SB Nation - Brad Nelson

Looking Back at Community Projections: First Basemen

KLSnow — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:35 -0000

Prince Fielder's 2009 numbers look even better when compared to what we expected.

Projections:

Prince Fielder
Projected: .284/.380/.547
Actual: .299/.412/.602

Obviously, we all got significantly more than we bargained for from Fielder this season. Not only did he start all 162 games and pick every Brewer at bat at first base, he slugged over .600, a full 25 points above the most optimistic of the 13 projections, and surpassed our OBP expectations by 32 points as well.

Playing time:

Player	Projected %	Actual %	Diff
Prince Fielder	93%	100%	+7%
Brad Nelson	3.5%	0%	-3.5%
Mike Lamb	2.2%	0%	-2.2%
Mike Rivera	1.3%	0%	-1.3%

I'd say this is pretty self-explanatory. While all of us expected Fielder to play close to full time, none of us expected him to take every plate appearance by a Brewer first baseman this season. Brad Nelson was off the roster early, Mike Lamb didn't even make the team out of spring training and Mike Rivera never saw time at first. Casey McGehee was the only other Brewer to play there this season: He played four innings defensively and did not bat.

Overall:

	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Projected	.282	.376	.538	.927
Actual	.299	.412	.602	1.014
Difference	+.017	+.036	+.066	+.087

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:40:04 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

I'm hoping we'll have a picture of Rick Peterson without a Mets hat soon.

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Some things to read while earning your cat-holding privileges.

The Brewers made Rick Peterson's hiring official yesterday, and he immediately turned his sights to Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra.

Peterson also tweeted about his new gig, and was welcomed into the fold by Seth McClung (more on McClung later today). Miller Park Drunk also welcomed Peterson, and started him off with a cheat sheet on Brewer pitchers.

Now, perhaps the Brewers will get started on the task of acquiring some pitchers for Peterson to coach. Dave Cameron of USS Mariner has the Brewers trading J.J. Hardy to the M's for Brandon Morrow, and Matthew Pouliot of Circling the Bases has a hypothetical trade sending Prince Fielder to the Red Sox for Jacoby Ellsbury and Michael Bowden. Meanwhile, over in Speculationville, Roguejim wonders if J.J. Hardy might be a fit for the Pirates.

Could Jody Gerut end up as a bargaining chip in a trade? Amazin' Avenue lists him as a player who may be undervalued this winter due to a low BABIP in 2009. Gerut posted a .230/.279/.376 line last season, but hit a much more respectable .272/.341/.447 in August and September.

Wherever pitching help might come from, there doesn't appear to be much of it on the horizon in the minors. Baseball America has their final minor league pitching leaderboards up, and the only Brewer mentioned (Evan Frederickson) is among the leaders in a category you don't want to lead (walks allowed). Frederickson, a sandwich pick in the 2008 draft, walked 82 batters in 97.1 innings for Wisconsin this season, and has posted a 5.22 ERA in the minors.

Perhaps Josh Butler will be the exception, though: After playing all over the minors and in the majors this season, Butler is blogging from the AFL (FanShot) His first post covers his wild season, AFL teammates, food and weather.

We've covered the list of reasons why Felipe Lopez should be offered arbitration and the opportunity to return, but Miller Park Drunk has the counterpoint: the list of reasons why Lopez doesn't fit into the Brewers' plans and will almost certainly not be back.

Around baseball:

Braves: Pitchers Buddy Carlyle, Jorge Campillo and Vladimir Nunez have been removed from the 40-man roster and will become free agents. (h/t Rowland's Office)
Mets: Released reliever Ken Takahashi.
Pirates: Reliever Chris Bootcheck rejected an outright assignment and is now a free agent.

Because of the arbitrary nature of the cutoff line for Super 2 players, there's good news for the Diamondbacks and bad news for the Giants today. Slugger Mark Reynolds fell three days short of the service time required to be a Super 2, will not be arbitration eligible and will remain under team control for four more seasons. Tim Lincecum, on the other hand, was over the cutoff by about a week and will be arbitration eligible this offseason.

Three managerial vacancies remain, but at least one team has eliminated Ned Yost from contention: The Indians are believed to be conducting second interviews with four candidates, but Yost is not one of them. Manny Acta is the only finalist for the Indians' job that is also a candidate for the Astros' job.

Over the last few seasons, baseball has shifted heavily toward emphasizing young players and prospects, but here's a reminder on the importance of not looking too far ahead: Lookout Landing has a list of 44 players who appeared for the Mariners in 2008. Less than two full years later, only ten of them are still with the organization. Things can change pretty fast.

Livan Hernandez spent the end of the 2009 season with the Nationals, and despite the fact that he's long past the prime of his career, he'll likely be looking for work again this offseason, because he needs the paycheck. Hernandez reportedly has serious financial issues that could lead to the foreclosure of his home in Miami.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that the postseason has had some pretty exciting games and interesting storylines, the top story once again is terrible umpiring, and a call Big League Stew is calling "the worst call of all time." I keep hoping that maybe, someday, Major League Baseball will be shamed into action on this issue, and do something to either correct inept umpires or put effective umpires in their place. It's likely a pipe dream.

I've spent a fair amount of time lately discussing the Arizona Fall League, partly because there's not much baseball being played lately but also because I find it fascinating. If you're having a hard time getting into it, maybe you should check out Geoff Young's look back at the 2001 AFL, which featured a bunch of future productive major leaguers...and Bill Hall.

Speaking of prospects and development, Derrick Goold has a nice conversation starter about age as it relates to prospects, and when one becomes too old to be considered one (h/t BBTF). In last year's Community Prospect Rankings, we ranked a couple of older players (Brad Nelson and Tim Dillard), and I'm guessing Adam Heether might sneak into this year's list as well.

Finally, this link isn't really baseball related, but I'm dropping it in today because I think it's important, and if you or someone you know coaches youth or high school sports I hope you'll read it: Driveline Mechanics has a look at overtraining in high school sports and its consequences.

