Results tagged ‘ Corey Hart ’
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #1 Corey Hart
Ladies and gentlemen it has happened.
The Brewers flight from Arizona got back to town late yesterday evening. That’s right, to be a bit corny: “The boys are back in town!”
There’s no word whether the team boarded by jersey number, but if they had then today’s final profile subject would have been the first one on.
He is the starting right fielder and will bat fifth tomorrow at Miller Park, despite not exactly piling up the at-bats this spring.
He wears the number one on his back. He is:
Corey Hart.
Standing 6’6″ tall and weighing an official 235 pounds, Jon Corey Hart came to camp in 2011 poised to continue making good on an off-season contract extension negotiated with the club before the 2010 season.
Hart had posted career-worst numbers in 2010 in several categories but negotiated his way in an arbitration hearing to a $4.8 million contract. I blasted Hart in this space for that situation, and was happy to be proven wrong to a degree in 2010.
So when he got hurt in Spring Training however and started the year on the disabled list, people had cause for concern both about missing his production and whether his long-term outlook would be affected.
He only played 130 total games after beginning the season on the DL with an oblique strain and, he would later admit, it shouldn’t have been that many. Hart told members of the media that he rushed back because he felt he could help the team even at less than 100%. It didn’t work well, and Hart realized that he should have stayed in minor league rehab games longer than he did.
When he was on the field in 2011, Hart continued two recent trends: increased power and greatly decreased speed.
His final statistics totaled:
130 G, 492 AB, 80 R, 140 H, 25 doubles, 4 triples, 26 HR, 63 RBI, 51 BB, 114 K, 7 SB, 6 caught stealing, .285/.356/.510
Hart had played in 15 more games in 2010 than 2011, and had gotten 64 more at-bats which resulted in better counting stats, but the rates of certain stats were up and with better health, Hart probably would have at least equaled his 2010 in many categories.
Two numbers that were exactly the same were Hart’s steals and caught stealings. It continued to be disconcerting because despite his 6’6″ frame, Hart was always a benefit on the bases. Hart stole 23 bases in both 2007 and 2008 before falling to 11 in 2009 and just seven the next two years.
Hopefully his realization about carrying the extra weight and subsequently dropping that weight will help Hart regain some of that lost quickness.
But has it made a difference? In a Spring Training where Jonathan Lucroy was running wild on the basepaths, how many stolen bases did Hart attempt? And what was his success rate?
We don’t know if Hart’s speed was positively affected in game situations because he only played in two official Cactus League games. And therein lies the x-factor for the Brewers in 2012: health.
In any season where position players stay healthy and are able to answer the bell 150 times or more, there is a lot of luck involved. For the second straight spring, the only kind of luck Hart had was bad luck.
While hurrying to Ryan Braun’s press conference at Maryvale Baseball Park this spring, Hart was wearing his spikes and slipped on some cement, damaging his meniscus, requiring surgery. While he was rehabilitating his knee, Hart was injured again in the weight room when a metal bar hit him in head, requiring eight stitches.
Having a good sense of humor about it all, Hart hit the nail on the head when he stated that he needs to just report to camp with about a week to go in Spring Training so as to limit his exposure to the perils of Arizona.
Four weeks to the day following knee surgery, Hart was back on the field playing. It’s quite a remarkable recovery in some respects, but Hart worked hard at his rehab to get himself ready.
In the two official games he played this spring, Hart was 3-for-6 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. He also ran well in the outfield. Hopefully he can hit the ground running tomorrow afternoon.
Hart did have plenty of highlights in 2011 though.
He tied franchise records with a three-home run, seven-RBI game against the Washington Nationals. Hart produced five lead-off home runs after moving up the lineup following Rickie Weeks’ ankle injury in July. He put together an 18-game hitting streak which started on August 18th, during a month for which Hart would later earn team Player of the Month honors.
Hart also recorded a pair of home runs in the postseason while batting .244 (10-for-41).
As for 2012, if Hart’s knee remains healthy, I’d like to project a solid year at the plate. And if his conditioning changes are a benefit he’ll increase his value to the team both on the basepaths and in right field.
With the departures of Prince Fielder and Casey McGehee in the off-season, all the talk has been of how the combination of Aramis Ramirez and Mat Gamel will need to be able to make up the lost production. But if Hart adds 20 games to his register this season, hitting in the fifth spot in the order and coming through in RBI situations, that will combine into those offensive totals and significantly affect the outcome of several games.
But it all finally starts tomorrow at Miller Park.
We’ll see you there if you’re going, and we’ll see 25 of the men who were previewed and reviewed throughout the weeks leading up to tomorrow.
