When does potential end? When does upside turn downwards? When do we know when one's ceiling has been reached? Finally, when does reality begin?
A reality check is overdue for: Weeks, Hall, and Cameron (offensively). Rickie's baseball apex was apparently achieved at Southern University (LA).
While BA isn't everything, can anyone imagine opponents quaking in fear when Ned posts a lineup which includes a .215 lead-off hitter and two other starters with .212 and .217 BAs? Harvey's Hammers reincarnate? W.T.F.! Imagine yourself as a fan of an opposing team, wouldn't you LOVE to see us come to town?
Shed 'em for "whatever" we can get.Cut losses. / Just win.
* We've tremendous talent down on the farm. Use it.
Re Prince:
Just one year ago, almost everyone on this board could not defend or sing the praises of Prince Fielder enough. I, myself, launched a few red-faced barrages towards this board's lone Prince-hater...
...Backtocali. While BTC was WRONG last year, his negative, donut-laden rants from last year reverberate with some of us. Stopping short of congratulating BTC (sorry BTC), unmistakable is how the worm turns so regularly (predictably?) regarding teams and players. As long as humans (not stat-laden clipboards) actually lace 'em up and play the game, that'll always be the case...makes it interesting, if not always fun.
* Should Prince hit 2 homers tonight (and he might tonight or any night) Prince-bashing posts will surely disappear. Big Papi went through a similar slump earlier this season. No one in Boston is calling for his head now (even though he's wounded). Hopefully you're reading this Browser14?
* FWIW: I fight the urge to bash Hall, Weeks, and Cameron every game. I usually refrain because as long as Ned puts them in the Brewers' lineup, I'll pull for 'em and hope, with every plate appearance, that they'll change my point-of-view through positive performance.
I agree with you about Weeks, Cameron, and Hall. I think the Prince bashing has a deeper root than just his recent slump. I think the fans are starting to smell the old stench of betrayal coming from Prince. The old, well known, bigger, better deal that's always out there and always drives the knife deeper into the hearts of small market fans.
Milwaukee fans don't do well with the "strictly business" players, who want to turn down big deals so they can "test the market." If Prince was slumping like this last season, and there were times he did, though not as many times, I don't think fans would be as harsh. But this year, in light of Braun's long term signing and Prince's lack of interest in following suit, and you add to that the emergence of Braun as the bigger bat this year, and Prince has fallen out of favor to many.
I would venture to say that if Sheets started getting knocked around a bit, or if he got hurt again, the same things would be said about him because of his contract situation. The only thing keeping Sheets from the same treatment is his performance on the mound.
...and the NAACP is now all over this post. You're a Mota away from this looking to be the most unintentional white supremacist thread on this board, lol.
But besides all that non-sense, I haven't quite given up on Prince yet, nor Cameron. Cameron's first day back in the lineup someone told me "don't get used to his offensive production, because that's not what were paying him for." Yeah, it stinks he doesn't hit better, but the other 7 guys in the lineup were supposed to cover for that little blemish so that we could pretty much use him for his D, which was in serious lacking last year.
Prince had an outstanding season last year, did anyone really expect him to come in and finish hitting .330 with 60 HR's and 170 RBI's? I sure didn't. He's in a slump, shi.t happens. The contract thing is BS, but he's not gonna try and purposely screw his career over. He's just trying to live up to fan's expectations, which may be a little high. Look at any great slugger, and none are going to hit 60 hr's after a 50 hr year, especially at his age.
Weeks and Hall is the only case.
I feel ya Gorman, but #@%& the NAACP, no one gets a break on the Brewers. Hardy ("Hardly"), Hart, and, even Braun have all taken sharp sticks to the eye on this board. The difference is results. Hardy (.266), Hart(.288) , and Braun (.282) all continue to produce at the major league level. On the other hand, the team is "carrying" Weeks, Hall, and Cameron (offensively). If anything, THAT my friend, appears racist.
