Right-hander has experience as both starter and reliever
By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com | 03/25/11 11:18 AM ET
Brewers added a versatile pitcher to their staff and the Yankees eliminated one from their starting-pitcher competition on Friday, when New York sent right-hander Sergio Mitre to Milwaukee for outfielder Chris Dickerson.
Mitre, 13-29 with a career 5.27 ERA, would give Milwaukee an experienced hand as a starter or reliever. He has pitched in 117 Major League games, 64 of them as a starter.
The Brewers added right-handers Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum to their starting rotation during the offseason, but Greinke will be sidelined for part of April due to an offseason rib injury and Marcum has experienced shoulder stiffness. In adddition, Mark Rogers and Manny Parra have also experienced aches and pains this spring.
Roenicke on Brewers' injuriesThe right-hander, who was originally selected by the Cubs in the seventh round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, has pitched for three teams over parts of seven seasons. He was 4-10 with a 6.12 ERA in three seasons as a Cub and 6-13 with a 4.88 ERA in two years with the Marlins. The 30-year-old was 3-6 with a 5.03 ERA in 29 games over the past two seasons for the Yankees.
Dickerson, 28, was acquired by Milwaukee from the Reds on Aug. 9 for outfielder Jim Edmonds. Dickerson, who spent parts of three seasons with Cincinnati, batted .208 with five RBIs in 25 games with the Brewers. He was hitting .278 (10-for-36) with five RBIs in 17 Spring Training games.
He played in a career-high 97 games in 2009, batting .275 and stealing 11 bases.
Mitre had been in competition for the fifth spot in the Yankees' rotation, or as a long reliever, but he seemingly had fallen out of the race earlier this month, allowing seven runs in 11 innings for a 5.73 ERA. His departure could allow the Yankees to carry Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia as a long reliever.
The Yankees appear ready to open the season with CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett and Ivan Nova in their rotation. Colon or Garcia is expected to be the fifth starter, with the other going to the bullpen.
New York reportedly signed veteran right-hander Kevin Millwood early Friday, adding another pitcher to the mix.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
eric Estrada has rotation-worthy outing
I mean.....come on.....the guy was a star on CHiPs right?
Fighting for fifth-starter slot, righty holds Padres scoreless
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | 03/22/11 6:47 PM ET
PHOENIX -- Minor League right-hander Marco Estrada made a strong bid for a spot in Milwaukee's April pitching rotation, and the Brewers' offense continued to click in a 7-0 win over the Padres on Tuesday at Maryvale Baseball Park.
The Brewers entered the day with the best Spring Training batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in the Major Leagues and backed up those numbers by knocking around San Diego starter Clayton Richard. The Padres No. 2 starter allowed seven earned runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings, in what was his next-to-last spring start.
"He was just a little erratic at times with his fastball command," Padres manager Bud Black said of Richard. "We like that he got to 80 pitches. He feels good and used all of his pitches today."
Estrada, one of the players bidding to fill-in for injured Brewers ace Zack Greinke, looked much sharper. He allowed no runs and only three hits -- all singles -- in 4 1/3 innings, with four strikeouts and one walk.
The 27-year-old Estrada, who pitched briefly for the Brewers last season, is among a handful of internal candidates to make April starts in place of Greinke, who will begin the regular season on the disabled list with a cracked rib.
He'd rather not think about that competition.
"I'm trying not to, too much," Estrada said. "I'm trying to go out and do all of my lifts, throw the ball, stay in shape, keep my head down and work hard. If it happens, great. I'll be the happiest guy in the world. If it doesn't, I'll keep busting my butt and get up there eventually."
The Brewers need a fifth starter on April 6, and then again April 16 and 26 if Greinke remains sidelined.
Estrada is not even a member of big-league camp, but started Tuesday's "A" game against the Padres in place of 21-year-old prospect Wily Peralta, who recorded only one out against the Rockies last week and was shifted to a Minor League game instead.
"It felt great, especially being able to start over there. That's what I love to do," said Estrada, who had already returned to the club's Minor League complex by the time reporters tracked him down. "I felt good out there. I felt confident and I threw strikes."
Manager Ron Roenicke will confer with pitching coach Rick Kranitz before finalizing the rotation for the final week of Spring Training, but guessed that Estrada will get another "A" game start.
"[Kranitz] liked the way he pitched," Roenicke said. "His changeup was good, he had nice movement on his fastball and he threw some breaking balls that were pretty nice, too. We know he throws strikes. That's what he did for [the Brewers] last year. We know he has experience with a couple of games, so he shouldn't freak out."
As for picking Greinke's replacement, Roenicke said of Estrada, "He's definitely a possibility."
Erick Almonte started at first base in place of an ill Prince Fielder and drove in two runs for the Brewers, who also got RBIs from starters Rickie Weeks, Mark Kotsay, Yuniesky Betancourt and George Kottaras. Ryan Braun and Kottaras each scored two runs, and Kottaras had three hits, including a triple.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Cueto to miss start of season
Misery loves company.....hat tip AP.
Johnny Cueto to miss start of season
Cueto
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- A sore right elbow and shoulder will sideline Cincinnati Reds starter Johnny Cueto for the start of the season.
Cueto flew back to Cincinnati and had an MRI that found inflammation in the shoulder. He had to leave his last two spring training starts because of soreness. Doctors have advised him not to throw for at least a week.
The Reds plan to leave him behind to work out in Arizona when they head north to start the season against Milwaukee on March 31.
The injury forces manager Dusty Baker to change his rotation. He's now planning to go with Edinson Volquez, Homer Bailey, Bronson Arroyo, Travis Wood and Mike Leake.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Marcum experiences tight shoulder
Come on already!!
Righty doesn't believe it's serious, but Brewers will be cautious
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | 03/17/11 6:55 PM ET
Right-hander Shaun Marcum exited his outstanding start against the White Sox on Thursday after only three innings and complained of a tight shoulder. It's an issue that would usually be considered minor if so many of his teammates were not dealing with their own medical matters.
