Last season the Milwaukee Brewers lost sixteen (16) games after getting a lead of three (3) runs or more.

So far in 2008 we have the following happen:

5/2: Brewers lead 4-0. Lost 7-4.

5/4: Brewers lead 6-2. Lose 8-6.

The Brewers have also played nine extra inning games in 2008. In five of those situations Milwaukee had the lead and lost it in the 7th inning or later.

I know it's only thirty-one (31) games. I know it's only May 5th. But the Brewer bullpen has been an issue for over two years now. Even when Cordero was closer the team still had issues finishing out ballgames. I ask again to the masses, if the GM keeps providing different alternatives and the results don't change is the issue the players or the manager?

Remember the old line about doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

I ask again to the masses, if the GM keeps providing different alternatives and the results don't change is the issue the players or the manager?

Wouldn't there be a third option: the GM himself? I don't really know enough about the Brewers' pen to say, but it seems like giving Melvin a free pass there is a bit questionable.

How about Mark Kotsay? The Braves never cease to amaze me.

Wouldn't there be a third option: the GM himself? I don't really know enough about the Brewers' pen to say, but it seems like giving Melvin a free pass there is a bit questionable.

I would look at this too. The quality of arms in the Brewers pen isn't very good, and 4 of their top 5 guys are new this year, so Yost hasn't really had time to mess them up yet.

JJ:

Actually he has. Several of them have already been quoted as being tired. Check out the usage patterns. And then bump that up 15% due to the constant warming in the bullpen.

Now some of this is due to starters not getting deep into games. But Milwaukee knew, or should have known, that would be a challenge starting off the season as several of the kids had not started regularly in the majors before this season.

I continue to ponder the whereabouts of Mike Maddux. He seems to have disappeared.

How about Mark Kotsay? The Braves never cease to amaze me.

I was certainly amazed by their willingness to give up six years of Joey Devine for him.

I was certainly amazed by their willingness to give up six years of Joey Devine for him.

I'm hardly impressed with how they acquired him. But they continue to get more out of ballplayers than other teams. Obviously it doesn't work uniformly, but they have a far better track record than anyone else.

Well, his OPS+ was hovering around 90 four days ago, so I don't know that I'd count that chicken quite yet.

Well, his OPS+ was hovering around 90 four days ago, so I don't know that I'd count that chicken quite yet.

Getting useful production out of a placeholder is pretty important, even if it's only temporary. Based on what everyone said about Kotsay this offseason, I think a good 100 PAs from him is pretty impressive.

Wouldn't there be a third option: the GM himself? I don't really know enough about the Brewers' pen to say, but it seems like giving Melvin a free pass there is a bit questionable.

Maybe it's the stadium. Or the city of Milwaukee. What other variables haven't been identified?

Braves just picked up Greg Norton for considerably less. Something along the lines of two foam rubber tomahawks.

Something along the lines of two foam rubber tomahawks.
With all the stuff with Native American mascots and such, I have to ask, are they even legal?

Get Cameron Maybin back on the road and playing in daylight and he starts smacking the ball around again: 4-5, two singles, a double, a home run, four runs scored, and 2 RBI in Carolina's 11-1 thumping of Jacksonville. Maybin's hitting .250/.400/.375 in Five County Stadium, .273/.412/.491 on the road, with three of his four HR coming away from home.

His contact rate's getting better, too - he's fanned only 4 times in his last 25 ABs.

I was sitting next to a scout from an AL team on Friday night - a fellow I'd seen at the park a couple of times earlier, who decided to come upstairs because he could see better. His comment to me after watching Maybin was that he thought he was at least two years away, maybe three.

-- MWE

On a positive note Matt Gamel and Matt LaPorta are 78 for 222 which is a pretty impressive .351 average with 37 extra base hits. LaPorta is slugging over .700 and Gamel .660ish.

They are walking as well without excessive strikeouts.

By all accounts LaPorta is a man among boys in the Southern League. At least with a bat in his hand.

Jacque Jones DFA'd.

Edit: Also, Sheffield is, temporarily at least, moving to left field.

I don't see why giving up an inconsistent relief prospect for a starting CF is such a big deal. Don't get me wrong, Devine is one of my favorite players, but he has as good a chance of washing out as he does becoming an all-star closer and his most likely outcome, quality set up man, is not exactly rare.

Granted, its something the Braves can't find right now outside of Boyer, but there are plenty of ways to get decent relievers. Hell, the Braves signed one out of an Australian league that was pretty good til he blew his arm out last week and the Braves drafted a college closer as good or better last year (Fields.. though they didn't bother to pay him enough to sign) and found another hard to hit side arming guy (Gearrin) a couple rounds later.

Quality centerfielders are much harder to come by.

6 years of Joey Devine is not some tragedy to lose

The point was Kotsay was showing few signs of being a starting-level CF when acquired.

"The point was Kotsay was showing few signs of being a starting-level CF when acquired."

To the casual observer (edit->)OR the stat-sheet reader. None of whom hesitated in being 100% sure the deal was "stupid."

If he was healthy, something the braves and A's had a 500 times better idea of than any of us, there was plenty of reason to believe he would be a quality starting CF considering his tools and track record