Brewers mull minors return for Gamel

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090630&content_id=5622490&vkey=news_mil&fext=.jsp&c_id=mil

 

 Please please please please make this happen.

 With Casey McGehee playing so well right now, sending Gamel down is smart.  Gamel if he stays up should play every day vs lefties or not. 

Steve Mahne:

 With Casey McGehee playing so well right now, sending Gamel down is smart.  Gamel if he stays up should play every day vs lefties or not. 

you just have to hope McGehee isnt in a 1 time streak or somehting

princeofpower:

Steve Mahne:

 With Casey McGehee playing so well right now, sending Gamel down is smart.  Gamel if he stays up should play every day vs lefties or not. 

you just have to hope McGehee isnt in a 1 time streak or somehting

Send him down, if it looks like the crew is going to the playoff's bring him back before September 1st, if he is tearing it up down there as expected.

I agree.  Send him down to get regular work.  No need to keep wasting him on the bench.

princeofpower:

you just have to hope McGehee isnt in a 1 time streak or somehting

Given his whole history as a pro, my guess is that this is probably one of the best run's he'll ever have. Part of that is the fact that he is SO hot right now, but a sizeable part is that he just doesn't have the track record that suggests that he's going to be Ryan Braun II, which is about where he is.

That being said, when the guy is hot, RIDE THE STREAK. Take him for all he's worth right now. Now, if the team feels that strongly that Gamel needs regular work (and I'm not sold 100% one way or another) then they should send him down to get it, because McGehee needs to play everyday right now.

Gamel is streaky himself...  He is a left-handed threat.  We need him here even if the work is irregular.  IMO

puddyellow:

Gamel is streaky himself...  He is a left-handed threat.  We need him here even if the work is irregular.  IMO

 

Uh uh, no way. Strongly disagree. Kids need playing time. Gamel's numbers tell you he doesn't do well as a bench player. In the role he has been filling, he is not an asset to the Brewers. Play him or send him down.

I love Gamel.  I was pushing for him to start everyday.  However seeing the streak that McGehee is on Gamel needs to go back down.

Bring up Adam Heether he is a righty that hits lefties well and righties even better.  They would need to put Heether on the 40 man to make this happen but I don't think that is a problem.  Gamel just needs quite a bit of work defensively to have him playing so sporadically.

If they send Gamel back down I hope they start working him in other positions.  If for no other reason than to make him more valuable to the team.  I would like to see Gamel play 3rd base, OF and 1st base in the minors.  Gamel is going to be a decent hitter in the pros so finding him a home in the field should be the Brewers top priority. 

Einsteinhood:

princeofpower:

you just have to hope McGehee isnt in a 1 time streak or somehting

Given his whole history as a pro, my guess is that this is probably one of the best run's he'll ever have. Part of that is the fact that he is SO hot right now, but a sizeable part is that he just doesn't have the track record that suggests that he's going to be Ryan Braun II, which is about where he is.

That being said, when the guy is hot, RIDE THE STREAK. Take him for all he's worth right now. Now, if the team feels that strongly that Gamel needs regular work (and I'm not sold 100% one way or another) then they should send him down to get it, because McGehee needs to play everyday right now.

I agree with this. I don't expect it to be this extreme, but when someone with McGehee's background goes on a tear like this, people my age are reminded of Bob "Hurricane" Hazel, who came up to the Braves in July of 1957 because of a rash of injuries. Hazel was 26 years old (the same age as McGehee is now) and a career minor leaguer with only 13 previous major league at bats. But he came in blazing and helped the Braves' pennant charge by hitting .403 with an OPS of 1.126 in 155 plate appearances.

In 1958, Hazle started the season hitting .179 in 66 plate appearances and was traded to the Tigers, for whom he hit .241 in 63 more appearances before leaving the majors for good.

McGehee has been a wonderful and pleasant surprise, but it would be wrong and unfair to expect him to continue at anything close to this pace for long. I am much more confident that he will prove to be a valuable part time and utility player for the Brewers for the next few years.

SeattlePilot:

If they send Gamel back down I hope they start working him in other positions.  If for no other reason than to make him more valuable to the team.  I would like to see Gamel play 3rd base, OF and 1st base in the minors.  Gamel is going to be a decent hitter in the pros so finding him a home in the field should be the Brewers top priority. 

But Gamel is going to be a starter in the majors.  At least he should be given every opportunity to be a starter in the majors.  He's not good defensively at 3rd base yet.  I just don't see the added defensive versatility when he can't hack one position yet and he probably won't play more than 1 position in 2 years.  I remember when Albert Pujols started out he was playing 3B, 1B and OF.  Then over the last 5-8 years he hasn't played any position besides 1B.  I just don't think the added benefit outweighs the distraction from being a defensive viable option at 3B.

Who are the people wanting to send Gamel back down?  Don't you realize that means more playing time for Bill Hall?  Gamel and McGehee can play at the same time.

Sending Gamel back to AAA will help him hit AAA pitching.  He has nothing left to prove in the minors.

Since4/7/70:

Who are the people wanting to send Gamel back down?  Don't you realize that means more playing time for Bill Hall?  Gamel and McGehee can play at the same time.

Sending Gamel back to AAA will help him hit AAA pitching.  He has nothing left to prove in the minors.

 

Are you kidding me?  Nothing to prove?

He needs to prove that he can develop major league footwork to make his defense more consistent.  It's pretty hard to make consistent throws to first base when your feet are all over the place.

Most people who want Gamel to go back down just want him to play every day.  If Macha is going to play Hall as much as he has, it doesn't make sense to leave Gamel on the bench when he could be working on his defense in AAA.