I can't take it anymore. The Brewers have just ticked me off so bad and they are losing again tonight 5-0 so I have to say something. Maybe it is because most of my friends are Dodgers and Padres fans and they are a pathetic 0-7 (0-8 after tonight) combined against them and I am sick of hearing it from them, but I am just about at my boiling point.
First of all, Rod Carew. He was with the Angels for the early to mid nineties and he worked wonders. The guy was huge in getting Edmonds, Snow, Salmon, Anderson, etc. to become great hitters. He was there when their offense led them to the divisional playoff with Seattle in '95 after they blew that big September lead.
He came to the Brewers a few years ago. They struggled. Fine. They had a weak lineup then and a low payroll. Then, they trade for Burnitz. They draft Jenkins and he moves up. They sign Jose Hernandez and Jeff Hammonds. They bring up Ron Belliard and Mark Loretta. They trade for Richie Sexson. All of these guys have at least been touted as prospects and most are somewhat accomplished big league hitters.
I look at their lineup for tonight and they do not have ONE .300 hitter. Not one! Nobody even over .286. Now, Hammonds is out with an injury but that is pathetic. I don't know for sure but I would wager that every other major league team has at least one .300 hitter in their lineup, probably at least 2. The Mariners seem to have a whole team of .300 hitters. It is maddening.
And the strikeout totals are absolutely horrid. Sexson, Hernandez, Burnitz and Jenkins all average over one strikeout per game played. FOUR guys would strike out over 162 times if they played a whole season. I don't know the strikeout record off the top of my head (though Sexson is almost a lock to break it this year) but I think it is around 185 (that is what Incaviglia set it at in the late eighties). How is a team supposed to get any kind of production at all when the 3-6 hitters average over a strikeout per game?
I must give the bullpen credit. Even with only Ray King as a solid lefty they have the best ERA in the NL. They have been great.
The starters are another story. Wright has stuff, but he is inconsistent. Sheets is great, but he is young so he takes lumps every once in a while. D'Amico is injured and I have no idea why in God's name they pushed him to pitch opening day at the new park. The rest of the starters have been an abomination. Haynes, Levrault, Suzuki, Leiter Levrault and Rigdon have all taken turns failing miserably.
All I know is, the Brewers finished 2000 with a .451 winning percentage, matching the second lowest number of Garner's seven year tenure. This year they are at .439. The large difference is that Lopes has been given a much higher payroll to work with based on Miller Park being built this year. Garner dealt with losses like Molitor, Lloyd, Pleasac, Seitzer, Parker, Bichette, etc.
I dunno of Lopes has to be fired but something has to be done if this team continues to lose and continues to fail to score runs. Hopefully things will turn around a little this year but the goal for the year, a playoff berth, seems already out of reach. I know I wrote a few days ago that I will not be betting with them until they win a darn game, but it might be time to just fade them and at least make money as they plummet.
First of all, Rod Carew. He was with the Angels for the early to mid nineties and he worked wonders. The guy was huge in getting Edmonds, Snow, Salmon, Anderson, etc. to become great hitters. He was there when their offense led them to the divisional playoff with Seattle in '95 after they blew that big September lead.
He came to the Brewers a few years ago. They struggled. Fine. They had a weak lineup then and a low payroll. Then, they trade for Burnitz. They draft Jenkins and he moves up. They sign Jose Hernandez and Jeff Hammonds. They bring up Ron Belliard and Mark Loretta. They trade for Richie Sexson. All of these guys have at least been touted as prospects and most are somewhat accomplished big league hitters.
I look at their lineup for tonight and they do not have ONE .300 hitter. Not one! Nobody even over .286. Now, Hammonds is out with an injury but that is pathetic. I don't know for sure but I would wager that every other major league team has at least one .300 hitter in their lineup, probably at least 2. The Mariners seem to have a whole team of .300 hitters. It is maddening.
And the strikeout totals are absolutely horrid. Sexson, Hernandez, Burnitz and Jenkins all average over one strikeout per game played. FOUR guys would strike out over 162 times if they played a whole season. I don't know the strikeout record off the top of my head (though Sexson is almost a lock to break it this year) but I think it is around 185 (that is what Incaviglia set it at in the late eighties). How is a team supposed to get any kind of production at all when the 3-6 hitters average over a strikeout per game?
I must give the bullpen credit. Even with only Ray King as a solid lefty they have the best ERA in the NL. They have been great.
The starters are another story. Wright has stuff, but he is inconsistent. Sheets is great, but he is young so he takes lumps every once in a while. D'Amico is injured and I have no idea why in God's name they pushed him to pitch opening day at the new park. The rest of the starters have been an abomination. Haynes, Levrault, Suzuki, Leiter Levrault and Rigdon have all taken turns failing miserably.
All I know is, the Brewers finished 2000 with a .451 winning percentage, matching the second lowest number of Garner's seven year tenure. This year they are at .439. The large difference is that Lopes has been given a much higher payroll to work with based on Miller Park being built this year. Garner dealt with losses like Molitor, Lloyd, Pleasac, Seitzer, Parker, Bichette, etc.
I dunno of Lopes has to be fired but something has to be done if this team continues to lose and continues to fail to score runs. Hopefully things will turn around a little this year but the goal for the year, a playoff berth, seems already out of reach. I know I wrote a few days ago that I will not be betting with them until they win a darn game, but it might be time to just fade them and at least make money as they plummet.
