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Brewerfan.net Feature Articles http://www.brewerfan.net Brewerfan.net Feature Articles 1 daily 2009 Minor League Season-Opening Roundtable http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=290 As Brewer fans prepare for the start of the follow-up to an exciting wild card season, we mustn?t forget that on Thursday, April 9th, the top four Milwaukee affiliates kick off their own 2009 campaigns. Fans in Nashville, Huntsville, Brevard County and new this year, Appleton, welcome their respective squads as the kids on the farm look to make their own indelible marks in the organization. They will be joined in June by 2008 rookie holdovers and a new set of draftees in Helena and Maryvale. Brewerfan looks forward to helping you enjoy the 2009 minor league season through chock-full Daily Link Reports, our monthly Farm Hops feature, fantastic draft coverage, and of course, the Brewerfan staple, the Power 50. To kick things off, we convened one really large roundtable that stretched from Milwaukee (Patrick Ebert) to Georgia (Brad Jiles) to Minnesota (Toby Harrmann) to Massachusetts (Jim Goulart), as we touched on a variety of minor league topics. Was moving Brett Lawrie from behind the plate before he made his professional debut a good idea? Toby: If the Brewers didn't have the top level catching talent already in the system in the form of Angel Salome and Jon Lucroy, Lawrie should have (and would have) stayed back there. If he can play second base, he's instantly the best second base prospect in the system and it gives the Brewers a potential top-end prospect at every position but first base. That's good for the Brewers, and it's good for Brett Lawrie. Patrick: Absolutely. We have heard so many reports about how his bat will allow him to move quickly through the system, but if he were to be developed as a catcher, that wouldn't give him the proper time and patience to work out the rough edges defensively. Plus, fans are clearly growing tired of sub-standard defensive players. Put talented hitters at their best spots defensively and let them swing their way to the big-leagues. Brad: I definitely think so. Honestly, the longer I watch baseball, the more I understand why teams move good hitting catchers---it's because the wear and tear of catching kills their hitting. Lawrie has limitless potential with the stick. I'm glad they aren't going to restrain him by sticking him in a position he shouldn't be playing. Jim: That move was never in doubt. Brett's contention that he wanted to be in the big leagues within a year or two and his desire to play behind the plate never meshed at all. The whole notion seemed very odd at the time. Now it's up to Lawrie to show us how magical his bat really is, as we've waited long enough. Do you envision both Angel Salome and Jonathan Lucroy ever being big league teammates? How will the catching situation play out in 2010 and beyond? Brad: Yes. I suspect we will see Angel up sporadically this year. I would think if Kendall gets hurt, Angel will be the starter, not Rivera. I can also see a split like the one that the Rangers will attempt this year with Salty and Teagarden in 2010. I think one guy will eventually win out, but there's no sense in moving a catcher before you've tried them both in the big leagues. Jim: Despite the Texas experiment this season, this simply doesn't happen often enough in the bigs to make one think the Brewers will go with the two-kid route at any point. This is such a huge year for Salome, and boy, has the back soreness been disappointing to many so far, as we're all so anxious to see if he can be a defensive big league catcher. Don't cringe if Jason Kendall is brought back in 2010 in a mentoring role for either of the two kids. You just hope that each youngster retains supreme value so that one can be dealt away for the proper return down the road. Patrick: It's hard to imagine them not spending some time together, but since they are only one level apart from one another, you would think the organization would like to have a seasoned veteran on the roster when either one of them makes their debut and spends significant time at the big-league level. Having two young and untested catchers, especially given the questions on defense that surround Salome, seems like a potential recipe for disaster. If Lucroy were ahead of Salome, I think it would be more likely. I still believe Lucroy is the catcher of the future. I don't think he's a perennial all-star, but he could have a modest career as an average backstop, both offensively and defensively. Salome I'm not so sure on, and not because he's super-short, but because questions about his defense continue to surround him. More than likely, whatever team he plays on is going to need a Charlie O'Brien-esque backup to come in during late and close games. Toby: They could be Brewers teammates for a little bit, but if they both maintain their value one of them has to go. Since Lucroy is still the more sound defensive catcher, I defer to him as the current catcher of the future. What that leaves for Salome is some time in Milwaukee this year and possibly next if he can get competent on defense, and then being traded to a an American League team that can DH him if the catching thing doesn't work out. I don't foresee any position sharing between the two, or Lucroy moving out from behind the dish. Should the Brewers intentionally hold back Mat Gamel to work on his defense? Patrick: No, but they should have him start at AAA to make sure he is as close to being ready for the big-leagues as possible. That means both his bat and glove, not to mention his state of mind, given his busy offseason and somewhat turbulent beginning to spring training. It's unfortunate that Gamel's glove isn't more big league ready given the team's need for another impact left-handed bat, but I'm willing to give Bill Hall another chance at third base over the first couple of months of the season, which should be just the right amount of time to determine if Gamel is ready to go. Toby: Because it's necessary to be able to play defense at the big league level if you want to be valuable to your team, yes, Gamel should be held back until he is at least adequate at third base, or switches positions. No one wants to go through another Ryan Braun-esque horror show at the hot corner. Brad: No, but they shouldn't just weather the storm like they did with Braun if he's a disaster. From the way the roster makeup is looking right now, I get the impression that when Mat does come up, he'll have someone to share the bag with. I think that's for the best, because a mid season switch to another position isn't going to make things any better. Jim: In a way, that's what the Brewers are doing, isn?t it? Because I've grown to love the National League game, and the Brewers' post-season opportunities stand to be more frequent in the N.L., it?s ironic, but if there was ever an organization primed to benefit from the designated hitter, it'd be this defensively deficient one. Jeremy Jeffress is the defacto top pitching prospect---who is number two right now? Who will it be at the end of the season? Jim: Folks get upset when the Brewers current crop of farmhands is ranked in the middle of the pack nationally, but the fact that we have to reach to the 2008 rookie crop to answer this question is quite telling, and a bit sad, actually. I think the Brewers have handled ground ball / control expert Evan Anundsen wonderfully, and he deserves some props. RHP Wily Peralta is your # 2 right now, only because Zach Braddock is such a wild card, I'm no longer sure I can slot him there. But Jeffress is really #'s 1, 2, and 3 at the moment -- the gulf is that wide. Toby: Alex Periard's shoulder injury eliminates him from contention for the #2 mantle behind Jeffress. Given Zach Braddock's inability to stay on the mound, Jake Odorizzi makes the most sense amongst the starting pitchers. He still is quite a ways away obviously, but he has the top end talent of few other pitchers in the system. I think this year a number of young pitchers will step up and close the gap between Jeffress and everyone else that Jim talked about. Brad: I'll give it to Evan Frederickson. OK, his velocity was down at the end of last year, but he's got Nuke LaLoosh potential once he stops hitting people in the crowd with his fastball. Patrick: Right now Jake Odorizzi is number two given his potential and status as a potential first-round pick last June. I think Zach Braddock is best poised to have a big year. He has re-committed himself to conditioning, and is looking to have a big year. As long as he has completely moved past the nagging arm problems from the past two years, his command should return, as he?s never lost his mid-90s heater. Should a 40-man roster spot have been tied up with Mark Rogers this season? Jim: No, sorry, no. It would have been literally impossible for even the worst team in MLB to creatively "stash" Mark Rogers on a 25-man roster in 2009. You often see organizations have to carefully analyze the possibility, but in this case, Rogers hasn't officially pitched in over two seasons. Any team making use of big league disabled list time for him in 2009 would mean automatic big league roster time in 2010, after missing most of what would then be three seasons of action. I wish Mark the best, but the Brewers had better not lose a player they had hoped to keep in the system this year because of roster maneuverings necessitated by Rogers' addition to the 40-man. I don't think they will, but that still doesn't make the Rogers addition correct. Toby: No. No team was going to stash Mark on the disabled list or in the bullpen all year. The timetable for a reward for that risk is so long that it just wouldn't have made sense for anyone to take him in the Rule 5 draft. Then again, the Brewers don't necessarily need Rogers' spot free. I think they didn't have to do it, but it's not hurting them either. Patrick: I feel one of Doug Melvin's strengths has always been his ability to manage a roster at all points of the season. It doesn't seem as though he ever loses players of consequence, and he seems to have his finger on the pulse when deciding which of his own players might be in most danger of being picked up by another club. So it doesn't really bother me that Mark Rogers is holding down a 40-man spot, because I'm guessing the team had a strong inclination that he could have been picked in the Rule 5 draft, and it also tells me that they still believe in him. Of course, they also have more than $2 million invested in him, so they're going to be willing to give him as many shots as it takes (see Mike Jones). Brad: Yes. I think Doug Knows the right times to invest in players and the right times to move on. Rogers still has that huge potential...and I'm guessing the Brewers think he still has that huge fastball. More than that, Doug has been very good about the right times to remove players from the 40 man to avoid losing them. If say, Mark was removed next week, right as the season started, he'd almost definitely clear and stay with the team. With the announcement that Brae Wright will have Tommy John surgery, and the continued issues with Taylor Green, Mat Gamel, and others, are you concerned that there is a pattern with injury reporting in the Brewers chain? Patrick: I'm not concerned with how injuries are being reported, but I am growing more and more concerned with how injuries are being handled by the organization. Rob Bryson was the first pitcher to openly express his displeasure with the Brewers, and you have to wonder how much more of that is taking place having heard rumblings that some prospects are seeking medical advice and procedures from outside of the organization. The Brewers need to invest as much money as possible to take the best care of their young, talented players as possible, and while it's difficult for me to be 100% convinced that they aren't doing that, again, I have my worries. Jim: I think because we are so exposed to Brewer injury updates, we tend to think the sheer number is well above the norm in other organizations. But, Bryson's remarks about the reluctance of scheduling MRI's was a bit chilling, and you wonder how many current farmhands would make similar comments if they had the freedom to do so. Don't be surprised if Taylor Green misses more than just April. In terms of the question, the issue isn't with injury "reporting", it's with injury diagnosing and treatment, it seems. Toby: It's pretty clear that the Brewers don't have the cream of the crop medical staff in the minor leagues, but it's tough to see exactly where the buck stops with the issue. How much of it is one the players for trying to play through some of their