"It's frustrating. We're this far along, we've got two weeks left [until Opening Day] and it seems like everybody is going down," Marcum said. "I want to be one of the guys who stays healthy and is able to play when it's my time.
"Then again, it is Spring Training. I'd rather miss two weeks of Spring Training than two months of the season. That's the way I'm looking at it right now."
There's definitely concern there," manager Ron Roenicke said. "Geez, we're in a tough spot if he's down for a while."
Marcum, added in a December trade with the Blue Jays as part of Milwaukee's starting rotation makeover, has been dealing with periodic bouts of shoulder tightness all spring, and reported a stiff neck in recent days, Roenicke said.
But Marcum felt fine during his first two innings of work against the White Sox. He allowed his only hit to Alexei Ramirez leading off the third inning when Brewers left fielder Mark Kotsay lost a fly ball in the sun, then retired the next three hitters in order.
Somewhere between the second and third innings, Marcum's shoulder began to tighten. After a chat with head athletic trainer Roger Caplinger, Marcum left the game.
"We don't want to push it and take a chance of doing something stupid," Marcum said. "It's been a battle all spring." It's been a battle in the past as well. Marcum underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2008 and missed all of 2009. He bounced back in 2010 with the Jays, going 13-8 with a 3.64 ERA in 31 starts and 195 1/3 innings.
He offered this bit of perspective about his early exit:
"If it's the regular season, especially August, September, I'm pitching through it and not saying a word," he said.
It has been a tough first four weeks of Spring Training for Milwaukee's medical staff, which has treated possible Opening Day starter Greinke for a cracked rib, catcher Jonathan Lucroy for a fractured finger, center fielder Carlos Gomez and reliever Manny Parra for stiff backs, right fielder Corey Hart and left fielder Ryan Braun for rib-cage strains, second baseman Rickie Weeks for a tight groin, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt for a sore quadriceps and reliever Takashi Saito for a tight hip and hamstring. They also nursed closer John Axford back from food poisoning and have been closely monitoring LaTroy Hawkins as he makes his way back from shoulder surgery.
That's not even the full injury report, but merely the list of players originally penciled into the Opening Day roster. All have either exited a Cactus League game early, had an outing pushed back or missed a game or more entirely.
Marcum is holding out hope that his absence will be short.
"This may be one of those things where we take a day off or two of throwing and get the tightness out of there," Marcum said, "then pick back up right where we left off and get ready for April 2."
Righty doesn't believe it's serious, but Brewers will be cautious
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | 03/17/11 6:55 PM ET
Right-hander Shaun Marcum exited his outstanding start against the White Sox on Thursday after only three innings and complained of a tight shoulder. It's an issue that would usually be considered minor if so many of his teammates were not dealing with their own medical matters.
"It's frustrating. We're this far along, we've got two weeks left [until Opening Day] and it seems like everybody is going down," Marcum said. "I want to be one of the guys who stays healthy and is able to play when it's my time.
"Then again, it is Spring Training. I'd rather miss two weeks of Spring Training than two months of the season. That's the way I'm looking at it right now."
There's definitely concern there," manager Ron Roenicke said. "Geez, we're in a tough spot if he's down for a while."
Marcum, added in a December trade with the Blue Jays as part of Milwaukee's starting rotation makeover, has been dealing with periodic bouts of shoulder tightness all spring, and reported a stiff neck in recent days, Roenicke said.
But Marcum felt fine during his first two innings of work against the White Sox. He allowed his only hit to Alexei Ramirez leading off the third inning when Brewers left fielder Mark Kotsay lost a fly ball in the sun, then retired the next three hitters in order.
Somewhere between the second and third innings, Marcum's shoulder began to tighten. After a chat with head athletic trainer Roger Caplinger, Marcum left the game.
"We don't want to push it and take a chance of doing something stupid," Marcum said. "It's been a battle all spring." It's been a battle in the past as well. Marcum underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2008 and missed all of 2009. He bounced back in 2010 with the Jays, going 13-8 with a 3.64 ERA in 31 starts and 195 1/3 innings.
He offered this bit of perspective about his early exit:
"If it's the regular season, especially August, September, I'm pitching through it and not saying a word," he said.
It has been a tough first four weeks of Spring Training for Milwaukee's medical staff, which has treated possible Opening Day starter Greinke for a cracked rib, catcher Jonathan Lucroy for a fractured finger, center fielder Carlos Gomez and reliever Manny Parra for stiff backs, right fielder Corey Hart and left fielder Ryan Braun for rib-cage strains, second baseman Rickie Weeks for a tight groin, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt for a sore quadriceps and reliever Takashi Saito for a tight hip and hamstring. They also nursed closer John Axford back from food poisoning and have been closely monitoring LaTroy Hawkins as he makes his way back from shoulder surgery.
That's not even the full injury report, but merely the list of players originally penciled into the Opening Day roster. All have either exited a Cactus League game early, had an outing pushed back or missed a game or more entirely.
Marcum is holding out hope that his absence will be short.
"This may be one of those things where we take a day off or two of throwing and get the tightness out of there," Marcum said, "then pick back up right where we left off and get ready for April 2."
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Injuries taking their toll on Brewers
Egg - rush these guys some Polish Medicine!
Randy Wolf allowed three runs on seven hits in four innings against the Giants, but was pleased that he didn't walk a batter.
Dickerson, Schafer are latest casualties
print By the Journal Sentinel
March 14, 2011 |(1) Comments
Related Coverage
Notes: Injuries taking their toll
Camp report: Monday at a glance
Box score: Brewers 12, Giants 8
Position-by-Position
Catcher | Numbers
First base | Numbers
Second base | Numbers
Third base | Numbers
Shortstop | Numbers
Left field | Numbers
Center field | Numbers
Right field | Numbers
Starting pitching | Numbers
Relief pitching | Numbers
Bench | Numbers
Spring Training Maps
Interactive map of Arizona spring training locations.
• Florida spring training map
Scottsdale, Ariz. — The springtime injuries keep piling up for the Brewers.
