Brewers vice president Rick Schlesinger just told Tom Hardicourt that
11,299 fans turned out today for the team's "On Deck" fan event at the
Frontier Airlines Center.
That turnout is a record for the four-year event, surpassing the 10,600 who
attended last year.
So, the fan base does seem re-energized by the team's off-season moves, and
you could see a lot of enthusiasm during the fan interaction with players
and club officials.
"It's always nice to set a record," said Schlesinger. "It's a good start to
the year and shows that people are excited about the team. Today's event
was very well-received and we're pretty excited about it."
Monday, January 31, 2011
Week's Status
I'm never sure what to make of Weeks. I'm worried that if they don't sign him he'll have some of those monster years that the Brewers have been hoping for. They need to get this done I think.
MLB.com and JSOnline are both reporting that Weeks has imposed a deadline of the start of spring training. That gives both sides about 2.5 weeks to get 'er done.
MLB.com and JSOnline are both reporting that Weeks has imposed a deadline of the start of spring training. That gives both sides about 2.5 weeks to get 'er done.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Palms Brewer Hot Stove Email Report - Edition 5
I can plagiarize in this kind of thing right......good.
It's been a tumultuous offseason for the Brewers' farm system so far, though I'm a big fan of the trades Doug Melvin made to overhaul the starting rotation. As a result of the Greinke and Marcum swaps, the Power 15 prospect list loses its top three players and four of its top five (though Lorenzo Cain would have graduated even had he not been dealt). The upside is that Mark Rogers has finally claimed the coveted #1; As far as the system as a whole, it's obviously depleted, especially in terms of impact talent, but there's still plenty to like and dream on here--unless you like shortstops.
Palms
Ohhhhh and there is now a rumor floating around Palms Brewer Email Report that it might actually become a Blog of some sort with a website or some such similar thing.......being that I'm technically illiterate in this area, I'm not sure exactly how that will work?
Power 15
+/- Rank Name Level Pos Age B T
5 01 Rogers, Mark MLB SP 25 R R It was a long way to the top, but Rogers is finally rocking 'n' rolling as the best prospect the Brewers have to offer. He impressed in his late-season cup of coffee and will enter 2011 on the cusp of making the majors for good, though he'll probably need to spend another year building up his innings total before being considered for a full-time starting job. Stamina aside, Rogers' future may be in the bullpen anyway, but his fastball is perhaps the single best tool of any prospect in the system.
2 02 Braddock, Zach MLB MR 23 L L Despite spending over four months with the big club, Braddock pitched only 33.2 innings, well short of the 50 he'd need to graduate from the Power 50; at that rate, he'll still be eligible into June of next year. The careful handling was warranted given Braddock's injury problems, but we'll see if the Brewers take the kid gloves off next year. Braddock's value will also benefit if he can reduce his uncharacteristically high walk rate.
4 03 Peralta, Wily MLB SP 21 R R 2011 will be an interesting one for Peralta. If he can consolidate his worm-burning 2010 and his fire-balling 2009, he could become the elite starting prospect the Brewers currently lack. He would also find himself very close to a call-up, since he climbed all the way to AA last year and is on the 40-man roster.
4 04 Rivas, Amaury MLB SP 25 R R Rivas's strikeout, walk, and hit rates all went in the wrong direction in 2010, but that's to be expected from a mid-rotation prospect getting his first taste of AA. His numbers were still fine overall, and he'll be one of the first players considered should the Brewers need another starting pitcher next year. The biggest thing holding Rivas back right now is a mediocre breaking ball.
5 05 Davis, Kentrail A OF 22 L R People are down on the Brewers' position prospects, but it's no embarrassment to have Davis as the top hitter in the system. He was a highly touted player at Tennessee and is a year removed from being a supplemental first round choice. Yes, his early season results at Brevard County were lackluster and injury-plagued, but Davis hit extremely well at Wisconsin. So there you have it: pedigree and production. I wonder if, given his age and experience there last year, the Brewers skip him over BC, and also whether he'll play center field if he's not on the same team as D'Vontrey Richardson.
3 06 Heckathorn, Kyle A+ SP 22 R R Heckathorn's got a bit of the Wily Peralta thing going on: he's got a nice fastball but doesn't strike out as many hitters as you'd expect, preferring instead to get grounders. Managers in the MWL said his changeup was one of the best in the league, but scouts weren't nearly so enamored with it. As with most prospect vagaries, time will tell which group was right. Even if Heckathorn never fully harnesses his power stuff, he can be an innings-eating workhorse.
4 07 Scarpetta, Cody MLB SP 22 R R Unlike most Brewers prospects, Scarpetta is a fly-ball pitcher, but he's never really had a problem with home runs. Instead, his bugaboo is control, though he was much improved in that regard in the second half, something he attributes to a mechanical adjustment. If he can carry that through to 2011 and continue racking up the strikeouts with his big curveball, he could jump up the prospect lists.
