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Brewerfan.net Feature Articles http://www.brewerfan.net Brewerfan.net Feature Articles 1 daily 2008 Milwaukee Brewers Award Winners http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=297 Expectations entering the 2009 season were sky-high after the Milwaukee Brewers made the playoffs for the first time in 26 years during the 2008 season. And that was a team that made the playoffs despite many feeling the team under-achieved, with several members of the offense in particular not living up to their potential. CC Sabathia of course left to sign a lucrative deal with the New York Yankees, and Ben Sheets' injury problems persisted to the point that not only did the Brewers not retain his services, but no other team picked him up for this past year. Despite those two departures, those close to the Brewers and we the fans felt that a full year of Yovani Gallardo, and the hopeful progression of Manny Parra, and several of the team's young hitters, would be able to pick up the slack. Of course that didn't happen, although not to the fault of the offense, as the Brewers finished third in the National League in runs scored, but second to last in team ERA. Doug Melvin will be back to serve as the team's General Manager, and Ken Macha will be given another chance to get the Brewers back to the playoffs. Melvin of course will be put to task over the next several months to completely re-vamp the starting pitching staff, which means an incredibly interesting offseason is ahead of all of us. But he still has plenty to work with. He has two of the best young sluggers in the game, one of the best young starters, a farm system that still has talent to play with, and he should have financial resources as well. Owner Mark Attanasio has put the Brewers payroll in a position to allow the team to remain competitive, a number that should be sustained, if not increased, in 2010 since three million fans passed through the turnstiles for the second consecutive year. Before the season the Brewerfan.net staff took a stab at naming some preseason award winners while tackling three key questions that would determine the outcome of the 2009 season. Please visit that story to review those predictions: <a href="http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=291">2009 Preseason Predictions</a> Based on the collective decisions of the Brewerfan.net staff, here are the 2009 award winners: Player of the Year: Prince Fielder From the beginning of the 2009 season, it seemed as though Fielder had addressed some personal issues to make sure the drop-off from his impressive 2007 season to the 2008 season wouldn't happen again. He signed a two-year contract wrapping him up for two of his three arbitration eligible seasons and showed up to spring training in significantly better shape. He re-committed himself to defense at first base, which was apparent all season long, and was reinforced by defensive metrics. He won the home run derby in St. Louis in impressive fashion, launching his signature bombs in the national spotlight that have made him one of the most feared sluggers in the game. And he finished off the year becoming the organization's all-time leaders in walks and RBI while arguably posting the most impressive offensive season in Brewers history. Three staff members voted for Fielder to take this award before the 2009 season, with two taking Braun, who posted an impressive season of his own, and two others selecting J.J. Hardy. Pitcher of the Year: Trevor Hoffman You could make the argument that Trevor Hoffman was the team's MVP given his success closing games, inching closer to 600 saves in his career. He gave the organization a significant comfort level that they haven't had for more than a year going into the ninth inning with a lead, and gave the home crowd and elevated level of excitement as "Hell's Bells" blasted in the park as he entered a game. The Brewers wisely signed him quickly to retain his rights for the 2010 season, hopefully giving them some added negotiating power with free agent starters, knowing that the game's all-time saves leader would be coming in late to preserve wins. Yovani Gallardo was the favorite among the Brewerfan staff to win this award entering the year, and he likely will be the favorite to win this award for years to come. Rookie of the Year: Casey McGehee The Brewers' offseason acquisition of McGehee was similar to that of Scott Podsednik several years ago, as he became the victim of a roster crunch for the Cubs before the Brewers quickly added him to their own 40-man. Due to the presence of infielders such as Bill Hall, Craig Counsell and Mat Gamel, playing time was harder to come by for McGehee during the early part of the season, but he slowly but surely made a case for more regular playing time. Once he got it he responded with a season in which he became a legitimate candidate for the National League Rookie of the Year award. He limped to the finish line with a knee in need of surgery, which he has since had, as now the Brewers have to determine if his season was legitimate enough for them to move forward with him pencilled in as the everyday starter at third base. McGehee received one vote out of seven to take home the rookie of the year hardware, with most of the staff feeling Brad Nelson would have been a lot more effective to claim this honor. Jack Voigt Memorial Award (Unsung Hero): Craig Counsell The actual Jack Voigt Memorial Award winner rarely matches up with who the staff picks during the preseason, which isn't surprising since the unsung hero on the team usually is a player that is difficult to identify. Counsell entered the year as the team's primary utility infielder, and received significant playing time at third base in between Bill Hall's struggles, Mat Gamel's brief callup and before Casey McGehee settled in at the hot corner at midseason. Counsell deserves a lot of credit for working with hitting coach Dale Sveum to alter his unique batting stance, and he responded with arguably his most productive season at the plate. Hopefully the Brewers will be able to keep Counsell around for next year as well, since his versatility and ability to get on base clearly are valuable assets. Minor League Impact Player: Amaury Rivas This award came down to Rivas and Josh Butler, both of whom enjoyed breakout seasons. Rivas got the nod for better overall numbers, although it should be noted that Butler missed some time due to injury, and likely would have posted better counting stats had he made a few more appearances. Rivas was the Brewers' minor league pitcher of the year as well, finishing second in the Florida State League in wins (13), tied for third in strikeouts (123), and fifth in ERA (2.98). He has amassed 163 total innings for the Brevard County Manatees the last two years, and may be a candidate to contribute to the big-league team's pitching staff as early as next summer if he continues to enjoy success at AA Huntsville and possibly AAA Nashville early in the 2010 season. All seven staff members predicted a hitter (Lorenzo Cain, Mat Gamel, Taylor Green, Brett Lawrie and Jonathan Lucroy all received votes) would take home this award. Three Strikes, a review: Question #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? With the season now behind us, the easy answer to this question is obviously no, as the team's starting pitching was clearly the reason the Brewers failed to finish the year with a .500 record, much less reach the playoffs. Most of the staff felt that a significant improvement on the offensive side of the ball would be able to help the pitching staff remain as effective in the win-loss column. Health is always a key issue, so losing Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan, even if they weren't particularly effective even when they were healthy, was a blow to the team. Every question moving forward is directly tied to what Doug Melvin and his staff does to address the starting pitching this offseason. Question #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? This was a tough question to answer at the time, and still is a tough question to answer, since the relative impact a manager has on any given team is debatable. In addition, similar to the answers in the first question, how much can Macha be held accountable for the team's terrible starting pitching? After Ned Yost, I think all of us wanted to see a much better in-game strategist, and it seemed as though Macha had a plan going into each and every game instead of relying on the gut instincts that Yost often