I repeat: .215, .212, .217...in our (feared?) starting lineup?
* I'll still pull hard for every one of 'em, as long as Ned/Doug put them in the lineup (for reasons beyond my knowledge/comprehension). I'll cheer for their (Milwaukee Brewers) every success.
its not your "fault" the Brewers have a roster of black dudes
if they're performing...they're performing...if not...they're not
but please, Please, PLEASE Brewers...move weeks out of the leadoff spot and see how he would do in a slugging slot in the lineup before giving up on him...PLEASE?!
Oh, I thought Cameron hit .300 and walked more than he struck out.
Oops, sorry, everyone is forgetting that he's pretty much performing how he has HIS WHOLE CAREER.Weeks and Hall are easily understandable, but not Cameron.
Cameron had an excellent Spring at the plate. Everyone paying attention had a right to expect good offensive production from him.
His career BA, including this (miserable less-than-half) year, is an acceptable .249. What we're getting is NOT what we bought! You are subscribing to, and perpetuating, a bogus @$$-covering meme.
Skaalen's (bad) influence surfaces yet again?
100% agree! Cameron, while he was bought in to bolster the defense, was never expected to be all glove, no stick.
He has never been that in his career. You don't get to be a former all-star and gold glover without hitting. Yes, you need to hit to be a gold glover, usually.
We haven't gotten our money's worth for Cameron, especially considering his season isn't even to the half way point, because he was suspended for 25 games when the Brewers scuffled at the beginning.
Perhaps, don't worry I was just giving you cra.p about the racist thing lol. It is quite a coincidence you have to admit.
I think you do make a good case about Cameron, because he can be doing more offensively, but so can almost everyone else average wise. Maybe weeks just isn't a leadoff hitter either, but where else would he be put? 7?
I stick to my guns about my Prince rant, even though the frustrates the h-e-l-l out of me sometimes, and as easy as it is to say that he flat out wants out of Milwaukee, just listen to everyone else at Miller Park every time he comes up to bat. Sure he wants money, but he knows he's pretty much loved here, and no matter how selfish someone can be it's hard to dismiss fan appreciation. No matter how badly all of us may rip him a new one, especially for his horrible uppercut swing, I don't see Fielder leaving anytime soon, and for all we know he may be just about ready to sign a contract.
That's looking at things optimistically too, lol.
Only .032 off? .217 vs .249? What difference could that minuscule difference possibly make?
If I'm not mistaken, you're one of several UW-Madison posters, right?
Forgive me, but I'll always hold you guys to a higher standard.
<shaking my head>
Look, I'm not saying it's good, but it's obvious that you've overrated a guy like Cameron coming into this year. If he ends up with a .240 average with 30 home runs by the end of the year, it's going to a very good year for him.
How much of a difference is .032? Seriously? That's one hit in 31 at bats...
So, 1 hit in 100 ABs = .001? 30 in 100 = .300?
Please double check my math.
I don't think I overrated Cameron at all. Nor do I believe that Doug Melvin did. I think Cameron is simply under-performing. Ref: Occam's Razor.
Are you Scott Boras?
I don't think he's underperforming. He's drawing more walks and is hitting more home runs that he usually does. Sure, his average is low, but he's still making up for it.
All I'm saying is that anyone who says Cameron strikes out too much and doesn't hit well enough should know that their complaining coincides with the type of player that Cameron is.
even if we are wrong about gwynn the thing is what do you lose? maybe some trade bait but really, gwynn himself is not going to draw a ton anyways by himself... cant really do much worse then Shine does anyways lol
Maybe next season
i still dont see how maddux is going to help at all. Hes just about par with soup and bush, but is also older, more injury prone. I think it would be a bad move Also have to rememeber he pitching half the games in SD which is a very pitcher friendly ballpark. MP would get him lit up
Look at His splits and it will fully support me on that. hes got a 2.45 ERA at home yet on the road hes got a 5.71 ERA. I dont understand how this would be a better choice
