Game Thread #29: Brewers(16-10) @ White Sox(10-16)

by Marty McSuperFly on Mar 26, 2008 11:51 AM CDT

Another tie? I'm glad the season's about to start--I can't keep track of the game threads with all these ties.

Ben Sheets gets his last start of Spring Training today against Gavin Floyd and the White Sox. Yesterday's game thread was overshadowed by the release of Claudio Vargas, and there was both much rejoicing and much gnashing of teeth. It looks like he may end up on a contender.

2B Rickie Weeks
CF Tony Gwynn Jr.
1B Prince Fielder
LF Ryan Braun
3B Bill Hall
RF Corey Hart
DH Gabe Gross
SS Alcides Escobar
C Jason Kendall

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According To Haudricourt

I thought they would keep that extra left handed bat on the bench, but I guess we are going to stick with Rivera.

"The Brewers have made all of their roster decisions. They haven't officially named the backup catcher but it appears that Mike Rivera is the choice over Eric Munson."

Now the question is, what happens to Munson? Vinny has been told that he will be the #1 in Nashville, does Munson drop down to being his backup??

by zsattler on Mar 26, 2008 12:20 PM CDT 0 recs

Presumably

He'd probably also get some playing time at first base like he did during spring.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Mar 26, 2008 12:26 PM CDT up 0 recs

Wasn't much hope for Munson

As soon as they said they would keep Rivera if the focus is defense, and Munson if the focus is offense, that was pretty much it for Munson. Even considering that offense from catchers is pretty rare, it's pretty bad when your "offensive catcher" option has a career line of .214/.289/.394.

I think they should release him, and give him a chance to catch on somewhere as a backup.

by Marty McSuperFly on Mar 26, 2008 12:38 PM CDT up 0 recs

you are sure on the Yost wavelength

The citing of his career stats is misleading though. He's hit really well in streaks and in "the competition." The idea that they kept Rivera for defense is just more Milorganite from the chief shoveler.

Rivera's career stats aren't very promising, but hey, maybe "he calls a good game."

by ol Pete on Mar 26, 2008 1:03 PM CDT up 0 recs

How about some evidence?

He's hit really well in streaks and in "the competition."

Is this another tidbit from your memory, or do you have some sort of data to support this? My own memory tells me that every time I saw Munson play for Houston, he couldn't hit to save his life.

by Marty McSuperFly on Mar 26, 2008 1:06 PM CDT up 0 recs

I looked at the guys stats when he was picked up

there really isn't much point in digging it up again. He's going to play for another team and I doubt you really care. If Rivera blows, everyone will just say Munson would have been the same or worse.

by ol Pete on Mar 26, 2008 1:17 PM CDT up 0 recs

clearly

your memory is far superior to any sort of analysis.

Thanks so much for sharing it with us!

Weird, but not weird.

by Jeff Sackmann on Mar 26, 2008 1:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

honestly

what is it you want to know? Would it mean anything to you if he was a good hitter?

by ol Pete on Mar 26, 2008 1:38 PM CDT up 0 recs

yes, actually

he is a member of the team; his actual skill level (as opposed to your memory of it) seems quite relevant.

Weird, but not weird.

by Jeff Sackmann on Mar 26, 2008 1:42 PM CDT up 0 recs

I made a general statement

Not very far fetched either considering that he was the third player taken in the draft in '99 I believe and that he was drafted as a hitter.

But here you go: in one of two years he played regularly, June of 2003 in six games he went 12 for 20 with two doubles and four HRs including one off of David Riske.

He also hit much better in ST, although I get the impression that you don't consider that as meaningful.

by ol Pete on Mar 26, 2008 3:43 PM CDT up 0 recs

oh, so you can cherry-pick, too!

is that supposed to be proof that he's streaky?

Weird, but not weird.

by Jeff Sackmann on Mar 26, 2008 3:47 PM CDT up 0 recs

Sorry your Honor

How many streaks are required?

And hey, whattya think of that streak?

by ol Pete on Mar 26, 2008 3:59 PM CDT up 0 recs

Not that it matters

But would you call Prince Fielder streaky because in August 2006 he had five games where he went 0 for 17 with six strikeouts?