referred to. Macha certainly doesn't offer a warm and fuzzy personality, but he also doesn't go out of his way to defend his players when those players need to be held accountable for their performances. Macha is always going to carry some criticism between he and his relationship with his players, as he's not a player's coach, and we heard some rumblings during the season that there may have been some friction between those two levels of the team. Again, it's difficult to assess his success after one season, a season that was clearly disappointing, but not by the fault of any one coach or player. Question #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? Most of the answers to this question suggested that making, or not making the playoffs, would constitute a disappointing season. It's hard to argue that the 2009 season was anything but disappointing since the team finished 80-82, third place in the National League Central division, and effectively were out of the playoff chase by August. Several points were made about certain players in the lineup stepping up and enjoying significantly better years from the 2008 season, most notably Corey Hart, J.J. Hardy and Rickie Weeks. Weeks did indeed step up and looked like the dynamic leadoff hitter we all envisioned when he was drafted second overall in 2003, but then his breakout season ended in June due to a wrist injury. Hardy had a woeful year, and Hart missed significant time to injury, and was wildly inconsistent when he was in the lineup. That said, as noted above, the team still finished third in the National League in runs scored, thanks to big seasons by Fielder and Braun, consistent production from Mike Cameron, the emergence of McGehee and the midseason acquisition of Felipe Lopez. Good health of the starting pitchers that did remain was also pointed to as a key for the 2009 season, which of course didn't happen as Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan missed significant time to injury as also mentioned above. Manny Parra did not step up to become the team's second best starter like all Brewers fans hoped for, and Braden Looper somehow managed to win 14 games despite posting a 5.22 ERA. Overall the staff finished with a 4.83 ERA, largely in thanks to the bullpen (Gallardo was the only regular starter to finish the season with an ERA below Looper's 5.22). While the team is expected to aggressively add at least one if not two starters to the staff for the 2010 season, the team's success will once again rely on this group of arms, or what is left of them, to step up and have much better seasons than they did this past year. That is what was hoped for this past year, which is why most believe the 2010 team will look drastically different from this past year's squad. Please visit the <a href="http://brewersfandemonium.yuku.com/">Fan Forum</a> to discuss this story in greater detail. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT 2009 Draft Review http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=299 The Milwaukee Brewers welcomed new Scouting Director Bruce Seid to the organization by awarding him with three extra, premium draft picks due to the departure of free agents CC Sabathia and Brian Shouse. In Jack Zduriencik's previous nine years serving as the team's scouting boss, he didn't have a single, extra pick to play with. In his first year running the show, Seid showed that there may be a different philosophy at play than the one employed by his predecessor. He took a college pitcher with his first overall pick, Eric Arnett, and selected 26 college players overall among the 32 players he drafted and signed. Zduriencik had not selected a college pitcher prior to the third round before he took Evan Frederickson in the supplemental round in the 2008 draft, and wasn't shy about using his own premium picks on exciting, live-armed high school pitchers that were short on polish. I expect the college trend to continue, as the organization, now with greater expectations to compete for the playoffs having reached the postseason for the first time in 26 years in 2008, has recognized that college players are more likely to progress faster. That means not only are they projected to make the big leagues more quickly than most high school draftees, but they also offer more value in trades earlier in their professional careers. This is something that Seid, General Manager Doug Melvin and Assistant GM Gord Ash have all alluded to. Seid and his team did continue to place an emphasis on targeting players that they knew would sign and sign quickly, inking their top 23 picks and 31 of their top 38. The Brewers signed 32 of their picks overall, and managed not to lose any of their significant draftees. And just because they signed most these players quickly doesn't mean they did so cheaply. They were able to add Kentrail Davis, Brooks Hall, Del Howell and Scooter Gennett for more than slot value at the signing deadline, and signed a few of their other picks, including Kyle Heckathorn and D'Vontrey Richardson, for bonuses greater than MLB's recommended slot values. For more detailed coverage and scouting reports on the picks from the 2009 draft, please be sure to visit Brewerfan.net's <a href="http://brewersfandemonium.yuku.com/forums/69">Draft Forum</a>. Power Arms Early The Brewers didn't load up on as many arms early in the draft like they did in 2008, but they certainly used a few of their premium, early selections to procure three talented, power arms into the system. All three of Eric Arnett, Kyle Heckathorn and Brooks Hall are extremely athletic all-around players, as Hall pulled double-duty in high school, and could have been used both as a pitcher and as a hitter had he honored his commitment to South Carolina. That commitment caused the Brewers to open up their pocket book a little to make sure they didn't let Hall get away. 1. (Draft round) Eric Arnett: 0-4, 4.41 ERA, 14 games (9 starts), 34.2 IP, 33 H, 35 K, 21 BB 1S-b. Kyle Heckathorn: 0-1, 6.04 ERA, 6 games (5 starts), 22.1 IP, 30 H, 15 K, 4 BB 4. Brooks Hall: Did not play Reports surfaced out of Helena that Arnett was throwing the ball extremely well, in the low-to-mid-90s, similar to how well he threw the ball during the spring at Indiana. The Brewers wanted to ease him into professional baseball after he tossed 108 innings for the Hoosiers by having him lay off of his slider and limiting his pitch counts. He still has to work on his control, something Heckathorn also needs to work on, and the two have similar profiles, with large, sturdy builds and power stuff. Arnett was rated the 10th best prospect in the Pioneer League according to Baseball America, and it was noted during the Pioneer League chat that Heckathorn would have been ranked about the same range if he had enough innings to qualify, as he too was throwing gas. There is some concern that both may have to be converted to relievers down the road, particularly Heckathorn, but both will be developed as starters. Brooks Hall signed at the August 17th deadline and will make his professional debut next year, likely in Helena, so don't expect to see his name in any box scores until June. Toolsy Bats Similar to the 2008 draft, when the Brewers took an exciting bat before loading up on pitching, the team took quite a few high potential positional prospects in the early rounds this year despite spending two of their first round picks on college pitchers. There is plenty to be excited about with this group, although none of them are without significant warts to their games, and most of them need significant playing time to allow their polish to catch up with their talent. 