Happy Holidays from BCB
December 25, 2009Good morning everyone,
We're taking the day off for the holiday, barring breaking news or the sudden burning desire to write, but I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays from all of us here at BCB. I hope you're surviving the weather and enjoying a great day, however you choose to do so.
Enjoy the day, don't forget to stop by for Noah's Weekend Mug, and I'll see you on Monday!
KL
The Thursday Thinker: Young Pitching
December 24, 2009
Last week, we talked about young Brewer position players. This week, let's talk pitchers. Only one Brewer has ever pitched 100 innings in a season before his age 23 season. Twenty others did it for the first time during their age 23 season. Of the 21, how many can you name in eight minutes?
Again, here are the rules: Post your score in the comments, but do not comment on any specific answer until after 6 pm Central time, so everyone gets a chance to try it out without having it spoiled for them. And, of course, there's no reason to cheat here, because there's no prizes.
This list is heavily weighted towards early Brewers, but some of the more recent names might surprise you. If you manage to get them all, post your time along with your score in the comments.
Have fun, and don't forget to post your score in the comments!
Christmas Eve’s Frosty Mug
December 24, 2009
Some things to read while stocking up on excuses.
Things will likely slow down a bit around here over the next few days, but there will still be a Thursday Thinker at noon. After that, I'll be off until Monday, with Noah handling this weekend's editor duties. Voting will also remain open for the final position player and lefty specialist on our BCB All Decade Team, so don't forget to cast your ballot.
As one might expect, we're a little light on Brewer news today, but heavy on Christmas gift suggestions. Miller Park Drunk has a list of ten gifts not to buy a Brewer fan, and a full three of them are Brewer related. Follow the link if you're not sick of Remetee jokes yet. Meanwhile, this is quietly moving to the top of my wish list.
Looking ahead to the 2010 draft, Andy Seiler has updated his projected draft order, and has the Brewers selecting 14th, 56th and 88th. Meanwhile, the Angels are set to cash in, selecting 18th, 29th, 30th, 36th and 37th.
Apparently the Timber Rattlers also have some time on their hands, as they've produced Episode 3 of The Offseason.
Around baseball:
Angels: Signed Fernando Rodney to a two year deal worth $11 million.
A's: Signed Coco Crisp to a one year deal with $5.25 million guaranteed, and a team option for 2011.
Braves: Signed Troy Glaus to a one year deal worth $2 million.
Nationals: Signed Matt Capps to a one year deal worth $3.5 million plus incentives.
Pirates: Signed pitcher Jack Taschner to a minor league deal.
What do you expect from J.J. Hardy in 2010? It's anyone's guess at this point, but you can count Seth McClung among those expecting a big bounce-back season from the former Brewer shortstop.
Meanwhile, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the Royals. Now that they've signed Brian Anderson and will likely start him in center field, Joe Posnanski passes along this somewhat astonishing stat:
So — there were seven every day players in all of baseball last year with OPS+ of 80 or less. The Royals project to have FIVE IN THEIR OPENING DAY LINEUP. And that is assuming that Josh Fields, with his 68 OPS+ in 268 plate appearances last year, does not win a place in the lineup. And he could. The Royals like his bat.
Happy birthday today to 2000-2002 Brewer Jamey Wright, who turns 35.
Drink up.
Holiday Q&A with LaTroy Hawkins
December 24, 2009With a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Brewers safely signed, reliever LaTroy Hawkins took a moment during his visit to Milwaukee this month to talk about the holidays with MLB.com.
Winter League Update for 12/24/2009
December 24, 2009In Venezuela: Alcides Escobar went 0-for-4 with a walk and scored a run for Lara.
The hitless performance dropped Escobar's batting average to .385, still good enough to win the VWL batting title by four points over Mets prospect Josh Thole. He also finished sixth in the league with a .430 OBP, 11th with a .915 OPS, tied for seventh in hits (65), and tied for fifth in stolen bases (13).
In Mexico: Luis Cruz went 1-for-4 and scored a run.