injuries? How much of it is on the team trainers for dealing with the injuries on a "local" level? How much of it is on the minor league player development lead figures like Reid Nichols? How much of it goes all the way to the top, to team doctor William Raasch and injury point man Gord Ash? Without knowing who is making which decision regarding MRI's and X-rays, I don't want to place blame on any particular person. But there is something wrong, and I wish that Brewers' main front office people would take a hard look at how they deal with injuries. Brad: Very much so. Between when I first started thinking about this question and now (about a week) we've gotten the impression that Alex Periard may be legitimately hurt and that Omar Aguilar has become a question mark. We've heard from players in the past that they didn't feel like the Brewers took their injury concerns seriously and I'm beginning to side with the players. It amazes me how often someone in the system will be listed as day-to-day for three weeks before an MRI reveals a tear. MRI?s just aren't as expensive as the Brewers make it seem. Can we agree that the plan to re-establish a Dominican academy is a worthwhile venture? Brad: I think so. More money should be spent on international signings, but the truth is evident -- the best international players are going to continue to sign with the big market teams because the big markets represent the "American Dream" to the international players. In other words, just because the Brewers run the academy doesn't mean every big player wouldn't rather still sign with the Yankees. Patrick: It would seem to be a good idea, but the team is developing some intriguing Latin American talent without an academy in either the Dominican Republic or Venezuela. Wily Peralta and Amaury Rivas in particular have developed into two of the organization's better pitching prospects, and Alcides Escobar also began his professional career state-side. The Brewers are clearly trying to be bigger players in both the Dominican and Venezuela, so having a bigger and better presence in those countries could only help. Toby: The Brewers didn't have wonderful results when they had an academy and haven't had wonderful results since ditching the academy. If they can spend the money to scout a team of guys down there that have a legitimate fighting chance to make it to the U.S. to play instead of just filling out a roster like was so often the case in the first version of the Dominican academy, then sure, re-establish. But if they're just starting the academy up again because everyone else is still doing it, why not stay out and start scouting Asia or something? Jim: The best $33,000 the Brewers ever spent, guaranteed, is for the signing bonus Venezuelan Alcides Escobar received in 2003 as a 16-year-old -- wow! Compare that to the $710,000 given to now 20-year-old RHP Rolando Pascual, who is still spinning his wheels in rookie ball. Hernan Iribarren may never get more than his cup of big league coffee, but he too, signed out of Venezuela for very short money (less than Escobar) in 2002, and made an immediate impact when he reached the Arizona League (after two years of playing Dominican Summer League ball for the Brewers in 2002 and 2003, the last years of the Brewers formal academy presence). Exciting third base prospect Edgar Trejo, who unfortunately tore his knee up and missed nearly all of '08 but is back now, is another exciting Venezuelan product, a mid-level signing. Dominican RHP Wily Peralta's signing looks pretty good at this point, with a huge bounce-back season in '08 from Tommy John surgery. I'm split on this one. Without knowing the costs of running a full-fledged academy, one would be hopeful that the Brewers would not be precluded from making a big signing if they wished. Yet the big Yohannis Perez (Cuban refugee) signing has proved misguided. Tell you what, keep an eye on two 18-year-old Dominican outfielders, Jose Garcia and Hitaniel Arias. Only Rolando Pascual ever received more from the Brewers than these two kids have. If Garcia and Arias develop nicely, then the current system of targeting kids and bringing them directly to Arizona can work. If Garcia and Arias aren't in Wisconsin by 2010, with $1,000,000 invested between them, then there's a serious flaw in the process. Which two players do you feel will represent the organization in the Futures Game? Patrick: I don't pay close attention to the exact rules as to who is or who isn't eligible, but if Brett Lawrie doesn't go this year because he's playing low-A ball, he's going to go next season given the annual need to fill out the World roster. I'll say Jonathan Lucroy for sure will take one of the two spots, and instead of rattling off a bunch of players that could go, I'll take a stab with RHP Amaury Rivas being the second player to represent the Crew. Brad: Lorenzo Cain and Jonathan Lucroy. Lo Cain is everything Felix Pie isn't and Lucroy looks like Terry Steinbach, so why not? Jim: I agree that Lawrie's time will be 2010, so Jeremy Jeffress is a solid choice; I don't really see a World option at this point -- it's too bad Alex Periard's first-half seems a question mark right now with shoulder issues. Toby: Lucroy and Cain seem like the most likely candidates. If Jeffress puts it mostly together, he could be another option. If Taylor Green is able to get back quickly from wrist surgery, he could play for the World Team. Who will be the first player to get promoted (from and to any level)? Patrick: Lorenzo Cain. I think the Brewers outfield situation continues to be in flux at the upper levels, and Cain could either get bumped to Nashville (assuming he starts in Huntsville, where he already has seen significant playing time), or even Milwaukee. It just seems as though the organization sees big things for this young man, and they haven't been afraid of challenging him the past few years. Toby: Lorenzo Cain will begin the year in Huntsville due to a full AAA outfield, but will be promoted by the end of April. Jim: We're roundtabling a week or so before rosters are announced, so this can be tricky. If closer Rob Wooten is assigned to Brevard initially, that could be a quick jump to AA. The 2008 Tar Heel will be 24 in July, and he knows nothing but success in that role. Brad: Mat Gamel - I think he's going to tear up AAA and be the starting third baseman by May 25th. Which is roughly the same time I suspect Cody Scarpetta will move to Brevard County. Zach Braddock will level up as soon as he proves he's healthy too, I'm sure. Which AAA veteran (outside Mark DiFelice) has the best chance of being called upon as needed in Milwaukee? Brad: Does TGJ count yet? I'd say Gwynn or Chris Duffy, whichever one doesn't make the team. I think Tim Dillard will be their go-to AAA pitcher. I'm sure we'll see some of Nick Green as well this year. Patrick: Does Joe Bateman count? That's a really tough question because I'm not so sure any of the journeymen have much of a chance. I think a few of the arms that are still fighting for a spot with the big-league club (Chase Wright, Nick Green), that probably don't make the cut are the most likely to get first dibs on the first call-up, but they're not AAA vets. Jim: This may be the year ultra soft-tosser Lindsay Gulin sees big league action, but otherwise the potential AAA call-ups (Tim Dillard, Mat Gamel, Alcides Escobar) aren't the veteran players, which should make for the usual veteran player frustration and dissatisfaction in not-so-lovely Greer Stadium (even if the place has been touched up some). Toby: I would have said Joe Bateman about a month ago, but he had a terrible spring. If Chris Duffy doesn't make the club, he could be in Milwaukee pretty soon. Chris Smith is my darkhorse answer - he spent his six year pro career with the Red Sox until he signed with the Brewers this winter. He doesn't throw exceptionally hard, but he has a good fastball/slider combination and had good success when switched to relief full time in 2008. Name three players that you think could establish themselves as legit prospects after underperforming last year. Patrick: Brent Brewer first and foremost. He seems to be a favorite among fans to break-out, although I caution those same fans that we've been hoping for that to happen the past couple of years. R.J. Seidel is the most obvious second choice for me. He didn't have an awful 2008 season, but it wasn't very encouraging either. He could find the humidity in Florida very accommodating. Daniel Merklinger is my third pick since he has good stuff but is painfully inconsistent. He can look good for one start, or at least a few innings, and then fall apart. The stuff is there, and hopefully it's just a matter of the right light switch being turned on. Brad: Basically anyone that made it past A+ into AA. I think a healthy Chris Errecart is going to carry a .900 OPS in AA/AAA this year and solidify his status as a real prospect. I think catcher Shawn Zarraga is going to hit 25 homers in Appleton. I think Seth Lintz's K totals will stay high and he'll get people out this year. Jim: Not a big fan of the "underperforming" wording, but second baseman Eric Farris, along with the previously mentioned Errecart and Brewer, are solid choices. Boy, Brewer seems to be giving every indication that I jumped off that bandwagon way too early. The crow is being saut?ed as we speak for the 2009 postseason buffet. Toby: I'm going to go with three pitchers here since the Brent Brewer bandwagon is getting a little over-crowded. I hope that Zach Braddock can stay healthy - if he can stay on the mound for most of or all of the year, he's an instant top 10 or even top 5 prospect. R.J. Seidel had mediocre results last year, but he has good stuff and is still growing. He should continue to move steadily up the prospect list. Nick Tyson was shelled in his first taste of A ball, only to bounce back when he was demoted to Helena. He has a great curveball and he's only 21. Which affiliate is going to have the most success this year? Jim: Ah yes, but remember, this is player development, so you have to define success. No offense to the locals in each affiliate town, but it can't be measured in terms of wins and losses. Prince and Corey and J.J. didn't win league championships all along the way -- in fact, their teams were often non-competitive in terms of the standings. The most successful AA teams at Huntsville over the years in terms of wins and losses, in particular, have been the more anonymous rosters without the big names. Team success on the field can be a byproduct of team chemistry and coaching. For me, some coaching moves are interesting -- let's see what Matt Erickson can do in his first pro hitting coaching season on a young coaching staff in Appleton, you've got John Curtis reuniting with kids he's had in Charleston as he moves up to Huntsville, and Chris Bosio is new in Nashville. Toby: The Timber Rattlers team is going to be a lot of fun to follow. With all the pitching drafted last year, there's going to be a continuous spigot of good arms coming into Appleton no matter how many guys they promote or catch the injury bug. Brett Lawrie and Cutter Dykstra will head the lineup, which should also contain a number of interesting, more under the radar guys like Brock Kjeldgaard and Chris Dennis. Nashville has more top prospects, but who knows how long they'll be together in AAA. Patrick: I felt the Helena squad that was assembled last summer should have fared better than what they did. I think adding Brett Lawrie to that group of players will be the perfect fit to help the Brewers' new low A-ball affiliate in Appleton enjoy a very successful year. Dykstra, Lawrie, Kjeldgaard, Dennis and Erik Komatsu are going to form a very dynamic offense, while some combination of Lucas Luetge, Wily Peralta, Cody Adams, Cody Scarpetta, Efrain Nieves and Evan Frederickson should make the starting staff a strength as well. Considering how the Brewers in recent years have been patient moving up players from low-A, this team could stay together as a unit for most of the year. If so, I could see this team winning both the first and second half titles in the Midwest League. Brad: I agree with Patrick and Toby, Appleton. The pitching has been sliced and diced at the upper levels and the extra picks in 2008 will help Appleton the most. I'm expecting big things from Dykstra, Lawrie, Frederickson, Jake Odorizzi, and Logan Schafer. It's not an easy group to predict, but I have a good feeling. Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT On the Phone With? Rollie Fingers http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=296 Rollie was great to me. After speaking with him, I'd describe him as a genuinely happy man, who loves his life. I was very pleased by that, it's nice to know one of your baseball heroes really is what you thought he was. RF: Hello, this is Rollie Fingers. BF: Hi Rollie! This is Todd Coppernoll, from Brewerfan.net. RF: Hi Todd, I'm glad you called. BF: Thanks Rollie, I've been a Brewer fan for a long time now, you're one of my baseball icons - thank you for agreeing to do this. RF: No problem. BF: OK, I'm a Brewers fan, writing for a Brewers site, I'll just get this out of the way, and ask you straight out. Would the Brewers have won the '82 World Series if you had been healthy? RF: Basically every day of my life, someone will ask me something about my mustache, but when I get back to Milwaukee, I get, "I sure wish you had been healthy in '82." You can't just come out and say the Brewers would have won it if I was healthy, because you never know which day you're going to come in and give up a home run ? St Louis had a great team too. I've always wished I would have had a chance to do my job. There were a couple of games where, if I'd been able to go in and do my job, things might have been different ? who knows? I just wish I would have had a chance to get in there and find out. It helps to have a good ballclub behind you ? those guys could really hit. BF: True, when your lineup starts out with Molitor, Yount, and Cooper, you're doing pretty well. RF: Yeah, and then throw in Oglivie and Thomas... and Simmons too. I'm just glad I was wearing the same uniform. BF: I see you've got a new book out. RF: Yes, it's been out a couple of months now, I co-wrote it with Chris Ritter. It's not a book about me, I didn't want to do a book just about myself, this is book of baseball stories, trivia, and some unique stuff on some other players. It's a fun book, it took us about a year and a half to do it - it was a lot of work putting it together. I think fans will enjoy it, it's a fun read. You can get it at <a href="http://www.rolliesbaseballfollies.com">rolliesbaseballfollies.com</a>. BF: I certainly will. Tell me about Charlie Finley. RF: Finley was a pain in the neck. Nobody around him ever made any money, because he didn't want to pay anyone ? and it seemed like he was always messing with someone. Do you remember the Mike Andrews situation? BF: No, I don't. RF: Mike Andrews was our second baseman, he made a couple of errors in Game 2 of the 1973 World Series, so Finley decided to bench him. When we heard that we said, "What?! Everybody makes errors sometimes." We decided to boycott Game 3, we all went out on the field with number 17 on our uniforms in black electrical tape ? we were not going to play that game. Finley gave in and let Andrews play, or I mean it, we were going to boycott that game. Another thing about Finley... there are no diamonds in our World Series rings for '73 and '74. When he gave us our rings, he said, "You want diamonds? Get 'em yourself." BF: That's amazing. I knew the players didn't like Finley, and I knew he had the reputation of being cheap, but I hadn't heard that one. RF: Our manager, Dick Williams, even quit ? even though we had won the World Series ? because he had to get away from Finley. Ken Holtzman and I threw baseballs at Finley one time. BF: Wow. Seriously? RF: Yep, one time he came down to the dugout, during batting practice. They had the pitchers out shagging flyballs, and I looked in from right field and saw Finley sitting in the dugout, I said, "Hey Holtzie, put a couple balls in your back pocket. We fired those balls at him from right field, and then ran over to right-center. By the time he looked out there to see who did it, we were doing sit-ups. Finley never knew where those balls came from... they came from Fingers and Holtzman. BF: That's hilarious! Obviously, the players on those Oakland teams had a lot of contempt for Charlie Finley, do you have anything positive to say about him? RF: The one thing you have to say for him ? he built a great scouting department and they put together a great ballclub. I was there for eight years, and in that time we won five division titles, and three World Series'. At the same time, the most I ever made there was 67K, in 1976 ? he just wouldn't pay anybody. He could have kept that team together if he wanted to ? and he should have. We were all around 30, still in our primes, when the team broke apart, we wound up all over the big leagues. BF: I remember that. In the first real year of free agency, you went to San Diego, so did Gene Tenace, Joe Rudi went to the Angels, Bert Campaneris went to the Rangers, Catfish was already in New York, Reggie had been traded for Don Baylor, Baylor went to the Angels, Reggie went to New York, and Sal Bando came here to Milwaukee. Just like that, that team was scattered everywhere. RF: Exactly. We all had to leave, to get away from Finley. In 1975, losing Catfish Hunter really hurt us. Finley had screwed up on his contract, and the courts decided it was a voided contract, so Catfish was declared a free agent, and he went to New York ? that was a huge loss for us. BF: Finley sold you to the Red Sox, with Joe Rudi, and he sold Vida Blue to the Yankees, but then Bowie Kuhn voided both deals... tell me about that. RF: Yeah, the Red Sox were in Oakland at the time, so Joe Rudi and I just picked up our stuff and moved it from one clubhouse to the other. I was in uniform for Boston for three days, I had a locker right next to Carl Yastrzemski. I warmed up twice, but I never got in a game. I've always thought if I had gotten into a game, there's probably nothing Bowie Kuhn could have done about it, the deal probably would have been done. BF: What reason did Mr Kuhn give? RF: He said it wasn't in the best interests of baseball, he didn't want teams exchanging money for players ? which is really funny, because now they do it all day long. Finley got mad after those deals were voided, so for two weeks, Joe Rudi and I never got in a game ? he wouldn't use us. We were in a pennant race with Kansas City, and for two weeks, Finley wouldn't let our manager, Chuck Tanner, use his starting left fielder, or his closer ? we wound up 1 ? games behind Kansas City that year. That's still hard to believe. Finally, we'd had enough. The Royals were in Oakland, and there it was, fifteen minutes before game time, and the whole team was sitting in the clubhouse in our street clothes. The guys told Chuck Tanner we were going to forfeit that game to Kansas City, unless Finley let Joe Rudi and I play. Tanner went in his office and called Finley, when he came back out, it was five minutes before game time, and Tanner started reading off the lineup. When he got to number six in the lineup, he said, "Joe Rudi", when we heard Rudi's name, everyone got dressed real fast, and we went out and played the game. BF: It sounds like Oakland was a circus. RF: It was. We were a real show... the long hair, the facial hair, the goofy uniforms... we were fightin' on the field, we were fightin' in the clubhouse... but we could really play ball... we were an attraction. Finley never wanted to put any money into marketing or promotion, so we'd only draw 900,000 at home, but on the road, we'd draw 2-3 million. My own, "Last Straw" with Finley actually came after the '72 Series ? which was the first one we won out there. I had saved two games in the Series, and won one... and he offered me a one thousand dollar raise after the season. I told him to shove his 1K raise, and I hung up on him. I pitched there four more years, but I never spoke to Finley again. BF: It sounds like free agency couldn't come fast enough for you. You signed with San Diego... why the Padres? RF: I was surprised, not many teams showed interest in me. I thought I'd get more calls. I was still in my prime, my arm was fine, but I didn't get a lot of interest for some reason ? it still seems kind of weird to me. Boston had tried to buy me from Oakland just a few months earlier, and then when they could have just gone ahead and signed me, they didn't even bother ? I never heard from them. What sense does that make? Pittsburgh showed some interest, but then Ray Kroc called, he was the owner of the Padres. He asked me to come down to San Diego for a meeting, so I did. He said, "We want to give you 250K per year for five years, with 500K up-front. I said, "Hand me a pen." BF: Did you enjoy your time with the Padres? RF: There were some positives. My folks were still living, and it was close enough that they could come and see me pitch, and the weather in San Diego is the best you can get. I pitched well there, I think I won three Rolaids Relief Awards there (that is accurate), but we never finished higher than third place when I was there. When I was traded out of San Diego, I was happy to go. It's hard to have fun playing ball when you're out of it every year by the first of August, and you're just playing the spoiler role. BF: You were almost a Cardinal, you were actually traded twice within a few days... RF: I was happy to just get away from San Diego and was ready to play with the Cardinals. I was with them for three days and Whitey Herzog happened to make a trade with the Cubs and got Bruce Sutter. When that happened he decided to trade me to the Brewers, which was fine with me. I'm glad he did. BF: I remember when I heard about the trade that brought you to Milwaukee, with Ted Simmons and Pete Vuckovich. I've had a lot of great moments as a fan, but in all these years, I don't think I've ever been more excited to be a Brewer fan than I was that day ? you were the reason. I couldn't believe MY TEAM was actually getting Rollie Fingers! RF: Well, thank you. I had a great time in Milwaukee in '81 and '82. We had great teams, and those guys were a lot of fun ? a real bunch of characters. In '81, we made the playoffs for the first time there, and in '82 we got to the Series. The fans were great, they really know the game, and everyone was so excited around the area. Every night, we knew we had a chance to win, and we knew there'd be thirty or forty thousand people there ? as a player, you can't ask for any better than that. The pitchers all knew, "If I go out there and give up 2-3 runs, that's ok, because our guys might come right back and score 3-4." When you feel like that on your way to the ballpark each day ? that's when you know you've got something. BF: That first year in Milwaukee, your stats were just incredible, and you won both the League MVP and the Cy Young ? it doesn't get much better than that ? and then the team reached the World Series in '82. You struck out Lou Whitaker of Detroit, to clinch the Brewers' first-ever playoff berth in 1981. I remember, as the crowed stormed the field and the players all ran together to celebrate, Ted Simmons jumped into your arms... it looked like you carried him all the way to the dugout. RF: That last out in '81 was one of the three most satisfying last-outs of my career, with the other two being the ends of the '72 and '74 World Series'. I knew Ted was heavy, but at that moment, I could have lifted a car over my shoulders. What I liked about the Milwaukee last-out was that it was a strikeout. Those are more fun. BF: Tell me about the injury in '82... what happened? RF: I hurt it the night Don Sutton made his first start for the Brewers. We played a doubleheader against Cleveland ? I can't remember if I hurt it in the game, or in the bullpen. Sutton had said the main reason he wanted to come to Milwaukee was because he knew he'd have me out there, backing him up... and his first day in, I got hurt. BF: That was a torn forearm muscle, right? RF: Yes, a tear in my forearm, but it was misdiagnosed at first. They told me it was a strain, and that it would heal with rest, so that's what we went with. I came to camp in '83, and when I threw, it was still killing me. I tried to throw, but I wasn't breaking glass. They found the tear, and I went to L.A. and had surgery. That made me miss the '83 season, if they had found it at first, I could have had it fixed and pitched that year. We had a good team in '83, too. We stayed in the race most of the way, but then it fell apart at the end. BF: In '84, almost nothing went right for the Brewers, but you were a bright spot, in the first half. RF: Yep, I was back, and pitching well, but then I ruptured a disc. I had that fixed, but it knocked me out for the rest of that season. I came back in '85, but that was the year they brought George Bamberger back to manage... we didn't see eye-to-eye. BF: Oh really? Why not? RF: He just didn't use me right. I had negotiated a contract with a 200K base, plus 20K for every game I pitched in ? they agreed to it, because they really didn't think I'd make the team. I did the job, I was getting saves, but there were times where I didn't get into a game for two weeks. They didn't want to pay me the 20K per