1S-a. Kentrail Davis: Did not play 2a. Max Walla: .201/.282/.280, 186 AB, 5 2b, 2 3b, 2 HR 15:87 BB:K, 4 for 6 SB 2b. Cameron Garfield: .248/.299/.353, 218 AB, 11 2b, 4 HR, 10:61 BB:K 3. Josh Prince: .262/.373/.319, 263 AB, 10 2b, 1 HR, 48:46 BB:K, 38 for 50 SB 5. D'Vontrey Richardson: Did not play 7. Khris Davis: .237/.348/.500, 38 AB, 2 3b, 2 HR, 6:11 BB:K, 4 for 4 SB 8. Chad Stang: .229/.284/.314, 188 AB, 5 2b, 4 3b, 1 HR, 13:59 BB:K, 5 for 7 SB 10. Tyler Roberts: .275/.383/.350, 80 AB, 1 2b, 1 3b, 1 HR, 13:22 BB:K 16. Scooter Gennett: Did not play 25. Demetrius McKelvie: .210/.300/.290, 124 AB, 7 2b, 1 HR, 12:48 BB:K, 7 for 8 SB It's tough to get a feel for this group, since three of the more exciting players in Davis, Richardson and Gennett, didn't play last summer, while Walla and Garfield struggled to make the appropriate, initial adjustments to life in pro ball. Walla, Roberts and McKelvie began their pro careers at the Arizona rookie league level, with both Walla and Roberts getting the bump up to Helena for the final week of the Pioneer League season. While Walla was disappointing after stories of his pre-draft power display spread, at least he got a taste of two levels of rookie ball for him heading into his first full season next year. Roberts' success was a pleasant surprise, while McKelvie is a raw athlete who has a lot of work to do. Garfield is the lone prep draftee that made his debut with Helena, and despite getting off to a hot start there, his numbers suggest that he may not have been ready for such an initial placement. Most of the team's positional draftees are far from finished products. Kentrail Davis is the most exciting overall offensive performer of the group, with an intriguing blend of power and speed, but he needs to work on his strike-zone discipline, as he's prone to breaking stuff low and away. Khris Davis has three full years at Cal State Fullerton, but remains a work in progress as he didn't post solid numbers until his third and final year in college. D'Vontrey Richardson was signed away from his promising two-sport career, as he spent last fall serving as Florida State's change-of-pace option at quarterback. He already is drawing rave reviews out of the team's instructional camp in Arizona. Chad Stang has exciting offensive tools, but again, lacks experience and polish. Josh Prince was an exciting presence on the basepaths, swiping 38 bases in 50 attempts, but he will need time and patience for his prowess swinging the bat to catch up to his speed and defensive tools. Rounding out the Arms There is plenty to like in this group of pitchers, even if most of them don't carry the same profiles that the early round picks (Arnett, Heckathorn and Hall) do. This is roughly the same group that Nick Bucci emerged from this past year, as you never know which player has the stuff as well as the makeup to step forward in the next year or two to take us all by surprise. 6. Hiram Burgos: 3-2, 5.62 ERA, 14 games (7 starts), 57.2 IP, 75 H, 53 K, 14 BB 9. Jonathan Pokorny: 3-2, 3.38 ERA, 16 games (2 starts), 40 IP, 43 H, 43 K, 14 BB 11. Andre Lamontagne: 2-4, 4.54 ERA, 13 games (4 starts), 35.2 IP, 35 H, 17 K, 11 BB 12. Rob Currie: 4-2, 3.57 ERA, 24 games, 3 saves, 35.1 IP, 34 H, 35 K, 11 BB 15. Del Howell: 1-0, 0.77 ERA, 5 games (3 starts), 11.2 IP, 10 H, 9 K, 3 BB 17. Tyler Cravy: 2-1, 4.45 ERA, 12 games (4 starts), 32.1 IP, 28 H, 34 K, 12 BB 18. Caleb Thielbar: 6-1, 1.53 ERA, 16 games (2 starts), 47 IP, 44 H, 48 K, 8 BB 22. Michael Fiers: 2-0, 1.33 ERA, 22 games, 11 saves, 40.2 IP, 24 H, 59 K, 5 BB 27. Ryan Platt: 1-1, 5.54 ERA, 15 games (1 start), 26 IP, 20 H, 39 K, 16 BB 31. Jose Oviedo: 2-1, 3.58 ERA, 15 games (2 starts), 32.2 IP, 26 H, 30 K, 18 BB 35. Matt Costello: 1-5, 2.06 ERA, 17 games (3 starts), 39.1 IP, 35 H, 43 K, 9 BB Howell is the pitcher to be most excited about this group, an athletic and live-armed lefty that could have gone in the top two to three rounds on talent alone. He was used more as a hitter at Alabama prior to his junior year, but flashed mid-90s heat with a whip-like delivery and a wicked breaking ball but marginal control. The Brewers may choose to challenge him at low-A Wisconsin next spring after a solid, albeit brief debut across two levels of rookie ball. Burgos, Pokorny, Lamontagne, Currie and Platt all posted solid numbers at Helena during their professional debuts. Burgos finished the season strong after a shaky start, while Currie was solid coming out of the bullpen all summer long, showing his resiliency by finishing second on the team in appearances with 24. This group should advance with the likes of Arnett, Heckathorn and Howell, as well as Nick Bucci, Jake Odorizzi and Damon Krestalude, to low-A Wisconsin to open the 2010 season. That staff should give the Timberrattlers a much better chance to succeed, and may be one of the more exciting staffs to follow in the link reports on a day-to-day basis. Cravy, Oviedo and Costello all showed the ability to miss bats with high strikeout totals in their time spent with the Arizona rookie team. Cravy has a similar profile to Nick Bucci, with a lean, projectable body, good, not great stuff, and a knack to induce ground ball outs. Another member of the Arizona staff is Thielbar, who appears to be the next lefty specialist the team will attempt to groom for the big-league bullpen, following in the footsteps of Mitch Stetter, Casey Baron and Brandon Ritchie. Thielbar doesn't throw particularly hard, but his curveball is good enough for him to get left-handed hitters out on a consistent basis. No 2009 draftee other than Mike Brownstein made it as far as Michael Fiers did during his debut season, posting nearly untouchable numbers at Helena, Wisconsin and Brevard County. Similar to Rob Wooten, Fiers doesn't have the stuff to match his success, so he will need to continue to post good numbers to advance up the organizational ladder in a timely fashion. Rounding out the Bats Lumping all of these players into one category doesn't always seem fair, but this group of hitters doesn't have the same upside as the more toolsy group listed above. Of this group we'll likely see a few of them serve as organizational soldiers, filling important roster spots in the lower to middle levels of the minor leagues. 13. Sean Halton: .345/.397/.506, 255 AB, 21 2b, 6 HR, 17:56 BB:K, 7 for 11 SB 14. Mike Brownstein: .299/.410/.382, 241 AB, 14 2b, 3 3b, 47:33 BB:K, 22 for 31 SB 19. Scott Krieger: .253/.301/.473, 277 AB, 16 2b, 3 3b, 13 HR, 21:103 BB:K, 9 for 11 SB 20. Franklin Romero: .223/.262/.336, 220 AB, 12 2b, 5 3b, 1 HR, 6:72 BB:K, 8 for 16 SB 24. Peter Fatse: .237/.342/.342, 228 AB, 9 2b, 6 3b, 1 HR, 31:71 BB:K, 5 for 10 SB 30. Brandon Sizemore: .292/.376/.528, 195 AB, 16 2b, 3 3b, 8 HR, 19:50 BB:K, 12 for 13 SB 32. Chris Ellington: .285/.320/.465, 284 AB, 17 2b, 2 3b, 10 HR, 14:58 BB:K, 6 for 10 SB 43. Kyle Dhanani: .225/.320/.305, 151 AB, 8 2b, 2 3b, 13:41 BB:K, 6 for 7 SB Brownstein didn't miss a beat adjusting to life in pro ball after being named the Mountain West's player of the year for the University of New Mexico. There are limitations to his athleticism and power potential, but he is a coaches' dream given the way he works the count and comes to play hard every day. Halton's numbers look very impressive, but it's important to temper one's enthusiasm about a 22-year old college product posting good numbers over two levels of rookie ball. Ellington and Sizemore's situations are similar to Halton's. Fatse offers versatility being able to play both the infield and outfield, but he is going to have to work hard to hit his way towards the upper levels of the system. Scott Krieger offers good power potential, but really needs to work on his ability to make contact and strike-zone recognition. Romero and Dhanani didn't show much in their debut year, so we'll need to take a wait and see approach to get a better feel of what they're capable of. The Ones that Got Away Few notable players got away from the Brewers under Jack Zduriencik's watch, and the same remains true after Bruce Seid's first year. Mike Ojala, who had Tommy John surgery over the past year and appears to be on the right path to getting back on track, is probably the most interesting name of note on this list. Felix Rutledge, Eugene Escalante and Kyle Hansen are the most notable of the high school draftees that decided to honor their college commitments, although none of the three is likely to have the draft standing of former Brewers draftees such as Jemile Weeks and Rick Hague three years from now. 21. Brian Vigo-Suarez, SS, Navarro Junior College 23. Austin Pressley, RHP, Sinclair Community College 26. Felix Rutledge, LHP, Samford 28. Eugene Escalante, C, Cal State Fullerton 29. Chandler McLaren, RF, Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute 33. Jacobbi McDaniel, 3B, Florida State (football) 34. Mike Ojala, RHP, Rice 36. Joshua Turley, LHP, Baylor 37. Cullen Sexton, RHP, Minnesota 38. Casey Stevenson, 2B, UC Irvine 39. Brady Rodgers, RHP, Arizona State 40. Kyle Hansen, RHP, St. John's University 41. Steven Sultzbaugh, CF, Rice 42. Brad Schreiber, RHP, Purdue 44. Andrew Morris, RHP, Gulf Coast Community College 45. Richard Stock, C, USC 46. Jordan Wong, RHP, Hill College 47. Trevor Kirk, LF, College of Southern Nevada 48. Reynaldo Cotilla, RHP, NC State 49. J.J. Altobelli, SS, Oregon 50. Darren Farmer, C, Meridian Community College Initial Assessment It's both a good and a bad thing that Eric Arnett became the Brewers' best pitching prospect upon being