I’ve had a fun ride with this series and hope that you learned something along the way.
Thanks so much for reading and stay tuned all season as the articles and analysis will be here.
Batted .285 with 26 HR and 63 RBI in 130 games…..made 123 starts, all in right field…Established a career high in walks (51)…Committed only 2 errors the entire season for the second consecutive season…Missed the first 22 games of the season after suffering a left oblique strain in spring training….. was on the 15-day disabled list from 3/30-4/25, retroactive to 3/22…Appeared in 5 games at Triple-A Nashville from 4/19-4/25 during a rehab assignment…Batted .324 (69-for-214, 13hr, 32rbi) over his last 53 games of the season, raising his overall batting average from .255 to .285…Batted leadoff in his last 62 starts (77-for-256, .301, 15hr, 36rbi)…..had previously not started a game in that spot in the order since 7/22/09 at Pittsburgh…Hit 5 leadoff home runs: 7/19 at Arizona, 7/30 vs. Houston, 8/3 vs. St. Louis, 8/22 at Pittsburgh and 8/31 vs. St. Louis…..now has 7 career leadoff homers…Produced 3 HR and 7 RBI on 5/23 vs. Washington, tying franchise records…..the 3 HR marked his first homers of the season (22nd game)…..became the 10th player (15 times) in franchise history to hit 3 HR in a game…..joined Ted Kubiak (1970), Jose Hernandez (2001), Richie Sexson (2002) and Damian Miller (2007) as the only Brewers with 7 RBI in a game…Tied his career high (3x) with 4 hits on 7/30 vs. Houston, including a leadoff homer in the 6-2 victory…Was named Brewers Player of the Month for August (.321, 8hr, 17rbi)…Recorded a season-high 18-game hitting streak from 8/18-9/6, batting .359 (28-for-78) with 5 HR and 9 RBI…Batted .244 (10-for-41) with 2 HR and 5 RBI in 10 games during the postseason.
http://brewernation.mlblogs.com/2010/01/30/ya-gotta-have-hart-right-but-does-milwaukee-need-him/
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #7 Norichika Aoki
One week.
Seven days.
168 hours.
10,080 minutes.
604,800 seconds.
As of 3:10 P.M. (Central Daylight Time) today, those are the independent totals of those different time measurements which, when counted down to zero, take you to the scheduled time for the first pitch of the 2012 regular season for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Can you feel the anticipation? Has the excitement started to build for you yet? Have you come up with your sick day story for work (and have you made sure you haven’t used it before)?
Whatever this next week holds for you personally or professionally, the biggest thing is making sure that your plans for Opening Day itself are set.
When are you arriving to the stadium? Are you tailgating? Shuttling in from Bluemound or the surrounding area? Planning on going in for team introductions and to see Miss America Laura Kaeppeler throw out the first pitch?
Or if you live too far away or weren’t able to acquire tickets… Are you tailgating at home? Having friends over? Playing some bean bag toss, ladder golf, or other game on your lawn?
Regardless of what it is, having a plan in place helps to make the day a success.
A man who doesn’t yet know what his plan will be in seven days is one of new imports to the ball club this year, and the man who will wear number 7 on his jersey:
Norichika Aoki.
At times, when discussing additions to a sports team, people will call the new players “imports” as I did above. Well, in the case of the 5’9”, 180 pound, left-handed hitting Nori Aoki, “import” is doubly true.
After spending the first eight years and 985 games of his professional career playing in the Nippon Professional Baseball League as a member of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, and posting a career batting average of .329 along with 84 home runs, 385 RBI and 164 stolen bases, Aoki was posted to the Major Leagues.
Without attempting to explain the entire system, the Milwaukee Brewers posted the winning bid of $2.5 million which is paid to the Swallows if Aoki and the Brewers could agree to a contract to bring the former NPB batting champion, seven-time All-Star, six-time Golden Glove Award winner, and seven-time member of the Best Nine to the United States and MLB.
That winning big was announced on December 19, 2011 and the Brewers had a finite window in which to negotiate with Aoki. If they could come to terms, Aoki would join the Brewers for Spring Training. If not, the Brewers would keep their bid amount and Aoki would continue his career in Japan.
Aoki seemed to be willing and wanting to come to MLB, but at what cost on a total contract value became the question. This is a guy with major accolades over in NPB and multiple turns on the international Japanese team, including both of the World Baseball Classics which have been held to this point.
With all of those accolades, it was kind of a shock both that the Brewers won the negotiating rights and for how much they spent to do it. This seemed to indicate that the total contract cost wouldn’t be prohibitive for Doug Melvin and Mark Attanasio’s budget.
Long story short (too late?), on January 17, 2012 the Brewers and Aoki agreed to a two-year contract with a team option for 2014, worth a total guaranteed amount of $2.5 million. It breaks down to $1 million in 2012, $1.25 million in 2013 and a buyout of the team option of $250k. On the high end, that figure can balloon all the way up to $8.1875 million if the club option is exercised and he hits all of the built-in incentives.
So why the seemingly low guaranteed dollar amount?
Part of it stems from Aoki’s age, but mostly from the fact that when NPB switched to a style of baseball which more closely mimicked an official MLB ball, Aoki had the worst numbers of his career. That was chalked up in the local media as him being stubborn about not being able to direct the ball wherever he wanted on the diamond quite as easily.
Aoki’s batting average in 2011 was a mere .292 with significantly decreased home runs, walks, and stolen bases over the previous five years.
What’s more, the Milwaukee Brewers don’t scout Japan with any kind of regularity and no scout in the organization had seen Aoki play in NPB in person. With the uncertainty regarding how his game would translate and the unfamiliarity between the parties, it seemed like a smallish contract was a wise move by the Brewers.
The terms were agreed to after Aoki worked out for the Brewers’ brass at their Maryvale facilities in Phoenix, Arizona and Aoki has been working toward a role on the team since. He has stated that the biggest change in Spring Training is that they worked a lot more often and longer sessions in Japan. He was having trouble getting acclimated to a lesser schedule.
That may have been a contributing factor in that Aoki began the Cactus League by going 5-for-30 (.167) with 1 triple, no home runs, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, and 0 SB through March 15. Manager Ron Roenicke then pulled Aoki aside for a chat about not worrying about impressing the team and that they just need Aoki to play his game, relax and realize that he’s got a job here.
Since then, Aoki has been on a blistering pace of 12-for-21 (.571) with 2 triples, 1 home run, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SB, 2 K.
The other concern with Aoki was whether his throwing arm would be strong enough to handle center field, let alone right field. While he hasn’t been great in that regard, his arm has seemed accurate enough if sometimes lacking velocity. In other words, he’ll usually need to hit the cutoff man, but at least he’s able to.
All in all, the future appears bright enough that the chance Milwaukee took in importing Aoki should provide some benefits to reap.
As for Aoki’s plans on April 6? We should know soon enough whether Corey Hart will be far enough along in his rehabilitation from meniscus surgery to start in right field on Opening Day. If Hart is a go, Aoki’s name will be announced near the beginning of player introductions (since they are done numerically if you’re not in the starting lineup).
If Hart can’t answer the bell, chances for Aoki look up. If a left-handed starter takes the mound for St. Louis, then it would behoove Roenicke to not start Nyjer Morgan if at all possible, though he still could. However if a right-handed pitcher starts Milwaukee will likely go with Aoki to start the ballgame over the right-handed hitting Carlos Gomez.
But whether he starts on April 6th or not, Aoki is here for at least this year and the next so he’ll get his share of starts at some point.
Bottom line for Aoki though seems to be making sure he stays within his game and what got him to the heights of NPB and subsequently across the Pacific. That will help win games.
And if he helps win games, the Brewers and their fans will be very happy indeed.
Milwaukee Brewers on ESPN Top 500 MLB Players List
ESPN is slowly revealing its list of the best 500 players in baseball, heading into the 2012 season.
This was determined by a team of 34 “experts” (their word) were given a list of the top 600 players projected to play in the Major Leagues this season.
Using a 0-10 scale, they evaluated “only the quality of each player for the 2012 season” which means no past performance should be factored in, though we know that likely won’t be the case.
In the event of ties, ZiPS was used to project performance and therefore break those ties.
I make this post to pull out the Brewers players as they are revealed.
The surveying took place over the last two weeks of February, so I’m very interested to see where Ryan Braun’s final ranking comes in.
Ages listed are as of July 1, 2012.
Without further ado, here are the Brewers that have been revealed to this point on the list:
Rank – Name – Position – Age – Twitter handle (if appicable)
# 6 – Ryan Braun - LF – Age: 28
# 42 – Zack Greinke - RHP – Age: 29
# 53 – Yovani Gallardo - RHP – Age: 26
# 84 – John Axford - RHP – Age: 29 - @JohnAxford
# 90 – Rickie Weeks – 2B – Age: 29
# 130 – Shaun Marcum - RHP – Age: 30
# 133 – Aramis Ramirez - 3B – Age: 34
# 144 – Corey Hart - RF – Age: 30
# 173 – Francisco Rodriguez – RHP – Age: 30 - @El_kid_rod57
#232 – Randy Wolf- LHP – Age: 35
# 320 – Alex Gonzalez - SS – Age: 35
# 330 – Jonathan Lucroy – C – Age: 26
# 331 - Nyjer Morgan - CF – Age: 31 - @TheRealTPlush
# 362 – Chris Narveson – LHP – Age: 30 - @sleep_trick
# 458 – Carlos Gomez - CF – Age: 26 - @C_Gomez27
# 461 – Mat Gamel - 1B – Age: 26 - @JMGamel
I will be updating this post daily as more names are announced.
(A cool little bonus to the list is that ESPN is including confirmed Twitter handles for players when they know them, and while they’ve included Chris Narveson’s, they skipped both Gomez’ and Gamel’s. I have included them in this post.)
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #22 Logan Schafer
We’re nearing the three week mark of our countdown to Opening Day. Today is a mere 22 days away from April 6th.
It’s a major sports day on the calendar this year also. The first day of the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament, NBA trade deadline, NFL free agency is in full swing (Mario Williams and Calvin Johnson got HOW much??). Yeah…there’s a lot going on.
But it is today which brings the focus of “Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers” to an outfield prospect that finally saw time at the big league level this past September:
Logan Schafer.
I interview Logan Edward Schafer for the blog last year, right around this time in fact. Here is a link to that interview. It gives some insights into him, including a self-scouting report and also talks about how he was drafted in three separate years before finally agreeing to a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.
I suggest that you click the link above, read that and then come right back here to finish up this post. It’ll be here when you get back.
I want you to read that because I don’t want to spend time rehashing his injury history and whatnot.
In case you didn’t click, Schafer has been stricken with the injury bug a few times in his minor league career, including suffering a broken thumb last spring.
Once the thumb injury healed, Schafer went on to in play at three levels of the minor leagues, though his nine games at High-A Brevard County would be best described as a rehab assignment. Still, he hit .306 there over 36 at-bats.
In Double-A at Huntsville he posted a .302/.368/.392 line in 189 at-bats over 50 games. At Triple-A for the Nashville Sounds, Schafer put up a .331/.401/.521 line in 169 at-bats spanning 40 games. It was at the Triple-A level where Schafer found his power as well, totaling 20 extra-base hits including hitting five home runs.
As his bat continues to blossom, it’s his defense which (as he told you himself in that interview) has always been his best tool.
In 96 games defensively (all as a center fielder) in 2011, Schafer logged 812.0 innings, and had 241 total chances. He recorded 227 putouts and had 11 assists, including three double plays. Schafer was also involved in a triple play which got him some airtime on the four-letter network’s highlight show. His Range Factor was also the best of his career and clocked in at 2.48.
Schafer uses his 6’1”, 180 pound frame to glide through the outfield with tremendous ease. He is currently 25 years old which means that his peak is definitely right in front of him.
Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin realizes this as well, saying that despite the fact that the Brewers currently have great depth at the centerfield position, he is not going to be trading Schafer. That’s music to the ears of many Brewers fans. It’s also nice to hear that despite having to trade away Lorenzo Cain in the Zack Greinke deal, the team still has a young option that might be able to play every day in the near future.
What’s more, Schafer is hungry to succeed. He played in the Arizona Fall League for the Brewers and hit over .300 again with an OPS of .812 in the desert. He works hard and will continue doing so in order to realize his dream.
As for the beginning of 2012, unless Corey Hart’s surgically-repaired meniscus forces him to begin the season on the disabled list, chances are good the Schafer will head to Nashville to once again fill the starting centerfielder role in order to play every day and stay ready. If Hart doesn’t miss any regular season time, there simply isn’t any room in Milwaukee’s outfield as currently constructed.
Ryan Braun, and the platoon of Nyjer Morgan and Carlos Gomez will start in the outfield alongside Hart, with Norichika Aoki likely being the primary backup at all spots (assuming the Japanese import’s bat gets going by the end of Spring Training).
Schafer, on the other hand, is having a tremendous Spring Training, for what it’s worth. In 18 at-bats prior to today, Schafer has 10 hits including three doubles and two triples. He has scored three runs and driven in three more. He’s also swiped one base while being caught once.
Yes, the future is bright for the native Californian product from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It just seems that he’s currently in a bit of the situation Mat Gamel has been dealing with for years: no spot to play yet on the 25-man roster.
But as in Gamel’s case, for Schafer it only seems to be a matter of when an opening presents itself as opposed to if it will.
One thing which you can be sure of is that when opportunity comes knocking, Logan Schafer will be ready to walk through the door.
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #23 Rickie Weeks
When you have your brain tuned to sports and you hear the number 23, what’s the first thing or whose is the first name that comes to mind?
I think for the majority of people in the Midwest, and perhaps still around the country, the first thought is one of long-time NBA superstar (and short-time MLB minor-leaguer) Michael Jordan.
Jordan wore the number 45 during his brief time with the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, but he is certainly remembered more vividly for his time in the red and black with the 23 on his back.
I only bring this up to illustrate that I was the same way for a long time. I’ve never been a fan of the Chicago Bulls, but 23 was always Michael Jordan.
Until about seven years ago.
With all due respect to Andrew Lorraine and Mark Leiter before him, it was in the 2005 season that I first started to really notice that the Brewers had this dynamite prospect who wore 23 in a short September call up in 2003.
Perhaps it was the high profile of said prospect, and perhaps it was also due to the building injury history or the talk about his hands being as soft as concrete that helped him stick in my mind. Positives and negatives are all a part of the first and lasting impression of someone who we meet.
The offensive talent was undeniable though, and you could sense that the defense would come around with repetitions and practice. It has, and the man who I now think of first and foremost when hearing “23” is:
Rickie Weeks.
I could regale you with stories of how Rickie Darnell Weeks led the NCAA in batting average in 2002 and 2003 (.495 and .479 respectively) which helped him set the NCAA record for career batting average (.473) and helped him win the Golden Spikes Award, the Dick Howser Trophy, and two-time recognition as his conference’s Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Hitter of the Year.
I could tell you that Weeks was a finalist in 2003 for the Sullivan Award which is given to the top amateur athlete in the country, regardless of sport.
But I won’t do that because this is more about how Weeks fared in 2011 and his outlook for 2012.
Anybody that sees Weeks up close and in person is amazed at his physical condition. At 5’10” and 220 pounds, most people guess he’s an NFL strong safety rather than an MLB second baseman. He is physically impressive if not imposing.
Owner of some of the quickest hands on the team, Weeks had to overcome being too quick at times early in his career. His bat was getting in and out of the hitting zone too fast and it was resulting in worse contact than he should’ve been getting.
Watching him progress on the field has been a true delight for this baseball fan. His quiet confidence and professionalism have been hallmarks of his time as a Brewer and his consistent production when he’s been healthy has been a source of pride when discussing the Brewers with fans of rival teams.
It’s that “when he’s been healthy” part that has kept Weeks from becoming one of the game’s elite to this point.
Weeks’ has had surgery on both of his wrists on separate occasions. That’s a physical ailment which has been corrected. A freak injury took him out of the lineup during the summer of 2011 though, a year which finally saw him getting the national recognition for which fans in Milwaukee have been clamoring.
The “first half” of the season saw Weeks put up a line of .278/.351/.486, 67 runs, 103 hits, 22 doubles, 2 triples, 17 home runs, and walk 40 times in 370 at-bats over 91 games. (The first of those home runs was the first time a Milwaukee Brewer had ever opened a season with a home run.) Weeks was rewarded with not only a trip to his first All-Star Game, but he was elected the starting second baseman which is reliant on popular fan voting.
Weeks participated in the Home Run Derby as a member of captain (and teammate) Prince Fielder’s National League squad. He hit three home runs on the day which wasn’t nearly enough to win, but he finally got to bask in a bit of that national spotlight.
A couple of personal milestones were reached during the 2011 season as well. Weeks hit his 100th career home run on June 5 against the (now Miami) Marlins. He also notched his 100th career stolen base in a game against the Giants on July 23.
All of this came prior to the freak injury I made reference to a few paragraphs ago.
In a game against the Chicago Cubs, while trying to beat out an infield ground ball, Weeks stretched for the first base bag as he had done many times before while busting it down the line. His foot hit the bag in a way that caused his ankle to bend with such severity and due to such force that when he instantly tumbled to the ground the majority of fans assumed the ankle was broken.
Fortunately, in a manner of speaking, Weeks only had severely sprained the ankle. He ended up missing a total of 39 games and came back before his ankle was ready because the team’s offense was struggling so badly without him.
At the time of the injury, Weeks was second in the National League in runs scored, tied for fifth in total bases, tied for sixth in extra base hits, tenth in total hits and tied for tenth in doubles. He went only 9-for-37 (.243) in the 14 regular season games he played in after returning and only hit .146 (6-for-41) in 11 games in the playoffs.
When he reported for Spring Training last month, Weeks stated that his ankle still wasn’t 100% healed from the injury at that time. He expected it to be 100% for Opening Day 2012, however, which we are rapidly approaching.
As the only returning member of the infield from Opening Day 2011, Weeks’ veteran presence in and quiet leadership of the Milwaukee clubhouse will be a very welcome and necessary thing.
The other thing that Weeks needs because everybody else is new is plays on defense. His own defensive timing will be important, but his timing with Alex Gonzalez will be especially so. Gonzalez is Weeks’ new double-play partner and the fourth new primary shortstop Weeks will play with in four years. After a year of dealing with the shortcomings of Yuniesky Betancourt, Weeks will welcome a return to defensive prowess in the man to his right.
As far as offensively, Weeks looks to return to the leadoff spot in Ron Roenicke’s lineup. After Corey Hart found success leading off following Weeks’ ankle injury last season, Roenicke left Hart atop the batting order for the balance of the year. Weeks never liked hitting fifth and said so publicly this spring. Hart has been on the record as saying he didn’t like hitting fifth either, but clarified his comments by saying this spring that he only didn’t like hitting fifth because he was hitting behind Fielder.
With that combination of preferences, and as evidenced by many games throughout the spring so far, it is safe to assume that Weeks will have the opportunity to lead off another season with a home run on April 6 at Miller Park.
It’s an opportunity which is 23 days hence, and one that for Weeks and fans alike can’t come soon enough.
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #27 Carlos Gomez
After yesterday’s one day break, in large part because of the Detroit Tigers and Victor Martinez’ knee, “Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers” returns as we are inside of four weeks until Opening Day!
Just close your eyes and imagine the…wait, bad idea. If you close your eyes you won’t be able to read what I’m describing.
Seriously though, we’re 27 days away from filling Miller Park and the parking lots surrounding it with the sounds, smells, and sights of game day.
I can’t wait.
Unfortunately, we all have to wait those 27 days.
If I had to guess, though, today’s subject will find a way to get there in 26 days because he really just might be able to cover that much ground that fast.
Of course I’m talking about the Brewers’ resident defensive genius:
Carlos Gomez.
The 26-year-old (born: December 4, 1985) native of the Dominican Republic, Carlos Argelis Gomez covers as much ground as anyone while manning the outfield for the Milwaukee Brewers.
How much ground? Well, when he was with the Minnesota Twins a few years ago, it was said that Gomez was the most likely player to catch a fly ball at the foul line from his center field spot.
Care for another example? Just a couple of days ago the Brewers were running pop-up priority drills where the pitching machine would send balls into the air and it was up to the defenders to determine who would make the catch. Brewers third base coach Ed Sedar was running the drill and let Gomez, who was playing right field for the drill, know that the next pop-up was for him.
The ball was purposefully popped up on the infield grass.
Gomez made the catch.
It was actually Gomez incredible range that got him hurt last year, in a manner of speaking. In a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 20th, a ball that most centerfielders would have let bounce in front of them was hit to shallow center. Gomez got close enough to make a diving catch and broke his collarbone in the process. He missed six weeks of action, returning to the majors in September.
Gomez’ play in the field has never been in question during his time in the big leagues. What relegated him to a fairly hard platoon in 2011 was his play at the plate.
He hit .225 for the season (52-for-231) with eight home runs, 24 RBI, and was 16-for-18 on stolen base attempts. However, he also only walked 15 times and struck out 64 times. That resulted in an on-base percentage of only .276 which doesn’t allow Gomez to utilize his speed enough on the bases. As for his slugging percentage of .403 (built with 11 doubles and three triples to go along with the eight homers), it’s nowhere near enough for a guy that believes himself to be capable of being a number three hitter in a big league lineup.
Gomez’ body lends itself to that end. He stands 6’4″ and weighs 210 pounds and when he turns on a pitch and makes solid contact, the baseball gets where it’s going pretty quickly.
The power that is present, however, also betrays Gomez. There are times when it seems that he is staying within himself and driving the ball the other way but then he hits a massive home run and his plate discipline disappears from his at-bats almost as quickly as the ball over the fence.
When you can pull a ball with the authority that Gomez can, pitchers will pound the outside corner both on and just off the plate. It is only by laying off of those pitches or taking them the other way consistently that will force pitchers to come back to the inside when Gomez can then turn on them and unleash his power. Sometimes is feels like Gomez is so amped up at the plate that he simply doesn’t have the patience to force the pitcher into giving him the best pitch to hit.
If he can ever truly reign in his abilities, he’ll be as amazing to watch with a bat in his hands as he is with a glove on one of them.
That hardly means that Gomez is without merit for this team. He is a tremendous defender as I have stated but he can definitely contribute as a pinch-runner and is also dynamic at the plate in bunting situations. He won’t be able to keep a starting job in an outfield over the course of an entire season unless his offense improves. Unfortunately in this day and age of the game, offense is expected from every position on the diamond with the possible exception of catcher if a team is stacked everywhere else.
You don’t have to have a ton of power in center field though, and that’s where Gomez needs to make an adjustment if his goal is to start 150 games. He might be able to increase his batting average and on-base percentage enough to warrant those starts if he alters his approach. The only one that stands in the batters box is Gomez though, so he has to want to do it. The big thing is that he is just entering his prime years from a physical standpoint.
The bottom line right now for Gomez is that he’ll make the team by rolling out of bed each morning but he’ll also likely be back in a platoon with Nyjer Morgan to begin the year. Morgan hit well over .300 last year against right-handed pitching but can’t hit his weight against lefties. Gomez fills those starts which aren’t nearly as often.
The only wrinkle could be the meniscus tear suffered by Corey Hart which Hart had surgery to correct this past Tuesday. If Hart misses time at the beginning of the season then Gomez could possibly start on Opening Day. That will depend on what Manager Ron Roenicke decides to do with the open right-fielder job. Then again, if Hart doesn’t start in RF on Opening Day, it could very well be Japanese import Nori Aoki, a left-handed hitter, who gets the spot start against likely a right-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Regardless, expect plenty of web gems out of Carlos Gomez this season along with the occasional flashing of power at the plate. On those occasions he reaches bases safely via a walk or hit, don’t blink or you might miss him stealing a base.
The bad news is that, like has been said, you can’t steal first base. That’s a shame for Gomez who’d certainly be on much more if he was allowed to.
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You can follow Carlos Gomez on Twitter @C_Gomez27.
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #41 Marco Estrada
What a 48 hour period it has been for the Brewers!
Without rehashing stuff which you can read by scrolling down (or perhaps going out to the root of the blog and then scrolling down), Ryan Braun will be in the Opening Day lineup this season!
As this series is all about counting down to Opening Day, it’s quite a bit of a boost to my mood as we tick ever closer to eight days away from it before finally previewing Corey Hart on April 5.
Today, though, is not one or eight days away. Today, Saturday, February 25th is 41 days away from Opening Day and we take a look at the only man to start a game on the mound for Milwaukee in 2011 who wasn’t in the projected starting rotation coming into Spring Training:
Marco Estrada.
After spending parts of two seasons with the Washington Nationals, Marco Rene Estrada was placed on waivers and, after a recommendation from a Brewers coach, was subsequently claimed by the Brewers on February 3, 2010.
The portion of his 2010 season at the big league level began when he was called up on May 17th. He replaced an injured Jim Edmonds on the roster. He made seven appearances over the next two weeks and finished with an ERA of 9.53 after allowing seven earned runs over his final three appearances before going on the 15-day DL with shoulder fatigue, ending his season. In other words, 2010 was nothing to write home about.
Estrada was outrighted off Milwaukee’s 40-man roster after the season (October 8, 2010 to be precise) and went into Spring Training last year with a bit of uncertainty.
Spring Training 2011 saw him perform well enough that when a starting pitcher was needed to cover for Zack Greinke to begin the season, it was Estrada’s number 41 that was called. In fact, the handful of times that a starter was needed throughout 2011, it was Estrada who filled in each time.
It allowed the Brewers to be the only team in the Major Leagues to use as few as six starting pitchers during the 2011 regular season. A fact which absolutely contributed to Milwaukee’s franchise-best 96 wins.
It also suggests that Estrada will begin the 2012 season as the swingman in the bullpen, and hopefully that’s where he’ll stay. I know it’s naive to hope for it, but a full season of starts from the five projected starters would be that much more helpful in replicating or surpassing the success of the six-man group.
The real problem to Estrada being in the bullpen the entire season is that his contributions as a starting pitcher far outweighed those he brought as a relief pitcher.
Estrada’s line as a starter was 3-2 in seven starts. In those starts, he pitched 41.1 innings allowing 17 earned runs (3.70 ERA), 35 hits, 10 walks (1.09 WHIP), while striking out 33 batters. He worked down in the zone and was able to put together a 1.78 ratio of outs on the ground to outs in the air.
But out of the ‘pen? A 1-6 record, and 4.38 ERA in 51.1 innings spread across 36 appearances. He gave up 48 hits, 28 runs (25 earned), 6 home runs, and 19 walks. His WHIP was 1.31 and his out-type ratio flipped to 0.93 which is to say there were more outs made through the air. His strikeout rate was better as a reliever (he struck out 55 in those 51.1), but that was about the only thing he did better.
Estrada makes the most sense to be held as a swingman in the majors based on his production when filling in, but he isn’t very useful in short relief situations. Fortunately for the Brewers, they’ve got plenty of talented arms that do specialize in those jobs.
Then again, Estrada doesn’t have to head north with the team. If I recall correctly, Estrada still has one minor-league option remaining. The team tried to send him down in 2010 but the option was voided when Estrada went on the DL instead. He was then outrighted as I said, and added back to the 40-man in 2011 when he came up to start, but never went back down after that. Therefore, should the team choose to, Estrada would be eligible for a depth-saving demotion to begin the year (or at any other time during 2012).
To bottom line it for you, if the team would rather disregard Estrada’s contributions to their 2011 success and force him to stay stretched out in Nashville as their first option to cover any missed starts, it would be within their power to do so. The other thing to consider is that if they view Manny Parra as a long-reliever as well, you don’t really have the space for two of those in most bullpens. Parra, of course, is out of options.
Personally, I see Estrada staying on the 25-man roster when camp breaks and filling the aforementioned long-relief role.
As with only a couple of other jobs up for grabs this spring, time will be the ultimate judge and we’ll know more once the team gets a few exhibition games under its belt.
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #54 Caleb Gindl
After a two day break because of coach Joe Crawford and bullpen catcher Marcus Hanel, Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers is back as we sit 54 days away from Opening Day 2012!
The owner of jersey 54 is none other than recent 40-man roster addition and outfield prospect:
Caleb Gindl.
Caleb Charles Gindl was drafted by the Brewers out of high school in the 5th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. He has risen steadily through the minor-league system.
After signing in 2007, Gindl spent the balance of the year in the Pioneer League with the rookie ball Helena Brewers. Gindl started 2008 in Low-A ball with the West Virgina Power and played the entire season there. 2009 was spent entirely in High-A as a Brevard County Manatee. Double-A was Gindl’s home for all of 2010. In keeping with tradition, Gindl spent one full season with only one club and at a level higher than he player the previous year. In other words, Gindl’s 2011 season was as a member of the Nashville Sounds.
Chances are that 2012 will break Gindl’s streak. Even if there happens to be an open spot in the outfield at Miller Park for a while to begin the season, and even if Gindl wins the 5th outfielder spot on the 25-man roster, there will be five outfielders on the roster for the majority of the season which means that Gindl will assuredly see time in Nashville this year. (I personally believe that any opening in the outfield will be filled by Logan Schafer, but that’s neither here nor there for the purposes of this article.)
Gindl stands 5’9″, a height that has many scouts questioning the chances for his game to translate to a big league level. Then again, that same stature had people questioning his ability to succeed at Triple-A, and at Double-A. Gindl has proven the doubters wrong at every step, even to the point where national baseball writers are taking notice and saying that he stands a good chance to win the top backup outfielder spot, whether that’s with Milwaukee or not, to begin the season.
The major thing working against Gindl is that he doesn’t really have a fit right now in a major league outfield. His offense profiles as a center fielder but his defense will probably restrict him to playing the corners. His professional career batting average rounds up to .300 and he sports an .845 OPS. Gindl hasn’t been very consistent over his minor league career year-over-year, but some of that is to be expected since he’s spent each year in a different league and against different pitchers.
Gindl has been said be without good stolen-base speed but is a fair base runner that can stretch some long singles into doubles. He has been improving his contact and walk rates and I’ve read plenty about how he possesses enough arm to play right field at the big league level.
If Gindl does break camp with the Brewers, it’ll be interesting to see how he is utilized off the bench. He bats left-handed so there’s no real platoon advantage to be had should they shift Corey Hart to first base against a tough left-handed pitcher later in the season.
The bottom line for Gindl is that barring something catastrophic, he’ll break his advancement streak this year. Another round of seasoning at Nashville can only benefit the Florida native and, like Logan Schafer before him, even if nothing opens up all season in Milwaukee a strong effort could definitely earn him a September call up for his first taste of the show.
Without question is that Caleb Gindl is a name to keep an eye out for when you’re reading through Spring Training reports over the next few weeks.
Milwaukee Brewers 25-Man Roster Comes Into Focus…For Now
By: Big Rygg
- Yovani Gallardo
- Shaun Marcum
- Randy Wolf
- Chris Narveson
- John Axford
- Takashi Saito
- Kameron Loe
- Sean Green
- Zach Braddock
- Mitch Stetter
- Sergio Mitre
- Brandon Kintzler
- George Kottaras
- Wil Nieves
- 1B – Prince Fielder
- 2B – Rickie Weeks
- SS – Yuniesky Betancourt
- 3B – Casey McGehee
- Bench – Craig Counsell
- Bench – Erick Almonte
- LF – Ryan Braun
- CF – Carlos Gomez
- RF – Mark Kotsay
- Bench – Jeremy Reed
- Bench – Nyjer Morgan
Brewer Nation
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