game, so George didn't use me... you can't stay sharp that way, I was lucky I could throw it in an open garage. BF: I do remember that Rollie, not the part about the money, but I remember your numbers slipped, and people said you weren't the same after the back injury. RF: I could still pitch, but nobody can be an effective closer if they're being used that way. They didn't even use me the whole month of September, to save money. BF: I'm sorry to hear your time with the Brewers didn't end well for you. RF: Oh, I still remember my time with the Brewers as a fun time. Those are great fans, and I played with a lot of great guys. BF: People like to talk about the guys on those teams - Gorman Thomas' name comes up a lot. RF: Yeah, I had A LOT of fun with him. BF: Care to share a story? RF: (laughs)... BF: Oh, I see, one of those, "What happens in Vegas" scenarios? RF: (playfully) Next question. BF: One guy I've heard guys from those teams laugh about is Jim Gantner. RF: (laughs hard) EVERYBODY made fun of Gumby! He was a good second baseman, that's not what I'm saying... but he had this way of talking, it was almost like "Yogiisms." I can't think of any right now... BF: I once heard Robin Yount say, at a baseball clinic, Gantner told a young player to "Walk on the palms of your feet." RF: Yes! That's exactly it! That is classic Gantner! I saw Jim not too long ago, at a golf event, I think that was in Lake Geneva. We had a deal set up where I'd hit one shot for everybody in the group, on a Par 3. When Gantner's group got up there, while they were waiting their turn, Gantner started getting on my golf game. He's there, getting me pretty good, and wouldn't you know it... when it was his turn, I stepped up and hit an ace for him. BF: I remember, the Reds asked you to come to camp in '86, but only if you shaved off the mustache. RF: Yeah, Pete Rose called me, he was the manager then. He told me he needed a closer and he asked me if I'd come to camp. I said I would, so he told me the GM would call me to set things up. The GM called the next day and said they wanted me, but I had to shave the mustache off. They said it was Marge Schott's team rule ? no facial hair. I said, "Tell her to shave her St Bernard. I'll shave when she shaves her St Bernard." They never got back to me, so that's when I hung 'em up. I thought, "If that's the way it's going to be, I'm done." I don't know why she was worried about my mustache... she had more facial hair than I did. BF: It wouldn't be an interview with Rollie Fingers if I didn't ask something about the mustache. RF: Right... it never happens. BF: Why did you grow it, I know you didn't have it when you first came up. RF: In '72, Reggie Jackson came to spring camp with facial hair... it was bad, guys kept telling him to shave, but he said no. So, myself, Catfish Hunter, Darold Knowles... a bunch of the pitchers, decided to grow facial hair, because then we figured Dick Williams would have no choice ? he'd have to tell all of us to shave. When Finley saw it, he decided it would be good for some publicity, so he offered every player a $300 bonus if they had a mustache on Opening Day. $300 was a week's salary then, I think some of those guys would have grown a mustache on their ass for three hundred. BF: So, the most famous facial hair in baseball history started as an attempt to make Reggie shave? RF: Yep, and it's still there now, someone mentions my mustache to me literally every day. It's funny that Finley even offered that bonus in the first place... he never did anything to promote us. He only had 2-3-4 people in the front office, he had his brother Carl working up there... we were never promoted. BF: You came back for the closing ceremony at County Stadium, right? RF: Yep, I did that - that was a good time. It was good to see some of the guys I played with, and guys that had played in that stadium during the different eras. County Stadium is never talked about the way places like Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium are, but I think they started playing ball there in '52, there was a lot of history in that place. BF: Yep, I sat there with my dad, and he was telling me about how his dad had taken him there many times, etc. People all around us were doing the same thing, "Remember when"..."My dad sure would have loved to have seen this"... all that stuff, I'll always remember that. RF: For sure, I'm glad they did that for the fans there. It had certainly gotten run-down though, it was time for a new stadium. BF: Before I forget, I meant to ask you... while you were with San Diego, you developed a forkball... why did you decide to do that? RF: Before that I was a fastball-slider guy. I wanted to do something to slow down the velocity of the ball, I tried a lot of different breaking pitches, I tried a circle-change, and a few others, then I tried the forkball. I wanted a different speed, to give the hitter that one extra pitch to think about. When I started using it, I started to get Ks with it, and more ground balls, so I stuck with it. It made a difference for me, it's all about timing, I just wanted the hitter to be thinking about that one other possibility. BF: I suppose I have to bring this up, because I know others will if I don't. You had a tax issue with the State of Wisconsin. RF: That whole tax thing was a joke. They contacted me and said I'd never paid my taxes ? I did too, I just didn't file a return. The taxes were paid, on time ? I got my old documents from the Brewers and showed that. They called me up and said, "You have penalties and interest, you owe 1.4 million dollars." I said, "That's crazy, I didn't even make 1.4 million in Milwaukee." They had never contacted me in 22 years, and then they called to say I owed all of that. They had just left it running that whole time. I was able to show that the taxes had been paid, then we reached a settlement on the rest of it. There was some blogger in Milwaukee who was just brutal during that thing ? he ripped me a new one. I don't remember his name, but he just blasted me every day for not paying my taxes. I did, and I paid them on time. BF: While we're on that, I know you also went through a bankruptcy after your career had ended. RF: Yep, sure did. It just goes to show you, no matter who you are, we all have things we have to deal with in life. BF: Well said. Rollie, there's a young pitcher growing a handlebar mustache... RF: You know, I have had more emails about that... everyone wants to know what I think of that. To be honest, in the picture I saw, I thought his facial hair looked more like Johnny Depp than Rollie Fingers. What team is he with again, the Diamondbacks? BF: Yes, he pitches for Arizona. RF: It doesn't bother me a bit, let him do it. BF: OK, Rollie, tell me... who was the better pitcher... not who had the best career... who was the better pitcher... Catfish Hunter, or Vida Blue? RF: If I had to win one game tomorrow, I'd give the ball to Catfish Hunter. Catfish was the best starting pitcher I ever played with. He had pinpoint control, and he was "big game", he was the fiercest competitor I've ever seen. For the 1971 season, I'd take Vida Blue, he was simply unbeatable that year, but for one game tomorrow, it's Catfish Hunter. BF: You're involved with a wine company, right? RF: Yes, that's Cooperstown Cuvee. They're going to have pictures of four Hall of Famers per year on the bottles of wine, over six years, for a total of twenty-four Hall of Famers, I was the first one. BF: OK, I'm trying to talk Brian at Brewerfan into growing a handlebar mustache. Where do you get your mustache wax? RF: (laughs)... Not everyone can do that, can he grow hair? BF: I think he can do it. RF: Well, you can get it at almost any drug store. I think Walgreen's has it, when I need some I just tell my wife, and she picks it up when she's out shopping. I think she gets mine at CVS... let's go with CVS. BF: Fair enough... we'll send Brian to CVS. Any regrets? RF: No regrets. One thing that's been a bit of a surprise, I thought maybe one of the teams I had pitched for would call me up and have me maybe come to spring training and talk about pitching with the young guys ? but none of 'em ever have. I'm not upset about it or anything like that, it's just kind of surprising that no one has ever asked. BF: Anything else to say to Brewer fans? RF: I'm gettin' along great. I'm happy, I'm content... when I look back, I wouldn't change a thing. Why would I? I'm in the Hall of Fame... you can't hope for better than that. Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT Milwaukee Brewers 2009 Preaseason Predictions http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=291 It's time for Brewerfan.net to take a stab at naming the players that will make the biggest impact during the 2009 season, while tackling a few of the key issues the team will need to face. Player of the Year Prince Fielder I have to think that a slimmed down, contractually satisfied Fielder will be costing the Brewers additional funds in game balls. I believe that his offense will improve drastically adding 10 + home runs to last years total, his batting average will jump, and his walk totals will increase quite a bit. Fielder will benefit from the advice of his new hitting coach in a big way. - Jamie Siegel Once again, it's good news that the Brewers have multiple valid candidates for this honor. This year I'm putting extra faith in the Prince. He's fitter and presumably free of contract thoughts this go-round, so what is there to stop him? (Nothing against Ryan Braun, but I'm just not 100% at ease with his ribcage soreness. Ryan can feel free to prove me wrong.) - Laura Hawing I was really encouraged by Fielder signing his two-year extension this offseason. Who saw that coming? Combine that with the fact that he really got himself in better shape, and I think we're going to see a much more determined, and possibly somewhat humbled young man that is poised to put up possibly bigger numbers than what he did two years ago. - Patrick Ebert Ryan Braun Braun will be the only outfielder in Baseball to hit 35 homers this year, and he'll do it while batting .300 and driving in 120 runs. I also think he'll walk about 30 times more than last year, making him a top 3 MVP guy at season's end. - Brad Jiles I know that the rib injury is starting to scare people, but I really do think he'll be able to overcome it and keep building on his success. - Brian Kapellusch J.J. Hardy Unlike Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, Hardy produces at well above average clip for his position both on offense and defense. While those two will each hit more home runs and drive in more guys than J.J., Hardy makes up for it with good power of his own, emerging plate discipline and superior defense. If he can push his OPS to 850 or above, he's every bit as valuable as Braun and Fielder in my book. - Toby Harrmann And let the shortstop discussion get really crazy heading into 2010; it will be the most debated topic in Brewer hot stove history. - Jim Goulart Pitcher of the Year Yovani Gallardo Gallardo and Manny Parra both need to step up this year for the team to have a chance at the playoffs. I'm giving Gallardo the edge over Parra because Yovani seems closer to "getting it" on the mound. Ever since he stepped cleats onto a major league mound, it has looked like Gallardo has a good idea about what to do up there. Parra has as good or even better stuff, but is still learning to pitch with confidence. Gallardo has that confidence. - Toby Harrmann My main reasoning here is that without a stellar season from Yo, the Brewers don't have a chance. - Brad Jiles Similar to Brad's response, I feel that Gallardo has to win this award if the Brewers are going to enjoy a successful season. His pitching guile allowed him to soar through the minor leagues, and so far he has carried over that success to the big-league level. I have complete faith that he will continue to build upon that early success. - Patrick Ebert Lofty expectations are in no way fair, but they will be met. - Jim Goulart He's been nothing short of remarkable when he's been given the ball. I don't expect there to be any post-ACL issues here, and I think he's already a legit #1 pitcher in most rotations. - Brian Kapellusch Dave Bush I probably still have a little bit of NLDS Game 4 dust in my eyes, but cut me some slack - the man won the playoff game I dreamed of for 26 years. Now more than ever, perhaps, the Brewers need pitching consistency, which I believe Dave can deliver. He's not a sure thing, but frankly, neither are the others. - Laura Hawing Jeff Suppan I realize he has shown little to warrant such praise, but then again, nobody else has shown it to me either . Suppan has a new pitching coach this season