Tuesday’s Frosty Mug

January 31, 2012

 Behind Bobble-door #1 we find...Jonathan Lucroy!

Some things to read while flying your tiny blimp.

We're 18 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training and the Brewers are using what will likely be a slow news week to announce their 2012 bobbleheads, one at a time. Yesterday they announced that Jonathan Lucroy will be the first player featured on April 22. Follow @Bernie_Brewer to see today's announcement.

Meanwhile, the Brewers have released the final version of their 2012 schedule. Tom Haudricourt has the changes (which mostly involve Saturday game times being adjusted to accommodate national TV) behind the JS paywall.

Given our current lack of other developments, it's possible we'll have wall-to-wall coverage of this for the rest of the week: Nyjer Morgan is going to work out with the NHL's San Jose Sharks tomorrow.

Yesterday I mentioned that the Brewers reported progress in their negotiations with Shaun Marcum, and suggested a one year deal is probably still the most likely outcome. Reviewing the Brew has a counter proposal: They want the team to sign him for four years.

Most of yesterday's news centered around quotes gathered at On Deck this weekend. The Janesville Gazette's Peace and Glove blog was there and shared some pictures from the festivities.

The Brewers made a minor transaction yesterday, leading to some minor irritation: They signed outfielder Corey Patterson to a minor league deal (FanShot). He won't be invited to big league spring training, but is invited to early minor league camp and is expected to play left field for Nashville. Patterson is a career .252/.290/.400 hitter in 1230 major league games over 12 seasons, and was a Brewer briefly in 2009.

With that said, maybe a deep breath is in order. Bill Petti of Beyond the Box Score has a chart showing the Brewers are the best team in baseball at keeping below replacement level players off the field, and just 6% of their players since 2002 have had sub-zero wins above replacement totals. That blew my mind a little.

In the minors:

  • Tom Haudricourt has lists of non-roster invitees to spring training and minor leaguers invited to early camp. The former list is all names we've seen before, but this is the first time I'd seen the latter.
  • Carlos Gomez's winter league season is over, as he went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in Aguilas' 6-5 loss to Escogido, who won the Dominican final series 5-4. You can read more about that in today's Winter League Notes.
  • The Caribbean Series opens Thursday and Carson Cistulli of FanGraphs has a list of the major leaguers involed, including Martin Maldonado of Mayaguez.
  • Wisconsin Sports Tap has a list of the top outfielders in the Brewer organization, led by Logan Schafer.
  • Brewer Nation's "Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers" series continues today with a profile of Brock Kjeldgaard.
  • The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have the first of many videos to promote their Opening Day bobblehead giveaway.

Meanwhile, Caleb Gindl leads Cody Scarpetta by about 35 votes for the #10 spot in our Community Prospect Rankings. We'll close that poll at 1 today and open the voting for #11 at 2.

If you're easily angered or discouraged you might want to skip today's projections and power rankings:

Around baseball:

Angels: Signed pitcher Francisco Rodriguez (the other one) to a minor league deal.
Braves: Signed pitcher Buddy Carlyle to a minor league deal.
Cubs: Signed pitcher Trever Miller.
Indians: Acquired infielder/outfielder Russ Canzler from the Rays for cash.
Orioles: Signed pitchers Armando Galarraga and Pat Neshek and catcher Ronny Paulino to minor league deals.
Rangers: Signed manager Ron Washington to a two year contract extension through 2014.
Rays: Outfielder Justin Ruggiano is expected to refuse an outright assignment to the minors and become a free agent.
Yankees: Signed pitcher Manny Delcarmen to a minor league deal.

In former Brewers:

Outdoor hockey is a pretty big sporting fad lately, but it's worth noting that it comes at a significant cost: Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia is having all of its turf replaced before Opening Day after the old surface was ruined by the ice rink.

The Angels have spent a lot of money on the free agent market this winter, but it's also worth noting that they're taking a significant hit in the draft: They lost their 2012 first and second round picks when they signed Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson and won't pick for the first time until the second half of the third round.

The Brevard County Manatees (@BCManatees) note that it's a pretty big day for baseball birthdays, as Nolan Ryan, Ernie Banks and Jackie Robinson were all born on January 31. Today In Brewer History has a fourth name to add to that list: Yuniesky Betancourt turns 30 today.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to drawing pineapples.

Drink up.


Nyjer plans to skate with Sharks

January 31, 2012

 You can bet that Nyjer Morgan -- a.k.a. Tony Plush and myriad other monikers -- will come up with another alter ego he returns to his sporting roots this week. Morgan is set to skate with his hometown San Jose Sharks during their practice on Wednesday afternoon.