In Puerto Rico: Efrain Nieves had his longest outing in the PWL, pitching 3.1 innings in relief and allowing no runs on two hits and no walks, striking out two. He now has a 3.27 ERA in 11 innings, and has more strikeouts (11) than hits allowed (10).
Making Your ’00 Face: Situational Lefty
December 23, 2009With the '00's almost behind us, it's time to take a look back and work together to make a BCB All Decade team for the '00s. Each day, we'll tackle a new position, and we'll have our 25 man roster complete sometime around the 1st of the year.
Here are the players we've selected so far:
First Base: Prince Fielder
Second Base: Rickie Weeks
Shortstop: J.J. Hardy
Third Base: Bill Hall
Corner Outfield: Ryan Braun
Center Field: Mike Cameron
Corner Outfield: Geoff Jenkins
Catcher: Damian Miller
Bench IF: Craig Counsell
Bench C: Mike Rivera
Bench COF: Carlos Lee
Bench OF: Scott Podsednik
#1 SP: Ben Sheets
#2 SP: CC Sabathia
Closer: Francisco Cordero
Voting for our final position player opened yesterday and will close at 4 pm Saturday. Today we'll select a left-handed reliever. Four left handed pitchers appeared in at least 100 games in relief in the decade: follow the jump for their stats, then cast your vote in the poll below.
NOTE: Because Thursday and Friday are holidays, this poll will remain open a little longer than usual. You have until Sunday at 4 pm to cast your vote.
Seasons as a Brewer: 4, 2000-2002, 2007
Traditional numbers: 206 G, 6-8, 3.03 ERA, 154.2 IP, 125 K, 62 BB
Advanced numbers: 3.79 FIP, 1.27 WHIP, 7.27 K/9, 3.61 BB/9
WAR as a Brewer: 2.6
Seasons as a Brewer: 3, 2006-2008
Traditional numbers: 201 G, 7-5, 3.18 ERA, 163 IP, 112 K, 51 BB
Advanced numbers: 3.72 FIP, 1.29 WHIP, 5.75 K/9, 3.05 BB/9
WAR as a Brewer: 2.1
Valerio de los Santos
Seasons as a Brewer: 4, 2000-2003*
Traditional numbers: 163 G, 7-9, 4.24 ERA, 180.1 IP, 144 K, 82 BB
Advanced numbers: 4.91 FIP, 1.30 WHIP, 7.19 K/9, 4.10 BB/9
WAR as a Brewer: 1.1
* - de los Santos was also a Brewer in 1998 and 1999.
Seasons as a Brewe: 3, 2007-2009
Traditional numbers: 107 G, 8-2, 3.46 ERA, 75.1 IP, 79 K, 48 BB
Advanced numbers: 4.05 FIP, 1.34 WHIP, 9.44 K/9, 5.73 BB/9
WAR as a Brewer: 0.8
Highlights aplenty for Brewers in 2009
December 23, 2009The Brewers fell short of the postseason, but 2009 nonetheless had its share of highlights -- Yovani Gallardo's homer off the Big Unit. Prince Fielder's first career grand slam. A triple play that was followed by the year's most memorable home run celebration.
Wednesday’s Frosty Mug
December 23, 2009
Some things to read while cleaning up the mess this will make.
Tom Haudricourt noted this morning that $4 million of Randy Wolf's 2010 salary has been deferred, meaning his impact on next season's payroll is only $5.25 million. He cites that as evidence that the Brewers are closing in on the top of their budget, but it's also possible that savings could be used on another move.
Meanwhile, a couple of minor signings slipped through the cracks over the last week or so: Baseball America's Minor League Transactions notes the Brewers signed pitcher Chris Waters and shortstop Anderson Machado to minor league deals. Waters has started 12 games for the Orioles over the last two seasons, posting an ERA over 5. He's also made 53 appearances (42 starts) in the minors over that time, mainly in AAA.