and, apparently, keen support from his new manager. I'm not saying he'll win 20 games, but 15 is a good number for him. If the Brewers are going to make a push again this year, he absolutely must step it up. - Jamie Siegel Rookie of the Year Brad Nelson Versatility on the ball field will generate opportunity. Nelson can plug holes on the defensive side and will offer solid and reliable play. He will contribute as a bat off the bench as well. Nelson won't be a NL Rookie of the year, and he does not have to be. He just has to help the Brewers any way he can. - Jamie Siegel He's useful in so many ways. - Laura Hawing He had a .928 OPS vs RHP in 2008 in Nashville. I think he'll work his way into being the primary left-handed option off the bench once he proves himself. - Brian Kapellusch Something tells me Brad Nelson is going to grow a 'stache and become Matt Stairs this year. I anticipate 15 homers in 250 ABs spread out over the 4 corners. - Brad Jiles Without open roster spots currently for Mat Gamel or Alcides Escobar, it seems that the Brewers won't have a top prospect knocking on the door early in the season. Enter Brad Nelson. Once a top prospect himself, Nelson has earned his way onto the team on his last chance. Over the past few years Brad has found most of his power stroke again, and has developed a proficiency for managing the strike zone. He doesn't have a starting role on the team but he'll be very valuable as a backup at first base and the corner outfield, as well as a power bat coming off the bench. If he plays well this year, he may make the Brewers more comfortable trading Prince Fielder after the 2009 season. - Toby Harrmann Mark DiFelice He'll end up making at least ten starts, most of which will be "quality". - Jim Goulart Casey McGehee When McGehee was picked up, his background (and the fans' reaction) seemed very similar to Scott Podsednik's. I think the Brewers' current infield situation could play very favorably for Casey getting solid playing time due to his versatility, and I think he'll respond with a nice, productive season. - Patrick Ebert Jack Voigt Memorial Award - Unsung Hero Casey McGehee While I also voted McGehee as the team's rookie of the year, I just think he could serve as the glue for a team that needs a versatile presence (not named Craig Counsell) on the infield that could win fans over similar to Gabe Kapler a year ago. - Patrick Ebert Even if he's blocked in April by the likes of Craig Counsell, I believe his time will come in 2009 and he will make the most of it. - Laura Hawing Brad Nelson He'll be effective, but in a quiet way. It's easy for anyone to get over-shadowed on this ball club. - Jamie Siegel Maybe the easiest Brewer to root for ever. - Jim Goulart Bill Hall I'm not so sure he'll ever return to the form that we saw a couple of years ago, but I think he could do some damage (in a positive way) as the right-handed end of a platoon at third base. - Brian Kapellusch Mike Rivera It's hard to bat once a week and still be a decent hitter. Mike is better than decent and he's a pretty good defender as well. Here's hoping he gets closer to 200 ABs this year. - Brad Jiles Mark DiFelice After more than a decade of pitching in the minor leagues, Mark DiFelice finally made it to "the show" last year and looks to become a fixture on the Brewers staff this year. He does not walk anyone and he is murder on right-handed batters with his cut fastball. As long as Mark can figure out a way to keep lefthanders somewhat at bay with his changeup and curve, he'll fill a valuable role in the bullpen. He may even get the chance to start if a few injuries occur. He's not a household name, but he has the potential to be a very important piece of the pitching staff. - Toby Harrmann Minor League Impact Player Lorenzo Cain The trade of Michael Brantley opens up Lorenzo's entire career path. - Jim Goulart I hope he realizes just what awesome timing it would be for him to break through by 2010. - Laura Hawing I think he's in the Carlos Beltran/ Curtis Granderson mode of center-fielders that do everything. He'll be the starter in Milwaukee in 2010. - Brad Jiles Brett Lawrie I think Brett's a VERY special player and will mash his way through the minors in short order. - Brian Kapellusch Mat Gamel Gamel's defense at third base is still a big question mark. The great thing about Gamel, though, is that he won't need to stick at third to have a big impact on the Brewers. Gamel has a potentially special bat. While he doesn't have top end power like Fielder or Braun, he makes good, hard, consistent contact and should hit for a high average. He could be shifted to first base if Fielder is traded, or he could be shifted to the outfield if Corey Hart slides over to center field to replace Mike Cameron. - Toby Harrmann Jonathan Lucroy I would vote for either Gamel or Cain, but I think both are going to get some time at the big-league level this year. Lucroy has been putting up very good numbers at the plate during his first three years of pro ball, similar to Mat Gamel, and is poised to have a big year for Huntsville. - Patrick Ebert Taylor Green Nice bat, tough kid. He's coming off a wrist injury but he'll be in good enough shape to instill fear in the opposing dugouts and pitcher's mounds across the minors. Green will be moving up this year for sure, and fitting in well at Huntsville. - Jamie Siegel Three Strikes: 1. The starting pitching staff is obviously the biggest question mark for the 2009 season, highlighted by losing CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets. However, a year ago people still considered the Brewers a potential playoff team before Sabathia was even a pipe dream and amidst concerns about Sheets' ability to stay healthy for a full season. Short question made long: Will this team have enough pieces in the pitching staff, regardless of how it is put together, to rise up and once again make the playoffs this year? Yes. Yo will be an ace this year. Manny Parra will give us 185 above-average innings. Bush, Soup, and Loop will combine for 580 innings and a 4.50 ERA, making the staff officially above average. A great year from the offense and a good year from the pen, and this team wins 87-90 games. - Brad Jiles I think people look to last year and say that we lost Sheets and Sabathia, so our chances to make the postseason are slim. I would counter that by saying that we spent most of the year without a pitcher (Gallardo) that was very comparable to Sheets, and we didn't acquire Sabathia until July. There's nothing to stop the Brewers from going out and making another July deal. They still certainly have marketable prospects. - Brian Kapellusch The Brewers are in about the same place with their pitching staff in 2009 that they were in 2008. The only difference I see is that the rotation is a little thinner and the bullpen is a little deeper. The good news here is that with the economy negatively effecting the revenue of so many teams, the Brewers may once again be able to augment their rotation at the deadline. The bad news is that the thin rotation depth is going to have to hold and keep them in the race into July. Can they do it? As long as the offense plays as well as they should and there are not an overwhelming number of injuries to the staff, I'd say it's a definite possibility. - Toby Harrmann I think enough pieces exist to make it happen, though in terms of living up to potential and staying reasonably healthy, an awful lot has to fall into place just so. I also think that Mark and Doug would not hesitate to implement "Plan B" and make a mid-season acquisition if conditions warrant. At least that seemed to work out in 2008. - Laura Hawing I think they have enough pieces, but more because I believe the offense is going to score a lot more runs. Fielder, Hart, Weeks and possibly even Bill Hall are all poised to bounce back, or at least step forward, to join Hardy and Braun while assembling the National League's most potent offense. The improvements to the bullpen will also help, but there won't be the need for the pitching staff to hold opposing teams to three runs or fewer on a daily basis. - Patrick Ebert With anticipated offensive improvement with a young yet battle-tested lineup, this staff may not be asked to do as much. I anticipate Braden Looper and Jeff Suppan will miss 10-15 starts between them, but nobody else in the rotation can afford to get hurt. Can they hide David Riske for six months? Oh, and remember, this rotation is going to help itself at the plate. - Jim Goulart Sorry, no. It seems as if several teams improved themselves more than the Brewers did this off season. We won't take the division, as Chicago seems all but a lock for that. As well as Milwaukee played last season, it still went down to the wire to get the WC slot. We simply can't win all our games 13-12 and since it is a questionable bullpen behind a shaky starting pitching staff, Milwaukee will start another streak of non-playoff seasons. - Jamie Siegel 2. Ned Yost seemed to be the target of most Brewers fans' criticism until he was fired a few weeks before the team made the playoffs a year ago. While the team assembled somewhat of an all-star cast of coaches, hiring three of the four coaches the team interviewed for their managerial opening, what are your impressions of Ken Macha? Will his presence make a difference for the 2009 ballclub? My impressions of Macha are limited. I'm not a fan of the A's, and I am not a big AL fan so I'm not really sure how he handles things. I do know that Ned Yost was not able to light fires under people and get them going again, so Macha can't really be worse. Macha's staff is better than Yost's was and I thing that adding all that up, his being in the Milwaukee clubhouse will be noticeable. - Jamie Siegel I won't lie; I'll be satisfied if Ken Macha's presence makes a difference in the forum and chat room. But seriously, if he can really hold players accountable without turning his clubhouse against him, I'll be happier. It would also help if he could refrain from making utterly confounding in-game decisions, and if he listens to his all-star cast of coaches. - Laura Hawing I normally don't think a manager matters as much as some people make it out to, but I also admit that I wasn't a big fan of Yost. After watching a few spring training games it looks as though there is a much more fun and loose atmosphere in the clubhouse. I actually have seen players go up to Macha and leave with a smile on their face. Will that make a difference in the win column? Maybe, maybe not, but I also like the fact that when speaking Macha talks about tangible choices he can make in a baseball game, and doesn't refer to a series of old-school adjectives when trying to describe how the 2009 Milwaukee Brewers are going to win. - Patrick Ebert I tend to think the manager isn't worth more than a few wins, for better or worse, on the final record. I like that he's more vocal and open that Yost, but I have no idea how that plays in the clubhouse. As long as there aren't long strings of strategic gaffes on the field, I'll be fine with him. - Toby Harrmann I'm looking forward to each and every pre-game interview with Macha and Bob Uecker. Ken put NESN viewers to sleep in Boston, but it seems he'll be a breath of fresh air in Milwaukee. I'm pumped. - Jim Goulart Yes and no. Something about Ned seemed to exacerbate the players' bad habits on the field. It was pretty rare to see a hitter get better from one year to the next, and I think some of that might have been Ned's inability to get his young players to focus on improvement. Macha's gonna make them work and think. He seems like a much smarter manager as well, which is a plus for me, seeing as Ned sometimes seemed, well, confused. - Brad Jiles It's hard to say if Macha's going to be a positive influence. In Oakland, he pretty much just served as a proxy for Billy Beane. I'll give him the benefit of a doubt, until he does something to lose my trust. I'd say that it couldn't get much worse than Yost, but you never know. - Brian Kapellusch 3. Take your stance. What will constitute a successful or disappointing season for the Brewers, and what needs to happen, or not happen, or either to occur? Playoffs or bust. If this really is about to be Rickie Weeks' year and Bill Hall can approximate 2006 at all (hello Lasix), then this lineup could be ridiculous. Trevor Hoffman's going to be just fine, by the way. - Jim Goulart To me, it's pretty simple. Playoffs = success. No playoffs = disappointment. A lot of people think we've lost a bunch of talent, but I think the natural progression of some of our younger players (Hardy, Hart, Weeks, Braun, Fielder, Parra, Gallardo) could very well offset that. - Brian Kapellusch I think that after last season, the