Nyjer plans to skate with Sharks

January 31, 2012

 You can bet that Nyjer Morgan -- a.k.a. Tony Plush and myriad other monikers -- will come up with another alter ego he returns to his sporting roots this week. Morgan is set to skate with his hometown San Jose Sharks during their practice on Wednesday afternoon.

Winter League Notes, 2012-01-31

January 31, 2012

Dominican: Aguilas L 6-5 at Escogido, lose championship

Batter Team Pos AB R H RBI BB SO E AVG Notes
Carlos Gomez Aguilas CF 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 .222


Today In Brewer History: Happy Anniversary, John Vander Wal

January 31, 2012

On this day in 2003 the Brewers signed outfielder John Vander Wal, a twelve year major league veteran, as a free agent. Vander Wal had appeared in over 1200 games as a major leaguer at this point as a member of six franchises and was a career .264/.354/.441 hitter, but had been used primarily as a pinch hitter and part-time player.

Vander Wal turned 37 in April of his lone season with the Brewers, but actually had a pretty good year on a terrible team. He made 374 plate appearances (the third highest total of his career) for the 2003 Crew and hit .257/.350/.468 with 14 home runs. He even had a two homer game on April 25 against the Braves, one of just two in his career.

By wins above replacement (rWAR), Vander Wal's lone season in Milwaukee was the second best of his career, valued at exactly one win. It was also his last full year in the big leagues: He appeared in just 42 games for the Reds in 2004 before calling it a career.

With help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:


Brewers sign Corey Patterson to a minor league deal

January 30, 2012

Brewers sign Corey Patterson to a minor league deal

It doesn't include an invite to major league spring training, but it's still not something I'm happy about.


Brewers ink veteran OF Patterson to Minors deal

January 30, 2012

 The Brewers finalized a Minor League contract for outfielder Corey Patterson on Monday, a deal that assistant general manager Gord Ash hinted was in the works during Sunday's "Brewers On Deck" event.

Brew Crew Ball Community Prospect Rankings: Vote For #10

January 30, 2012

Jorge Lopez was our winner over the weekend, so here's where we stand:

  1. Wily Peralta
  2. Taylor Jungmann
  3. Tyler Thornburg
  4. Taylor Green
  5. Jed Bradley
  6. Scooter Gennett
  7. Logan Schafer
  8. Michael Fiers
  9. Jorge Lopez

And the nominees for the #10 spot are:

Orlando Arcia
Caleb Gindl
David Goforth
Jimmy Nelson
Cody Scarpetta

Follow the jump for more on the candidates, then vote in the poll below.

Orlando Arcia
Age: 17
Top Level Reached In 2011: Dominican Summer League

2011 Stats:

Dominican Summer League: 254 PA, .294/.386/.459, 6 HR, 13 SB, 4 CS, 30 BB, 20 K

Other Rankings:

Source Rank Out Of
John Sickels 16 20
FanGraphs NR 15
Baseball America NR 10

Caleb Gindl, OF
Age: 23
Top Level Reached in 2011: AAA

2011 Stats:

Nashville (AAA): 538 PA, .307/.390/.472, 15 HR, 6 SB, 5 CS, 63 BB, 93 K

Other Rankings:

Source Rank Out Of
John Sickels 12 20
FanGraphs 9 45
Baseball America NR 10

David Goforth, RHP
Age: 23
Top Level Reached in 2011: Rookie

2011 Stats:

Helena (Rookie): 40.2 IP, 4.43 ERA, 1.328 WHIP, 10 BB, 42 K

Other Rankings:

Source Rank Out Of
John Sickels 13 20
FanGraphs 12 15
Baseball America NR 10

Jimmy Nelson, RHP
Age: 22
Top Level Reached in 2011: A

2011 Stats:

Wisconsin (A): 146 IP, 4.38 ERA, 1.445 WHIP, 65 BB, 120 K

Other Rankings:

Source Rank Out Of
John Sickels 19 20
FanGraphs 7 15
Baseball America 10 10

Cody Scarpetta, RHP
Age: 23
Top Level Reached in 2011: AA

2011 Stats:

Huntsville (AA): 117 IP, 3.85 ERA, 1.376 WHIP, 61 BB, 98 K

Other Rankings:

Source Rank Out Of
John Sickels 9 20
FanGraphs 11 15
Baseball America 7 10
Poll
Who should be #10 in our Community Prospect Rankings?
9%
Orlando Arcia
20 votes
51%
Caleb Gindl
105 votes
2%
David Goforth
6 votes
8%
Jimmy Nelson
17 votes
26%
Cody Scarpetta
54 votes

202 votes | Poll has closed


Monday’s Frosty Mug

January 30, 2012

 Is this Nyjer Morgan, Tony Plush or Tony Red Carpet? It's impossible to tell.

Some things to read while posting bail.