4 08 Gindl, Caleb AA OF 22 L L He may be a "flat-footed smurf", but Gindl continues to refine his offensive game, seeing his BB/K rate improve each of his three years in full-season ball. You may have seen his lack of size start to catch up with him last year though, evidenced by his cratering power numbers. He played more center field than ever at Huntsville, but there seems to be much skepticism about whether or not he can play there long-term.
4 09 Gennett, Scooter A 2B 20 L R If you thought Gindl was small, wait'll you get a load of Gennett! The pint-sized infielder was the breakout positional player of 2010, and with the departure of Brett Lawrie, he suddenly finds himself the best keystone prospect in the organization. It's fair to wonder if such a little guy can continue putting such a big charge into the ball at the higher levels of the minors, and Gennett could stand to borrow some of Gindl's notes on how to cut down on his strikeouts and boost his walks.
5 10 Komatsu, Erik A+ OF 23 L L Bouncing back strong from the injuries that ate his 2009 season, Komatsu hit better than expected while moving left on the defensive spectrum, playing the majority of his games in center field. If Komatsu can handle center, it raises his ceiling from 4th outfielder to legitimate starter, since it doesn't appear that he has the power to start in a corner.
5 11 Thornburg, Tyler R+ SP 22 R R
"Lincecum Lite" has perhaps the second-best fastball, at least velocity-wise, of any potential starter in the system. "Potential" starter is the key, though, like it is for so many other pitchers on this list. Next year we'll get a better feel for Thornburg's secondary stuff and stamina. Reports that the Brewers' team surgeon has merged him with Kyle Heckathorn to create "Kyler Heckathornburg", a flame-throwing ground-ball machine with pinpoint control, remain unconfirmed as of press time.
6 12 Schafer, Logan A+ CF 24 L L
Schafer salvaged a bit of the 2010 season by being able to take part in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .323/.447/.323 in eight games. The stats don't really matter, but it's just nice to see that he was healthy enough to play. He's 24 and has still barely played above High-A ball, so you'd love for Schafer to see Nashville at some point this year.
4 13 Nelson, Jimmy R+ SP 21 R R Nelson has flown a bit under the radar for a second-round pick who touched 96 in his debut, but I guess that's what a Jeff Suppan comp will do to a guy's reputation. The Brewers played it cautious with Nelson in 2010, so it will be nice to see what the big righty can do once he's allowed to start and use his whole repertoire.
6 14 Dykstra, Cutter A 3B 21 R R Cutter made strides in 2010 toward proving that he wasn't another bad Dykstra investment, but he's already failed at two positions and didn't impress anyone at third base either. Who knows where his future lies defensively, but as long as he keeps getting on base, he'll be okay.
1 15 Green, Taylor AA 3B 24 L R We've given Green a pretty long leash, but his strong 2007 & 2008 seasons are now pretty far in the rear-view mirror. Some guys never come all the way back from wrist injuries; we hope Green's not one of them
It's been a tumultuous offseason for the Brewers' farm system so far, though I'm a big fan of the trades Doug Melvin made to overhaul the starting rotation. As a result of the Greinke and Marcum swaps, the Power 15 prospect list loses its top three players and four of its top five (though Lorenzo Cain would have graduated even had he not been dealt). The upside is that Mark Rogers has finally claimed the coveted #1; As far as the system as a whole, it's obviously depleted, especially in terms of impact talent, but there's still plenty to like and dream on here--unless you like shortstops.
Palms
Ohhhhh and there is now a rumor floating around Palms Brewer Email Report that it might actually become a Blog of some sort with a website or some such similar thing.......being that I'm technically illiterate in this area, I'm not sure exactly how that will work?
Power 15
+/- Rank Name Level Pos Age B T
5 01 Rogers, Mark MLB SP 25 R R It was a long way to the top, but Rogers is finally rocking 'n' rolling as the best prospect the Brewers have to offer. He impressed in his late-season cup of coffee and will enter 2011 on the cusp of making the majors for good, though he'll probably need to spend another year building up his innings total before being considered for a full-time starting job. Stamina aside, Rogers' future may be in the bullpen anyway, but his fastball is perhaps the single best tool of any prospect in the system.
2 02 Braddock, Zach MLB MR 23 L L Despite spending over four months with the big club, Braddock pitched only 33.2 innings, well short of the 50 he'd need to graduate from the Power 50; at that rate, he'll still be eligible into June of next year. The careful handling was warranted given Braddock's injury problems, but we'll see if the Brewers take the kid gloves off next year. Braddock's value will also benefit if he can reduce his uncharacteristically high walk rate.
4 03 Peralta, Wily MLB SP 21 R R 2011 will be an interesting one for Peralta. If he can consolidate his worm-burning 2010 and his fire-balling 2009, he could become the elite starting prospect the Brewers currently lack. He would also find himself very close to a call-up, since he climbed all the way to AA last year and is on the 40-man roster.