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Mar 26, 2008 4:06 PM CDT up 0 recs

no

but do you think 12/20 with 4 HRs is a hot streak?

by ol Pete on Mar 26, 2008 4:31 PM CDT up 0 recs

Yeah, he got hot

But that doesn't make him a streaky player.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Mar 26, 2008 4:36 PM CDT up 0 recs

funny

pete, you give me a headache. get over yourself, look up stats yourself and do your own research. instead of continually asking others to do so and then discrediting them.

your sophomoric response shows your true credentials and personality. i would also suggest that since jeff created this blog and takes time out of his busy life to give us his insight, which by the way is very good, it's not a good idea to be calling him names.

"If there is a more reactionary blog with idiotic commentary out there I'd be surprised." -On Bleed Cubbie Blue

by Michael M on Mar 26, 2008 4:09 PM CDT up 0 recs

The last person

to question Jeff was BaseballDan. You notice you don't see him around that much anymore.

It's because he's sleeping with da Expos, capiche?

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Mar 26, 2008 4:17 PM CDT up 0 recs

hahaha

capiche.

"If there is a more reactionary blog with idiotic commentary out there I'd be surprised." -On Bleed Cubbie Blue

by Michael M on Mar 26, 2008 4:20 PM CDT up 0 recs

funny

a personal attack again, Michael. I look up stats myself all the time. I do my own research all the time. i don't continually ask others to do so and then discredit them.

I didn't call Jeff names, as you did me, and buy a dictionary and look up words if you don't understand them.

by ol Pete on Mar 26, 2008 4:34 PM CDT up 0 recs

i could just kiss you pete.

"If there is a more reactionary blog with idiotic commentary out there I'd be surprised." -On Bleed Cubbie Blue

by Michael M on Mar 26, 2008 4:44 PM CDT up 0 recs

So,

which one of you is secretly Ned Yost and which one is secretly Johnny Estrada?

Braun Over Brains

by stevie ray Braun on Mar 26, 2008 5:20 PM CDT up 0 recs

Maybe this is better

In 50 games in 2007 for Houston, Munson had more than 1 hit four times. He had exactly 1 hit in 21 games. So, in exactly half the games he appeared, he did not have a single hit. And offense was supposedly his strong suit?

by Marty McSuperFly on Mar 26, 2008 1:11 PM CDT up 0 recs

and maybe he doesn't [call a good game]

the knock on rivera for most of his career is that he's an offensive-minded catcher.

Weird, but not weird.

by Jeff Sackmann on Mar 26, 2008 1:11 PM CDT up 0 recs

I think they made the right decision

Rivera and Munson would probably have the same production over the course of the year. Why not give the job to the guy who's been in the organization and hasn't had a shot?

by jihad on Mar 26, 2008 1:31 PM CDT up 0 recs

"the competition"

Are you referring to "the competition" for the backup catcher spot? Because if you are, the stats to back that up are pretty easy to find:

Munson this spring: .333/.432/.600 in 33 PA
Rivera this spring: .286/.297/.343 in 36 PA

by KLSnow on Mar 26, 2008 3:18 PM CDT up 0 recs

more than anything

I was referring to the constant claim, mostly by Yost, that there was a competition for the open positions in spring training. In the post you referred to, yes, I was referring to the backup catcher.

Thanks for looking that up.

by ol Pete on Mar 26, 2008 3:45 PM CDT up 0 recs

Humdrum

These are the spring training games that seem so pointless. The only results that ever seem to come out of the final week are injuries. Maybe I'm just too impatient for games to count, though, because I'd probably have been saying the same thing last week if the season started today.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Mar 26, 2008 12:24 PM CDT 0 recs

Lineup silliness

I know everyone is on the edge of their seats to hear more of my MLB 2k8 exploits, but as I posted the lineup it occurred to me to share the lineup that works great for me.

RF Corey Hart
LF Ryan Braun
1B Prince Fielder
3B Bill Hall
2B Rickie Weeks
CF Mike Cameron
SS JJ Hardy
C Jason Kendall
P Pitcher

It works shockingly well. I'd like to see Ned try it :)

by Marty McSuperFly on Mar 26, 2008 12:32 PM CDT 0 recs

what's up

with corey hart being rated so low in the game?

