The Old Milwaukees

Ryan Braun for iPhone

October 19, 2008

Apple wants to highlight iPhone’s MLB app, so the demo commercial shows how a user navigates from a full scoreboard to a pitch-by-pitch animation to a video highlight. Opportunistic as usual, they targeted the most affluent MLB markets: Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.

Of all highlights this season, they feature Ryan Braun’s walk-off grand slam to beat the Pirates in the final week of the season.

I like it.

At first glance, I thought, Some marketer didn’t put a lot of thought into this; he just picked the first screaming announcer he came upon. On second viewing, it looks like they put some thought into it. To doctor it up at least.

1) In the scenario presented, the home run highlight that didn’t happen until the 10th inning is available for viewing in the seventh inning. Killer app!

2) The pitch-by-pitch screen shows a situation in which Corey Hart is batting with an 0-for-4 day going. Not hard to believe at all. But Hart finished the day 0-for-4 — never came to the plate with that. Also, it says Prince Fielder is on deck. This never happened.

Ned Yost is totally owned by the players

April 14, 2008

I was wrong again.

Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun asked Yost if they could switch spots in the order, and he did it.

Proud of you, Ned. Though I notice you changed your tone a little. What you called a rash decision a few days ago is now …

“It’s not a major deal in the context of what we’re trying to do,” he said. “Failed experiment? I don’t buy it. It’s just a switch. They’re staying in the two premier hitting spots in the lineup.

Anyway, I’m sure it had a big effect. I’m sure those two started hitting immediately and didn’t go a combined 1-for-9 or anything.

Well, if Prince and Ryan ask …

April 12, 2008

I guess I was wrong. I guess Tom Haudricourt was right. While I sure don’t care how Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun are positioned in the batting order, there are two people who do not work at the Journal Sentinel who do care: Fielder and Braun.

The Brewers’ site says the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters asked Ned Yost on Saturday if they could be flipped in the order for Sunday’s game.

The article recaps what Yost has been saying all along:

“It’s a placebo,” Yost said. “It’s the ebb and flow of a Major League season. You go up and you go down, you get hot and you get cold. It’s nothing to panic about. … You don’t start making rash decisions.”

Well, I wouldn’t call a decision like this rash, but otherwise, totally agree. There’s nothing about the move that should fix the two.

But.

If they asked … if it matters to them … just go ahead and do it already. It won’t make a difference, but if they think it makes a difference, it might make a difference.

Prediction: I believe Ned would have been much more likely to say yes if it weren’t already published that it was the players’ idea. Now he’s gotta represent. Players don’t tell managers what to do. He’s a 380-439 career manager, god dammit. I say Prince is still batting third and Braun fourth on Sunday.

Because Prince Fielder is left-handed, we must make every effort to protect him

April 12, 2008

This is why we have beat reporters. To investigate the questions no one is asking.

Neither Prince Fielder nor Ryan Braun has prospered in his new spot in the batting order over the first 10 games but Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost said Friday that it was too soon to flip-flop them.

Fine. Nice tidbit for the bottom of your notebook. What else you got?

“I’m not apt to change this early,” Yost said before the Brewers lost, 4-2, to the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. “I’ll give it its due course. I’ll look at it awhile longer.

Oh, we’re still proving that first one? It’s been 10 games. One-sixteen-point-twoth of a season. See you in June. If Fielder still has no home runs and is still eating those muscle-crippling soy burgers, we will revisit this.

Fielder batted fourth most of the season last year, with Braun ahead of him. Braun won the National League rookie of the year award and Fielder became the youngest player to slug 50 home runs in a season.

Two nice seasons from two players who seem to be developing into nice hitters. Point made.

Because Fielder is the only left-handed hitter in the Brewers’ regular lineup this season, Yost decided to protect him with Braun.

Pardon?

Because Fielder is the only left-handed hitter in the Brewers’ regular lineup this season, Yost decided to protect him with Braun.

The sentence construction here boils down to “Because _______, Yost decided ________.” So many things would fit in these blanks, because it is Ned Yost’s job to make all sorts of decisions. “Because Derrick Turnbow is fragile emotionally, Yost decided to only use him when it doesn’t matter.” “Because Gabe Gross threw an opposing team’s batted ball over the fence for a home run, Yost decided a better defensive player should start in center field for the remaining 151 games.” “Because he was friends with Dale Earnhardt and believes in magical spirits, Yost decided to wear his 3 t-shirt under his uniform for every game.”

Haudricourt’s statement doesn’t follow the same formula. There is no need in the first clause that is solved in the second. They’re two independent statements.

[1] Prince Fielder hits from the left side of the plate. Often, he is the only such player in the lineup. This is true. [2] Ryan Braun has been batting immediately after Fielder in the lineup. True again. (We’re conceding the point that this “protects” Fielder, who, as was stated above, hit 50 home runs in 2007 while finding his crucial protection from a variety of other sources.)

But why does the fact that Fielder is left-handed necessitate his being protected? The annual “Left-Handed Performance By A Team Award” was canceled in 1987 after it was awarded to Tony Gwynn, John Kruk and Tim Flannery, whose Padres finished sixth in the NL West, exposing the myth that a hitting statistic for a subset of a team equals success.

Back to the thing.

Yost said the key was for Braun to be selective at the plate without Fielder behind him for protection. Braun has not been selective, however, drawing no walks in 44 at-bats while hitting .227 with three homers and seven runs batted in. …

Braun was not alone in his impatience at the plate. The Brewers have drawn only 19 walks, the lowest total in the league. Their .302 on-base percentage ranked 12th among the 16 teams.