Happy birthday today to Gabe Gross, who posted a .797 OPS over 2+ seasons as a Brewer and turns 30 today, and to Franklin Stubbs, who was virtually worthless as a Brewer and turns 49.

Drink up.

Lazy Saturday Ex-Brewers Update

TheJay — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:15:07 -0000

On this "unseasonably cool" (a.k.a. comfortable) Saturday in Wisconsin, why not take a look at the way 2009 is going for some Brewers who got away. I could post about guys like Anthony Gwynn, Gabe Kapler, Gabe Gross, and Russell Branyan in the majors, but I want to focus on some of the lesser lights:

Chris Barnwell

Barnwell, called up to Milwaukee for one month in 2006, spent 2008 in Albuquerque for the Marlins and also plays for Team Canada. This year, he started in Houston before being traded to Pittsburgh for sunflower seeds. He's struggled at AAA Indianapolis, hitting just .149/.220/.201 in 172 plate appearances while playing everywhere but behind the plate and on the mound.
Joe Bateman

Ex-Brewers don't retire, they just wind up in Tampa. Bateman is another name to add to the list as he's been plying his trade for AAA Durham. A 29-year-old righty who finally made it to AAA last year while pitching well at every level of the minors, Bateman was picked in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft and went 3-1 with a 2.09 ERA between Huntsville and Nashville last year. This year he has struggled with control, walking 5.6 batters per nine innings, twice his career rate. He's still striking out one guy each inning but all the extra baserunners have his ERA sitting at 4.08 in 35 innings. He has appeared in 26 games and is 4-1 with a save.
Michael Brantley

The player to be named later in the Sabathia trade, center fielder Brantley was an on-base machine in the minors for the Brewers. He hit .319/.395/.398 last year for AA Huntsville at the tender age of 21. This year he's manned the outfield for AAA Columbus. He's hitting .268/.349/.353 with 33 stolen bases (4 CS!). Even if the slash stats aren't eye-popping, a 22-year-old with speed who walks more than he strikes out in AAA is a pretty good PTBNL.
Callix Crabbe

The former third-best second base prospect in the Brewers system (behind Rickie Weeks and Hernan Iribarren) made the majors last year as a Rule 5 pick in San Diego. The diminuitive switch-hitter, listed at 5'7", went 6 for 34 in one month for the Padres while making 3 errors in five games at the keystone. He was offered back to the Brewers and the team accepted, assigning him to Nashville. Jack Zduriencik in Seattle edged out Tampa for Crabbe's services in 2009. Crabbe hasn't done well at AAA Tacoma, though, hitting just .212/.311/.332.

Follow the jump for more!

Joe Dillon

Joltin' Joe spent a season and a month in the Brewers' versatile 25th man role. He did better than you can expect the last guy on the bench to do, putting up a .278/.363/.397 line in 172 Brewers plate appearances. Now 33, he was claimed by the Athletics last winter and traded to Tampa after missing the first month of the season with a back injury. He played in twelve games for Durham before getting called up to the Rays. He's hit .320 in 12 games over six weeks, playing the last bat on the bench and emergency catcher role so popular among AL squads.
Steve Hammond

The Brewers' 6th round pick in the 2005 draft, 27-year-old LHP Hammond worked his way up to AAA Nashville. He struggled mightily in four starts for the Sounds, but went 7-4 with a 3.45 ERA in fifteen starts at Huntsville. He was part of the Ray Durham trade and has not found much success at AAA in the San Francisco organization either. In 19 appearances this year, he is 6-8 with a 5.44 ERA and 1.49 WHIP.
Will Inman

The biggest piece traded away in 2007's Scott Linebrink deadline deal, Inman started out a 3rd round pick in the 2005 draft. Like Brantley, he has made it to AAA at the age of 22. Unlike Brantley, it took some good numbers at AA this year to get him there. In 44 1/3 innings at AA, Inman struck out 36 and walked 8, good for a 3.05 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. Things haven't gone as smoothly at AAA Portland. In 11 starts, Inman has lasted only 60 innings, walking 22 against 36 strikeouts. He has been hittable as well, surrendering 76 base knocks. All of that adds up to a 6.15 ERA and WHIP the wrong side of 1.60.
Zach Jackson

Acquired from Toronto with Dave Bush and Gabe Gross for Lyle Overbay and Ty Taubenheim, Jackson was part of the 2006 Parade of Pitchers. He was pretty well battered in seven starts and didn't appear again in the majors until 2008. He appeared in two forgettable games for the Brewers last year before being traded to Cleveland as part of the CC Sabathia package. He struggled in nine starts for the Indians last year and hasn't done any better this year. His ERA and WHIP in three major leage games sits on the wrong side of 9 and 2, respectively, and he owns a 5.71 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 69 1/3 innings at AAA.
Brad Nelson

After seven years in the minors and running the gamut from top prospect status to bust and back, Nelson made the Opening Day roster this year. He could never get going, however, and was dropped in mid-May after going 0 for 21 with two walks. Rather than being sent outright to Nashville, he chose free agency and was snapped up by Jack Zduriencik in Seattle. Things have improved for him in Tacoma, but not greatly as he's hitting only .255/.318/.416 with 6 home runs in 151 plate appearances.
Mel Stocker

Called up to the Brewers in late 2007 mostly due to Anthony Gwynn's hamstrings' impeccable sense of timing. The speed demon batted only three times in Milwaukee but swiped four bases as a pinch-runner. Never a great hitter, he has spent 2009 playing for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, Seattle's AA affiliate. He's put up an unimpressive .235/.336/.348 line in 65 games but has stolen 23 bags in 25 tries.
Lou Palmisano

I wrecked the alphabetical order with this one, but that's okay. "Cap'n Lou" Palmisano was drafted by the Brewers in the third round of the 2003 draft. He had a pretty good campaign for Huntsville in 2007, rapping out a .256/.368/.419 line. Unfortunately, torn cartilege in his left knee required surgery in the spring of 2008, putting his whole season in jeopardy. He did come back as a designated hitter in the low minors late in the year, hitting .297 against the lower-level competition, still impressive coming back from a knee injury. Having been designated for assignment in September, he was eligible for the Rule 5 draft and was snapped up by Houston via Baltimore. He lasted in Houston's major league camp until March 23. He didn't play in the minors before being released in May. Out of affiliated baseball, he signed on with the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association. He hit .257 with six RBI in 25 games before requesting a trade and being shipped to the Pensacola Pelicans. In Pensacola he has gone 7 for 37 with eight walks, giving him a strange overall line of .234/.422/.279 in 111 at bats. Going from major league spring training to the independant leagues in two months is a pretty steep fall and I wish him the best of luck.