added to the organization. He, Kyle Heckathorn, Brooks Hall and Del Howell offer the most promising arms to a system that is in desperate need of pitchers. In looking at the numbers of a handful of pitchers that took the mound for the Helena Brewers this past summer, it's hard not to hope that one of them turns into the pitcher that Nick Bucci evolved into this past year. Hiram Burgos, Jon Pokorny, Andre Lamontagne, Rob Currie and Ryan Platt all offered some kind of encouraging peripheral to their overall numbers with Helena this past summer, with Tyler Cravy doing the same for Arizona. Overall, the team needs at least an arm or two from every draft to continue to progress towards the MLB level. Given the team's assertion to draft and develop as many power arms as they possibly can, impact bats are starting to be harder to identify in the system. Brett Lawrie continues to swing his way towards Milwaukee, and Kentrail Davis may join him with an accelerated path to the big-leagues if he starts to make the proper adjustments to make the most of his exciting combination of speed and power. He also may become one of the better options to leadoff for the team down the road, and hopefully he can improve his defensive skills in centerfield since his value would be considerably greater there than on an outfield corner. The need for impact bats places a greater emphasis on the progression of some of the other positional prospects the team selected this past year. There is plenty to be excited about, with both D'Vontrey Richardson and Cameron Garfield looking good at the Brewers' instructional camp the past month, and hopefully Walla can make the proper adjustments next year given his prodigious power potential. Scooter Gennett could be a real steal as a 16th rounder, and his relative polish at the plate could allow him to progress more quickly than most high school draftees. Looking ahead The Brewers will draft 14th in next year's draft, and since they finished the 2009 season among the 15 worse teams, their first-round pick is protected should they decide to pursue any Type A free agents to help get them back to the postseason in 2010 and beyond. The 2010 draft appears to be stocked with pitching from both the college and high school level, and given the team's problems developing pitching, I'm guessing their efforts will once again place an emphasis on procuring as many talented young arms as they can in the early rounds of the draft. To familiarize yourself with the top prospects available for next year, I welcome you to visit my work at both <a href="http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/columnists/patrickebert/Archives.aspx">PG Crosschecker</a> and <a href="http://www.5tooltalk.com/">5 Tool Talk</a>. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Brewerfan.net and Perfect Game USA, as well as his new venture, <a href="http://www.5tooltalk.com/">5 Tool Talk</a>, and can be contacted via email at <a href="mailto:pebert@brewerfan.net">pebert@brewerfan.net</a>. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT 2010 Top Prospect Fan Poll http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=301 Similar to past years, Brewerfan recently conducted a poll of the Milwaukee Brewers' top prospects, asking the users to submit their own top 20 lists to figure out how those top prospects stack up in the eyes of the fans. 30 users participated in the poll, and 44 different players received votes. Points were assigned in reverse order of the votes they received, meaning that a player receiving the top vote received 20 points, the second best prospect received 19 points, and so on. The order was determined by the total point value, meaning the prospect with the most points would be named the Brewers' top prospect. Here are how the top prospects stack up in the collective eyes of the fans who participated: 1. Alcides Escobar - SS Total points: 590. First-place votes: 26. Second-place votes: 2. Lowest ranking: 6th. Escobar finished second on this list a year ago, just eight points below top prospect Mat Gamel. This is the first year since 2006 (Prince Fielder) in which the top prospect was a near-unanimous selection in this annual poll. The last three years featured tight races between Gamel and Escobar, Manny Parra and Matt LaPorta, and Ryan Braun and Yovani Gallardo. We've known about Escobar for quite some time, as he was added to the organization as a 16-year old out of Venezuela and has slowly but surely climbed the ladder. He now is looking to take over as the team's everyday shortstop, with J.J. Hardy being dealt to Minnesota to make room for him. With a flair for the dramatic, Escobar intends to make a difference with his bat as much as with his defense and speed. 2. Brett Lawrie - 2B Total points: 541. First-place votes: 1. Second-place votes: 10. Third place votes: 14. Lowest ranking: 7th. The Brewers certainly have a knack for drafting and developing impact bats, as Lawrie's bat speed, power potential and swagger have drawn a few comparisons to Ryan Braun. He was ranked sixth on this list a year ago before making his professional debut, and while he didn't post eye-popping numbers for the Timber Rattlers in the Midwest League, he impressed the organization enough to earn a bump up to AA Huntsville in August. His strengths and weakensses are similar to Braun's at a similar point in their careers in that few question his bat, but his future defensive home is up to debate. Observers from this past season seem to think he should be able to stay at second base for at least the next few years. Despite finishing last season with Huntsville, he may be assigned to high-A Brevard County to open 2010. 3. Mat Gamel - 3B Total points: 532. First-place votes: 3. Second-place votes: 14. Third-place votes: 8. Lowest ranking: 8th. In defense to Gamel, one person left him off of their list, citing that his ineligibility for rookie of the year honors next year made him no longer a prospect in their eyes. Since he hasn't eclipsed the 130 at-bat plateau, he remains on the Power 50, as well as everyone else's list, and should be the second ranked prospect. But that is the beauty and essence of a fan poll. Gamel, who ranked number one on this list a year ago, lost a little luster on his prospect status due to a less than impressive season, both with the Brewers at the big-league level, despite inconsistent playing time, and when he returned to AAA Nashville. He still figures to be a big part of the Brewers' plans moving forward, and could offer a second, impact bat from the left-side of the plate to help balance the team's starting lineup better than it currently is. 4. Jonathan Lucroy - C Total points: 489. Highest vote: 2nd (3 votes). Most popular position: 4th (13 votes). Lowest ranking: 12th. Doug Melvin hasn't been shy about tossing Terry Steinbach comparisons Lucroy's way, and has even noted this off-season that Lucroy could open the coming season on the big-league roster. Lucroy, who finished seventh on this list last year, started last year slow, but finished strong, which earned him the opportunity to play in the Arizona Fall League. Every time we heard or read a first-hand report out of Arizona, glowing reviews of Lucroy followed, noting how he hit the ball consistently hard and that his defense was solid across the board. While he could use more seasoning at AAA, Gregg Zaun's presence may indicate the Brewers want him to mentor Lucroy much like Zaun did with Wieters in Baltimore last year. 5. Zach Braddock - LHP Total points: 432. Highest vote: 2nd (1 vote). Most popular position: 5th (7 votes). Lowest ranking: 14th. Braddock's career has been fun but frustrating to follow, as he vaulted up from the 14th spot on this list a year ago. He has some of the best pure stuff in the organization, and has also shown the ability to command the strike zone. However, he hasn't been able to stay healthy over the course of a full season, and it seems as though keeping him in the bullpen may be a better way to keep him on the field of play. He too participated in the Arizona Fall League and flourished in all but one appearance. If Braddock returns to AA to open this coming season, it probably won't be long before he joins the Sounds, and he could even make the big-league club out of spring training. 