“That’s the only real negative aspect of our offense right now,” Yost said.

No big deal. It’s just that one aspect.

Ned Yost: Everything with my Milwaukee Brewers is progressing as perfectly as it possibly could right now

March 9, 2008

Hey, guys. I expect you have some questions today about my on-field management style, or maybe you’re seeking clarification about some strategic decisions I have to make. … Oh. … No, none of that? You just want me to let me evaluate team decisions? But I’m the manager.  Why would you ask my opinion of my team? I work for the team. Of course I’m going to say …. Why wouldn’t you ask a … you know, an independent observer? Someone who will give you an objective … no? You still want me? OK, beat writers, gather round.

You, there. You want to know what I think of Ryan Braun’s transition to the outfield. He’s been much, much better than I thought he’d be at this point. … Holy shit, you’re writing that down. You’re actually going to print it. Um … wait. I can do better. He’s got an opportunity one day to win a Gold Glove in left field. He certainly does.

Next? You’re interested in Bill Hall’s move to third? Good follow-up. What did Dale say? No, let me guess. Ah, he probably told you, ah … “I think he’s probably doing better than he expected. His feet are getting better. That was the biggest concern, how his feet would react to a new position.” Probably something like that, right? And you’re going to run it as-is, not even question the “new position” part? God you guys are awesome.

Yes, a question about Prince. I knew that was coming. You want to know if I think short-changing him in his contract renewal pissed him off, and if I think the move was a short-sighted chance to save a couple hundred thousand dollars that will cost us tens of millions later? Well yeah, but … no. I mean to say, I know it’s not an issue when he walks through the clubhouse door. Believe me, he knows in the back of his mind, “It’s OK.” No seriously: what could go wrong?

OK, last question. … Hm, tough one. Steroids. Do I think it sets a bad precedent that so many of our off-season acquisitions have drug problems? Naw, you kiddin’ me? Gagne: he said he’s sorry. Mota: whatever, he’s not even going to make the team. Mike Cameron? What to say about Mike. How about this: You push each other to work hard. That’s what he always does. Not too bland a quote for your editors? Because that’s what he does — works hard. That’s why his body rocks, not because he got caught twice (twice!) in one season for banned stimulants.

Thanks for coming, everyone. Please surround those quotes with your own statements that support mine. Again, thank you.

Kendall hitting ninth just got dumber

March 9, 2008

This catcher-batting-ninth business is getting closer to reality. In fact, Ned Yost has told a few news outlets that the upside of Jason Kendall hitting after the pitcher has been “thoroughly researched.”

“You’ve got to have a special player in order to do it,” said Yost. “You’ve got to have a high on-base percentage guy …

Let me stop you right there. Last season, Kendall’s on-base percentage was a high .301 — worse than every other non-pitcher the Brewers will start on opening day. Back to that quote.

“You’ve got to have a high on-base percentage guy that …

Hold up, sorry. Let me stop you again. You want to say “a high on-base percentage guy who,” not “a high on-base percentage guy that.” I don’t blame Ned here. It’s a direct quote, but as a journalist, Tom Haudricourt has the right to not embarrass his speaker. He chose to let it go, and now Ned looks like some uneducated southerner.

“You’ve got to have a high on-base percentage guy that puts the ball in play, takes a lot of pitches. The advantage of it, for us, is you’ve got a dual leadoff guy, so to speak, in the No. 9 and 1 spot.

“Two, Jason Kendall is the only player on the team that is an extreme groundball hitter. All of our other hitters are fly-ball hitters. Jason, being a high-contact, high-groundball hitter, puts the ball in play every time, and you get a lot of double plays.

This used to be true. Kendall even led the AL in GIDP in 2005. (Let’s capitalize on this?) But last season, for the first time in his career, Kendall made more flyball outs than groundouts. Not sure it matters.

I was hearing them out at first. The original point of all this was to move Fielder and Braun up one spot each in the order — to 2 and 3, respectively. Over the course of the season, that means more at-bats. I’m for that. But you want guys on base when your meat comes up, so you increase your chances of that (a bit) with Kendall ninth instead of a pitcher.

So now Ned’s going to leave Fielder and Braun at 3 and 4, but he’s still doing the Kendall ninth thing, too.

The first time Braun leads off an inning with a hit, then Nos. 5 and 6 make outs and they walk No. 7 to get to the pitcher, I think it’ll get mentioned here. And also here.

And let us not forget: Sometimes Jason Kendall is so good at getting on base that he breaks his leg.

Fielder, Braun among Bill James’ favorite young men

October 22, 2007

The new Bill James book, available Nov. 1 (pre-order now!), includes a new metric: the Young Talent Inventory. Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun are on that list. Eric Munson is not.

1. Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman, age 23
2. Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins shortstop, age 23
3. Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians starting pitcher, age 23
4. David Wright, New York Mets third baseman, age 24
5. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners starting pitcher, age 21
6. Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay starting pitcher, age 23
7. Jose Reyes, New York Mets shortstop, age 24
8. Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants starting pitcher, age 22
9. Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians center fielder, age 24
10. Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher, age 23
11. Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals third baseman, age 22
12. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies shortstop, age 22
13. Miguel Cabrera, Florida Marlins third baseman, age 24
14. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers third baseman, age 23
15. Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher, age 24

Thank you for that chart, Dave Studeman.