Prospect Progress Report

battlekow — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:00:42 -0000

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

Mat Gamel joins us in pondering his future. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

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After ranking the prospects in the offseason, it's time to check on their progress making the transition from Asatte Ultra Strike!!! to Ashita Mega Strike!!!

SS Alcides Escobar (22), AAA - Escobar started slowly but appears to be picking up steam; however, with a .379/.406/.500 line against lefties and just a .244/.299/.331 line against righties, there's still a lot of cause for concern. He also initially struggled with RHP last year before rebounding to post a .314/.341/.419 line against them, so perhaps he just needs an adjustment period at each level. Outside of the batter's box, Escobar has been running a lot, racking up 21 steals and only being caught 5 times. In the wake of Rickie Weeks' injury, he's also begun playing second base about 2/3 of the time, though Doug Melvin claims he's only an emergency option for the big club. We'll see about that, but he could definitely use some more seasoning with the bat.
MLE: .255/.291/.316

3B Mat Gamel (23), MLB - You've seen what he can do. Gamel hit .336/.428/.647 at AAA before getting the call and appears to have settled more or less into the starting third base job. His defense there will dictate his future. Gamel's shown increased selectivity at the plate this year, which is a great sign.
MLE: .295/.371/.533

RSP Jeremy Jeffress (21), A+ - Ah, our other J.J. Jeffress' control gremlins took over in his first extended trial at AA as he walked 33 in 27.1 innings, though he did strike out 34. Demoted to Brevard County, where he spent most of last year, Jeffress continued to struggle in his first appearance. It won't just be a quick tuneup and then back to AA for Jeffress; he'll be down there for awhile, as his control has regressed from poor to unworkable. Jeffress reportedly began throwing a two-seamer more frequently this year, leading to a large jump in his ground ball rate, though whether the new pitch has affected his command, I can't say. Despite all his travails, Jeffress is still just 21 and still has monster stuff, so don't get too frustrated. He's still the best pitching prospect in the system.
MLE: 31 IP, 8.68 FIP, 29/56 K/BB, 32 H, 4 HR, 58.2 GB%

C Angel Salome (23), AAA - Salome got off to a brutal start, hitting .191/.298/.234 in April, but has rebounded so far in May with a .291/.316/.436 line. It's easy to speculate that the back problems that hindered him in spring training lingered and affected his hitting early on, and recently he's also been dealing with a hand injury; once he's fully healthy, he'll most likely continue to hit like he always has. Like Gamel, Salome's defense was always the thing holding him back, and while I haven't heard any first-hand reports, his numbers have improved: only three passed balls and a 38% CS%, up from 26% last year.
MLE: .210/.254/.267

2B Brett Lawrie (19), A - Nobody seems sure where he'll end up playing, other than not at catcher, but ignore the reports of his defense at second base being laughably bad. If I had to guess, those still date from spring training, when Lawrie was just picking up the position; from all accounts, both team-affiliated and otherwise, he's been a quick learner, showing good range and a strong arm. If he's going to move anywhere, it might be to third base to take advantage of his strong arm, but it won't be because he's a disaster at second. As for the bat, it will play pretty much anywhere the Brewers choose to deploy Lawrie. He's hitting .277/.345/.493, a great start for a teenager getting his first taste of pro ball in the frigid Midwest League.
MLE: .194/.234/.303

Follow the jump for the rest of the list.

C Jonathan Lucroy (23), AA - Hot on Salome's heels entering the year as the potential Catcher of the Future, Lucroy has also struggled in '09. He hit .288/.368/.379 in April, but has cratered in May with a pitiful .185/.329/.262 line. Still, he's walked more than he's struck out (24/17), and Jeff's luck adjustment indicates that Lucroy is getting jobbed on balls in play and corrects his overall line from .237/.348/.321 to .291/.393/.382. The lack of power is still worrisome, but Lucroy wasn't considered the second-best hitting catcher in the 2007 draft (behind Matt Wieters) for nothing; his bat will come around. However, his defense, questionable when drafted but a surprisingly strong point last year, has slipped, at least going off the numbers: seven passed balls already and a CS% that has fallen from 45% to 29%.
MLE: .190/.278/.241

CF Lorenzo Cain (23), AA - Cain gets an incomplete, having only played in four games this year. He missed the beginning of the season due to a lingering hamstring injury and then tore the PCL in his knee diving for a ball in the outfield immediately upon returning; thankfully, the injury did not require surgery and he should be back on the field sometime next month. Cain remains a toolshed, but hopes of him taking over for Mike Cameron next year were probably dashed by all the time he's missed, and the earliest we can realistically hope to see him roaming center field for the Brewers is 2011.

3B Taylor Green (22), AA - Like Cain, Green missed the beginning of the year, having had surgery on his wrist in January. After a short week-long rehab in Wisconsin to get him back to game speed, Green took his place in the Huntsville lineup, where he's gotten eight games under his belt, too few to really form an impression yet. If he hits as expected and Gamel fields as feared, Green could end up as the Brewers' third baseman sometime next year. He won't be a star, either offensively or defensively, but he's shown a knack so far in his career for getting the job done.

RSP Jake Odorizzi (19), R - Odorizzi hasn't seen the field since we ranked the prospects, as the Brewers are being conservative with their premium prep arms. He's working out in extended spring training in Arizona, and we'll see him when the Pioneer League begins play in late June.

