As necessary as the firing of Yost was, and as glad as I am that it happened for the Brewers' sake, it's hard not to feel for Ned Yost. What in god's name must it feel like for Ned Yost to watch the Brewers celebrate their victory, and think that he should have been there? He earned his ticket out for sure...but still, on a human level it sucks.

I was wondering about Yost yesterday. If you're him, are you home watching the game and rooting for the team, since, well, for most of the year they were your guys? Or are you angry enough that you want to see them lose?

I think the former probably wins out, but I could imagine the latter.

Fwiw, in the post-game interview Ryan Braun also paid tribute to Ned.

I was wondering about Yost yesterday. If you're him, are you home watching the game and rooting for the team, since, well, for most of the year they were your guys? Or are you angry enough that you want to see them lose?

I saw a Yost interview about a week ago. He left no doubt that he was rooting for them 100%.

He went through 93% of the season.

Sabermetrics!

You know, Suppan has been a pretty good postseason pitcher, much better than he's been during the regular season.

In 9 postseason starts with the Cardinals in 2004-05-06 he allowed more than three runs in a game once (at the hands of the Sox during the '04 WS sweep) and he's 5-2 overall (with two series-clinching wins, and in the 2006 NLCS 7th game he held the Mets to 2 hits over 7 innings) with an ERA of 3.00.

Now Suppan may not be as good as he was a couple years ago, but he seems to come up big in these October games...

Now Suppan may not be as good as he was a couple years ago, but he seems to come up big in these October games...

I think that's probably in part why the Brewers gave him such a rich contract--he's pitched well in the spotlight.

Now Suppan may not be as good as he was a couple years ago

There's the rub. Unless he comes up with a knuckleball or something, I shudder to think what kind of pitcher he's going to be at the end of this contract.

His HR rate doubled this year over last, with 30 allowed in ~180 IP, which is a recipe for disaster in Philly. He did not pitch well against the Phillies this year. Then again, nobody on this staff really did.

Throw CC on 2 days rest ... get him 3 starts in a 5-game series.

I'm joking ... I think.

Suppan's HR/F this year is 16.9%. You have to think at least some of that is just bad luck.

Throw CC on 2 days rest ... get him 3 starts in a 5-game series.

I'm joking ... I think.

Hell why not the Brewers are pitching CC like a car rented from the airport. They are riding him until he gives out, I guess they figure he will be pitching elsewhere next year.

Regarding Yost the comments from Melvin, Braun etc. just confirm in MY mind that Ned most definitely had to go.

Certainly Melvin regrets this change, has all but stated so publicly and is doing everything short of pointing the finger at Mark A. and shouting, "He did it!"

Many of the players AND the current coaching staff, including the manager, have expressed their concern over NED'S emotions at the moment.

That speaks to a relationship that I deem unhealthy from a management/employee perspective.

Look, I am not advocating that managers need to be John McGraw or Dick Williams. But I DO think some distance is required. This whole empathy thing has its limits. There is such a thing as being TOO close to one's employees.

Braun's sentiments speak well of Braun as a person. But it also points out that perhaps the players were a bit too comfy with their manager.

Dale Sveum and Doug Melvin kvetching about Ned concerns me. And certainly confirms in my mind that the whole situation there was AND IS out of step relative to where it needs to be for growing, vibrant organization.

Ownership can enjoy things for the moment. But unless I have not learned anything about business over these many years sweeping changes need to be made. That whole dugout staff needs to get pushed out on the curb. And if Melvin isn't willing to do it then he needs to go.

A company NEEDS some degree of friction. Of disagreement. Of contention. Everyone holding hands and telling everyone that they are special and great works fine in Special Ed. Not in a competitive enterprise. No fresh ideas. No "ah ha" moments.

Peace equals stagnation.

Give me strife. Give me some discord. Give me a dash of chaos.

"I wish Ned could be here." Blech...........

I think that's probably in part why the Brewers gave him such a rich contract--he's pitched well in the spotlight.

Was Suppan's contract really that out of line with his performance in prior seasons and what other veteran starters were getting at the time? I know people were aghast at the money he earned at his signing, but I've seen people aghast at the money every pitcher has signed for in the last few years.

If the Brewers were paying extra for anything, it was for Suppan's ability to eat innings.

