmorosi.

this is very very good news for the brewers

@BillKristol
Good move by Brewers!
Brewers make Astros' David Stearns, 30, MLB's youngest GM.
es.pn/1KEeldI

rip

weirdly optimistic about this

I landed opening day tickets this year. Never been before. Excited. What should I expect?

a bad ballclub playing in a great ballpark

haha, well that I knew. I go to lots of games, I've just never been to opening day.

I've only had standing room tickets to Opening Day. Opening Day anything is a lot of fun though

Awesome. I'm gonna take off from work and do it right, I think. I managed to get four seats together which feels like a coup.

so..Hank the dog died and they tried to replace him without telling anyone? this season getting off to a rocky start already...

@BrewCrewBall
#Brewers present a notarized letter from vet saying that microchip was scanned and confirmed during a visit on March 3rd, 2016.

@BrewCrewBall
#Brewers vet: "this is definitely the real Hank." #HankGate #Hank1

@AdamMcCalvy
The COO of a multimillion dollar company is presenting proof of evidence of a dog's identity.