March 2009 - Posts

• What I Expect: Bill Hall

  Posted Mar 26 2009, 08:48 AM by TheRealBrewersGM

  Bill Hall seems to be the Brewers player that everyone loves to hate. For whatever reason, I just can't bring myself to get on that bandwagon. I guess you could say I'm the number one Bill Hall apologist, but for the last two seasons, it's been pretty hard to find anything positive with his game.

  In 2005, Hall burst onto the scene as a super-sub for the Brewers. He hit .291, with 17 home runs and 18 stolen bases. Hall was able to show his versatility in the field and showed that he had some pop in his bat despite being labeled a "light-hitting" middle infielder.

  Hall had a chance to play full-time in 2006 after an injury ended JJ Hardy's season. Hall turned into a legitimate power hitter. His average dipped to .270, but he belted 35 home runs and slugged an impressive .553. On the flip side of that, he struck out 162 times and showed little plate discipline.

  2007 saw another dip in Hall's numbers at the plate, but he also saw another shift in defense. He moved to centerfield and had to learn the position on the fly. His batting average fell to .254 and his home runs fell to 14. He struck out 128 times in only 452 at bats. To his credit, Hall showed improvement in the field in the second half of the season, but he was never able to turn around his success at the plate.

  Hall moved back to the infield in 2008 after the Brewers signed Mike Cameron. He started the season as the regular third baseman, but due to his lack of production, that quickly turned into a platoon role. Hall hit lefties just fine, but he had no success against righties. For the season, Hall hit just .225, with only 15 home runs. In only 128 games, he went down on strikes 124 times. His on-base percentage fell below .300, and his slugging percentage dropped below .400.

  Many fans were hoping to see prospect Mat Gamel be given the nod at third base last year or even this year in Spring Training. An injury Hall had to his calf early in camp only added to the speculation and hope that he would be replaced this year.

  To many fans chagrin, Hall has recovered from the injury, and he appears set to start Opening Day for the Brewers at third.

  Several of Hall's teammates have said this spring that he may have a huge bounce back season in 2009. This is due in large part to the laser eye surgery he had over the winter. Hall has said he is seeing the ball better, and he also expects to have improved numbers at the plate.

  I would love to sit here and tell you that Hall will indeed return to his 2005 or 2006 form, but I just don't see him ever hitting 30 home runs in a season again. I do think he will improve greatly on his .225 average from last season. I think he can hit between .255 and .270 and get some of his power back. I believe Hall can attain 20 home runs and drive in at least 70 runs.

  Hall's defense does need to improve and I think another year at the hot corner full-time will be just what he needs after bouncing around the field for so many years. Hall is athletic as any player and will get to a lot of balls, but he needs to harness the power in his arm and make accurate throws across the diamond.

  This is probably Bill Hall's last chance to remain a full-time player for Milwaukee. If he has a good year, he will likely remain a starter at some position through the end of his current contract. Should he struggle, Mat Gamel may be brought up to play, and Hall could become a bench player or even find himself traded.

  Filed under: Milwaukee Brewers, Bill Hall, Mat Gamel

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• What I Expect: Braden Looper

  Posted Mar 25 2009, 08:39 AM by TheRealBrewersGM

  Braden Looper was a bargain signing for General Manager Doug Melvin, and should Looper pitch well for the Brewers in 2009, he could turn out to be the piece that cements Melvin as a great GM in the history of the Brewers.

  While no one expects Looper to come to Milwaukee and replace either CC Sabathia or Ben Sheets, he does have the ability to plug a hole in the rotation and put up above average numbers for the Crew.

  Looper was converted to a starter for St. Louis prior to the 2007 season. In the two years since, Looper has gone 24-26, while averaging 187 innings pitched. He had an ERA of 4.94 in 2007, but bounced back last year and lowered it to 4.16. Those are in no way great numbers, but they are good enough to fill a spot in the lower part of the rotation.

  Looper is currently slated to start the home opener for the Brewers against the Cubs on April 10. He'll fall fourth in the Crew's rotation and along with Jeff Suppan, should serve as a good veteran presence for Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra.

  There were some injury concerns for Looper early in Spring Training, but he now appears healthy and ready to contribute. Double digit wins for the third consecutive season should be quite attainable given the Brewers offensive potential.

  Looper is not a power pitcher and will need solid defense behind him to be successful in 2009. Despite pitching in a new ballpark and having a suspect defense behind him, Looper's ERA should hover closer to 4.00 than 5.00.

  The Brewers are only on the hook for Looper for the 2009 season. Regardless of how he pitches, it is unlikely he'll be back in 2010. He may just be keeping a rotation spot warm for pitching super-prospect, Jeremy Jeffress. If Jeffress progresses as the organization expects, he could be on the roster as a September call-up.

  Filed under: Milwaukee Brewers, Jeremy Jeffress, Braden Looper

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• What I Expect: Jason Kendall

  Posted Mar 24 2009, 08:07 AM by TheRealBrewersGM

  Depending on what numbers you look at, Jason Kendall either had a really great year or a really bad year. Either way you choose to look at it, you would be right with your assessment on the Brewers' backstop.

  Kendall was asked to do a lot for the team in 2008, including go out every day and manage a young pitching staff through an entire season. Mike Rivera was an unproven big league catcher so Kendall needed to be used as much as possible. Kendall played in 151 games, his highest total since 2001, and wore down noticeably by the end of the year.

  A career .293 hitter, Kendall finished 2008 with a .246 average at the plate. His .327 on-base percentage was almost 50 points lower than his .371 career average. Kendall won't strike out very much; he doesn't walk too much either. He is primarily a singles hitter that can get an occasional extra base hit.
  