"I'm afraid to walk to my car," left-handed pitcher Randy Wolf said.
Monday against the Giants, two more Brewers were hurt: outfielders Logan Schafer (thumb) and Chris Dickerson (intercostal muscle).
Dickerson's injury initially looked awful. In the fourth, he violently collided on the base path with huge Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Both went down and took some time to get up. Sandoval stayed in the game, but Dickerson had to leave.
"Thank God Sandoval lost 30 pounds or that might have been a decapitation," Wolf said. "I thought he dislocated his shoulder. It sounded bad."
Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said he thought Dickerson would be OK, but the manager sounded unsure about the status of Schafer, who hurt his thumb sliding into Miguel Tejada's shoe. X-rays are scheduled.
Both joined a long, long list of Brewers who have been banged up this spring. Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt (quad) and centerfielder Carlos Gomez (back stiffness) were withheld against the Giants for precautionary reasons, but Roenicke was optimistic they would play again soon. Ryan Braun (intercostal) played Monday and was excused after two planned at-bats.
Still, the sight of players going down every day is wearing on the skipper.
"Yes, it is," he said. "I'm used to injuries, but we just keep having them all the time. It's bothersome.
"Corey (Hart) is progressing. (Jonathan) Lucroy looks really good. That's great. (Zack) Greinke is coming around fine. But the more we keep playing, the more they see guys going down all the time. It's like I don't want to put on signs because I don't want to get anybody hurt."
Randy Wolf allowed three runs on seven hits in four innings against the Giants, but was pleased that he didn't walk a batter.
Dickerson, Schafer are latest casualties
print By the Journal Sentinel
March 14, 2011 |(1) Comments
Related Coverage
Notes: Injuries taking their toll
Camp report: Monday at a glance
Box score: Brewers 12, Giants 8
Position-by-Position
Catcher | Numbers
First base | Numbers
Second base | Numbers
Third base | Numbers
Shortstop | Numbers
Left field | Numbers
Center field | Numbers
Right field | Numbers
Starting pitching | Numbers
Relief pitching | Numbers
Bench | Numbers
Spring Training Maps
Interactive map of Arizona spring training locations.
• Florida spring training map
Scottsdale, Ariz. — The springtime injuries keep piling up for the Brewers.
"I'm afraid to walk to my car," left-handed pitcher Randy Wolf said.
Monday against the Giants, two more Brewers were hurt: outfielders Logan Schafer (thumb) and Chris Dickerson (intercostal muscle).
Dickerson's injury initially looked awful. In the fourth, he violently collided on the base path with huge Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Both went down and took some time to get up. Sandoval stayed in the game, but Dickerson had to leave.
"Thank God Sandoval lost 30 pounds or that might have been a decapitation," Wolf said. "I thought he dislocated his shoulder. It sounded bad."
Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said he thought Dickerson would be OK, but the manager sounded unsure about the status of Schafer, who hurt his thumb sliding into Miguel Tejada's shoe. X-rays are scheduled.
Both joined a long, long list of Brewers who have been banged up this spring. Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt (quad) and centerfielder Carlos Gomez (back stiffness) were withheld against the Giants for precautionary reasons, but Roenicke was optimistic they would play again soon. Ryan Braun (intercostal) played Monday and was excused after two planned at-bats.
Still, the sight of players going down every day is wearing on the skipper.
"Yes, it is," he said. "I'm used to injuries, but we just keep having them all the time. It's bothersome.
"Corey (Hart) is progressing. (Jonathan) Lucroy looks really good. That's great. (Zack) Greinke is coming around fine. But the more we keep playing, the more they see guys going down all the time. It's like I don't want to put on signs because I don't want to get anybody hurt."
Friday, March 11, 2011
Saito Leaves Camp
The pictures of this are amazing......
Saito leaves Brewers camp after Japan quake
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | 03/11/11 12:01 PM EST
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The massive earthquake that struck Japan on Friday devastated the hometown of Brewers reliever Takashi Saito, who left Spring Training camp to attempt to contact loved ones.
Saito has been in contact with his wife, Yukiko, and three daughters, according to the Brewers, but he has been unable to reach his parents. Early Friday morning, he asked for and received permission to be away from camp for an indefinite period of time.
The 8.9 magnitude quake, the largest ever record in Japan, according to The Associated Press, caused fires and a deadly tsunami in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, a city of about 1 million along the country's Pacific coast, where Saito was born in 1970. He attended Tohoku Fukushi University there.
A tsunami that was sparked by a massive earthquake Friday has led to widespread destruction in Japan. (AP)"We love that guy, and we obviously wish him the best," said Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder. "He was able to contact his wife and kids, which is awesome. That's a little bit of pressure off your chest.
"I wish him the best, and I hope he just takes his time and does whatever he needs to do to make sure the rest of his family is all right. [Baseball] is secondary right now. We're going to be fine. He needs to make sure everything is all right."
Fielder knows the area hit by Friday's earthquake first-hand because he visited Japan during the offseason as part of a Major League Baseball goodwill tour.
Saito was not scheduled to pitch Friday. He last appeared in a game on Tuesday, and he has been following a slightly different schedule than other relievers because he finished last season with a shoulder injury.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Rosenthal's thoughts on Brewer Flaws
Interesting read....is he right?
Hat tip to Foxsports.com
Greinke injury least of Brewers' woes
Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since August 2005
Subject: Comment/Question: Name: Email: Hometown:
Updated Mar 9, 2011 2:02 PM ET
MARYVALE, Ariz.
The news that Zack Greinke hurt his ribs playing basketball evokes memories of Aaron Boone, whose hoops-induced, season-ending knee injury in 2004 prompted the Yankees to acquire Alex Rodriguez.
I’ve got a more recent and ominous parallel: Cliff Lee.
A year ago the Mariners were drawing praise for their offseason makeover, just as the Brewers are this spring. Then Lee suffered a right lower abdominal strain in mid-March and remained out until April 30. The Mariners still were in contention when he returned, but unraveled in May and ended up losing 101 games.