Dale Sveum and Doug Melvin kvetching about Ned concerns me. And certainly confirms in my mind that the whole situation there was AND IS out of step relative to where it needs to be for growing, vibrant organization.

I don't know about this, Harveys. I think they're merely being kind-hearted, expressing fondness for a man who brought the team most of the way, may not have been able to take them all the way, but soldiered alongside with them nonetheless. They're being decent human beings. They're not disagreeing in any way with the argument that Yost had to go, they just want to pay tribute to Ned -- who was fired under unique circumstances in baseball, to say the least -- in their moment of triumph. It's about graciousness, and it reflects well on the organization and the people who staff it, from the front office down to the playing field.

Everyone holding hands and telling everyone that they are special and great works fine in Special Ed.

It doesn't really work there, either, but we pretend it does.

Esoteric:

If it was just that I would agree. As I wrote last night it speaks well of Braun.

But Dale and Doug didn't just mention it. They went on for some time. And Melvin spoke in the offseason as the PRIMARY reason for not making a change was because he wanted Ned to see things through. I was at one of the functions and crossed swords with Doug about that mentality pointing out that it seemed to be placing one person's need for personal fulfillment above the needs of the organization.

He didn't like that very much..........

Well, what the hell. . . Ned is someone Dale considers a friend. He's not going to say "good riddance!" And it doesn't mean he's going to manage like him, either. Melvin is exceedingly, weirdly loyal to Yost, for some odd reason, but that doesn't necessarily affect how he'll run the organization going forward. Melvin didn't have any problem getting rid of half the coaching staff last year, but then I think it would be a mistake to let Maddux go now, for example.

I took it more as Dale being a classy guy and not kicking sand in Yost's face. The fact of the matter remains that Yost would certainly have lost yesterday's game through mismanagement. I'm glad he's gone, but I'm not on national teevee saying it.

I'm not entirely infatuated with Sveum though--he has this obsession with bunting that baffles me.

Even Yost couldn't have screwed up a Braun-Howry matchup.

SSR:

You are a funny guy.....

It will be Gallardo in Game 1.

-- MWE

Gutsy move. If Yovani is 90 percent healthy he is the second best pitcher on the staff. And McClung as backup if things go south early. Seth has been outstanding in September.

It will be Gallardo in Game 1.

Exactly what the Brewers should be doing. Underdogs need to take chances and go for broke to pull upsets sometimes, rather than start the "safe veteran". (Although Suppan's postseason numbers are surprisingly good.)

Polish, I'm not sure how Yost would have screwed up Sunday's game. He left CC in for 9 several times. The only thing he might have done is play Weeks ahead of Durham. Weeks has actually played well in September, though Durham's been better.

I agree he wouldn't have left McClung in for four innings on Friday.

Yost was fired because he was making the team too nervous. Not because of strategy.

Suppan's HR/F this year is 16.9%. You have to think at least some of that is just bad luck.

I know in some instances there is bad luck. But how about Suppan sucks? I think the notion that the HR rate/fly ball is a proven theorem has been destroyed, right?

Do you think Clay Council was a victim of "bad luck?"

Weeks has actually played well in September,

Weeks has proven he only plays when pushed and pushed and pushed. Sure, not that he got benched, he is having perhaps his best month of 2008. Last year, Weeks was garbage until he got SEND DOWN, then he came back up and was perhaps the best player in all of baseball for the final 50 games.

If I was team with a real hard a$$ manager, say, Tony LaRussa, I would get Weeks, I'm certain Weeks needs tough love in order to reach his ceiling.

How would Ned lose the game? For starters, Weeks would have batted leadoff, making 2 outs in that spot instead of 2 hits. Rickie would have made fewer than half the plays at 2nd that Durham did. Cameron would have been batting 6th or so. So Braun would have had a solo homer, if any homer at all--why Howry didn't walk him intentionally, or just hit him like the other day, is beyond me. Would the bases have been loaded for Counsell to walk in the tying run? I doubt it. And Yost probably would have had him bunt (frankly I'm surprised Sveum didn't), making the out there anyway. Oh, and even if the score was 3-1, Yost would have looked at his Tony LaRussa book and said, "This is a save situation," and brought in Torres to lose the game 4-3.

Managers can't win games for you, but they can sure as heck lose 'em.

I was at one of the functions and crossed swords with Doug about that mentality pointing out that it seemed to be placing one person's need for personal fulfillment above the needs of the organization.

Youtube?