Major holiday passes without news from Doug Melvin

December 26, 2007

It was almost a trend. Doug Melvin’s last three major off-season moves had come on major holidays, which had me thinking something would happen around Christmas.

  • Thanksgiving 2006: The Doug Davis, Johnny Estrada, Claudio Vargas trade.
  • Christmas 2006: The Jeff Suppan free agent signing.
  • Thanksgiving 2007: The Jason Kendall signing.

I started to notice this because I was never at home when I first heard about the deals. I was always away with family.

So, does Doug have some motivation? Does he want to capitalize on the buzz and get people talking about the Brewers at all of their get-togethers? Or does he think the holidays are a time when people are away from their computers and newspapers, and maybe he can slide some unpopular announcements by without anyone seeing? As a Canadian, does he even recognize Thanksgiving and Christmas?

(And no, Gabe Kapler doesn’t count as news.)

Villanueva locked into 2008 starting rotation

December 23, 2007

I mean, it’s what we’ve been hoping all along. It’s always made sense, but you never know. Now Doug Melvin seems to have confirmed it to the Journal Sentinel.

“Having Gallardo and Villanueva in the rotation from Day 1 should make our rotation better,” he said.

OK, then. So [1] Sheets, [2] Gallardo, [3] Villanueva, [4] Suppan, and wild card. Your left-handed options are Capuano and Parra. Your right-handed options are Vargas and Bush.

Your trade options with the remainders are probably limited.

Left field tabbed for Kapler coupling?

December 21, 2007

Gabe Kapler
So the Brewers signed Gabe Kapler to a non-guaranteed contract for $800,000.

He’s 32, and he’s already been out of baseball twice. The first time was after the 2004 season, when he went to play in Japan. He was eventually waived.

Then, instead of playing last season, he was managing in the Red Sox farm system … which is exactly what I’d do if I were waiting for anabolic steroids to clear my system.

Now he’s back, and he’s a little less than what Brewers fans were hoping for. If nothing else happens between now and April, it seems logical that he’ll platoon with Gabe Gross in left.

Gagne redemption a little less likely now

December 13, 2007

The Mitchell Report is more than just the list of names that tantalized everyone today. Most of the outings are supplemented by humorous anecdotes about the acquisition of HGH and photocopies of personal checks.

It’s humorous, of course, unless you were really believing that the pitcher your favorite team just signed really was only struggling from back problems and now should be right again and wouldn’t need some enhancements to get himself up for the ninth inning.

An excerpt on Eric Gagne:

When the Boston Red Sox were considering acquiring Gagné, a Red Sox official made specific inquiries about Gagné’s possible use of steroids. In a November 1, 2006 email to Red Sox scout, general manager Theo Epstein asked, “Have you done any digging on Gagne? I know the Dodgers think he was a steroid guy. Maybe so. What do you hear on his medical?”

The scout, Mark Delpiano, responded, “Some digging on Gagne and steroids IS the issue. Has had a checkered medical past throughout career including minor leagues. Lacks the poise and commitment to stay healthy, maintain body and reinvent self. What made him a tenacious closer was the max effort plus stuff . . . Mentality without the plus weapons and without steroid help probably creates a large risk in bounce back durability and ability to throw average while allowing the changeup to play as it once did . . . Personally, durability (or lack of) will follow Gagne . . .”

Oh, I’m ill.

So Theo knew this and still traded for him and still got burnt. No reason to think Doug Melvin didn’t have all of this same information before he signed him.

Boy, for $10 million, you ought to be pretty sure.

Bonds’ approval rating should get back into double digits

December 13, 2007

No one should be happier about the release of the Mitchell Report today than Barry Bonds, who finally has some fellow wrong-doers to deflect heat.

Somehow in the years since Mark McGwire’s disappearance, Bonds was viewed as the cheater — the one guy who shamed himself and the game. People talked about this keeping him out of the Hall of Fame, as if he were doing something that put him and him alone at an unfair advantage.

Well, writers of the BBWAWABA, now that excuse doesn’t work as well. If you keep Bonds out because of steroid use, there will be several straight years of an empty dais in Cooperstown. All of a sudden, he’s not alone; he’s among the half of all baseball players who did it.