The Brewers are not going to collapse in such fashion. In fact, they are likely to contend even though they will be without Greinke for at least three starts. But all winter I’ve wondered if the Brew Crew are the Mariners of 2011, overrated by fans and media after a series of impressive moves, better on paper than in reality.
I’m still wondering.
Brewers general manager Doug Melvin did a better job in the offseason than Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik did in 2009-10; Zduriencik acquired Lee, third baseman Chone Figgins and outfielder Milton Bradley, but left his club with too little offense.
In truth, not even big spenders like the Yankees and Red Sox can patch every hole, and mid-revenue clubs such as the Brewers often are decidedly imperfect. Melvin fixed his starting rotation without compromising his offense, a nifty trick. But the additions of Greinke and righty Shaun Marcum cannot mask every flaw.
Here are the problems, in no particular order:
Rotation depthThe issue will surface immediately, thanks to Greinke’s injury. And a full-blown crisis is possible if something happens to one of the Brewers’ other starters: Marcum, right-hander Yovani Gallardo and left-handers Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson.
“If you look at our current starting pitching, the five guys we have to start the season are tremendous,” left fielder Ryan Braun said before learning of Greinke’s injury. “But if you look after that, we don’t have a lot of proven depth.”
Melvin said the team would look within for Greinke’s temporary replacement. The only way the Brewers would want a pitcher from the outside is if that pitcher had minor-league options remaining and could be easily demoted.
The leading internal candidates, as listed by Melvin, come with questions.
Right-hander Mark Rogers, a former No. 1 pick who missed all of 2007 and ’08 while recovering from two shoulder surgeries, experienced shoulder stiffness early in camp. Righty Amaury Rivas is dealing with a tooth infection, while righty Wily Peralta has thrown only 42 innings above Class A and issues too many walks.
DefenseNo question the Brewers can slug — they ranked third in the NL in runs in 2009 and fourth last season. But according to advanced metrics, their best offensive players are below-average defenders.
The infield — first baseman Prince Fielder, second baseman Rickie Weeks, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and third baseman Casey McGehee — is a particular concern.
McGehee at least figures to show better range after undergoing a cleanup on his right knee in October. The Brewers want Betancourt, a whipping boy of sabermetricians for both his offense and defense, to be more aggressive going after balls; new manager Ron Roenicke says Betancourt tends to lay back and rely on his hands and arm.
Center fielder Carlos Gomez is an excellent defender. Braun showed improvement in left last season. Corey Hart regressed in right and is out with an oblique injury.
“I don’t see the bad defensive team I heard about,” Roenicke says.
Well, the Brewers last season ranked next to last in defensive efficiency, a statistic that measures the percentage of balls in play that are converted into outs.
They don’t figure to be much better, if at all.
Bottom of the lineupHoo boy.
Gomez produced a whopping career-high .298 on-base percentage last season. Betancourt was at .288 even as he produced 16 homers and 78 RBIs for the Royals. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy, recovering from pinkie surgery, had a .300 OBP in 297 plate appearances as a rookie, though he has hit well in the minors.
On the bright side, Betancourt might not be worse than the player he replaced, Alcides Escobar. And Roenicke actually is excited about Gomez, who is trying to stay up the middle with his approach.
Hitting coach Dale Sveum told Roenicke that Gomez got to a point last season when he said, “I’m tired of doing this.” The trick for Gomez will be to lay off sliders down and away, but Roenicke believes that after more than 1,400 major-league plate appearances, Gomez might actually come around.
“This is the best I’ve seen him,” Roenicke says.
The bullpenThe Brewers don’t view it as a problem. I’m not so sure.
Closer John Axford was a terrific story last season, but his walk rate is high and one scout describes his delivery as “awkward.” Lefty Zack Braddock, another hot 2010 rookie, is struggling this spring. Righty LaTroy Hawkins is trying to bounce back from shoulder trouble, and righty Takashi Saito, while quite effective when healthy, is 41.
Melvin rattles off a number of other names: righties Mike McClendon, Brandon Kintzler, Kameron Loe and Sean Green, lefty Mitch Stetter. The depth is encouraging. But the Brewers, like many clubs, might spend the entire season trying to make the pieces fit.
Listen, I’m not trying to pick on the Brew Crew; Fielder’s final season before free agency could prove memorable for the franchise. The Cardinals took a major hit when they lost right-hander Adam Wainwright to a season-ending elbow injury. The Cubs’ early defensive lapses are alarming. The Reds look like clear favorites, but it’s not as if they’re invincible.
I can see the other side of this — Greinke making a quick return, the bullpen becoming a strength instead of a weakness, Fielder, Braun and Co. going nuts offensively. But I remember how excited so many people were about the Mariners last spring. And I cringe, fearing the expectations for the Brewers are just too high.
Raves for RoenickeLiberated from the unpopular Ken Macha, the Brewers are at the “Kumbaya” stage with their new manager, Ron Roenicke.
Everything always is rosy until the first five-game losing streak, but Roenicke’s thoughtful, organized approach and excellent communication skills indeed could set him apart.
“All the guys are relaxed around him,” says Hawkins, a 16-year veteran. “He has a professional personality. He puts everyone at ease.
“It’s not like you can’t come up and talk to him. You can always talk to him. He is open to everything — everything. And guys appreciate it.”
Roenicke, like the Rays’ Joe Maddon and Padres’ Bud Black, came from Mike Scioscia’s Angels coaching staff. However, Hawkins drew a surprising comparison to one of his former managers, the Twins’ Tom Kelly.
“His preparation reminds me of Tom Kelly. What he expects out of the team reminds me a lot of Tom Kelly — a lot,” Hawkins said.
Wasn’t Kelly a lot tougher than Roenicke, who is decidedly mild-mannered?
“Yep. He sure was,” Hawkins said. “(Roenicke) is easygoing, but he has those qualities. He can get you to do things. And you want to do those things because he’s such a nice guy.”
Players often take advantage of such managers, but Roenicke said his relaxed demeanor should not be misinterpreted.
“I’m trying to do it the way I think a manager should do things in communicating with the players,” Roenicke said. “I’m trying to do things for them that will give them the best opportunity to succeed.
“There are times when I’m not just going to be all buddy-buddy with them. And they’ll know that. But first off, I’ve got to get to know them. I want to know their personalities, things about their family. I want to know what they’re all about.
“It makes my job easier if I know more about who they are. I treat them the way they want to be treated. That doesn’t mean they’re not going to have rules and can just do whatever they want. That has nothing to do with it.
“I really believe there should be a structure to it, that they should definitely do the things the coaching staff wants them to do. But I also want them to individually know that they can come to any of us if there is something they need to help them succeed.”
Hat tip to Foxsports.com
Greinke injury least of Brewers' woes
Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since August 2005
Subject: Comment/Question: Name: Email: Hometown:
Updated Mar 9, 2011 2:02 PM ET
MARYVALE, Ariz.
The news that Zack Greinke hurt his ribs playing basketball evokes memories of Aaron Boone, whose hoops-induced, season-ending knee injury in 2004 prompted the Yankees to acquire Alex Rodriguez.
I’ve got a more recent and ominous parallel: Cliff Lee.
A year ago the Mariners were drawing praise for their offseason makeover, just as the Brewers are this spring. Then Lee suffered a right lower abdominal strain in mid-March and remained out until April 30. The Mariners still were in contention when he returned, but unraveled in May and ended up losing 101 games.
The Brewers are not going to collapse in such fashion. In fact, they are likely to contend even though they will be without Greinke for at least three starts. But all winter I’ve wondered if the Brew Crew are the Mariners of 2011, overrated by fans and media after a series of impressive moves, better on paper than in reality.
I’m still wondering.
Brewers general manager Doug Melvin did a better job in the offseason than Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik did in 2009-10; Zduriencik acquired Lee, third baseman Chone Figgins and outfielder Milton Bradley, but left his club with too little offense.
In truth, not even big spenders like the Yankees and Red Sox can patch every hole, and mid-revenue clubs such as the Brewers often are decidedly imperfect. Melvin fixed his starting rotation without compromising his offense, a nifty trick. But the additions of Greinke and righty Shaun Marcum cannot mask every flaw.
Here are the problems, in no particular order:
Rotation depthThe issue will surface immediately, thanks to Greinke’s injury. And a full-blown crisis is possible if something happens to one of the Brewers’ other starters: Marcum, right-hander Yovani Gallardo and left-handers Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson.
“If you look at our current starting pitching, the five guys we have to start the season are tremendous,” left fielder Ryan Braun said before learning of Greinke’s injury. “But if you look after that, we don’t have a lot of proven depth.”
Melvin said the team would look within for Greinke’s temporary replacement. The only way the Brewers would want a pitcher from the outside is if that pitcher had minor-league options remaining and could be easily demoted.
The leading internal candidates, as listed by Melvin, come with questions.
Right-hander Mark Rogers, a former No. 1 pick who missed all of 2007 and ’08 while recovering from two shoulder surgeries, experienced shoulder stiffness early in camp. Righty Amaury Rivas is dealing with a tooth infection, while righty Wily Peralta has thrown only 42 innings above Class A and issues too many walks.
DefenseNo question the Brewers can slug — they ranked third in the NL in runs in 2009 and fourth last season. But according to advanced metrics, their best offensive players are below-average defenders.
The infield — first baseman Prince Fielder, second baseman Rickie Weeks, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and third baseman Casey McGehee — is a particular concern.
McGehee at least figures to show better range after undergoing a cleanup on his right knee in October. The Brewers want Betancourt, a whipping boy of sabermetricians for both his offense and defense, to be more aggressive going after balls; new manager Ron Roenicke says Betancourt tends to lay back and rely on his hands and arm.
Center fielder Carlos Gomez is an excellent defender. Braun showed improvement in left last season. Corey Hart regressed in right and is out with an oblique injury.
“I don’t see the bad defensive team I heard about,” Roenicke says.
Well, the Brewers last season ranked next to last in defensive efficiency, a statistic that measures the percentage of balls in play that are converted into outs.
They don’t figure to be much better, if at all.
Bottom of the lineupHoo boy.
Gomez produced a whopping career-high .298 on-base percentage last season. Betancourt was at .288 even as he produced 16 homers and 78 RBIs for the Royals. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy, recovering from pinkie surgery, had a .300 OBP in 297 plate appearances as a rookie, though he has hit well in the minors.
On the bright side, Betancourt might not be worse than the player he replaced, Alcides Escobar. And Roenicke actually is excited about Gomez, who is trying to stay up the middle with his approach.
Hitting coach Dale Sveum told Roenicke that Gomez got to a point last season when he said, “I’m tired of doing this.” The trick for Gomez will be to lay off sliders down and away, but Roenicke believes that after more than 1,400 major-league plate appearances, Gomez might actually come around.
“This is the best I’ve seen him,” Roenicke says.
The bullpenThe Brewers don’t view it as a problem. I’m not so sure.
Closer John Axford was a terrific story last season, but his walk rate is high and one scout describes his delivery as “awkward.” Lefty Zack Braddock, another hot 2010 rookie, is struggling this spring. Righty LaTroy Hawkins is trying to bounce back from shoulder trouble, and righty Takashi Saito, while quite effective when healthy, is 41.
Melvin rattles off a number of other names: righties Mike McClendon, Brandon Kintzler, Kameron Loe and Sean Green, lefty Mitch Stetter. The depth is encouraging. But the Brewers, like many clubs, might spend the entire season trying to make the pieces fit.
Listen, I’m not trying to pick on the Brew Crew; Fielder’s final season before free agency could prove memorable for the franchise. The Cardinals took a major hit when they lost right-hander Adam Wainwright to a season-ending elbow injury. The Cubs’ early defensive lapses are alarming. The Reds look like clear favorites, but it’s not as if they’re invincible.
I can see the other side of this — Greinke making a quick return, the bullpen becoming a strength instead of a weakness, Fielder, Braun and Co. going nuts offensively. But I remember how excited so many people were about the Mariners last spring. And I cringe, fearing the expectations for the Brewers are just too high.
Raves for RoenickeLiberated from the unpopular Ken Macha, the Brewers are at the “Kumbaya” stage with their new manager, Ron Roenicke.
Everything always is rosy until the first five-game losing streak, but Roenicke’s thoughtful, organized approach and excellent communication skills indeed could set him apart.
“All the guys are relaxed around him,” says Hawkins, a 16-year veteran. “He has a professional personality. He puts everyone at ease.
“It’s not like you can’t come up and talk to him. You can always talk to him. He is open to everything — everything. And guys appreciate it.”
Roenicke, like the Rays’ Joe Maddon and Padres’ Bud Black, came from Mike Scioscia’s Angels coaching staff. However, Hawkins drew a surprising comparison to one of his former managers, the Twins’ Tom Kelly.
“His preparation reminds me of Tom Kelly. What he expects out of the team reminds me a lot of Tom Kelly — a lot,” Hawkins said.
Wasn’t Kelly a lot tougher than Roenicke, who is decidedly mild-mannered?
“Yep. He sure was,” Hawkins said. “(Roenicke) is easygoing, but he has those qualities. He can get you to do things. And you want to do those things because he’s such a nice guy.”
Players often take advantage of such managers, but Roenicke said his relaxed demeanor should not be misinterpreted.
“I’m trying to do it the way I think a manager should do things in communicating with the players,” Roenicke said. “I’m trying to do things for them that will give them the best opportunity to succeed.
“There are times when I’m not just going to be all buddy-buddy with them. And they’ll know that. But first off, I’ve got to get to know them. I want to know their personalities, things about their family. I want to know what they’re all about.
“It makes my job easier if I know more about who they are. I treat them the way they want to be treated. That doesn’t mean they’re not going to have rules and can just do whatever they want. That has nothing to do with it.
“I really believe there should be a structure to it, that they should definitely do the things the coaching staff wants them to do. But I also want them to individually know that they can come to any of us if there is something they need to help them succeed.”
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Greinke Down
YUUUUUUUK!
Greinke injures rib (cracked) and will likely miss a couple of weeks to start the season. He's headed to the DL. Probably not the end of the world but not a very good omen to start the year.
Palms
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Brewers win big - move to 6-4 in cactus league
I actually tried to watch some of that game on foxsports. They were up 14 in the 7th and the back of my eye lids were more inviting. Betencourt and Gomoz both had decent games at the plate!
National League
Team W L PCT GB
San Francisco 9 3 .750 -
Atlanta 7 3 .700 1.0
St. Louis 6 3 .667 1.5
Washington 5 3 .625 2.0
Cincinnati 6 4 .600 2.0
Milwaukee 6 4 .600 2.0
Colorado 5 4 .556 2.5
Florida 4 4 .500 3.0
San Diego 4 4 .500 3.0
Philadelphia 5 6 .455 3.5
Pittsburgh 5 6 .455 3.5
NY Mets 4 5 .444 3.5
Chi Cubs 4 6 .400 4.0
LA Dodgers 4 7 .364 4.5
Arizona 4 9 .308 5.5
Houston 2 8 .200 6.0
Hat tip mlb.com
Brewers' bats erupt for 15 runs on 25 hits
Almonte, Boggs combine to go 8-for-10 with four runs, six RBIs
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 03/07/11 7:04 PM EST
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Brewers scattered a whopping 25 hits and took an early lead as they cruised to a 15-2 win over the Reds on Monday at Goodyear Ballpark.
It was a tough day to be in the field for the defense, as the wind was blowing to right field at 29 mph with gusts over 35 mph.
Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits, no walks and five strikeouts. "It was pretty tough. I guess it's kind of weird here in Arizona," Gallardo said of the wind. "I think I threw the ball pretty good. My fastball command was good to both sides of the plate [and] I was able to go up in the strike zone whenever I needed to. Everything worked pretty good."
Gallardo worked with the fastball mostly because he didn't want to show the Reds all of his off-speed stuff, as these two clubs will meet in the opening series of the season. This was his second spring start, and he called it a positive step.
"Definitely was," he said. "In my first start, command was a little off and I threw balls a little too much over the plate. Today was better. I have to keep moving forward, get a little bit better each time out."
Reds starter Homer Bailey gave up four runs and six hits over 2 2/3 innings, striking out three in the process.
In the second inning, Brandon Boggs took a 2-0 Bailey pitch deep to right for a one-out solo home run. Milwaukee did a lot of damage in the three-run third inning with five-straight two out hits.
Jeremy Reed chased Bailey with his RBI single in the third and Jeremy Horst let two more runs in with singles by George Kottaras and Brandon Boggs.
"You get the wind blowing out and you expect games to be like this," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "But you still have to hit the ball hard, and we had a lot of guys hitting the ball hard."
Mike Leake, a Reds rotation candidate, was touched up for four runs and nine hits over three innings.
During a seven-run Milwaukee seventh inning, Carlos Gomez hit a solo homer to left field with one out. A couple of batters later, Erick Almonte notched his third hit of the game with a two-run homer to right field. In his last two games, Almonte is 7-for-9 with three RBIs and three runs scored.
Bray gave up seven runs on six hits over two-thirds of an inning.
"Man, this game is hard to figure," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. One day everything goes right and the next day everything goes wrong. I guess that's why it's called spring."
Brewers closer John Axford followed Gallardo and pitched a scoreless fourth inning with two strikeouts.
Kameron Loe follwed Axford and delivered his first multiple-inning outing of the spring. Loe pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. In the bottom of the seventh, the Reds finally got on the scoreboard when outfield prospect Dave Sappelt hit a homer to left field against Zach Braddock.
Up next for Brewers: Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder should return to action for the Brewers after taking Monday off, and the club has a hole in its schedule for starting pitchers, so reliever Takashi Saito will start against the Dodgers at Maryvale Baseball Park. It was supposed to be a matchup of Japanese pitchers, but the Dodgers' Hiroki Kuroda is starting a "B" game instead. Los Angeles pitching coach Rick Honeycutt explained that Kuroda's turn also falls on March 19, the day the Dodgers play Milwaukee in Glendale, and Honeycutt didn't want Kuroda facing the same club twice.
National League
Team W L PCT GB
San Francisco 9 3 .750 -
Atlanta 7 3 .700 1.0
St. Louis 6 3 .667 1.5
Washington 5 3 .625 2.0
Cincinnati 6 4 .600 2.0
Milwaukee 6 4 .600 2.0
Colorado 5 4 .556 2.5
Florida 4 4 .500 3.0
San Diego 4 4 .500 3.0
Philadelphia 5 6 .455 3.5
Pittsburgh 5 6 .455 3.5
NY Mets 4 5 .444 3.5
Chi Cubs 4 6 .400 4.0
LA Dodgers 4 7 .364 4.5
Arizona 4 9 .308 5.5
Houston 2 8 .200 6.0
Hat tip mlb.com
Brewers' bats erupt for 15 runs on 25 hits
Almonte, Boggs combine to go 8-for-10 with four runs, six RBIs
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 03/07/11 7:04 PM EST
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Brewers scattered a whopping 25 hits and took an early lead as they cruised to a 15-2 win over the Reds on Monday at Goodyear Ballpark.
It was a tough day to be in the field for the defense, as the wind was blowing to right field at 29 mph with gusts over 35 mph.
Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits, no walks and five strikeouts. "It was pretty tough. I guess it's kind of weird here in Arizona," Gallardo said of the wind. "I think I threw the ball pretty good. My fastball command was good to both sides of the plate [and] I was able to go up in the strike zone whenever I needed to. Everything worked pretty good."
Gallardo worked with the fastball mostly because he didn't want to show the Reds all of his off-speed stuff, as these two clubs will meet in the opening series of the season. This was his second spring start, and he called it a positive step.
"Definitely was," he said. "In my first start, command was a little off and I threw balls a little too much over the plate. Today was better. I have to keep moving forward, get a little bit better each time out."
Reds starter Homer Bailey gave up four runs and six hits over 2 2/3 innings, striking out three in the process.
In the second inning, Brandon Boggs took a 2-0 Bailey pitch deep to right for a one-out solo home run. Milwaukee did a lot of damage in the three-run third inning with five-straight two out hits.
Jeremy Reed chased Bailey with his RBI single in the third and Jeremy Horst let two more runs in with singles by George Kottaras and Brandon Boggs.
"You get the wind blowing out and you expect games to be like this," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "But you still have to hit the ball hard, and we had a lot of guys hitting the ball hard."
Mike Leake, a Reds rotation candidate, was touched up for four runs and nine hits over three innings.
During a seven-run Milwaukee seventh inning, Carlos Gomez hit a solo homer to left field with one out. A couple of batters later, Erick Almonte notched his third hit of the game with a two-run homer to right field. In his last two games, Almonte is 7-for-9 with three RBIs and three runs scored.
Bray gave up seven runs on six hits over two-thirds of an inning.
"Man, this game is hard to figure," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. One day everything goes right and the next day everything goes wrong. I guess that's why it's called spring."
Brewers closer John Axford followed Gallardo and pitched a scoreless fourth inning with two strikeouts.
Kameron Loe follwed Axford and delivered his first multiple-inning outing of the spring. Loe pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. In the bottom of the seventh, the Reds finally got on the scoreboard when outfield prospect Dave Sappelt hit a homer to left field against Zach Braddock.
Up next for Brewers: Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder should return to action for the Brewers after taking Monday off, and the club has a hole in its schedule for starting pitchers, so reliever Takashi Saito will start against the Dodgers at Maryvale Baseball Park. It was supposed to be a matchup of Japanese pitchers, but the Dodgers' Hiroki Kuroda is starting a "B" game instead. Los Angeles pitching coach Rick Honeycutt explained that Kuroda's turn also falls on March 19, the day the Dodgers play Milwaukee in Glendale, and Honeycutt didn't want Kuroda facing the same club twice.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Best value players in MLB
Thought this was interesting. It's probably been a long long time since the Crew had 1 player in the top 25 on a list like this let alone.....two. I also thought it was interesting how Arod is a valuable baseball player, but doesn't represent any economic value. At least by this standard.
Palms
Thanks to Fangraphs.com
The New Bang For Your Buck Playersby Joe Pawlikowski - March 3, 2011
For the past two seasons, no player has provided a better surplus value than Evan Longoria. In that span he produced 14.2 WAR, which was second to only Albert Pujols among all MLB players. Considering he made just $1.5 million in those two years, he clearly becomes the team-friendliest player in the league. That probably won’t be the case this year. While Longoria will earn only $2 million in 2011, there are a number of younger players who could make a quarter, or less, of what Longoria will earn and could turn in similar numbers.
To start, here’s a list of every player (you may have to go to the blog post to see the picture) in the majors who produced 7.5 or more WAR over the last two seasons, along with their WAR Dollars, actual salaries, and the difference. Though Joey Votto earned less, Longoria still provided $9 million in additional surplus value for the Rays.
For the new surplus producers, I have two zero-to-two names in mind. These two far outpaced their salaries in 2010, and figure to do so again in 2011. The best part about these two is that they won’t even be arbitration eligible after this season. I’m willing to bet that when we look back on 2010 through 2012, these two players will have the highest surplus values in the league.
Andrew McCutchen
McCutchen featured prominently in yesterday’s season preview for the Pirates. In it I said that McCutchen could prove him as the best center fielder in the bigs this season. Considering he’ll make $500K or less, that means plenty of surplus value for the Pirates.
There is little question about McCutchen’s bat. At .365, has the best wOBA among center fielders in the past two seasons. There’s not much more to say than that. The only question is of his glove. Scouting reports glow, but his UZR is in the tank, -15.7 for his career. If he can reverse that negative UZR trend in 2010, he could rank among the league’s WAR leaders.
Jason Heyward
Twenty-year-old who produce 5-WAR season will by definition provide immense surplus value. He’s at a bit of a handicap, since he plays right field. That means a negative positional adjustment, but Heyward more than makes up for it with his bat and his glove. Another 5-WAR season would give him nearly $40 million in surplus value for his first two seasons. The scariest part is that it’s completely conceivable that he produces more than 5 WAR in 2011.
In terms of surplus value, there might have been none better than Evan Longoria. During his first three years he produced nearly 20 WAR — third most in the majors — while making under $2 million. He’ll now hand the reins to the newest crop of youngsters, headed by McCutchen and Heyward. There will be others, too, who put up big numbers during their pre-arb years. But good as they might be, I’m not sure they’re going to top Longoria at less than $100K per win.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Brewers Top Cubbies
Can't they all just get along over there on the north side. It's nice to know it was the Crew who incited the turmoil.
Hat tip to SI.com
PHOENIX (AP) -- The Chicago Cubs are becoming all too familiar with dugout arguments.
There was one last June between pitcher Carlos Zambrano and first baseman Derrek Lee, and now another between pitcher Carlos Silva and third baseman Aramis Ramirez in only the team's fourth game of the spring.
Casey McGehee had three hits, including two home runs, and four RBIs to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 12-5 victory Wednesday.
Silva was upset after he gave up six runs in the first inning -- including three unearned because of three errors. According to Cubs manager Mike Quade, Silva entered the dugout and ranted against the defense to no one in particular. Ramirez, who committed one of the miscues, didn't like his reaction. No punches were thrown and Silva was escorted to the clubhouse by a coach.
"You have two [ticked] off people," Quade said. "It was a brutal inning. There was plenty of blame to go around. Maybe it's something we need. That just tells you how poor our defense has been [14 in four games], although we have made our share of pitching mistakes, too."
The manager's initial reaction was not to hand out any discipline. The team was to discuss the matter at a meeting.
Quade said Silva would have come out of the game, anyway, because he had thrown close to 40 pitches. He admitted that he likes the fire that the players have, "but you have to channel it in the right direction."
Shortstop Starlin Castro also had an error and the third was charged to Koyie Hill on catcher's interference on a grounder by Chris Dickerson that extended the inning.
McGehee, the Brewers' third baseman, said he heard yelling, but thought it was someone in the stands initially and the incident appeared over almost before he realized what was occurring in the nearby dugout.
McGehee, who signed a one-year contract earlier in the day, hit a two-run homer against Silva in the first, a solo shot off James Russell in the third and a run-scoring single in the fourth.
"I feel pretty good, but there still is stuff I need to work on," said McGehee, who hit .285 with 23 homers and 104 RBIs last season. "To have a day like this at the beginning of the spring is not really that realistic because guys are working on pitches and they don't want to be walking guys."
Castro, Alfonso Soriano and Brad Snyder homered for the Cubs.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/baseball/mlb/03/02/exhibition-roundup.ap/index.html#ixzz1FZ1p8DXD
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
McGehee and other injury news
Struggling to find time to post but McGehee news and other injury stuff.
Manager's Briefing: McGehee signs 1-year deal
e-mail print By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel March 2, 2011 11:41 a.m. |(6) Comments
Phoenix - The Brewers announced in their game notes this morning that third baseman Casey McGehee had signed a one-yeard deal for 2011.
So, apparently, multiyear talks went nowhere and the sides settled on a one-year deal in McGehee's last season before becoming arbitration eligible. Those talks could resume later, and if McGehee has another big season, the club probably will try to buy out some arbitration years.
McGehee was the last player to sign on the 40-man roster.
Most of our discussion with manager Ron Roenicke this morning centered on various pitchers coming back from ailments. He said closer John Axford, who had food poisoning at the beginning of camp, threw a bullpen Tuesday and felt "great." Axford could get in a game as soon as Friday.
LaTroy Hawkins, coming off shoulder surgery, is throwing his first bullpen today and told me he is "excited" about it. Hawkins still hopes to be ready for opening day if he has no setbacks.
Takashi Saito, who was pushed back because of hamstring tightness, also hopes to pitch in a game in the next few days.
Lefty Mitch Stetter, held back because of a lat strain, is throwing a bullpen on Friday and continues to move forward.
Right-hander Mark Rogers threw a bullpen Tuesday and said he felt none of the shoulder tightness he experienced earlier in camp. So, he hopes to pitch in a game sometime next week.
Manager's Briefing: McGehee signs 1-year deal
e-mail print By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel March 2, 2011 11:41 a.m. |(6) Comments
Phoenix - The Brewers announced in their game notes this morning that third baseman Casey McGehee had signed a one-yeard deal for 2011.
So, apparently, multiyear talks went nowhere and the sides settled on a one-year deal in McGehee's last season before becoming arbitration eligible. Those talks could resume later, and if McGehee has another big season, the club probably will try to buy out some arbitration years.
McGehee was the last player to sign on the 40-man roster.
Most of our discussion with manager Ron Roenicke this morning centered on various pitchers coming back from ailments. He said closer John Axford, who had food poisoning at the beginning of camp, threw a bullpen Tuesday and felt "great." Axford could get in a game as soon as Friday.
LaTroy Hawkins, coming off shoulder surgery, is throwing his first bullpen today and told me he is "excited" about it. Hawkins still hopes to be ready for opening day if he has no setbacks.
Takashi Saito, who was pushed back because of hamstring tightness, also hopes to pitch in a game in the next few days.
Lefty Mitch Stetter, held back because of a lat strain, is throwing a bullpen on Friday and continues to move forward.
Right-hander Mark Rogers threw a bullpen Tuesday and said he felt none of the shoulder tightness he experienced earlier in camp. So, he hopes to pitch in a game sometime next week.
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