5 Questions with Brew Crew Ball

May 25, 2008

Well, this was supposed to be a series preview, but I was out working on the lighthouse the last two days! So here you go just before game #3! I answered Jeff’s questions at Brew Crew Ball and gave him five of my own. Okay, they’re not really my own. I had Needham think some up quickly for me since he used to handle these types of Q&As! Thanks Jeff (and Chris)! This was fun!

Q: I won’t start general either and dive right in. What was the deal with the rumors of Ned Yost getting fired, particularly the one started by a non-sports blogger, and should he be?

A guy named Badger Blogger claimed to have an inside source, and whether he did or not, it turned out that the rumor was wrong. (So far, anyway!) There’s a huge contingent of Brewers fans who want to see Ned get the axe, and some of them have been calling for his head for years now.

Ned can certainly get on one’s nerves–he’s not the most charming manager in the major leagues, that’s for sure–but I think he’s gotten a lot better at the in-game stuff over the last year or so. I wouldn’t mind having him stick around, but I would understand if he got fired. The team needs some kind of push, and maybe a new face running things would accomplish that.

Q: Why do you think the Brewers are underachieving?

The back of the rotation has been iffy at best, and the offense has massive holes. Manny Parra is coming around, but both Dave Bush and Carlos Villanueva have ERAs with one too many sixes in them–and now, Villanueva is out of the rotation entirely. These guys weren’t supposed to be great, but they were supposed to be decent back-rotation options, and they haven’t come through on that.

The offense is coming around, it appears (at least before last night!), but there are still some pretty ugly batting averages. Rickie Weeks at .210, Bill Hall at .220…Prince Fielder slugging a modest .429…it’s not an embarrassing offensive team, but compared to what we expected, it’s a significant letdown.

Q: Should Prince Fielder start eating meat again?

Eh, I don’t think so. He still looks plenty strong, and he’s hit a lot of balls hard that haven’t found gaps. I think he’ll come around, but probably not to the tune of another 50 home runs. If nothing else, it’s quite the novelty: a power-hitting first baseman who is the very definition of “beefy” goes vegetarian. I’m still shaking my head a bit.

Q: What do you think of the long-term deal to Braun?

Beautiful. There’s never been any doubt Braun would hit, and he’s continued through his first full year in the majors. He’s looking decent in left field, which means he won’t have to DH, at least not for the next several years. Braun probably left millions on the table, but if I were his age and had somebody offering me close to $50 mil guaranteed, I just might bite, too.

Q: Do you want Johnny Estrada back?

Heavens no! The only reason I disliked the Estrada/Mota trade in the offseason was that it meant we had to pay Mota, when we could’ve just released Johnny and kept the money. Estrada has been made into a whipping boy among Brewers fans, and while he might not have been as bad as they say…he was pretty bad. Jason Kendall is no longer an all-star, but he’s costing us the same amount of money Estrada did, and he can actually field his position. That, and the successful running to first base, is a big step up.

Posted in MLB, Washington Nationals