4 04 Rivas, Amaury MLB SP 25 R R Rivas's strikeout, walk, and hit rates all went in the wrong direction in 2010, but that's to be expected from a mid-rotation prospect getting his first taste of AA. His numbers were still fine overall, and he'll be one of the first players considered should the Brewers need another starting pitcher next year. The biggest thing holding Rivas back right now is a mediocre breaking ball.
5 05 Davis, Kentrail A OF 22 L R People are down on the Brewers' position prospects, but it's no embarrassment to have Davis as the top hitter in the system. He was a highly touted player at Tennessee and is a year removed from being a supplemental first round choice. Yes, his early season results at Brevard County were lackluster and injury-plagued, but Davis hit extremely well at Wisconsin. So there you have it: pedigree and production. I wonder if, given his age and experience there last year, the Brewers skip him over BC, and also whether he'll play center field if he's not on the same team as D'Vontrey Richardson.
3 06 Heckathorn, Kyle A+ SP 22 R R Heckathorn's got a bit of the Wily Peralta thing going on: he's got a nice fastball but doesn't strike out as many hitters as you'd expect, preferring instead to get grounders. Managers in the MWL said his changeup was one of the best in the league, but scouts weren't nearly so enamored with it. As with most prospect vagaries, time will tell which group was right. Even if Heckathorn never fully harnesses his power stuff, he can be an innings-eating workhorse.
4 07 Scarpetta, Cody MLB SP 22 R R Unlike most Brewers prospects, Scarpetta is a fly-ball pitcher, but he's never really had a problem with home runs. Instead, his bugaboo is control, though he was much improved in that regard in the second half, something he attributes to a mechanical adjustment. If he can carry that through to 2011 and continue racking up the strikeouts with his big curveball, he could jump up the prospect lists.
4 08 Gindl, Caleb AA OF 22 L L He may be a "flat-footed smurf", but Gindl continues to refine his offensive game, seeing his BB/K rate improve each of his three years in full-season ball. You may have seen his lack of size start to catch up with him last year though, evidenced by his cratering power numbers. He played more center field than ever at Huntsville, but there seems to be much skepticism about whether or not he can play there long-term.
4 09 Gennett, Scooter A 2B 20 L R If you thought Gindl was small, wait'll you get a load of Gennett! The pint-sized infielder was the breakout positional player of 2010, and with the departure of Brett Lawrie, he suddenly finds himself the best keystone prospect in the organization. It's fair to wonder if such a little guy can continue putting such a big charge into the ball at the higher levels of the minors, and Gennett could stand to borrow some of Gindl's notes on how to cut down on his strikeouts and boost his walks.
5 10 Komatsu, Erik A+ OF 23 L L Bouncing back strong from the injuries that ate his 2009 season, Komatsu hit better than expected while moving left on the defensive spectrum, playing the majority of his games in center field. If Komatsu can handle center, it raises his ceiling from 4th outfielder to legitimate starter, since it doesn't appear that he has the power to start in a corner.
5 11 Thornburg, Tyler R+ SP 22 R R
"Lincecum Lite" has perhaps the second-best fastball, at least velocity-wise, of any potential starter in the system. "Potential" starter is the key, though, like it is for so many other pitchers on this list. Next year we'll get a better feel for Thornburg's secondary stuff and stamina. Reports that the Brewers' team surgeon has merged him with Kyle Heckathorn to create "Kyler Heckathornburg", a flame-throwing ground-ball machine with pinpoint control, remain unconfirmed as of press time.
6 12 Schafer, Logan A+ CF 24 L L
Schafer salvaged a bit of the 2010 season by being able to take part in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .323/.447/.323 in eight games. The stats don't really matter, but it's just nice to see that he was healthy enough to play. He's 24 and has still barely played above High-A ball, so you'd love for Schafer to see Nashville at some point this year.
4 13 Nelson, Jimmy R+ SP 21 R R Nelson has flown a bit under the radar for a second-round pick who touched 96 in his debut, but I guess that's what a Jeff Suppan comp will do to a guy's reputation. The Brewers played it cautious with Nelson in 2010, so it will be nice to see what the big righty can do once he's allowed to start and use his whole repertoire.
6 14 Dykstra, Cutter A 3B 21 R R Cutter made strides in 2010 toward proving that he wasn't another bad Dykstra investment, but he's already failed at two positions and didn't impress anyone at third base either. Who knows where his future lies defensively, but as long as he keeps getting on base, he'll be okay.
1 15 Green, Taylor AA 3B 24 L R We've given Green a pretty long leash, but his strong 2007 & 2008 seasons are now pretty far in the rear-view mirror. Some guys never come all the way back from wrist injuries; we hope Green's not one of them
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