LF Cole Gillespie (25), AAA - Gillespie began the year DHing for Brevard County as the result of an elbow injury that prevented him from playing the field, but he's been at Nashville for a little over a month now. Likely limited to left field because of shoulder surgery in college that gimped his arm, Gillespie won't ever hit for the power expected out of a corner outfielder but tries to make for it with a patient plate approach. Though he's hitting just .221/.353/.337 so far this year, he's a nice guy to have around in case of injury, and he could be a fine fourth outfielder for the Brewers for awhile.
MLE: .188/.284/.287

2B Cutter Dykstra (20), R - Perhaps the most disappointing prospect on the list, Dykstra opened the year leading off and playing center field for the Timber Rattlers, but was displaced in both areas by Erik Miller after Dykstra hit just .212/.310/.303 and displayed some rather creative routes in the outfield. Also reportedly struggling with the blowback from his father Lenny's personal life falling apart, he was ultimately demoted to Helena and shifted to second base, his more natural position. Dykstra hit well at Helena last year, so hopefully he'll be back up to Wisconsin (with a concomitant promotion for Brett Lawrie) before the year is out.
MLE: .188/.284/.287

RF Caleb Gindl (20), A+ - Finally, a prospect that's hitting well! Despite concerns about his height and ultimate ceiling, Gindl continues to get it done, hitting .296/.375/.444 in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. After striking out a ton last year, his BB/K ratio has improved, and he's plus defender with a strong arm in right field. He'd be in the top ten if we redid the rankings today.
MLE: .234/.293/.338

RRP Omar Aguilar (24), AA - Aguilar was returned to AA to improve his command, but he's gone backwards in that regard, and has been more hittable. He still throws really hard, but he doesn't have much to back it up with. Hopes that he can help the big league bullpen soon are fading.
MLE: 13 IP, 4.83 FIP, 12/15 K/BB, 15 H, 0 HR, 36.6 GB%

1B/OF Brad Nelson (26), AAA (Seattle) - 0-21

RSP Tim Dillard (25), AAA - Dillard continues to pitch in the starting rotation at Nashville, though the Brewers have admitted they view him as a reliever. His stuff is too mediocre to succeed as a starter, but his velocity was way up coming out of the pen last year; with his nice sinker, he could be a cut-rate Todd Coffey, or at the very least, he could take Jorge Julio's place and be a true long man.
MLE: 52.1 IP, 4.44 FIP, 18/25 K/BB, 52 H, 1 HR, 56.0 GB%

LSP Zach Braddock (21), A+ - Nobody has more helium this year than Braddock. He missed the start of the season after having his ulnar nerve transposed, but has come on like gangbusters, striking out 22 while walking only 2 in 12 innings for the Manatees. The walks are the most encouraging sign, since it allows us to somewhat write off his control problems last year as being related to the irritated nerve. Being eased back and having only thrown 71.1 innings last year, Braddock yet to go more than two innings in a game, but long-term, he's the best pitching prospect in the organization after Jeffress.
SS Brent Brewer (21), A+ - Hopes were high for the ultra-toolsy Brewer after he showed marginal improvement toward the end of last year, but he's been terribad: .203/.259/.273. Other raw, football-type guys like Daryl Jones provide a modicum of hope for Brewer, but the light switch better come on fast.
MLE: .165/.207/.220

Others:

Second-round pick Cody Adams has been very disappointing for a college starter in A-ball. He reportedly worked in the low 90s, touching 96, while at SIU, but he's barely touched 90 this season for the Timber Rattlers and has allowed a bunch of hits and walks.
Evan Anundsen threw a no-hitter for Brevard County earlier this year and has seen his peripherals take a strong step forward from last year. A groundball specialist, he only throws in the mid-80s, but it's working so far.
The Brewers' 9th-round pick last year, Michael Bowman has continued to build on his encouraging debut. As a college pitcher, a promotion to Brevard County at some point this year seems in order.
My man, Chris Dennis, was mysteriously left off the T-Rats' roster to begin the year. I don't know if he was injured or what, but he's made up for lost time, hitting .415/.468/.829 in the 12 games he's been there, including homering twice off Reds prospect J.C. Sulbaran last night. Lefty sluggers are a prized commodity, so keep your eye on Dennis.
Towering first-round lefty Evan Frederickson has regained some of his velocity from last year, though he's not the 97 mph fireballer he was reported to be--yet, anyway. No doubt he has the capability, but, as with many tall pitchers, his mechanics are wildly inconsistent, which also affects his command, as his 28 walks in 29.1 innings attest.
Since he's older, I was hoping that big Brock Kjeldgaard would get off to a strong start and earn a quick promotion, but he hasn't. Jeff's numbers suggest he's getting a little unlucky, and his power and patience are still intact (.237/.337/.442), but he's striking out a ton (52 in 156 ABs).
An outfielder in the Caleb Gindl mode (short and left-handed), Erik Komatsu Komalished the Pioneer League last year but has only played in one game this year, dealing with a concussion and wrist injury.
Wily Peralta is for real, posting a 40/10 K/BB in 36 innings for Wisconsin. He's got good control for his age, but he's not some pitchability guy dominating raw fastball hitters; he has legitimate stuff, a mid-90s fastball and good slider. After Alcides Escobar, Peralta is the best international prospect in the system.
Big righty Cody Scarpetta has also opened eyes at Wisconsin with his stuff (42 Ks in 32.2 innings), though his control lags behind Peralta's. It will be fun to watch those two climb the ladder together over the next couple years.
Goofy-looking Logan Schafer might be the outfield version of Escobar: a raw but gifted pure hitter with excellent defense at a premium position. The Brewers' third-round pick last year, Schafer has a .310/.338/.451 line at Brevard County. If he can learn a little plate discipline, he'll become a very interesting prospect.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:32:44 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

Rickie Weeks tosses his bat to his eventual replacement (not pictured).

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Some things to read while getting ready for your photo shoot.