6. Angel Salome - C Total points: 402. Highest vote: 2nd (3 votes). Most popular position: 5th (7 votes). Lowest ranking: 15th. As Lucroy's star seems to be growing brighter and brighter, Salome's, similar to Gamel, may be slipping a little. Salome and Lucroy practically switched spots on this year's list versus last year's, when Salome was ranked fourth. While his statistics in 2009 weren't as strong as they were in 2008, when he led the Southern League in batting, they were still pretty good. He did get better throwing out base-runners, and reports suggest that overall he is a much better catcher defensively. Now he needs to stay healthy, put it all together, and prove that he can be the team's catcher of the future just as much as Lucroy is. 7. Eric Arnett - RHP Total points: 365. Highest vote: 3rd (1 vote). Most popular position: 5th (5 votes). Lowest ranking: 19th. Arnett was scouting director Bruce Seid's first gift to the Brewers, and he became the first college pitcher the team selected in the first round since Kyle Peterson in 1997. Don't worry, the comparison ends there between the two, as Arnett's power arsenal matches his imposing physical stature. After a heavy workload in the spring, the Brewers took it easy with his arm last summer, placing him on a strict pitch count and having him lay off of his nasty slider. Some expressed concern in his 4.41 ERA, while others took solace in his peripherals (2.14 groundout to flyout ratio, .228 opponent's batting average, 35 strikeouts, 33 hits and only one home run allowed in 34.2 innings). We'll get a better feel for him, of course, in 2010, possibly close to home if he's assigned to Wisconsin. 8. Logan Schafer - CF Total points: 268. Highest vote: 5th (1 vote). Most popular position: 13th (5 votes). Lowest ranking: 20th. Schafer received minimal support on this list a year ago after his professional debut, and he exploded onto the scene this year on his way to being named the organization's minor league player of the year. He hit .313 for the Manatees with 44 extra-base hits, and showed a drastically improved approach at the plate by improving his walk to strikeout ratio from 13:46 in 206 at-bats in 2008, to 42:56 in 480 at-bats in 2009. He also leap-frogged over Cain, at least on this prospect list, with many considering Schafer a more likely long-range answer to centerfield. He will need to prove that AA isn't as challenging for him to open 2010 as it was in 2009. 9. (tie) Amaury Rivas - RHP Total points: 265. Highest vote: 6th (2 votes). Most popular position: 8th and 9th (5 votes each). Lowest ranking: 20th. Sure, Rivas managed only three total points on this list last year, but you've been living under a rock if you haven't heard the reports on Rivas from the 2009 season: His fastball reached the mid-90s, his changeup was rated the best in the Florida State League by Baseball America, and he was named the Brewers' minor league pitcher of the year after going 13-7 with a 2.98 ERA. He's the safest bet in the upper levels of the Brewers' system to make significant contributions to the Brewers starting staff in the next two to three seasons, and after pitching 166 innings at the high-A level, he could soar past AA and AAA if his success continues. 9. (tie) Jake Odorizzi - RHP Total points: 265. Highest vote: 2nd (1 vote). Most popular position: 13th (9 votes). Lowest ranking: 19th. Odorizzi may not be moving as quickly to Milwaukee as Yovani Gallardo did (yet), but several people compared the two pitchers in some fashion. The Brewers are clearly taking it nice and easy with Odorizzi, who like Gallardo receives praise for his command more so than his pure stuff. Odorizzi's stuff isn't bad, and it could get even better. He debuted on this list in the 10th spot, pretty much the same spot as this year, in which he finished tied in points and total votes with Amaury Rivas, who enjoyed great success two levels higher. Wisconsin fans will get to see Odorizzi first-hand, likely part of a very talented pitching staff, in 2010. 11. Mark Rogers - RHP Total points: 260. Highest vote: 3rd (1 vote). Most popular position: 7th (5 votes). Lowest ranking: 18th. The Brewers sent quite a few promising stars to the Arizona Fall League, including Rogers. While he didn't fare all that well, it was just nice seeing his name in the box score every few days. The organization was extremely cautious with his progression and pitch count this past year after Rogers missed almost all of the two years prior due to arm and shoulder injuries, which also caused him to miss the cut on this list last year. Reports out of Brevard County were encouraging, as he struck out 67 batters in over 64 innings of work, with his fastball back to its usual mid-90s dominance. The Brewers are expected to loosen up on the reins a little this year as Rogers ascends to AA Huntsville. 12. Caleb Gindl - OF Total points: 242. Highest vote: 4th (1 vote). Most popular position: 10th, 12th and 14th (4 votes each). Lowest ranking: 19th. Gindl received solid support, getting a vote from all except one person that submitted a top prospect list. Although he did drop one spot from last year's poll, it's clear everyone recognizes the success he has enjoyed so far during his professional career and his future value to the team. While he is continually questioned for his lack of ideal height, he also continues to mash, and is a productive left-handed hitter that can play all three outfield positions. Hoping for Brian Giles may be a little much, but as one person put it, getting a player similar to Matt Stairs would be a valuable asset. 13. (tie) Lorenzo Cain - OF Total points: 237. Highest vote: 8th (4 votes). Most popular position: 8th, 10th and 11th (4 votes each). Lowest ranking: 19th. The future appeared to be extremely bright for Cain at this time a year ago, when he ranked eighth on this list coming off of a very impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League. He was expected to be fast-tracked from there, and was already being labeled as the most likely candidate to take over in centerfield once Mike Cameron left town. Of course, that didn't happen, and a second stint in Arizona wasn't as kind to Cain, although he continues to show the flashes of promise we have seen throughout his career. He'll need to put it together and stay healthy this coming year, and likely will be doing so a phone call away in Nashville. 13. (tie) Kentrail Davis - OF Total points: 237. Highest vote: 5th (1 vote). Most popular position: 12th (4 votes). Lowest ranking: 20th. Davis is one of several promising players (Brooks Hall, D'Vontrey Richardson and Scooter Gennett) selected and signed from the 2009 draft that have yet to make their professional debut. Davis entered last spring as a likely first-round pick, and a player expected to go in the first half of the first round. He pressed a little too much for the Tennessee Volunteers, and didn't enjoy as strong of a season. He is an exciting offensive performer with speed and power, and a relatively polished game should allow him to debut with Wisconsin, if not Brevard County. 15. Wily Peralta - RHP Total points: 230. Highest vote: 6th (1 vote). Most popular position: 16th (5 votes). Lowest ranking: 18th. Peralta was identified at this time last year, when he snuck in on this list as the 20th best prospect, as a potential dark-horse. He may not have thrived as well as some had hoped, but he still enjoyed a very good season for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Armed with one of the most electric fastballs in the system, reports had him up to 97 during the season serving in a piggy-back starting role. Some are still concerned that his delivery and stuff may be better suited for short relief, but his changeup is good enough, and he maintains his velocity well enough deep into ballgames to keep him as a starter for now. 16. Cody Scarpetta - RHP Total points: 216. Highest vote: 6th (1 vote). Most popular position: 15th (5 votes). Lowest ranking: 20th. It's hard to imagine Scarpetta dropping a spot on this list after having a solid overall year in the Midwest League. Several people noted that they wanted to push Scarpetta higher, but just felt he fit the best in this range. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as it's proof of how strong the Brewers' system remains and just how much pitching help may be inching towards Milwaukee in the next few years. Scarpetta will join Peralta in Brevard County, where the thick air may help both enjoy big years, and possibly a bump to AA Huntsville. 