2012 Spring Training Tidbits Thread

quote:

Originally posted by The Nerve: Unfortunately, he won't have the Cardinals batting and playing defense behind him.

He will have the team that ended up ahead of the Dirty Birds in runs scored:

2012 NL Team Batting

And what do you know! The Crew was ahead of the Birds in fielding % as well:

2012 NL Team Fielding

There are lots of red flags. He has had 2 really good years, 16 wins last year. His WHIP has been outstanding, and he knows the division. The Brewers realized that the "young guns" was already starting to show cracks- now they have 3 veterans, a guy with almost a full year under his belt, and just one green rookie- if Narveson proves strong enough, that's another veteran arm. I didn't like the idea of going into this season with a boatload of kids. Now they're a little stronger, and he could be really good.

But there is certainly risk.

Clearly a panic move.

Lohse's average season is

12-11 4.45 ERA 1.37 WHIP


And he's already 34 years old.

It might work OK this year. By year 3, he'll be Suppan.

He clearly got his money based off the past two seasons.

Career averages really mean jack with pitchers. If they get lit up at a young age or are hurt during a stretch it really doesnt give an accurate snapshot.

Last 3 seasons and current age of the pitcher are big factors in giving a good prediction for the pitcher, but not the only ones of course. 34 years old is not a good age to be investing in long term on a guy IMO - especially a starter who has logged 400 IP the last 2 seasons. I dont see him being effective for 3 more seasons.

Joe Block ‏@joe_block 15m Incl Greinke's Cy Young year, his last 4 yrs (average): 14-8, 3.37 ERA, 208 IP; Last 3 full yrs for Lohse: 15-6, 3.33, 200 IP @JHull_Sports

YUNI!!!!!!!

He's back...

Does Melvin owe him a favor?

quote:

Originally posted by Beronk:
YUNI!!!!!!!

He's back...

Can't say I like the Yuni signing, but maybe as a backup instead of the main guy at SS, he can help? The final piece of the WS Championship has been placed!

Maybe this is Melvin getting back at Mark A. for the Lohse signing.

Maybe we can get Casey McGahee back from Japan.

I don't understand the Betancourt signing at all. He's the anti-Moneyball guy who never walks and doesn't work the count at all.

But he's not going to be asked to play every day. They're adding depth. And perhaps there's. clubhouse element to this that we won't know about.

It's puzzling, but just strictly from a depth perspective it has a rationale that at least seems to make sense. But why Yuni? I guess they liked him on the team... Maybe he's a good luck charm?

They have a backup SS playing first, and the worst player in baseball signed o a contract.

Would something, anything else have been out of order? Sign about anything to play first until Hart is all better, and get Gonzo off first base.

Yuni****ingbetancort.

quote:

Reply

In his last year in Milwaukee (2011), Craig Counsell had an OBP of .280. Betancourt had an OBP of .271 the same year.

For a backup guy, I'd like a guy who can pinch hit and work a count to let a baserunner get a positive count to run on. That's not Yuni. You'd also like a guy who is an above average defensive player. That's definitely not Yuni. Finally, you'd like a guy who can play multiple positions. Yuni did play second base last year, but I can't believe there isn't a better option out there anywhere.

Well, if we ever need a pop up with a runner at 3rd and less than 2 outs, we've got our pinch hitter!

With the Crew putting 17 backup infielders on the DL lately, they had to have someone who could play 3 positions for a few weeks.

He was having a good spring for the Phillies but no room to make their team.

Melvin's opening day rosters have always puzzled me to some degree. I will wait until Hart gets back and see how this shakes out before I freak out. At least he's not in the starting lineup...

quote:

if Narveson proves strong enough, that's another veteran arm.

The problem is he's been awful in spring training

Normally I don't get too caught up in ST stats for pitchers because a lot of the time they work on stuff (i.e. new pitches) but Narveson has not looked sharp at all

Couple that with Rogers and it's absolutely the reason why Melvin went after Lohse

As for the Yuni signing, all I have to say is W-T-F

Somebody whacked Ron with a shovel and then asked him about the Yuni signing...

"I think Donnie Murphy is a Major League utility man," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "The thing with the opportunity to get Yuni is, we had Yuni [in 2011], we liked what he did for us, we think he could be a really good utility man. We're more familiar with Yuni than we are Murphy."

Mike Vassallo ‏@MikeVassallo13 Welcome back, Yuni B! Double and 2-run HR so far in his first game back w/the #Brewers! Batting .469 (23-49) w/2 HR and 16 RBI this spring.

Tom ‏@Haudricourt 5m Yuniesky Betancourt picks up yet another hit, a sharp single to left in the eighth inning. Some return to the #Brewers.

#savior

Boras waits a couple days and Mets might have opened Fort Knox. Too bad for Santana.

the Mets don't have a Fort Knox anymore. They got burned so bad in the Madoff scandal that all Mets fans want the Wilpon ownership to sell. But we will just have to patient like the Raiders fans were with Al and Cowboy fans are with Jerry, we have to wait for Fred to die.

By all accounts Lohse had a decent outing last night. I think this was a very good pick up if he can stay on par with his last couple seasons. The contract isn't so bad that if the Brewers falter, Loshe could see a different city come the trade deadline.

Given how Narveson and Rogers looked so far this spring I think it was needed (Lohse signing)

Narveson going to the bullpen according to JSO. Starters to be Gallardo, Estrada, Lohse, Peralta and Fiers.

Surprised Peralta isn't starting in AAA, just financial reasons and justifialbly, he needs more seasoning.

I thought WP looked damn good yesterday vs. the Sox.
Some of the guys in the pen ... not so much.

I think it's worth giving Peralta a shot but he's far from a finished product and some more minor league work could do him a lot of good.

Curious who would you replace WP in the rotation to begin with?

EDIT: Last I heard Narve will start out in the pen as to build up his shoulder.

Narv

quote:

Originally posted by Coach:

quote:

Originally posted by Beronk:
YUNI!!!!!!!

He's back...

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Yuni B

hard not to like what Yuni has provided. I don't have to watch his horrible defense at short, and he essentially replaced Aram's production for the beginning of the year. It also all came cheap.

I can't imagine it continuing, but no sense in not riding the wave while it is high.

...in other words, Ka-Bong is online shopping for a Yuni jersey

I'm guessing it will say:

Al Betancourt