The Summer of Rickie Weeks was suddenly and abruptly canceled yesterday, leaving many of us wondering where we go from here. Willie Randolph, who spent most of the spring working with Weeks to improve his game, called the news "depressing", and Cory Provus notes that the news came just a week after Ken Macha called Weeks "his kind of player."

So where do the Brewers go from here? Adam McCalvy lists five internal options to fill in the void at second base. As of this writing, about 30% of voters in the poll on your right think Craig Counsell should take over, with 22% voting for Bill Hall and 18% hoping Doug Melvin is on the phone with Ray Durham. Casey McGehee is expected to start tonight and tomorrow, as the Astros send lefties Mike Hampton and Wandy Rodriguez to the mound. The Brewers are also expected to call up Hernan Iribarren from Nashville, but the move has not yet been announced.

How valuable was Weeks this season? On top of already having nine home runs and being on pace for 100 RBI, he was also the second most valuable defensive second baseman in baseball, according to FanGraphs. Mike Cameron is still the most valuable defensive center fielder, but the Brewers as a team have dropped from second to fifth.

Last night's game had a couple of milestones in it: Of course, Mat Gamel hit his first major league home run, but Jason Kendall also picked up his 2000th hit, becoming just the eighth catcher to do so. Baseball Reference looks at the eight catchers who accomplished the feat, and one stat jumps out: each of the other seven catchers hit at least 248 home runs, and Ted Simmons is the only one with less than 300. Jason Kendall has 73 career homers.

We've known for a few days now that Brad Nelson would not be back, but now we also know where he's headed: Nelson has signed a minor league deal with the Mariners and will report to AAA Tacoma. Hopefully Brad can rebound from a tough start to 2009 and have a nice major league career in the AL, where the Brewers won't have to face him very often.

Down in the minors, Taylor Green is off to a hot start in his rehab assignment with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He's expected to be called up to Huntsville soon, but Rattlers manager Jeff Isom is hoping to dodge that phone call.

Elsewhere in the minors, the Astros have released former Brewer Lou Palmisano. Cap'n Lou was picked in the Rule 5 draft by the Orioles, traded to the Astros, and then offered back to the Brewers. The Brewers decided not to take him back.

On power rankings:

Whatifsports has moved the Brewers up from tenth to fifth in their rankings.
Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star has moved the Brewers from eighth to third.

Here's one more way you can help the Brewers own Pittsburgh: The Racing Sausages are up against the Racing Pierogies in Home Run Derby's Mascot Challenge. Head on over there and vote for the sausages.

Around the league:

A's: Reliever Dan Giese has been placed on the DL with irritation in his ulnar nerve.
Mets: Carlos Delgado will miss at least two months after undergoing hip surgery, Alex Cora has been placed on the DL with a sprained thumb ligament and, once again, Nelson Figueroa has been designated for assignment.
Nationals: 26-year-old reliever Ryan Wagner, who had been pitching in AAA, has decided to retire.
Phillies: Signed Paul Bako to a minor league deal.
Pirates: Claimed reliever Steven Jackson off waivers from the Yankees.
Rockies: Designated reliever Steven Register, who had been pitching in AAA, for assignment.
Twins: Placed starter Glen Perkins on the DL with elbow inflammation.

I believe I've mentioned before that home runs are way up this season, although I haven't seen it reported recently. On the other side, though, Baseball Reference notes that there has not been a single three-HR game in 2009, and this is the farthest into the season we've gone without one since 1993.

Oh, and I don't have my new house yet (and won't for another month), but I already have a gardening idea.

Drink up.

Friday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:19:44 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

7 months ago: Milwaukee Brewers' Bil Hall, left, is embraced by teammate Mike Cameron after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Florida Marlins, Thursday, May 14, 2009, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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Some things to read while upgrading someone's cell phone.

It may not have looked like much. An eighth inning pinch-hit appearance ending in a strikeout. But with that K, the Mat Gamel era is upon us, and everyone seems to be talking about it:

He made Baseball America's list of ten potential impact rookies.
"The fact the Brewers recalled him a week prior to the start of any inter-league games signals he is up for good," according to FakeTeams.
He was eulogized in Nashville.
And his plane nearly ran out of fuel on the way to Milwaukee.

On the other side of the coin we have Brad Nelson, the organization's former #1 prospect who still has not announced whether he'll accept his assignment to Nashville. KIMT, his local TV station, was in town covering Nelson when he got the news Wednesday night.

Trevor Hoffman was one of the big stories in yesterday's game, pitching his ninth consecutive scoreless appearance en route to his eighth save. Adam McCalvy has a look at Hoffman's early dominance. Meanwhile, Brett Christopherson of the Appleton Post Crescent reminisces about Hoffman's days in the Midwest League.

Mike Rivera returned to the team yesterday, and Carlos Corporan was sent back down to Nashville to make room for him. Corporan appeared in just one game during his brief stint in Milwaukee, making him one of just three players to make one career appearance as a Brewer, and the first position player to do it. Obviously, Corporan is hoping to make more appearances at some point.

Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson had a rough outing yesterday and was pulled early. Today the Miami Herald is reporting Johnson was removed with weakness in his shoulder. It's not believed to be serious and he's expected to make his next start.

Yovani Gallardo will take the mound tonight, but the Brewers almost missed out on him entirely. The Official Site relives the 2004 draft, when the Brewers drafted Gallardo in the second round.

Speaking of the draft, Minor League Ball is preparing for their mock draft on June 6, and you can check in here or here to voice your opinion on what players or types of players the Brewers should be pursuing.

One can only hope this year's draft class will be as good as the class of 2002: eight pitchers from that class started games in the majors last night. Dave Bush (drafted #55 overall by the Blue Jays) is one of 23 pitchers drafted in that class that are currently experiencing success in the big leagues.

Meanwhile, Brett Lawrie checks in from the Midwest League with a blog post on the adjustment to playing every day, frustration and Guitar Hero Metallica.