17. Taylor Green - 3B Total points: 212. Highest vote: 3rd (1 vote). Most popular position: 11th (4 votes). Lowest ranking: 20th. Consider the 2009 season a mulligan for Green, as it didn't start well and it certainly didn't end well. It's important to remember that he finished fifth on this list a year ago, coming off a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League with many feeling he could make a strong push towards the big-leagues this coming year. That aggressive pace may have been delayed by a year, but the talent is still there for Green to pick up where he left off. He could be in AAA by midseason, and could be back among the top five to 10 overall prospects on this list next year. 18. Jeremy Jeffress - RHP Total points: 133. Highest vote: 4th (1 vote). Most popular position: 18th (6 votes). Lowest ranking: 20th. Having Jeffress at the 18th spot is very encouraging, as it's clear his upside is greater given where some people had him ranked (six people had him ranked among their top 10 prospects). The talent is there, and hopefully the determination is now too after being suspended twice for violating minor league baseball's substance abuse policies. Due to his suspension, we'll have to wait a couple of months to see if his command can start to catch up with his velocity. The sooner that happens, the sooner we'll be seeing Jeffress in Milwaukee. 19. Josh Butler - RHP Total points: 83. Highest vote: 5th (1 vote). Most popular position: 19th (6 votes). Lowest ranking: 20th. Butler provides more instant and much-needed depth in the Brewers organization than any other player. He enjoyed a break-out season last year, pitching across four levels (partially due to minor injury rehab) as well as a stint in the Arizona Fall League. Reports that he was working on honing his changeup may help explain his 11.93 ERA in six appearances there, but it's clear he needs more work in AAA before he gets the call. A disappointing 2008 season caused him to receive only five points in this exercise a year ago. 20. Evan Anundsen - RHP Total points: 72. Highest vote: 9th (1 vote). Most popular position: 19th (4 votes). Lowest ranking: 20th. Anundsen received votes from fewer than half of the people that submitted a list (14), but some noted that he carries more importance to this team given the need for starting pitching. He made this list last year as well, and actually dropped one spot, from 19th to 20th, despite having a better overall season in 2009. Most prospect followers recognize that his upside is limited since on most days he tops out in the upper-80s, but his heavy, sinking fastball is good enough to carry him to the big-leagues for at least a cup of coffee or two. Others receiving votes (point totals in parentheses): John Axford (42), Chris Cody (41), Kyle Heckathorn (41), Nick Bucci (27), Daniel Merklinger (16), Rob Wooten (9), D'Vontrey Richardson (8), Hernan Iribarren (6), Josh Prince (6), Khris Davis (4), Cutter Dykstra (4), Evan Frederickson (4), Chuck Lofgren (4), Eric Farris (3), Maverick Lasker (3), Brooks Hall (2), Alexandre Periard (2), Michael Fiers (1), Scooter Gennett (1), Del Howell (1), Jose Pena (1), Brandon Ritchie (1), David Welch (1), Zelous Wheeler (1). Ranking Notes Six players (Alcides Escobar, Brett Lawrie, Jonathan Lucroy, Zach Braddock, Angel Salome and Eric Arnett) were included on all 30 top prospect submissions. Three more (Mat Gamel, Logan Schafer and Caleb Gindl) showed up on all but one each. Five players (Amaury Rivas, Jake Odorizzi, Mark Rogers, Wily Peralta and Cody Scarpetta) made it on 28 submissions, and two players (Kentrail Davis and Taylor Green) appeared on 27 submitted lists. Lorenzo Cain (26) also showed up on most submissions, as it's safe to say that the top 17 prospects out of 20 were nearly unanimous as far as who belonged on the list regardless of the order. The point totals dropped off pretty significantly after the top 20 prospects, and even after the next best three to five players that received votes. 15 players received only one vote, and as noted above, 44 players in total received a vote, down 10 from the 54 different players that received a vote last year. While fans were collectively confident of the team's top seven prospects, there was a fairly significant drop in point totals between Eric Arnett (365) and Logan Schafer (268). The next biggest jump occurs between the aforementioned drop between Green (212) and Jeffress (133). I find this interesting since in past years, some people have submitted lists in more of a tier-based format, although no one did so this past year. 14 of the players on this year's list were also on last year's. The highest-ranked player from last year's list to not be represented on this year's version was Cole Gillespie, who was part of the package used to acquire Felipe Lopez from the Diamondbacks. The remaining five players (Omar Aguilar, Alexandre Periard, Brent Brewer, Cutter Dykstra and Tim Dillard) remain in the system and remain eligible for this list. Next year's list undoubtedly will look different at the very top as Escobar and Gamel graduate from prospect status. Of the six new players to make this year's list, two were new to the system as premium draft picks (Arnett and Davis) and three enjoyed break-out seasons (Schafer, Rivas and Butler). Mark Rogers may have missed last year, but finished eighth, 12th and 17th from the same exercise from 2006 through 2008. Once again this year, Zach Braddock is the only left-handed pitcher to make this list. The organization's pitching depth continues to improve, from the bottom up, as 10 pitchers made the list, one up from a year ago. And as shown by the others receiving votes, pitchers represented the next six leading point totals. One of the team's previous organizational weaknesses, the lack of left-handed hitters, has turned around, as the bats are split 50-50 between left and right-handed swingers. Thank you to everyone that participated. To discuss the results in greater detail, please be sure to visit this thread on the minor league page of the Fan Forum: <a href=?http://brewersfandemonium.yuku.com/topic/20918?>2010 Top Prospect Fan Poll</a> Patrick Ebert is affiliated with Brewerfan.net, Perfect Game USA and 5 Tool Talk, and can be contacted via email at <a href="mailto:pebert@brewerfan.net">pebert@brewerfan.net</a>. Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST On the Phone With Jeff Juden http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=298 BF: Hello Jeff, it's nice to speak with you. JJ: Hello, thank you for taking the time, what would you like to talk about? BF: Whatever moves you Jeff, let's just start, and see where this leads us. JJ: OK, go ahead. BF: Jeff, your career began with great promise, you were Gatorade's Player of the Year in Massachusetts. JJ: Yep, my senior year we had a great team. We won state that year, and I wound up being interviewed by a few TV stations. That was a great time. I wanted to be a hockey player, which ended up getting me in shape to play baseball, then that took off for me. BF: You were a first round draft pick... JJ: Yes, Houston took me in the first round when I was eighteen, and I first reached the major leagues when I was 20. BF: Both of those things are terrific accomplishments, and they show the huge potential you had, and the faith scouts had in your ability. You were a big, strong guy (Jeff is 6'8"), and you threw in the lower to mid 90s ? exactly what scouts are always looking for. Once you reached the big leagues, you bounced around a lot...you pitched for eight teams in seven years. Why was that? JJ: I always felt like teams treated me as a hired gun. They'd bring me in for one purpose, and then when that was done, they were done with me. None of the teams I pitched for ever committed to me as part of their plan, they just used me as a hired gun. BF: Jeff, a lot of old stories talk about an attitude problem. I've read some quotes from Pedro Martinez and Jim Fregosi, talking about how you had huge talent, but your attitude held you back. I'm not here to judge you, I'd just like to hear your own response to that. JJ: You know, with Fregosi, that's a case of the pot calling the kettle black...first of all, I was hurt the whole time I was with the Phillies, but I didn't say anything. I should've gone on the major league DL, but instead I was sent to the minors, and I took my medicine down there. The Phillies never really saw what I could do. In Montreal, one time I had a bad game in Colorado, and afterwards, I was playing my guitar in the clubhouse. Felipe Alou told the press I was celebrating a loss. That's crazy, anyone who knew me knew I wanted to win...all I wanted to do was win. The thing with Pedro was, one time we got into it in Houston, they hit about ten of our guys, and it ended up in a big brawl. Pedro was the only guy in the bullpen who didn't pitch in that game. After the game, Pedro was