Machado is likely little more than minor league depth: 2010 will be his 12th minor league season, and the Brewers will be his seventh organization. With that said, he's a shortstop, and the Brewers don't have much depth at the position in the upper levels of the minors.
Baseball Musings is working their way from A to Z this offseason, producing a quick bio of each major league player. Yesterday, Dave Pinto had this post on Ryan Braun and some of his early accomplishments.
I know we love Prince Fielder around here, but I'm still not sure he's getting the attention he deserves nationally as one of the game's elite hitters. The B-Ref blog notes that there have only been 14 players over the last three seasons to average .8 or more total bases per out made. Fielder is one of just three players to do it twice in that span. (Chipper Jones and Albert Pujols are the others.)
Fielder is also the Brewer representative in The Walkoff Walk End Of Decade Personality Compendium Infocaps.
If you're feeling nostalgic as we approach the end of 2009, Adam McCalvy has a list of Brewer highlights from the past season. There certainly were plenty of memorable moments: McCalvy listed 21, but Jason Dondlinger and I picked up on two more he forgot.
You have until 4 pm today to vote for a #2 starter for our BCB All Decade Team. At the moment, CC Sabathia leads the field by a wide margin. You also have until 4 pm Saturday to select our final position player.
In the minors: Lorenzo Cain had a somewhat puzzling run with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, and there's some positive and some negative to take away from it. At the very least, he saw a lot of pitches, as demonstrated by the fact that he was among the league leaders in both walk and strikeout percentage.
Around baseball:
Braves: Acquired Melky Cabrera, pitcher Mike Dunn and a minor leaguer from the Yankees for pitchers Boone Logan and Javier Vazquez.
Mariners: Will reportedly receive outfielder Johermyn Chavez as the prospect in the Brandon Morrow/Brandon League deal.
Mets: Are reportedly close to a minor league deal with R.A. Dickey.
Royals: Signed outfielder Brian Anderson to a one year deal.
We've spent more than enough time this offseason discussing draft pick compensation for players, the risks involved in offering arbitration and whatnot. With that said, Beyond the Box Score has a great conversation starter discussing the value of expected compensation picks and comparing it to the value of available prospects. (FanShot)
Ever wonder what it's like to be a beat reporter on the road with the team? El Lefty Malo has a great interview with Giants beat reporter Henry Shulman, covering topics like objectivity, burnout and the offseason.
Another former Brewer has landed on his feet: Rattler Radio noted that the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League will have 1987-1991 Brewer Chuck Crim as their pitching coach next season.
I'll warn you in advance: Don't click the link unless you've got half an hour to spare, but if you have the time Joe Posnanski's piece on Strat-o-Matic and the Negro Leagues is a must-read. Even as someone who doesn't know all that much about the Negro Leagues and has never played Strat-o-Matic, I got started reading the post and couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. This morning's Mug is significantly later as a result.
On this day in 2000, the Brewers signed Jeffrey Hammonds to a three year, $22.2 million deal. If we held a poll today, Jeff Suppan's contract would almost certainly be voted the worst deal in franchise history, but Hammonds merits consideration: he missed most of the 2001 season, posted a 93 OPS+ the 2002, and was released after getting off to a .158/.220/.289 start in 2003.
We're awash in Brewer birthdays today:
- Brad Nelson, who unfortunately will likely be most remembered for his 0-for-21 start to the 2009 season, turns 27 today.
- Jesus Colome, who pitched in five games for the 2009 Brewers, turns 32.
- 1985-1986 Brewer Tim Leary turns 51.
- Dave May, 1970-1974 Brewer and 1973 All Star, turns 66.
Oh, and if you still need a Christmas gift, might I humbly suggest a TMNT Snuggie?
Drink up.
Winter League Update for 12/23/2009
December 23, 2009In Venezuela:
- Alcides Escobar went 1-for-4 with a walk and scored a run.
- Hernan Iribarren went 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
In Mexico: Luis Cruz went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
In Puerto Rico: Martin Maldonado went 1-for-4, scored twice and drove in a run.
Making Your ’00 Face: Final position player
December 22, 2009With the '00's almost behind us, it's time to take a look back and work together to make a BCB All Decade team for the '00s. Each day, we'll tackle a new position, and we'll have our 25 man roster complete sometime around the 1st of the year.
Here are the players we've selected so far:
First Base: Prince Fielder
Second Base: Rickie Weeks
Shortstop: J.J. Hardy
Third Base: Bill Hall
Corner Outfield: Ryan Braun
Center Field: Mike Cameron
Corner Outfield: Geoff Jenkins
Catcher: Damian Miller
Bench IF: Craig Counsell
Bench C: Mike Rivera
Bench COF: Carlos Lee
Bench OF: Scott Podsednik
#1 SP: Ben Sheets
Closer: Francisco Cordero
Voting for our #2 starter opened yesterday and will close at 4 pm tomorrow. Today, we'll select our final bench player. Because we have a backup at every position among our first four bench players, our final bench spot can be filled by any of the remaining candidates at any position. Follow the jump for their stats, then cast your vote in the poll below.
NOTE: Because Thursday and Friday are holidays, this poll will remain open a little longer than usual. You have until Saturday at 4 pm to cast your vote.
Seasons as a Brewer: 4, 2003-2006
Slash line as a Brewer: .284/.361/.393
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -1.1 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 5.8
Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2000-2001*
Slash line as a Brewer: .242/.352/.480
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: n/a**
WAR as a Brewer: 4
* - Burnitz was also a Brewer from 1996-1999, but those stats aren't reflected here.
** - FanGraphs only has UZR data dating back to 2002, so Burnitz has no data.
Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2000-2001
Slash line as a Brewer: .222/.303/.268
WAR as a Brewer: 0.6
Seasons as a Brewer: 1, 2007
Slash line as a Brewer: .278/.296/.403
WAR as a Brewer: -1
Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2008-2009
Slash line as a Brewer: .244/.329/.315
WAR as a Brewer: 2.1
Seasons as a Brewer: 3, 2004-2005, 2008
Slash line as a Brewer: ..248/.351/.526
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -9.1 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 1.7
Seasons as a Brewer: 3, 2000-2002
Slash line as a Brewer: .261/.324/.434
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: +4.7 runs*
WAR as a Brewer: 5.8
* - FanGraphs only has UZR data dating back to 2002, so only Hernandez's 2002 season is included here.
Seasons as a Brewer: 3, 2000-2002*
Slash line as a Brewer: .281/.348/.374
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -2.7 runs**
WAR as a Brewer: 1.8
* - Loretta was also a Brewer from 1995-1999, but those numbers aren't included here.
** - Again, FanGraphs only has UZR data from 2002 forward, so only Loretta's 2002 season is included here.
Seasons as a Brewer: 3, 2000-2002*
Slash line as a Brewer: .251/.327/.384
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -6.9 runs**
WAR as a Brewer: 2.9
* - Belliard was also a Brewer in 1998 and 1999. All stats here only reflect his performance from 2000-2009.
** - FanGraphs only has UZR dating back to 2002, so Belliard's 2000 and 2001 performances are not reflected in this total.
Seasons as a Brewer: 3, 2002-2004
Slash line as a Brewer: .257/.344/.448
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -0.9 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 3.1
Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2002-2003
Slash line as a Brewer: .271/.340/.392
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -6.7 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 2.6
Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2004-2005
Slash line as a Brewer: .256/.337/.400
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: +8.2 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 1.2
Seasons as a Brewer: 4, 2000-2003
Slash line as a Brewer: .276/.366/.536
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -10.6 runs*
WAR as a Brewer: 10.2
* - FanGraphs only has UZR data since 2002, so this number does not reflect Sexson's 2000 and 2001 performances.
Seasons as a Brewer: 2, 2004-2005
Slash line as a Brewer: .289/.376/.464
UZR (Fielding) as a Brewer: -12.3 runs
WAR as a Brewer: 4.6