"If there is a more reactionary blog with idiotic commentary out there I'd be surprised." -On Bleed Cubbie Blue

by Michael M on Mar 26, 2008 12:37 PM CDT up 0 recs

Yeah

He's like a 60 overall, and Hardy is around 50- 2K8 kinda hates the Brewers

That's not a bad lineup, but I'd prefer Hart and Weeks to be switched- Weeks OBP is going to be crazy good, and Hart is more of a run producer.

by jihad on Mar 26, 2008 12:40 PM CDT up 0 recs

Probably a weakness of mine

It's taken me forever to start hitting with Rickie. I finally started to get the hang of his swing about 10 games ago.

by Marty McSuperFly on Mar 26, 2008 12:42 PM CDT up 0 recs

and yeah

In real life, I'd like to see that lineup, with Weeks and Hart flipped.

by Marty McSuperFly on Mar 26, 2008 12:43 PM CDT up 0 recs

dunno

Even Jason Kendall has 2 home runs, but Hart has zero (through 37 games). Hart's average is about .355 in my franchise, though, so I guess it's a matter of compensating for the differences between the video game and real life. Both Dave Bush and Chris Capuano have 0.80-ish WHIPs, though, so Hart's not the only one that's off :)

by Marty McSuperFly on Mar 26, 2008 12:41 PM CDT up 0 recs

might be high...

cappy could end the year with a 0.00 WHIP!

Weird, but not weird.

by Jeff Sackmann on Mar 26, 2008 1:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

always good to see you pop in, Jeff

by Marty McSuperFly on Mar 26, 2008 1:16 PM CDT up 0 recs

Munson's bat

I don't get the focus on Munson's left-handedness as a factor in his making the club. Haudricourt mentioned it again in the blog entry that said he cleared waivers and was sent to Nashville.

The Brewers already have Gross, Gwynn and Counsell on the bench. How many left-handed bats do they need?

by Marty McSuperFly on Mar 26, 2008 1:22 PM CDT 0 recs

well...

you might be miscasting Counsell as a "bat" of any handedness.

But...it is better to have your backup catcher bat with the opposite hand of your starting catcher. The starter's offdays won't always line up right (in day-after-night situations and doubleheaders, if there ever is one again), but in a perfect world, Munson could play only against righties, taking advantage of his platoon split, and Kendall would face a higher percentage of lefties.

(Kendall doesn't have much of a platoon split, but in the general case, that's the reasoning.)

Weird, but not weird.

by Jeff Sackmann on Mar 26, 2008 1:27 PM CDT up 0 recs

That could have been a plus for Rivera

...because Doug probably didn't want to see Ned making it into any sort of a platoon. This roster is being Ned-proofed, and that is a good thing.

I think a sort of platoon would be good, but they are committed to Kendall.

by jihad on Mar 26, 2008 1:42 PM CDT up 0 recs

that's true.

I always forget about ned-proofing.

Weird, but not weird.

by Jeff Sackmann on Mar 26, 2008 1:48 PM CDT up 0 recs

platoon

Kendall doesn't have much of a platoon split

Neither does Munson.

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on Mar 26, 2008 2:03 PM CDT up 0 recs

interesting.

and in 2005, the recent season in which he got the most ABs, he had a substantial reverse split.

I wouldn't have guessed that. My assumption is always that the fringey quad-a slugger types (of which Munson is pretty clearly one) have big platoon splits.

Weird, but not weird.

by Jeff Sackmann on Mar 26, 2008 2:18 PM CDT up 0 recs

audio is on WSCR

670 "the score"

You get to hear "Stony."

by ol Pete on Mar 26, 2008 3:10 PM CDT 0 recs

Stony-

"When Braun takes a bat and squeezes it, sawdust starts coming out." quick paraphrase

by ol Pete on Mar 26, 2008 3:23 PM CDT 0 recs

Must be an updraft at the game today

Six home runs for both teams combined through five innings.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Mar 26, 2008 4:43 PM CDT 0 recs

by roguejim on Mar 26, 2008 7:56 PM CDT up 0 recs

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