playing the song "Celebrate" by "Kool and the Gang." Do you remember that song? BF: Yes, I do. JJ: So Pedro is playing that song on the plane, and dancing around, I told him to turn it off. He said no, so I broke the CD player. It wasn't even his CD player, it was FP Santangelo's. Pedro looked at me and said, "If that was my CD player, I'd break it over your head", I looked at him and said, "Little Man, you'll never break anything over my head." That was it for me in Montreal, they traded me to Cleveland. Thanks for asking me about that, Todd, no one's ever let me tell that story. BF: You're welcome Jeff, thanks for being so open about it. How did things go in Cleveland? JJ: I reached my second major goal with the Indians. The first was to pitch in the major leagues, and the second was to pitch in the World Series ? I got to do that with Cleveland in 1997. BF: After Cleveland came your time with the Brewers. Did you like it in Milwaukee? JJ: The people in Milwaukee were very friendly to me, that's a great city. People acted like they'd known me for twenty years, they welcomed me right in. BF: You were a Brewer for most of the 1998 season, but again, a short stay. What happened? JJ: I was doing my best, trying to win every time out, and then before one start Phil Garner told me not to hit anybody. I never hit anybody intentionally, but it was like he put it in my mind. That was the first time any manager ever told me not to hit anyone - I was out there trying not to hit someone, instead of just doing my thing...and sure enough, I hit a guy. I don't remember who the batter was anymore, but that was that. I called Phil at his house twice to try to explain that I didn't mean to hit anyone. I walked into the clubhouse and Fred Stanley said, "I think we traded you." That's how I wound up in Anaheim, the Angels were in a pennant race and they needed an arm, like the other places, they used me until the job was done, and then I was gone from there too. BF: Jeff, maybe instead of having a bad attitude, maybe you just approached things differently than most people do...maybe you were just hard to understand. I know your sister died of cancer when you were a boy. JJ: Yep, Kim is always in my heart, she's a lifelong inspiration. That was really hard on me, it took me years to stop asking why and just accept the man upstairs into my life. I finally did that when I was fourteen, up until then I was just mad. I have another sister now, Lisa. My mom was full of grief after Kim died, so she went to see a priest, he told her the best way to deal with the loss was to have another one, so they did, and we all love Lisa...sometimes things just happen...we all loved Kim while she was here, and we all love Lisa now. BF: What was the lasting impact of having to live through that? JJ: I just stopped worrying about things. BF: That reminds me, I remember the Brewers' TV announcers telling a story when you were here; the team plane hit some bad air and started bouncing around, some of the guys started to panic, and there you sat, playing "Riders on the Storm" on your guitar. Is that a true story? JJ: Yes, that happened. See, that's it, some guys never got comfortable with flying, I just figured, if it's your time, it's your time, you might as well enjoy the ride. BF: That's understandable - you were forced to face a harsh reality at a young age. Do you think that approach to life hurt your career at all? JJ: I can't say I have any regrets, I filled my two main goals as a player, but I never took the easy road. I never thought about money or the future, I just took the ball and tried to win. I could have made things a lot easier on myself. BF: You hit a home run in the major leagues, do you remember that game? JJ: Oh yeah, that was great, thanks for asking about it. I was with the Phillies, and it was my mother's birthday, I told her I was going to win the game for her. We were facing the Dodgers with Hideo Nomo, it was his rookie year, when he had the huge entourage following him. Everything went right, I hit a grand slam, I pitched a complete game, and we won, 17-4. The best part of the story was, it was the home run inning. I won $10,000 for a lady who had four sons, and had just lost her husband. She told me she was washing the dishes, and her son heard her name for the home run inning and got all excited, then they were like, "Oh, it's just the pitcher"...then I hit it out. That was really cool, helping someone out like that. BF: What are you doing now? JJ: I'm getting into coaching. I got to coach the Hannibal Cavemen, in the Prospect League, and I just loved it. I want to coach, that's for certain. BF: I know you're in a band... JJ: Yep, "Jeff Juden and The Nuke 14 Band", I've played with a couple of the guys for ten years, and there are a couple of new players. We're a bunch of fishing buddies from Fort Lauderdale who like to jam in a warehouse. We've got a fan page on Facebook. BF: What type of music do you play? JJ: It's a mix of styles, I guess I'd call it rock. It's fun for me, I want to be a rock star, and I like autographing the t-shirts. BF: What are your main goals in life now? JJ: I want to be a good father, and be there for my kids. I have two sons, who are six and seven, I'm separated from their mother, so I just want to make sure I'm there for them...that matters most to me now...my kids, and being a good father. BF: Jeff, thank you for talking to me today. You sound like a guy who's doing ok. JJ: Oh, I'm doing. One day at a time, Todd, one day at a time. Take care, call me again if you need anything. BF: Thanks Jeff, I'll do that. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT On The Phone With... Junior Spivey http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=300 I caught up with Junior Spivey the other day, he was watching the Angels play the Yankees in the ALCS. Junior was full of enthusiasm for the game of baseball... we had a great conversation. BF: Hello Junior, thanks for returning my call. JS: Yeah, sorry I didn't hear it ring, my phone doesn't work in the basement. I was down there watching the game... I can't believe Scioscia took Lackey out, that's overthinking... let the man pitch! BF: (laughs), Wow, Junior, you're really into the game. JS: You know, the umpiring has really been exposed this postseason... it's really been bad. When you're out there playing, you can't come out and say that, but sitting here watching, I have to say it. BF: There's no doubt of that. Are you always this into baseball? JS: Always, it's a part of me, I love all sports, I grew up playing ball, I'm a huge fan. BF: Let's talk about your career. JS: Yeah man, let's go. BF: You came up with the Diamondbacks... JS: Yep, you know, the '01 season was magical for me. I got up there and did everything I could, making plays, running hard, keeping the pressure on the defense, everything I could to help the team. We got to the postseason, and that set me up to be there for Opening Day in '02. I did the little things, taking the extra base, scoring on a ball in the gap, a lot of things that help a team win, but a lot of that got overlooked... I was left off the postseason roster. (long pause)... That still hurts to this day. Mike Morgan took me aside, and said, "Hey, it happened to me, you deserve to be on this team." I really respected him for that - he knew exactly how that felt. BF: That was an amazing postseason for the Diamondbacks, were you able to be there? JS: I was for the home games, but I wasn't allowed to travel. I was there, suited up for the home games, and they did give me a ring... but I felt like an outsider. I got a ring, but I missed the experience. If I would have been allowed to travel, I would have been right there in the dugout, right there near Ground Zero, so close after 9-11, hearing all those Yankees fans. If I had been there with Randy (Johnson), Schilling, Gonazlez... thinking about missing it just hurts... still. I won't mention any names, but there was a guy who was on the DL all year, who really wasn't able to contribute, he was allowed to travel, but I wasn't, he went to Atlanta and New York... I just wish I had been there too. BF: You had a big year in '02. JS: Yes, I started off red hot, I was making plays and having big ABs, but then I tweaked a hamstring. I made the All-Star team that year, and I really felt like I had established myself. They used four of us in a rotation, myself, Counsell, Tony Womack and Matt Williams, to keep everyone fresh. It worked out well. BF: OK, Junior, I have to ask this question. When you were traded to Milwaukee, there was a quote... JS: "I'm devastated." BF: OK, yes, absolutely. You were quoted as saying, "I'm devastated", when you heard you had been traded to Milwaukee. That has hung around, there are fans here who say that out loud the minute they hear your name. JS: Ed Price did that to me. BF: Who? JS: Ed Price, and I confronted him on it too. He took my words and twisted them all around, and made it sound like I didn't want to come to Milwaukee. Who wouldn't want to come to Milwaukee? It's Robin Yount, it's the Brew Crew... I loved Milwaukee! The thing was, I had made it to the big leagues with Arizona, and we were all working hard to get back to the postseason, I just didn't expect it when it happened. I was about to go on my honeymoon, and I got the news... it wasn't about Milwaukee at all, it was just a complete surprise. Listen, Milwaukee was great, the fans were great, my dad stayed with us while we were there, and we loved the city. I just wish I had been able to stay longer so the fans would have gotten to know me, I had a lot of work I wanted to do in the community that I never got to do, because I wasn't there long enough. Doug Melvin, Ned Yost, Mike Maddux, Rich Dauer... those guys were awesome. That experience made me leery, before that I never turned down an interview, after that, I didn't do many. BF: You're doing one right now... JS: (laughs)... Good point. BF: Thanks for addressing that, Junior... what are your lasting impressions of the Brewers' organization at that time? JS: I wonder if the fans there truly appreciate what Doug Melvin has done for them. When I was with the Diamondbacks, the Brewers just had no energy, there was no life there... Doug brought in good people, I mean good, quality people as players and coaches, and then when the young guys got up there, you can see it... he brought that team all the way back. Rich Dauer was the backbone when I was there. BF: Dauer, really, why is that? JS: When it comes to defensive positioning, Rich Dauer is a genius. He had us playing all over the place, way out of normal position... and we took a ton of hits away. We'd talk to guys on the other teams, and they just hated us! They'd be like, "That's a hit every time... what were you doing playing way over there?" Rich just always seemed to know where the ball was going to be hit. BF: How did he do it? JS: Work. Dauer would start by reading the scouting reports, then he'd look at what each hitter had done in their last series, to see who was hot and who wasn't, and then he'd consider who was pitching for us that night, whether it was Sheeter, Doug Davis, Capuano, or whoever, so he'd know how each batter would be pitched to. Dauer would take that information and shift us around, and it just worked great. I know one thing, the pitchers all loved it, I remember Sheeter telling me he loved having us behind him, taking those hits away. BF: Junior, your time in Milwaukee was interrupted by a serious shoulder injury, please tell me about that. JS: Oh yeah, for sure. We were in Pittsburgh, it was somewhere around the first of July and the team was peaking, we were talking about bigger and better things, then I got stupid and dove into first base for the first and last time. I tore my labrum... tore it right from the bone. I tried to stay in the game, but there was just no way, I could already feel fluid building up in there. I thought, "This can't be happening." I want home to Arizona to rehab, and I'd just check to see how the guys did... it just hurt. That labrum tear was front and back, my shoulder was never completely the same after that. Hey now, let's talk about JJ Hardy. I love JJ, and I still talk to him. Don't forget, he had that labrum tear, it's the same thing for him, sometimes he's going to have to deal with it. When it's right, he's fine, but when it's not, it knocks your swing off. That was his deal this year, trust me on this... .JJ Hardy will be all the way back, there's no question. BF: Would you trade him? JS: Never. JJ Hardy is a terrific shortstop, and his swing will come back for sure, after this offseason, you'll see, he'll be all the way back. BF: Your time in Milwaukee ended with a trade to Washington, which paved the way for Rickie Weeks. Tell me about '05... JS: Carlos Lee came over, and the guys got off to a good start, except for me. I just couldn't get out of the gates, I just wasn't hitting. I can't blame Doug Melvin for trading me, I wasn't getting it done in Milwaukee, and Rickie was doing what he was supposed to do at AAA, that's just baseball. BF: How was Washington? JS: OK now, don't anybody take this the wrong way, I AM NOT saying anything bad about Milwaukee, but Washington was unbelievable. At that time, in Milwaukee, it was a really quiet clubhouse, with no music or anything ? when I walked into the clubhouse in Washington, guys were dancing and laughing, they had the TV going, and loud music playing... it was a total culture shock. All of this was right before the game, they were all just having a good time. I walked over to Marlon Byrd and asked him where I should go, he said, "Get in where you fit in." That's just the way that club was. I got to play under Frank Robinson, with Vinny Castilla and Carlos Baerga, Carlos was just crazy... fun... loose. That was a good time for me. BF: I believe you signed with St Louis for the '06 season, right? JS: Yes, and I made a mistake. I pinched a nerve in my neck, and I didn't know how to treat it, so I never got healthy that year. I never should have gone to AAA, I should have gone on the DL, to get that right, but I thought, "OK, I'll go down to AAA and just do my thing, and wait for something to happen." That was the wrong move, I wasn't healthy. I went to camp with the White Sox in '07 and had a great camp, but they released me. Boston picked me up for the last three weeks that season, and I had a great camp for them in '08, but at the end, they decided to go with a younger player. They thanked me for working hard for them, and told me I'd done all I could do to make their team. I just figured, "I'll go home and raise my kids." BF: You're still playing though, I know that. JS: Yep, I'm only 34. I can still run and I still have my range in the field, I feel like I have a lot of game left. I played with the Tucson Toros this year, I still feel like I can play. BF: Do you think you'll get another shot at the big leagues? JS: Probably not. They haven't seen me in a while now, I think it's like, "Out of sight, out of mind." I still have the desire to play, and I still have plenty of game left, so we'll see what happens. BF: A lot of the current Brewers were in the minor leagues when you were with Milwaukee, do you still follow the team? JS: Oh yeah, that's the team I root for. I still talk to JJ, and Bill Hall, even though he's not there now, and Braun, I just talked to Braun a couple of days ago. That's my team, I know a lot of the guys. Counsell is another guy I drop a line to, he's going to be a great manager someday, or even a GM if he wants to be. BF: Why do you say that? JS: He just knows the game inside and out. What to do, how to do it, when to do it, Counsell just knows baseball. BF: Anything else you'd like to tell Brewer fans? JS: Yeah, I could use some help with something. Dave Burba and I are joined at the hip forever because we had a Web Gem together. Burbs made a play I still can't believe. I went after a ball I didn't think I could reach, and I got to it, I couldn't believe I even touched that ball. I didn't have time for anything, so I just jumped and twisted and threw the ball toward where I thought first base was, I didn't even see if Burbs was at the bag, I just threw it. The throw bounced, right by the base, and Burbs just knicked his cleat on the base to make the play, I couldn't believe he didn't break an ankle or tear up a knee the way that play happened. It was just a great, great play... .I need to know if anyone out there has a copy of it, or if there's an archive somewhere where I could watch it. I'd love to have that. BF: If anyone reading this can find that play, I'll certainly let you know. JS: Thank you Milwaukee, thank you Doug Melvin, thank you everybody. I'm happy and blessed, I feel like I took advantage of my opportunities. Oh, and watch Matt Kemp for the Dodgers. He and I are close. He's a good friend, and I've watched him grow as a player. Sometimes, when I see the things he does, I get tears. BF: Junior, thank you so much, your energy and passion for baseball just jump through the phone. JS: Thank you, Todd, and thank you Milwaukee! Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST