Some things to read while looking for cows.
We’re closing in on the end of the 2014 postseason and the beginning of the hot stove season, and on Wednesday, the Milwaukee Brewers reached out to fans for their thoughts on how the team should proceed over the next few months. Noah Jarosh of Brew Crew Ball has an extended look at the dozens of questions the Brewers asked in a survey emailed to fans about the direction of the team and fans’ faith in its leadership.
Follow the link for more details, but some of the questions included in the survey included the following:
- Do you consider yourself to be a real fan of the Milwaukee Brewers?
- In your opinion, do you think the Milwaukee Brewers organization is heading in the right direction, or are they on the wrong track?
- Which of the following aspects of the Brewers’ on-field performance do you blame the most for the late-season decline?
- Which part of Ron Roenicke’s performance as manager do you respect the most?
- What is your overall opinion of Mark Attanasio as owner of the Brewers?
As we’ve mentioned previously, one of the upcoming personnel decisions involves finding a solution for the team’s weak spot at first base. We’ve talked a lot about Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche as the leader of a relatively weak free agent class at the position, and Derek Harvey of Brew Crew Ball says sometimes it’s acceptable to overpay for a player of his caliber.
The Brewers didn’t ask fans how they feel about the team’s power-heavy offensive approach, but that didn’t keep a couple of writers from sharing their opinions on the matter. Nick Michalski of The Brewers Bar says teams that rely heavily on the home run ball rarely win the World Series, but Jonathan Judge of Disciples of Uecker says it’s not an issue.
Either way, the Brewers’ free-swinging offense will have a new hitting coach in 2015 after Johnny Narron was dismissed from that role last week. Bill Berg of Reviewing the Brew asks if there’s any way to quantify that position’s impact on the team.
Eight of the Brewers’ 2014 home runs and 148 of their home runs over the last 10 seasons have come off the bat of Rickie Weeks, but he’s likely to move on as a free agent this winter. No one’s taking that news harder than Vince Morales of Miller Park Drunk.
In the minors:
- Clint Coulter made his Arizona Fall League debut on Wednesday and wasted no time making an impact, as he homered in his first at bat in Glendale’s 7-5 win over Salt River (box score). Hector Gomez also went deep in the game, and Tyrone Taylor and Shawn Zarraga had hits as well. Michael Strong pitched a perfect ninth for his first AFL save.
- William Boor of MLB.com talked to Coulter about the home run and his transition this fall from catcher to right field.
- Elsewhere in top prospects playing offseason baseball, shortstop Orlando Arcia went 1-for-6 with a walk and scored a run in Caribes’ 8-3, 14 inning win over Magallanes in Venezuela (box score).
- In the same league, 2014 Huntsville Stars reliever Eric Marzec allowed a hit to the only batter he faced in Zulia’s 5-4 win over Caracas (box score). Free-agent-to-be Arcenio Leon also pitched in that game, allowing a walk and recording a strikeout over two-thirds of an inning.
- Closer to home, the Brevard County Manatees’ home ballpark in Viera, Fla., is back in the news this morning. The Nationals continue to look for alternatives to that facility for their spring training home but suffered a setback when West Palm Beach city officials voted to give negotiating rights to develop a proposed ballpark site to a different developer for another project.
Around baseball:
Orioles: Are expected to make a qualifying offer to outfielder Nelson Cruz and decline their 2015 club option for outfielder Nick Markakis.
Pirates: Re-signed pitcher Collin Balester to a minor league deal.
Rangers: Declined outfielder Alex Rios’ club option for 2015.
The Kansas City Royals’ improbable playoff run continued on Wednesday, as they won their eighth consecutive postseason game, beating the Orioles 2-1 to complete a sweep of the American League Championship Series. Former Brewer Lorenzo Cain led the team in hits, runs and doubles during the series and was named the ALCS MVP. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports has more on Cain’s climb to stardom (h/t BBTF).
So now we’re facing something I never would have predicted: Ned Yost as a World Series manager. Phil Rogers of Sports on Earth says Yost has earned this moment, while Jordan Mader of Brew Crew Ball says, “Ned hasn’t really altered his strategies to fit the times so much as he has a Ned-proofed team, the game of baseball has changed, and his team got hot at the right time.”
The Orioles’ 3-0 sweep victory in the ALDS round and 4-0 sweep loss in the ALCS will have an interesting impact on their 2015 Opening Day roster: First baseman Chris Davis was suspended for 25 games in September for testing positive for amphetamines and served 17 games during the regular season, plus all seven of Baltimore’s postseason games. He still has one game left to serve, so he’ll be ineligible for a single day when the Orioles open regular season play next spring.
The Royals were the American League’s fifth-best team during the season, and their National League counterpart is one win away from joining them in the World Series. The Giants, who also made the playoffs as the second wild card, beat the Cardinals 6-4 on Wednesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series. They’ll get their first chance to clinch a series win tonight at 7 p.m., with Madison Bumgarner taking the mound against Adam Wainwright. The game will be televised on Fox Sports 1.
Wednesday night’s game was only the second time this postseason the Giants have scored more than four runs, and they’re crossing the plate in unusual ways. Jayson Stark of ESPN has the details:
This is unreal. That makes 9 R #SFGiants scored in last 5 games on zero hits: 2 on E’s by pitchers, 4 on IF outs, 1 on BB, 1 on SF, 1 on WP!
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) October 16, 2014
If the Giants win one of their next three games, baseball will narrowly avoid setting a pretty interesting record: @joe_block notes that the Royals and Giants had a combined regular season winning percentage of .546, which would be the second-lowest ever for two teams meeting in the World Series.
Today in former Brewers:
- Grantlee Kieza of The Courier-Mail in Brisbane, Australia, has a story on Dave Nilsson’s ongoing efforts to expand the game of baseball down under.
- Grant Brisbee of SB Nation has a gif of Norichika Aoki being hit by a pitch in Wednesday’s ALCS game.
- Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post gave pitcher Jorge De La Rosa a “B” grade for his 2014 season as a member of the Rockies. De La Rosa made 32 starts and posted a 4.10 ERA with 139 strikeouts over 184 1/3 innings.
- Over at Brew Crew Ball, I have a look at the least-remembered Brewers with at least 400 career hits.
Finally, with help from Brewerfan.net and the Baseball Reference Play Index, we’d like to wish a happy birthday today to:
- 2014 AZL Brewer Brock Hudgens, who turns 23.
- 2014 Brevard County Manatee Jon Huizinga, who turns 35.
- 1993 Brewer Josias Manzanillo, who turns 47.
- 1987-88 Brewer Dave Stapleton, who turns 53.
- 1994 Brewer Brian Harper, who turns 55 (Today In Brewer History).
Today is also the third anniversary of the Brewers losing Game Six of the 2011 NLCS, ending their postseason run. Follow the link for that event’s entry in Today In Brewer History at Brew Crew Ball.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to update my maps.
Drink up.
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