only way for fans to see 2009 as a success would be a playoff appearance. Therefore, a disappointing season would be one without a postseason berth. If the Brewers are to make it a season of success, Dave Bush will need to remain consistent, Suppan is going to have to step it up big time, Gallardo and Parra will have to live up to the hype, and the bullpen needs to hold onto leads it did not last year. That is asking quite a bit from the pitching staff. I believe this to be too many "what ifs". If these things do not happen all year, I think too many other teams in the NL can beat us out for a slot in the postseason. - Jamie Siegel Not only do the Brewers need to reach the playoffs in 2009, they need to win a playoff series (or two, or three) to be considered a success. This group of players has gotten over .500 and they've reached the playoffs. The next thing to accomplish is playoff series wins. They have raised expectations through their play. - Toby Harrmann Like it or not, in the minds of many fans (not necessarily just casual fans), the primary measure of success in 2009 will be another playoff berth. We've finally had a taste of the postseason (another taste, for some of us) and I think just about everybody liked it and wants more. Look at how robust ticket sales have been in a dour economy. The playoffs are not an impossible dream for the 2009 Brewers, but they will need more consistent offense (to offset the significant pitching losses from 2008), pitching that is at least decent, and the always-intangible degree of good fortune to get there. -Laura Hawing 87+ wins. No major injuries. No trading of established players for prospects. This team is where the Twins, A's, and Braves are---treading a fine line between maintaining what you have and building for the future. They need to do both successfully, so they can neither punt nor go deep on every play. - Brad Jiles Not making the playoffs will be disappointing for any Brewers fan, but I think this team can miss the playoffs and still have plenty of reason for optimism for future years. This team could still play well and miss the playoffs if the Cubs repeat their 2008 success and if the Wild Card comes from the stacked National League East. That said, I think three things are key to the success of the 2009 Brewers: 1. Good health (which is always crucial); 2. A big year from the offense; 3. Manny Parra. If Parra is as good as he can be, at least more consistently, the team and their fans won't be asking themselves, "what if?" in regards to losing Sabathia and Sheets this offseason. - Patrick Ebert Please visit the <a href="http://brewersfandemonium.yuku.com/">Fan Forum</a> to discuss this story in greater detail. Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT On the Phone With?. Brooks Kieschnick http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=292 BF: Hi Brooks! Thanks for taking the time... BK: Are you kidding? This is my pleasure... let's do it! BF: Tell the truth now, are you familiar with Brewerfan.net? BK: Oh, absolutely. I never had time to read through the threads or anything when I was playing, but my mom visited a lot when I played for the Brewers. All of the players are aware of the site, there's no doubt about it. BF: Brooks, you're probably the second-most popular Brewer ever at Brewerfan... would you like to guess who's first? BK: Oh man... I'd have to say Leskanic. BF: Leskanic? Nope... it's Russell Branyan, then you. BK: I can see that with Branyan, that's probably because of those bombs he hits. BF: Why Leskanic. BK: Oh wow, that guy's a character. I lived in the same apartment building with him one year, he's really something else. BF: Brooks, let's talk about college... you won the Dick Howser Trophy twice - I think that's incredible. BK: Yeah, it is pretty cool, looking back at it. At the time, I was honored to win it, but I really didn't grasp how special that is. I never won the Golden Spikes, but I won that one two times... it means a lot more to me now. I was also part of the inaugural class of the NCAA Baseball Hall of Fame ? that really felt good, and I won the Baseball America Player of the Year. BF: That goes to show, your college career was amazing. BS: Yeah, I loved the whole experience, playing for Texas, having grown up there, two trips to the College World Series... that was awesome. BF: OK, so college goes great, and then you get picked tenth overall by the Cubs... BK: Yep, I was the tenth pick in '93. BF: You didn't have the success everyone projected with the Cubs... why not? BK: You know, honestly, I knew my career was in trouble the minute the Cubs drafted me. (laughs) BF: Brewer fans will love you for that one, Brooks. You said that with a laugh, did you mean it? BK: Oh, absolutely. I spent one week in Rookie ball, and one week in A ball, then I went right to AA. The first day I was there, the first half of the season was winding down, and the team was right in the race. Two of the guys went around saying, "Hey, let's see if we can get a losing streak going, so we can go home on time." These guys did not want to make the playoffs because it would extend the end of the season. In college, everyone plays to win - it's all about school pride, making it to the College World Series, all of that. Nobody ever talked about trying to lose. When I got to pro ball, there were all kinds of different agendas. Some guys were hoping for a release so they could hook on somewhere else, some were just glad to be there, some were trying to move up, and some knew they never would... it was just a major culture shock for me. BF: OK, so you feel as though the Cubs mishandled your career? BK: Yes, I do. I was drafted by Larry Himes, then after that first season, the team changed GMs, they changed managers, they changed over everybody, and it was like they forgot I was there. It happened again too, before I knew it, the team had been through two GMs and three managers ? I felt like I got lost in the shuffle. BF: How so? BK: They told me they wanted to be their left fielder for ten years, and then when I did get called up, they gave me 70 At-Bats, and then sent me back down to Iowa. They told me they had a kid down there who was swinging a hot bat, that was Robin Jennings. The same thing happened to Jennings, neither one of us ever really got a chance to show what we could do. BF: OK, walk me through that. BK: I made the team in '96, when Dave Magadan got hurt. Jim Riggleman was the manager. I got six At-Bats, Todd, then they sent me back down. Now come on, if you're supposed to be the left fielder for ten years... how can you show anyone anything in six ABs? BF: Good point. BK: So, they brought me back up in August, and I hit like .391. They told me left field was mine to lose the following year. In '97, they had myself, Robin Jennings, and Brant Brown... they sent Jennings and I out, and went with Brown. They told us he had the best glove of the three. I'd had a big spring, Todd, and they had told me it was mine to lose... it was a real slap in the face. I got called up, and I started well, I think I was leading the team in homers and RBIs when we went out west. I went about 2 for 22, and they sent me down again. I said, "Anyone can go into a slump but me?" It was just one of those things, I just never got 500 ABs to prove myself, and they labeled me as a guy who couldn't field, and couldn't hit lefties. BF: Could you hit lefties? BK: Not as well as I hit righties, but that's true of most guys. Yes, I could hit against lefties, I did it my whole life - it didn't matter to me who was pitching, left, right, whatever. BF: I hear you, Brooks, who knows what might have happened for you if the Cubs had just plugged you in and let you play your way into things. Are you saying that's all on the Cubs? BK: OK, no. Honestly, looking back, I could have worked harder. I could have gone to Arizona in the off-season, to work with their outfield instructors, that's true. It's not like I was sitting around, I went and played winter ball, but I suppose I could have done some things differently too. It's just that I never got my 500 ABs to prove I belonged... I still don't understand why. You know, one other thing about my time with the Cubs - I grew up in Texas, as an Astros fan. They had the 11th pick that year, and they were going to take me, my agent had a deal already worked out with them ? then at the last minute, the Cubs took me 10th. BF: Do you think that affected your career? BK: No, not the draft part, I really just wanted to play, it's just an interesting story... for me at least. (laughs) BF: Brooks, when you were first drafted, did you ever think about pitching. BK: Never. None at all, hell, I was 21, I just went out and hit. They told me I would be a left fielder, and that was that. BF: So, when did you start pitching as a pro? BK: I decided to try it in '97. I went and threw five bullpens in ten days. I said, "If I'm going to throw this much, use me in a game." That was wearing me out. I threw an inning in a game in '99, and one inning in 2001, but my first real shot at pitching came with Charlotte, in 2002. That was with the White Sox. The Indians had me in camp that year, and they released me. I said, ok, I'm released, but let me stay around and pitch. They told me ok, but that they wouldn't be liable if I got hurt. I went out and Kd the side, I was throwing 90-92. The next morning, I show up and they tell me, "We can't use you, plenty of guys can throw ninety." I remember, I said, "Yeah, but can they get anybody out?!" I first signed with the Brockton Rocks, in an Independent League, and I wound up DHing for the White Sox in AAA. When they asked me to sign, I said, "Only if I can pitch." BF: How did that go? BK: I got in a game against Richmond, I faced Matt Franco, Tim Unroe, and Wilson Betemit, all of whom played in the major leagues. I knew Franco real well, he had told me he'd seen my "weak stuff", and he knew he could hit me. I Kd him on two fastballs, and a slider, and then I Kd Unroe and Betemit... that was when I knew I could pitch in the big leagues. I was throwing 92-94, with a hard slider, I knew it right then. I went on to throw 17-18 scoreless innings, and just like that, I LOVED playing baseball again, I could not wait to get out there each day. BF: So, the White Sox had you in their system, pitching scoreless innings, and they let you walk... how did that happen? BK: Late in the season, they offered me a AAA contract for the following year. I knew I had opened some eyes with my pitching, so I told them, "Hey, I think some doors might open for me, there's no way I'm going to sign a AAA deal right now. Doug Melvin called my agent the minute I became a free agent. Doug was adamant that he wanted me, and that I'd get a fair shot to make the team in the spring. I went to Puerto Rico, and threw 10 scoreless innings, then I had a GREAT spring... but still, they sent me down. Doug told me personally, he said, "Brooks, you did everything we asked you to do, but we've got a couple of Rule 5 guys we've got to keep... go down to AAA and do your work... you'll be the first one up. BF: I know you wound up in Milwaukee, you must have done well in AAA... BK: Honestly, no. I went down there and had two horrible weeks. The day I got called up, I pitched in the rain in Indianapolis, and I got shelled. I'm in the clubhouse throwing my glove around, and Cecil Cooper walked past me ? he was the manager that year. All he said was, "Keisch, you're goin' to the big leagues." He never stopped walking, and didn't show any emotion about it at all. I was like, "Wow, OK." I rushed to Milwaukee, and almost got into the game that night, after pitching in AAA that afternoon... that would have been wild. BF: Tell me about Milwaukee. BK: I LOVED that city. I LOVED that city. Milwaukee, I miss you and I love you, if Doug Melvin would call me, I'd get in shape and suit up right now! Milwaukee treats their players so well, I just felt right at home. Those people are so relatable, they aren't full of themselves, they aren't pushy or rude... they're just real people, and they make sure you know they're on your side. BF: Brooks... we loved you too. BK: Oh yeah, I always knew that... people there were awesome to me. BF: How did it go for you once you got up here? BK: First of all, I love Yost and Maddux. Those two guys were so good to me, they made sure they used me right, which was tricky, given the hitting and pitching combination. That whole staff was great. This is the funniest part. Sometimes they'd have me get up and get loose, then I'd run around on the concrete, being careful in my spikes, and come into the dugout to go up and hit, and then pitch the next inning. Here I was... I'm not a small man... and I'd be running all gingerly in spikes, across