Will Prince Fielder's physique prevent him from having the career he could have had? Fielder has slimmed down a bit this season, but this FanPost at Beyond the Box Score suggests Fielder's career will draw to an end early. A note in the comments mentions that Fielder's listed height and weight would give him a 35.4 BMI, about 11% higher than Kirby Puckett, the closest comparison. Or course, no one knows how close Fielder (or Puckett) actually were to their listed weights.

There's nothing holding Mark DiFelice back this season. After pitching a scoreless eighth yesterday, DiFelice is now 4-0 with a 2.02 ERA in 35.2 major league innings, and ESPN is projecting him to make the All Star Team. Not bad for a guy who didn't make it to the big leagues until 31 and had to go to the WBC to get noticed in spring training.

This is the kind of story that gets a team's fan base a reputation: If you're near something that you shouldn't vomit on, feel free to skip this story about the "negotiation" for Chris Coghlan's home run ball from Wednesday. (That story is all over the place now, but I found the link via Tom H.'s Twitter)

Buried in Scott Miller's latest column is this note: The Brewers are 17-6 since April 19, the best record in all of baseball.

With interleague play coming up, Baseball Reference has a look at 17 home/road matchups that haven't happened yet. The Brewers have visited every AL ballpark and hosted 13 of 14 AL teams, but are still waiting for the Rays to come to town.

Around the league:

D-Backs: Designated infielder Josh Wilson for assignment.
Nationals: Returned Rule 5 pick Terrell Young to the Reds.
Rockies: Placed Glendon Rusch on waivers.
Tigers: Placed Nate Robertson on the DL with a lower back strain.

So how many of these disabled list stints are legit? Yesterday, Shysterball wondered about some recent disabled list shenanigans, and Jayson Stark of ESPN followed up on it. He seems to have arrived at the conclusion that a doctor, given a reason to, can find something wrong with just about anyone. All of this came out on the same day the Astros placed Geoff Geary on the DL with ~~chronic ineffectiveness~~ biceps tendinitis.

Following up on something I mentioned yesterday: Umpire Paul Schrieber apologized for making contact with Magglio Ordonez on Wednesday. It doesn't look like he'll face any significant consequences for his actions.

How much of a major league curveball's action is real, and how much is simply an optical illusion? The Book blog has a pretty cool visual aid to help explain it.

Braden Looper is turning out to be a pretty good signing for the Brewers, but was he the best signing of a free agent starting pitcher this offseason? Jorge Says No! makes a pretty good case for Baltimore's Koji Uehara.

Speaking of transactions, El Lefty Malo has a look at players the Giants have traded away that have gone on to success in other organizations, including Carlos Villanueva. Villanueva was acquired for Wayne Franklin and Leo Estrella.

We, or maybe just I, complain a lot in this space about the MLB Blackout policy, but MLB.TV has been awarded a patent for the system they use to enforce it online.

Unfortunately, I'm still watching Baseball Tonight, but fortunately, I wasn't watching last night when Eduardo Perez dropped this chunk of knowledge:

And one thing I can tell you: baserunning, hitting, pitching -- and especially the bullpen -- is not only important in the National and the American League, but all around baseball.

I've heard the MLB Network alternative is better, but I have yet to see it for myself.

Oh, and apparently being a major league player has one more perk we didn't know about: When you're injured, you can hit on radiologists.

Drink up.

Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:16:49 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Rickie Weeks straddles third after hitting a triple last night. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find photographic evidence of Hardy's triple.

Browse more photos »

Some things to read while stimulating the economy.

In just a few hours, the Brewers will take the field looking for their first sweep of the Marlins since 1999. The Brewers may have an added advantage today, as it sounds like some Marlins aren't sleeping well: FishStripes is reporting that at least two pairs of Marlins are rooming together on this trip, as the team is staying in the Pfister Hotel, rumored to be haunted, and they're scared of ghosts.

The Brewers, meanwhile, have something else to be scared of. J.J. Hardy left last night's game with "very little" vision in his left eye and numbness in his left hand. He was given medication for a migraine headache. A decision on his ability to play today probably won't come until close to game time.

Mat Gamel, meanwhile, is expected to make his debut today. Gamel came to Milwaukee yesterday and has been called up to the team (noted in FanShot). He'll take Brad Nelson's roster spot: Nelson was outrighted to Nashville, and has 72 hours to either accept the demotion or opt for free agency. I know Nelson has struggled and many have been calling for his demotion for some time now, but I hope this isn't the last time we'll see him in a Brewer uniform.

There was brief confusion last night about Nelson's status, as the common procedure in this case would be to designate him for assignment, then attempt to outright him once he had cleared waivers. The Brewers' decision to skip the first step and outright Nelson immediately would suggest that he was put on waivers days ago and has already cleared. Tyler Maas of Bugs & Cranks says Nelson did nothing to earn a demotion.

As for Gamel, his short term role with the team will reportedly look a lot like Prince Fielder's 2005 role. Gamel will get some pinch hit at bats and spot appearances before DH'ing in interleague play, and is not expected to make many starts.

Mike Rivera probably shared a plane ride with Gamel. Rivera completed his rehab assignment in Nashville yesterday, and is expected to rejoin the team and start today. Carlos Corporan will return to AAA.

Major league history was made yesterday, as the very first home run was overturned by instant replay. However, it wasn't the home run in last night's Brewer game. Instead, it was a home run by Adam LaRoche, overturned about an hour earlier.

And, of course, each Trevor Hoffman save creates more history. The All Time Saves Leader picked up save #561 last night, his seventh as a Brewer, and Tom H. says there's still some gas in his 41-year-old tank.

The Brewers took advantage of an opportunity last night, but it was presented to them in the most unlikely way. Fish Bytes wants to know what's wrong with Ricky Nolasco after last night's two-out fourth inning rally, which went this way:

Mike Cameron grounded out.
J.J. Hardy lined out.
Corey Hart walked.
Jason Kendall walked.
Braden Looper singled.
Rickie Weeks singled.
Craig Counsell singled.
Ryan Braun walked.
Prince Fielder singled.
Mike Cameron walked.
J.J. Hardy struck out.

Obviously, there was some luck involved there, but any inning where a pitcher puts Jason Kendall, Braden Looper and Craig Counsell on base is cause for concern.

A Brewer win, Reds win and a Cardinal loss combined to form a three way tie atop the NL Central, with the Cubs just half a game back. Even before last night's game, Justin Inaz was projecting the Brewers as the expected NL Central Champions. They've also moved up from 15th to 8th in MLB FanHouse's Power Rankings.

Chase Wright picked up his second win in AAA yesterday but is still just 2-4, and entered yesterday's contest with an ERA over 5. At The Old Ball Game takes a look at Wright's starts individually, and they're not as bad as you might think, given his overall numbers.

Around the league:

Angels: Are reportedly close to signing reliever Rudy Seanez to a minor league deal.
Cardinals: Placed Ryan Ludwick on the DL with a strained hamstring.
Cubs: Ryan Dempster will not be suspended after throwing a pitch that nearly hit Ryan Braun in the head over the weekend.

Perhaps the hardest part of evaluating a 46-year-old pitcher is trying to decide when he's lost it: Jamie Moyer, who recently signed a two year contract, has posted an 8.15 ERA in his first seven starts, leading some to wonder if this is the end of the line for him.

Will anyone ever hit .400 again? Watching Jack Cust, of all people, led Joe Posnanski to take a look at some players who could feasibly do it, and some players who could have if they'd put the ball in play more.

Do the rules work both ways? Players are immediately ejected and eventually suspended for making contact with an umpire, so Craig Calcaterra of Circling the Bases would like to see umpire Paul Schrieber suspended for his unnecessary contact with Magglio Ordonez last night.

Baseball Digest Daily is all over the Twitter fad, and while mentioning it they linked to this list of MLB players who tweet. There are no current Brewers on the list, but Matt LaPorta is on it. Of course, if you Twitter, you should be following BCB.

Today is a Woot-off day, if you're looking for a present for your favorite blogger. If you'd like to get something for me instead, I've got my eye on this and these.

Oh, and the small-sample-size baseball world has a new elite power hitter: Willie Bloomquist.

Drink up.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:48:11 -0000

Some things to read while trying to figure out what you'd do with two toasters.

The Brewers, along with 21 other MLB teams, were off yesterday, but this site was not. Thanks to a link from Big League Stew that ended up on the front page at Yahoo, over 57,000 readers stopped by yesterday, far and away the biggest day in BCB history. Thanks to BLS for the link, and if you're one of our new readers, welcome. Please consider taking a look at the Posting Guide and Game Thread Guidelines.

The off day also gave Ryan Braun plenty of time to go pick up an award. Braun was named NL Player of the Week after hitting .458/.567/.958 over the Brewers' last six games, with three home runs and 12 RBI. This is the first time Braun has won the award. (Also noted in FanShot)

Yovani Gallardo may not have been at his best over the weekend, but there's a lot to be optimistic about. Over at The Hardball Times, Harry Pavlidis has a Pitchf/x profile of Gallardo that's well worth a read.

Manny Parra takes the mound tonight for the Brewers. He's 1-4 in six starts, and hasn't really looked sharp all season. Looking for a reason for optimism? Fish Chunks says the Brewers are 8-2 on May 12 since moving to the National League.

A couple of minor notes:

The Official Site takes a look at Brett Lawrie, two months into his professional career. Pretty much everyone who sees the guy seems to like him. On his blog, though, McCalvy mentions Lawrie having a weird stance. Does anyone have pictures/video of it?
Mat Gamel's defense is still questionable, but his bat continues to propel him toward the big leagues: He's currently fourth in the PCL with a 1.105 OPS.

Gamel was one of dozens of topics covered in Tom H.'s chat over at the JS site yesterday. It was a pretty good chat, all told. Some questions that should have been ignored were bludgeoned instead, but there was also conversation regarding Jason Kendall, Alcides Escobar, Brad Nelson, Mike Jones, Mark Rogers, Chris Capuano, Jake Odorizzi, Erik Komatsu and others.

The Brewers continue to move up in power rankings:

Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, who had the Brewers at #25 two weeks ago, has moved them all the way up to #8.
WhatifSports has the Brewers at #10.

The transaction wire was pretty quiet yesterday, but I did notice these moves in Baseball America's Minor League Transactions:

Tony Armas Jr. signed a minor league deal with the Braves.
Former Brewer minor leaguer Nic Ungs has signed with the Marlins.

Meanwhile, across the ocean, the Pirates have signed 17-year-old Dutch outfielder Daan Cornelissen. With the move, the Pirates have now signed players from each of six continents over the last 12 months. The BBTF thread is worth reading, just for the first few comments.

Former Brewer and current Astros hitting coach Sean Berry has been released from the hospital following surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his kidney. He's expected to rejoin the team in a couple of weeks.

Oh, and Nick Punto needs to be more careful about letting his hand linger.

Drink up.

Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:50:57 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Reds' SS Paul Janish prepares to throw much harder than Jeff Suppan.

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Some things to read while programming a robot to carry pineapple.

Karma or coincidence? Before last night's game, Tom Groeschen of the Cincinnati Enquirer was one of many to mention the fact that the Reds were leading the NL in team ERA. A few short hours later, both of the following were true:

Bronson Arroyo was the first pitcher since 1900 to allow nine runs while recording three or fewer outs twice in his career. (Thanks to TheJay for the tip.)
Shortstop Paul Janish, the Reds' starting shortstop, pitched the ninth.

Janish, though, hit 92 on the gun and struck out two Brewers while allowing five runs in the inning.

J.J. Hardy was last night's MVP, going 2-for-4 with a three run home run and a walk. He's raised his batting average from .156 to .209 in the four games since he returned from his break over the weekend. FakeTeams says he's due for a correction after posting a .172 BABIP in April.

Last night's blowout gave the Brewers an opportunity to give Jason Kendall a few innings off and let Carlos Corporan make his major league debut. Corporan responded by picking up his first MLB hit and run. Cute Sports has the congratulatory post. Chuckie Hacks says Brad Nelson is next. Tyler Maas of Bugs and Cranks is trying to figure out why he's still behind Nelson, who grounded into a double play last night to extend his hitless streak to 19 at bats.

Bill Hall was the only Brewer position player who did not appear in last night's game. Hall was scheduled to start but was held out due to rainy conditions. It's supposed to rain again today and tonight, but Hall wants to play anyway.

After Braden Looper takes on the Reds tonight, the Brewers will open a three game series with the Cubs, with Randy Wells officially announced as the starting pitcher for game one. He'll face Dave Bush, who hits batters more often than all but eleven pitchers in baseball.

Today's minor league notes are both Timber Rattler related: Baseball America has a story on Brett Lawrie, who is playing very well in the Midwest League despite being the youngest player on the Rattlers. If seeing Lawrie isn't enough to get you to go to Fox Cities Stadium, perhaps Jim Gantner and Ken Sanders can change your mind.

If you don't Twitter, this paragraph is irrelevant. But if you do Twitter, you may be interested in the Twitter pages of Gord Ash, Tom H. and The Official Site. And, of course, you should also be following Brew Crew Ball, but you knew that, right?

MLB FanHouse is starting to see the light and has moved the Brewers up from 25 to 15 in their most recent power rankings.

Around the league:

Astros: Designated infielder Jason Smith for assignment.
D-Backs: Placed Tony Clark on the DL with a wrist injury.
Mets: Placed Oliver Perez on the DL with patella tendinitis in his right knee.

Former Brewer and Astro Sean Berry, now working as hitting coach for the Astros, has been diagnosed with kidney cancer. (h/t FanShot). Thankfully, the cancer is in his kidney and was detected early, meaning doctors may be able to remove it with relatively minor procedures. Best wishes to Sean for a speedy recovery.

Oh, and the Nationals might be the worst team ever to have every position player above average.

Drink up.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:01:08 -0000

More photos » by Darren Hauck - AP

7 months ago: Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun reacts after being hit by a pitch from the Pittsburgh Pirates' Jeff Karstens in the third inning of a baseball game Monday, April 27, 2009, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Darren Hauck)

Browse more photos »

Some things to read while remembering the Contra code.

Good morning, Brewer fans, and welcome to the Trevor Hoffman era. Adam McCalvy has the story of the most talked about ninth inning appearance in a non-save situation in Brewer history.

Ryan Braun was still upset after the game about getting hit by Jeff Karstens, and suggested retaliation may be in order today. The Brewers and Pirates play each other 13 more times this season, so a prolonged grudge would have plenty of time to develop into an ugly mess.

It probably wasn't fun to be the families of the three Pirates with Wisconsin ties last night. One of them, Jason Jaramillo, was profiled in the Racine Journal Times.

Here's something else you may not have known about this Brewers-Pirates matchup: According to Joe Posnanski, these two teams have waited the longest and second longest in all of baseball to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The Brewers have the longest drought, not having appeared solo on the cover since Rob Deer did it in 1987. Ryan Braun appeared with two non-Brewers last season.

Mike Cameron continued his hot start last night, connecting for his fifth home run. Jack Moore of Right Field Bleachers took a deeper look at Cameron's start, and says there's more to it than just luck.

On the other end of the spectrum, Brad Nelson struck out last night and is now 0-for-13. Chuckie Hacks is ready to throw Nelson under the bus, but if every player who went 0-for-13 was DFA'd there would be an awful lot of talented players on the move. Nelson worked the count again last night (there was a full count when he struck out), and if he stays patient he'll connect eventually. It's not like he's hitting weak grounders on the first pitch.

Baseball Analysts is working to determine the best pitches of 2009, and Yovani Gallardo checks in with the fourth best slider.

If the Brewers decide to get Gallardo some help in the rotation, it won't be Pedro Martinez. Doug Melvin squashed a rumor that the Brewers might be interested in signing him. The original rumor came from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, which is why I never bothered mentioning it in the first place.

Several minor league notes today:

Lorenzo Cain won't need knee surgery after all and is expected to miss just 4-6 weeks after damaging his PCL, not his MCL. (h/t FanShot)
Mark Rogers missed his turn in the rotation in Brevard County after bruising his shoulder running into the wall shagging fly balls, but is expected to be fine.
Pedro Lambertus, a reliever for the Timber Rattlers, has been placed on the suspended list. Not sure what happened there.
MLB Prospect Watch lists Alcides Escobar #29 in their ranking of baseball's top 50 prospects.

If you're bored this morning and would like to listen to some baseball, Nashville closes out a series with Iowa at 11 am today and you can listen to it here. (h/t Rattler Radio)

The Brewers have won six of their last eight games and recently took two of three from the defending world champions on the road, so it's probably safe to assume that the baseball world will take a little notice, right? That's not the case for Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, who left the Brewers at 26 in his power rankings. The Brewers moved up from 27th to 22nd in ESPN's rankings.

When do you boo at Miller Park? Miller Park Drunk says fans are booing too often, and has a list of times when it's allowed.

Around the league:

Astros: Jose Valverde will miss a few days after aggravating a strained calf in Sunday's game.
Giants: Outfielder Andres Torres is expected to be placed on the DL with a hamstring strain.
Padres: Designated pitcher Eulogio de la Cruz for assignment.
Tigers: Released pitcher Scott Williamson.

With new technology comes new opportunities to make yourself look like an idiot. Giants closer Brian Wilson blew a save Sunday, just a few hours after mentioning having fun in Scottsdale on Twitter, at 1 am. Wilson has responded to concerns and is quitting Twitter. The Giants would probably be better off if he stopped going out before day games.

The Ballpark in Arlington has always been a scary place for pitchers, even more so than it should be based on dimensions and climate factors. Beyond the Box Score spotted a quote over the weekend regarding the mound construction, and wonders if that might be a factor.

Oh, and BCB still doesn't have a resident photoshopper, but I'd rather have a resident Lego builder anyway.

Drink up.