We're 19 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, and over the weekend 12,118 Brewer fans crammed into On Deck for a small taste of baseball to help pass the time. Adam McCalvy has a story on the upbeat atmosphere and The Official Site has a slide show of photos from the event where John Axford signed a baby, Nyjer Morgan unveiled some new nicknames and Bob Uecker made a child cry.

This weekend's biggest story may have come from Zack Greinke, who told reporters he's still open to signing a long term extension despite the fact that he's currently operating without an agent. Tom Haudricourt quoted Greinke as saying Mark Attanasio is "probably the best owner in baseball."

Elsewhere in pitcher negotiations: Tom Haudricourt talked to Brewer negotiator Teddy Werner, who said the team has made "good progress" in an effort to avoid arbitration with Shaun Marcum. He didn't say this specifically, but the team has indicated in the past that they're working on a one year deal. Behind the JS paywall, Marcum talked to Todd Rosiak about a mechanical adjustment he's working on this winter.

Here's another reminder how far the Brewers are stretching the budget with this year's $100 million payroll: Cleveland.com says the team is getting just $12 million per season from their TV deal with Fox Sports Wisconsin. (h/t @Joe_Block) With that said, they're on pace to set another ticket sales record.

Rickie Weeks was in attendance this weekend and told reporters his ankle still isn't quite 100% (behind the JS paywall) following last season's severe sprain. With that said, he's been working out this winter with his younger brother Jemile and Prince Fielder. Aramis Ramirez was also in attendance and said he's looking forward to playing home games in a climate-controlled environment in April.

Meanwhile, Ryan Braun was not at On Deck but was still a major topic of conversation. John Axford became the latest Brewer to speak out in support of Braun. Tom Haudricourt noted that MLB will make no announcement if Ryan Braun's appeal is successful (it's supposed to be confidential), but Braun's representation will likely mention it.

Of course, On Deck wasn't the only place where cool things happened this weekend. Here at BCB, Grim Spandango posted "A Slugger Like You," an incredible parody of the Adele song "Someone Like You." Noah also shared his thoughts on Prince Fielder's departure as someone who's grown up with Fielder in the organization. Also, Tigers fans write songs too.

It'll be interesting to see if the Brewers change their strategy a bit this season with Prince Fielder gone and Ryan Braun potentially missing some time. The Associated Press suggests the team could alter their approach, but Craig Calcaterra threw cold water on the theory.

This is pretty incredible, when you think about it: High Heat Stats notes that with 796 games played, Corey Hart is now the Brewers' active career leader. That was also the topic of last week's Thursday Thinker.

We do have one minor transaction to report this morning: Baseball America is reporting the Brewers have signed pitcher Vinnie Chulk to a minor league deal. Chulk is 33 and has a career 4.33 ERA in 252 relief appearances, but hasn't pitched in the majors since 2009. He spent 2010 in Japan and 2011 in the A's organization, where he posted a 3.36 ERA for AAA Sacramento.

In the minors:

At last check Jorge Lopez leads Caleb Gindl by about 40 votes in the balloting for the #9 spot on our Community Prospect Rankings. You have until 1 pm today to cast your vote, and the voting for #10 will open at 2.

Around baseball:

Astros: Signed pitcher Zach Duke to a minor league deal.
Giants: Signed infielder Ryan Theriot to a one year, $1.25 million deal.
Phillies: Signed outfielder Hunter Pence to a one year, $10.4 million deal to avoid arbitration and signed outfielder Juan Pierre to a minor league deal.
Pirates: Signed pitcher Daniel Cabrera to a minor league deal.
Rangers: Signed outfielder Kyle Hudson to a minor league deal.
Red Sox: Signed pitcher John Maine to a minor league deal.

Early in the weekend it was widely reported (including in a FanShot here) that the Cardinals had signed Roy Oswalt, but that has since been refuted. Jason Brannon of Baseball Nation wants to know what the Brewers and Reds should do if that deal comes to fruition.

The Miller Park retractable roof is great, but this makes me wonder about its longevity: The Mariners held their annual fan fest this weekend with the Safeco Field roof partially open because the mechanism to open and close it has broken down.

In former Brewers:

Here's today's best sabermetrics note: Dave Cameron of FanGraphs notes that while reliever usage has changed over time (with pitcher outings getting shorter nearly every season for decades), reliever effectiveness hasn't really improved.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back in the saddle.

Drink up.


“When I first came to Milwaukee, I had a big challenge: Put a team on the field the fans liked more…

January 30, 2012

"When I first came to Milwaukee, I had a big challenge: Put a team on the field the fans liked more than the sausage races. I still haven't done that. They love those sausage races."

Doug Melvin, via this two part tweet from Scott Merkin of MLB.com.

This morning's Mug is running a little late, but I wanted to share my favorite underreported quote from On Deck.