  Kendall's greatest success in 2008 was his improvement in throwing out base runners. In 2007, Kendall allowed 111 stolen bases while only throwing out 20 runners. Last year, after successful laser eye surgery, Kendall only allowed 55 stolen bases and threw out 41 runners. Kendall's improved defense was a giant help to the Brewers' pitching staff. 

  As important as Kendall was to the Brewers in 2008, his value should increase with less playing time in 2009. Manager Ken Macha has made it clear that Kendall will get set days of rest this year, and Mike Rivera will benefit with more playing time. Kendall should also benefit with more rest and along with the realization he doesn't have to do it all for the Brewers behind the plate, the Brewers should have a formidable duo behind the plate.

  Macha as also brought up the idea of using Kendall in the leadoff spot in certain spots this season as well. Kendall has batted leadoff in the past and has had some success in the spot. He takes a lot of pitches in his at-bats, something Rickie Weeks doesn't always do.

  Having Kendall in the top spot could drastically change the lineup. Would Rickie slide to the two-hole or down to the eighth spot? How would it affect JJ Hardy, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Corey Hart? Would they stay your two through five hitters or would JJ get bumped down to the five-hole, and Hart moved to sixth in the order?

  So what should Brewer fans expect from Jason Kendall in 2009? Although Kendall will likely never hit .300 again, there's no reason he can't have significant improvement over his .246 average last year. I would expect Kendall to hit right around .275, with right around 35 extra base hits. His defense should continue to be solid, but his most significant contribution will be how he handles the development of Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra.
  

  Filed under: Milwaukee Brewers, Jason Kendall, Mike Rivera

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• A Healthy Dominic James Might Make the Difference Against Missouri

  Posted Mar 22 2009, 01:01 AM by TheRealBrewersGM

   It is now being reported that Marquette's senior point guard, Dominic James, has been cleared to play Sunday afternoon against the Missouri Tigers. Not only will this be a boost to morale for the Golden Eagles, but this could be the difference between winning and losing.

  Since James went down with a broken foot against Connecticut on February 25, Marquette has struggled mightily. They have been a completely different team without James' presence. Not only does he open up the offense, mainly for Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews, but he is also the team's best on-ball defender.

  Although James will play against the Tigers, he will no doubt be limited in what he's able to do. James at 75% is still better than Maurice Acker or anyone else that coach Buzz Williams could put on the floor Sunday afternoon for Marquette.

  This is absolutely shocking news and should give renewed hope to not only the team but all their fans as well. Even the most die-hard Marquette fan had a hard time picking the Golden Eagles to beat Missouri. Without James, Marquette is just another team. With James, Marquette becomes the team they were earlier in the season, a bonafide top 10 team. Marquette is able to legitimately compete with any team in the tournament.

  It's a shame brackets aren't allowed to be changed due to injuries or players coming back from injuries because more than a few people would adjust their brackets with James returning. I had Marquette losing in the first round to Utah State but I now think it's possible for them to beat Missouri on Sunday, and they will give Memphis all they can handle next week as well.
  

  Even if Marquette doesn't win on Sunday, at least they can now go down swinging at full strength. It was very sad to see such a great player like James get injured in the team's biggest game of the year. However, he can now end his college career on a high note knowing he battled back to support his team in the NCAA tournament and has a chance to go down in Marquette folklore depending on what happens on Sunday and beyond.
  

  
  

  Filed under: Wesley Matthews, Dominic James, Marquette, Jerel McNeal

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• What I Expect: Jeff Suppan

  Posted Mar 18 2009, 08:30 AM by TheRealBrewersGM

  Jeff Suppan has faced grief from Brewer fans since day one of signing with the team. His production for the Brewers has matched his career output, but his lackluster first half swoons has had Brewer fans ready to cut ties with the veteran righty.

  Suppan signed a four-year, $40 million deal with the Brewers in December, 2006. In his first two years of that contract, Suppan has gone 12-12 with a 4.79 ERA. Those numbers don't exactly scream that he's a $10 million a year pitcher, but that dollar amount is what the market dictated at the time he was a free agent.

  Suppan has never had "ace" stuff or claimed to be a superstar player. He is a decent middle of the rotation pitcher that will get you double-digit wins, make 30-plus starts, and have an ERA somewhere between 4.00 and 5.00.

  Suppan had a superb August going 5-0, and pitched at least six innings in all six of his starts. He showed just how inconsistent he is by following up those outings with a horrible September. Soup went 0-3, and never pitched more than 5 1/3 innings in any start.

  He finished up the season pitching only three innings against the Phillies in the NLDS, and gave up five runs in his Game Four start.

  Expectations have been lowered for Suppan by fans, but they are now at the level they should have been all along. If Soup can win double-digits again and pitch at least 190 innings, Brewer fans should be satisfied with those numbers.

  Suppan is the veteran pitcher that everyone else looks to for guidance. His knowledge of pitching that he can share with Gallardo, Parra, and Dave Bush could prove invaluable for the future. Soup could one day be a very good pitching coach for some Major League team.

  I don't expect Suppan to do anything different than what he's done in his first two years with the Brewers. He will have one good outing, one bad outing, and one so-so outing. That's the life of a mid-rotation pitcher with average stuff.

  If he can somehow limit the damage in his bad and so-so outings, then the Brewers will be able to remain competitive for the balance of the season. If he only has one good outing every six or seven starts, well, then it will be a very long season for the Brewers and their fans.

  The offense should be better this year and I think that will help Suppan greatly. I'll venture out on a limb and say Soup wins 12 games this year, with an ERA of 4.50. Count on his 30-plus starts and at least 190 innings. Soup has as much pride in what he does as any player and I fully expect him to go out and earn the $12.5 million he's due to make this year.

  Filed under: Milwaukee Brewers, Jeff Suppan

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