the concrete ? it must have looked hilarious. They wound up having a golf cart ready for me out there, with a driver, to make sure I got into the dugout without breaking my neck. One time, they had me get loose, and I came around to get ready to hit, but the guys scored 4-5 runs. So now I'm all loose, behind the dugout, and they don't need me to hit. Ned had me get loose again right there in the hallway... it was hilarious. Trent Durrington warmed me up right there in the hallway, and one got away from me... I put a hole in the wall... BAM! When that happened, Ned yelled down... "Go down to the pen!", so Durrington and I had to run back out to the pen to get me loose. <p<In '04, they got me my own golf cart, and I drove myself. BF: You did a nice job pitching, but I think the fans will remember your hitting. BK: I loved both... but me too. I was the first player to hit a home run as a pinch hitter, a DH and a pitcher, in the same season. I didn't realize that ? Ned told me. That was cool. BF: Cool indeed, Brooks. You hit a couple of real bombs. BK: Yeah, I did. My favorite one was my last homer in the majors. Matt Mantei tried to put 98 mile an hour heat on my hands... he got the inside corner, and I put it in the upper tank. YES! I didn't hit anymore homers that year, but I still hit .300, and I pitched well. I thought I'd found a home, and I'd play there a few more years, and finish out my career, I was just flabbergasted when they cut me on the second to the last day of camp in '05. BF: I think a lot of fans were too, what happened? BK: I don't really know. Doug Melvin called me in and just said, "Brooks, a couple of younger guys have passed you up in the bullpen." I said, "Who cares? Go ahead and make me the twelfth guy in the bullpen, can any of those guys hit a game-winning bomb for you?" Just like that, I was gone. It didn't feel like being cut from a team, it felt like being exiled from my family. Houston signed me, and sent me to Corpus Christi, but they never really took me seriously. I was from Corpus, I think it was more of a publicity move, to sell some tickets. I wound up playing in Round Rock, and then that was it. My last pro At Bat was a home run. I came in and hit a bomb, to take a 4-2 lead, during the final weekend of the season. I came out to pitch the ninth, and I Kd the first guy, then I saw they had someone warming up in the pen. The next guy hit a 28-hopper through the middle for a base hit, and they took me out. I wanted to hit the homer, and then close it out so bad, I just got mad. I said, "There is no way you're taking me out of this game right now, if that's the way it's going to be, don't bother using me, I'm done for the season." They took me out, and I was done... so my last AB was a homer at least. I had an invite from Baltimore for the '06 season, but I wasn't sure how serious they were, and my wife was pregnant again, so I just said no, and that was it. BF: Do you keep in touch with any of your former teammates? BK: Oh yeah, Jenks, Sheeter, Ben Grieve, Bill Hall, Dave Burba. A bunch of us are in a fantasy football league, Rick Helling is in that league too. When I was up in Milwaukee, I played a ton of golf with Leskanic and Sexson ? it was a great group of guys. BF: What are you doing now? BK: I was in the mortgage industry, but we all know how that went lately. I'm in San Antonio, I'm a sales manager now, surgical stuff... plates, screws, nails, all that stuff. BF: Anything else to say to Milwaukee? BK: Oh yeah, tons. Somebody find Schroeder, tell Rock I want to be part of his next fantasy camp! Rock was great, and Uecker too. He's a classic, the man's just hilarious. BF: That's a good point, Brooks, you were covered by Harry Caray in Chicago, and Bob Uecker in Milwaukee... not bad. BK: Yeah, Harry was another one. He absolutely could not say "Kieschnick." He'd be like, "Hey Steve, tell me about that Key-slick kid." BF: Thank you, Brooks, this was a real pleasure ? you sure are fun to talk to. BK: Oh no, thank YOU, Todd, and thanks Milwaukee... .you're my favorite city in the big leagues! BF: I think you've said that about five times now. BK: I always have said it. People would say, "Seriously, Milwaukee... how come?" I'd just tell ?em... it's a great baseball town, the fans are awesome, and the people don't expect to be treated special... they aren't front-runners, they're all people who have to work for what they've got. You know, PEOPLE, real, genuine... and fun to be around. I'd come back there in a second... somebody call Doug Melvin! BF: Brooks, you're killin' me... .I just love your passion for baseball, and for Milwaukee. BK: Hey man, this was the best, I've already saved your number in my phone... .go ahead and post my email and phone number on the site. BF: What?! Seriously? BK: No, wait, I guess that's a bad idea. (laughs) BF: Yeah, you might get about 2800 phone calls. BK: Yeah, true... well, hey, maybe I'll join the site and blog a little bit or something. BF: I'll pass that on to Brian, we'll see what he says. BK: OK, my man, you call me anytime! BF: Count on it. BK: GO BREWERS! Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT On the Phone With? Cheryl and Mandy Coolbaugh http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=295 Recently, I got to know Cheryl Coolbaugh, who is the wife of David Coolbaugh... Mike and Scott's first-cousin. Since Mike's untimely death, Cheryl has been acting as a family spokesperson, setting up an annual charity golf event in Mike's memory, and helping shield Mike's wife, Mandy, from the multitude of media inquiries. I asked Cheryl for this interview, she consented, and later on, Mandy also agreed to speak with me. This interview has two parts... Cheryl first, and then Mandy. Thank you, Cheryl and Mandy, this was an incredible experience. BF: Hello Cheryl. CC: Hi Todd, I'm glad we're getting a chance to do this. Where would you like to start? BF: Let's start right at the heart... tell me about Mike and his family. CC: Mike and Mandy... what can I say? I have never seen two people more in love than those two. They were absolutely soul mates, if two people were ever truly just meant for each other... those are the two. BF: I can see this will get emotional in a hurry... that's quite an intro. CC: Oh, absolutely. Mike loved his family more than anything. He handled everything, he loved being a husband, he loved being a father... he was the kind of guy, if you called him in the middle of the night to say you had a broken water pipe ? he would have gotten out of bed to come and help you. There just aren't enough words... BF: Mike and Mandy had children, right? CC: Yes, two sons, Joey and Jake, and a daughter, Anne-Michael. The boys are 6 and 4 now; Mandy was pregnant with Anne when Mike was killed. BF: How is Mandy doing with all of this? CC: Better than I would be. Mandy is an amazing woman ? the total package ? she's beautiful, she's smart, she's got personality... she's really just amazing. BF: How about the boys, do they enjoy baseball, or is there maybe some resentment, given what happened? CC: Todd, they remind everyone of Mike and his brother Scott. The two boys just love baseball, and they play constantly, just like Mike and Scott did as boys. These two are good, too... you watch, they will play in the major leagues one day. They're both switch-hitters, and they just crush that ball on every swing. If you throw them a soft pitch, they won't even swing at it... they just look at you and say, "COME ON!" BF: Cheryl, everyone knows Mike died while coaching a minor league baseball game... would you please tell me about it? CC: God took Mike that night. That's all there is to it. The ball hit Mike in the neck, think of the width of a hair, the doctors said, if that ball had hit one hair to the left or right, Mike would have lived. It hit him in precisely the right spot... and he died instantly. Mike had finally decided to quit playing, and he was going back to school, but people kept telling him to stay involved with baseball... then a job opened with the Tulsa Drillers, so he gave them a call... and he got it. Mike had only been on the job for three weeks when he was killed. They were playing in Little Rock. They called Mandy to tell her Mike had been injured, and that it was very serious. She told me later that she went to her closet, and saw her black dress hanging there... she said, "God... please... don't make me wear that." It's the dress she wound up wearing to the funeral, I call it her, "Dear God Dress." Those next few weeks were just crazy. Mike's gone...first of all... Mike's really gone... and then there's the arrangements, the services... just, everything. The boys saw Mike, they were at the services, they put baseballs in with him... but there are aspects of it they just didn't grasp. Even now, they'll say, "I want Dad to quit playing on God's team, and come home." Mike was always gone on road trips, off somewhere playing... he even played in Japan... but he always came back home. It's like sometimes they think he'll come back when he's done playing on God's team. BF: I hear the emotion building in your voice, if you need to take a break, just let me know. CC: No, things just are what they are. I called the commissioner's office, and this is really kind of funny, I didn't even know how to pronounce "Selig"... before all of this, I wasn't into baseball or golf, and now I know all of these baseball people so well, and I organize a golf tournament every year. I called there, and Mr Selig's staff said, "We've been instructed to do whatever you asked." And they have. All of baseball has been amazing, the commissioner's office sent five 4'x 6' framed, matted pictures, with quotes all around the outsides, from people all around baseball who had known Mike. They sent five, one for Mandy, one for each child, and one for Mike's parents. First of all, they're beautiful, but then when you read through the quotes, you start to realize how many lives Mike had touched. The Colorado Rockies have been simply amazing too. Like I said, Mike had only had that coaching job for three weeks, and do you know the players voted Mandy a share of their 2007 NL Championship playoff money? BF: No, I had not heard that. CC: Yep, they did that, and they also brought NL Championship rings for each of the boys, and a pendant for the baby. The Rockies have just been incredible through this whole thing. BF: That's just awesome, Cheryl, thank you for telling me that... I'm happy to mention that... the Rockies deserve a lot of credit for that. You mentioned a golf tournament... CC: Yes, the Coolbaugh Memorial Golf Tournament, it's November 7th, in Boerne, Texas. The website is <a href="http://www.coolbaughmemorial.com">coolbaughmemorial.com</a>. Lots of people from around baseball come out and play, and the boys love that, they like to be around people who played with Dad. The Texas Rangers send people every year, Michael Young is one of them who has just been a great guy. Brooks Kieschnick and Mike Frank have been great too... I think we should mention them. BF: I sure will. CC: I'd like to mention Tino Sanchez. Tino was the player who hit the ball that night, which could not be more ironic. Tino and Mike had become very close ? they had lunch together that day, Mike had quickly become a mentor to Tino. He quit baseball after this happened, the last I heard, he was coaching kids back home in Puerto Rico. I truly feel for Tino, and I wish him the best, this has been very hard for him. BF: Yeah, what a terrible position to find yourself in ? it could have been anybody. CC: Exactly, and the family certainly realizes that, we all hope for the best for Tino. BF: OK, let's talk about safety in baseball... CC: Mike's brother, Scott, and his wife, Susan, are handling that. Their website is diamonddreams.org... they've got a lot of ideas for promoting safety in baseball, and awareness of the seriousness of this issue. It isn't just Mike, did you know a high school player in Tyler, Texas was killed that same week? BF: No, I did not. CC: That ball is being thrown at more than ninety miles an hour, and when it's hit, who knows how fast it's going... people need to be aware, at all times! Look around at any ball game, so many of the adults start drinking, they stop paying attention, not just for themselves, but for their children as well. You've got to keep your eye on that ball at all times! It only takes a second. BF: I see Round Rock retired Mike's number. CC: Yep, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house, it was very emotional. Mike played there, and he really did well, they remember him very fondly. They've got a display there for Mike that is bigger than the display for Nolan Ryan... and he owns the team! BF: I'm glad they did that. It seems as though Mike's story is having a lasting impact on the baseball community. CC: I agree. One thing I'm very proud of is the "Mike Coolbaugh Award", which is given out to a baseball lifer at the winter meetings. Mike played minor league ball for years, and no doubt would have coached for as long as he could have... that's what the award is about, someone who's fully devoted to the game. You can see more about that at coolbaughmemorial.com. There's a book coming out too, "Heart of the Game", by Scott Price from Sports Illustrated. It tells Mike's baseball story. BF: I'll read it, no question. CC: Todd, Mandy says she'd be willing to speak with you. BF: Oh! I'd be honored, Cheryl. Please have her call me... and get back in touch anytime, if I can help you in any way, let me know please. CC: I will Todd, I'll pass the word on to Mandy. This concluded my conversation with Cheryl... the remainder of this interview was conducted with Mike's wife... Mandy Coolbaugh. BF: Hi Mandy, I'm so grateful to you for sharing your time with me. MC: Hi Todd. BF: OK, here are the rules... you stop anytime you need to, and if there's anything you don't want to talk about, just tell me, and we'll move on. MC: OK, that sounds good. BF: Mandy, I've been through a tragic loss in my family as well. The only reason I bring that up is, I at least have some idea of what you live with after a thing like this. MC: Oh, what happened in your family? BF: My stepson died a few years ago. MC: Oh my! I'm so sorry to hear that! BF: Well, thank you Mandy, I just wanted you to know, after talking to Cheryl, your story really touched my heart. One thing my wife and I couldn't help but notice was the change in friends that took place. Some old, trusted friends disappeared, and some total strangers showed up and became significant parts of our lives. Have you had that experience? MC: Wow, it's amazing that you would say that. Yes. That's been maybe the biggest surprise of all, some of the old people have kind of disappeared, and some terrific new people have shown up. The whole thing is kind of crazy. BF: How are you doing? MC: A lot of nights, I just sort of say, "Well, we've made it through another day." Sometimes I still catch myself waiting for Mike to come home. Mike did everything here, he was the better parent... you can go ahead and say that, because it's true. Mike was the one who tucked the kids in bed at night, he handled the finances for the family... he just did everything. That's one part that's been really scary ? I will warn my kids not to get into that position. I've had to learn a lot of things quickly, things I had counted on Mike to do. It's ok that he did those things, but I should have at least learned how... because now I know, you never know when that person could be gone. BF: Mandy, I remember Mike, he's not just the guy who died coaching a baseball game... I remember that he played for the Brewers. MC: Yes! Yes he did! Milwaukee was our first time in the big leagues! Mike LOVED Milwaukee! He was 29 then, he had a great spring, he got to play in the first exhibition game ? the first game ever in the new stadium. BF: If memory serves, I believe they played the White Sox. MC: Yes, I think that's right. Oh, Mike was so excited for that, he took a video recorder with him in the dugout. The other players were teasing him, and he said, "Hey, you never know, this might be the only time I ever play on a big league field." That's the way Mike was, he was finally there, playing on that field, and there he was filming the whole thing... .it just meant so much to him to finally be there. He got called up in July. I have his jersey framed and hanging in the house. Mike kept his name plate from his locker there, everything... oh, Milwaukee was the best time we ever had in baseball. When Mike got called up, I happened to be in Chicago, after all that time, when Mike finally got called up, there I was, an hour from Milwaukee! He called me up, and he said, "We were called up." Not "I was called up"...that's what it's like when you live in baseball... we were in it together. Mike was playing for Indianapolis at the time, but they were in Durham when he got the news... I could never, ever forget that day! BF: I'm glad to hear Milwaukee was a special place for you. MC: I'm glad to tell you! (laughs) BF: Mandy, what do you have to say about Mike's death? MC: I believe in God. I believe there's a reason this happened, and I think that reason is because something is supposed to change in baseball. I don't know what has to change, but there's something that has to change. I think the reason Mike played in the minor leagues for so long, and in so many places, is because now people can relate to Mike a lot more than they could have if he'd been some big star someplace else. He wasn't. Mike was Mike, and Mike loved baseball. This has touched so many lives, I've had many people from around baseball tell me, "That could've easily been me." They knew Mike, they liked Mike, the fact that it was him makes it much more real for a lot of people, they're connected to what happened, because it was Mike, and he was just like them. At the time, we couldn't figure it out. Mike would go to his coaches and say, "What do I have to do, what do I have to change about my game to make it?" They'd always say, "Nothing, your game is fine... there's just this one guy ahead of you." Mike had the skills to play in the major leagues, but he never got a real opportunity there... now, I think that was the Hand of God... He kept Mike in the minor leagues for all those years as preparation for this. Mike had to know a lot of people in baseball, and they had to be able to relate to him... because something has to change. I don't know what yet, but I'm sure we'll all know soon. BF: Are you saying you think God chose Mike for this... this was not just an accident, it was Mike's destiny? MC: Yes, that's what I think happened. Mike was very aware of foul balls, and the danger. He would say, "It's going to take someone getting killed" for people to take the risk more seriously. (cries softly) He was right. BF: Mandy, you're in control here, not me... would you like to stop? MC: No, sometimes that just happens. BF: I understand. MC: When I say God took Mike that night... Mike played third base, he had amazing reflexes... when that ball hit him... he hadn't even flinched. I had to find out if anything could have saved Mike, so I called the doctors, the coroner, I went through my own little investigation, because I had to know Mike could not have been saved. The coroner said, "Mandy, when you see Mike... look at his muscles. He was completely relaxed, he never even flinched." The doctors were certain Mike never knew what hit him, he died instantly. God took Mike... something is supposed to change. BF: One thing that has changed, the coaches wear helmets on the field now. Some people criticize that rule, they say it doesn't accomplish anything, because Mike was hit in the neck - not in the head... what do you say to that? MC: Every time someone says that, and every time someone sees a coach wearing a helmet... it raises awareness. I'm glad people talk about it, no matter why. Mike always took this issue seriously, he always made me sit behind the net. In fact, if you look around at any game... all of the players, and everyone working for the teams... their families almost always sit behind the net... they all know... One time, I came down by the dugout to talk to someone, Mike saw me, and he made me move. He really chewed me out. I said, "I was only there for a minute." He said, "That's all it takes." He was completely aware of the dangers. In the months leading up to the accident, I don't know if Mike had a premonition, or what, but looking back, it's almost like he was preparing for this. BF: In what ways? MC: That last spring, so much changed. Mike started talking differently. He'd say things like, "If something ever happens to me... " My Mom died of cancer, and it was long and slow. Mike had never really said much about it, but he started to. He said, "When I go, I want it to be like someone put a gun to the back of my head ? I don't even want to know it." That is exactly what happened. One time, we were watching a show about women whose husbands had gone off to Iraq. Some of the soldiers had left some frozen sperm behind, and these women were having themselves impregnated, after their husbands had died. The show was all about how great it was that this was happening, and that the family names, and the memories of the fathers would be carried on. I said, "I can't believe women would do that! That's not right, those children won't even know their fathers... and just think how hard that would be to raise that child all by yourself!" Of course, I was pregnant at the time...Mike said, "If that was me, I would hope you would keep the baby and take good care of it." I honestly said, "I would hope that if God took you, he would take the baby too." I just thought the whole idea of having a child after the father had died was just too much to even think about... .you see, God was getting me ready... He made me think about it... even discuss it with Mike... before he was gone. Mike was the one who made sure the boys ate their veggies, and that they drank the right amounts of milk... all of those things. Sometimes... I feel like the kids were cheated by being left with me. BF: Whoa... OK, stop right there. Absolutely not, Mandy. MC: It's just so hard... and it's so much. The kids have so many questions about God, and heaven and hell, and just all of these things you don't ever expect to have to discuss like this. BF: If I may... you believe Mike was chosen by God for this... and you believe Mike was actually preparing for this to happen, through his conversations with you... if those things are true... then it's also true that there's a reason you are the one here with your kids. God chose Mike, because Mike was the right choice... .God chose you... for the same reason. MC: Thank you. It was God's will to take Mike, then it must have also been God's will for me to be here with our kids. There's a spiritual side to all of this, I'm glad we're discussing it. I told some of this to Scott Price when he was working on the book, but he chose to leave it out, he said he wanted to keep it a baseball book, not a spiritual book. That's fine with me for the book, but I want people to know the spiritual side too. BF: Go for it... this interview is for you, I wanted to do this as my way of helping your family, however I could. I'm just listening, it's your story... MC: OK, I want to tell this part. I'm sure some people will think I'm crazy, or that I must take tons of pain pills or something, but these things have really happened. One time, I was up late at night, by myself, and I was having a tough moment. I said out loud, "God, why did this have to be Mike... why did it have to be MY family... this is so hard... show me a sign." There's a bookshelf in the room... a book literally came off the shelf and landed at my feet. The title of the book is, "God Always Has a Plan B." One other time, I was praying, and I was really upset that day... I said, "God, WHAT is it that's supposed to change... WHY did this have to happen?" On a table in the room, there's a wedding picture of Mike and I... it flipped off that table and onto the floor, like someone had slapped it off of there. I think that was Mike's spirit, trying to get my attention. That would be Mike's way, he knew he had to just tell me what he meant, without hinting around, to make sure I got what he was telling me... it would be just like him to knock that book off that shelf, or to slap that picture onto the floor... to make sure he had my attention. Our last conversation was so deep and meaningful, and just full of "I Love You"s, I'm so thankful for that. I'm still learning how to be grateful... one thing I am grateful for... I'm glad it was Tino Sanchez. God chose him, and I hope He is reaching His hand out to him now. Nothing could have changed this. Tino has shown so much compassion, he's not some jerk... I'm thankful it was him. I'm also thankful for the Colorado Rockies. Those young players gave me a share of their playoff money... .that was just an amazing thing for that group of guys to do. Bill Geivett, their Assistant GM, brought the boys NL Champions rings, in Mike's ring size, and a pendant for Anne. BF: Your strength and courage are truly amazing Mandy. I'm sure some people will think I'm insane when I talk about things like the book and the picture, but I'm not... I am certain of two things... something will change in baseball... and Mike is out there, waiting for me. BF: I have no doubt. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT