How to Solve a Pitching Log Jam

I wrote last week about how the Milwaukee Brewers recent home stand was the biggest part of the year so far and they have risen up to the occasion. Now with one pitcher hanging out in Nashville awaiting his fate, the Brewers can officially say they are in a logjam.

I think the Crew is happy with the team they have right now and really do not want to ruin the chemistry especially when they have won the last six of seven playing their best baseball.  They are hitting with runners in scoring positions, the pitchers are making it past the fifth inning, and the bullpen is rock solid. I don't think any of us expect this at the beginning of June, and now I am beginning to read that the Brewers might even be buyers during the trading deadline.  What kind of alternate world am I living in right now?  A team that still is seven games under is going to be a buyer?

That tells me the Brewers believe the turn is being made and now the question remains what will they do about their starting staff with Doug Davis ready to come back?  My dad's theory was the Crew is keeping Davis down there as long as possible because they are trying to work out a trade. I tend to agree that might want to deal Davis but no one is safe right now amongst the lefties. Dave Bush is probably safe because he is the lone righty other than Yovani Gallardo who we all know is safe. I will be level five pissed if Davis is immediately inserted into the rotation because Ken Macha says 'the players make the lineup' and if that's the case, Davis doesn't deserve to start.  My plead to management is they learned from the Jeff Suppan mistake that they shouldn't reward pitchers with a start just because they have a larger contract than a guy like Chris Narveson or Manny Parra.

Both of those guys belong in the rotation due to their great performance. I personally love that Manny had 5 wild pitches, why?  He is throwing his splitter with confidence, something that he has never done before. So far this month, we haven't seen Manny lose his shit as he has done in the past.  Narveson just gave his best performance of his career and with a big start against St. Louis this weekend, he can really make a name for himself.  Like Parra, Narverson's confidence is getting higher and higher by each start.  No reason why they should ruin confidence of two young pitchers. 

The Brewers have had to make these decisions before and usually they have been the wrong choice.  Please do not let it happen again because that turn you think is happening will hit a stone wall.

-Charlie.

Double D Returns to Milwaukee

Just so Mitch doesn't get excited, I am not talking about a return visit from a big-boobed stripper at Silk Erotica.  I am talking about Doug Davis, who I am not sure how I feel about him and his sweet soul patch. I hope he kept that though because if he sucks, at least he has a soul patch. 

I am disappointed somewhat because I would rather have seen Jon Garland who really hasn't pitched much in the NL or Joel Pinero (just signed with Los Angeles Angles) in my opinion, one of the more underrated pitchers in the National League because he plays on a stacked Cardinal team. I feel like the Brewers just settled on a guy like Davis and didn't make a good enough push to convince Garland into coming to the Brew City.

I am not personally too excited about the signing for one big thing... walks.  Since 2005, double D has been either first or second in the league in walks.  I hate walks more than a grenade showing up a host party I am hosting. I can deal with Gallardo's inconsistency to find the strike zone because he is a younger pitcher and still figuring out some things out.  The same goes for Manny Parra, but these older guys who do not have control, there is no excuse for that sort of thing.   I do like that Davis is an innings-eater and is mostly injury-free.  The Crew really doesn't have a guy who can go six or seven innings resting our bullpen and that was the dealth knelt of our team last season.

If I were Ken Macha, this would be how my rotation would look like this...
SP Yovani Gallardo
SP Randy Wolf
SP Manny Parra
SP Jeff Suppan
SP Doug Davis 

You mix the older more experienced pitchers with the younger guys and a combination of lefty-rightys that could create problems for batters. Granted, some might argue going back-to-back with Parra/Suppan may spell disaster for us when the Crew go 2-3-4, or 3-4-5 but mark my words, Parra will have a breakout year for the Brewers, the first prediction of the year.

-Charlie.