MLB 2024 Season

[MUfan12]

Additionally, if Mark sells, there is a decent chance there are no more Milwaukee Brewers.

If only I could think of another team in Milwaukee with non-local owners that spend like crazy and have won a title....

[Lennys Tap]

I think the job of a closer has gotten infinitely harder these days, especially in the playoffs.  Feels like the vast majority of closers are beholden to plus level fastballs.  With the trend towards some version of 3 outcome hitting, a lot of these hitters are sitting fastball, especially against a guy who wants to chuck gas.  So unless the closer has a wipeout slider thats working, you get a hitter waiting on that pitch and hitters have gotten REALLY good and have a ton of tools for study.

I think thats why you see so many good closers struggle lately in the playoffs.  Hader, Williams, Chapman, Kimbrel, etc...They will get smacked in pressure points in the playoffs and then be an All Star the next year,  so its not like they are just washed

Closers are two pitch (or in rare cases one pitch) pitchers. If they had 3 (or more) reliable pitches they would be starters. They need to command their fastball to get ahead of the hitter, then throw their "wipeout" pitch (change up or slider usually) out of the strike zone and let the hitter get himself out. If their command is off and they're pitching from behind that wipe out pitch out of the strike zone isn't in play. That's when bad things happen.

[Uncle Rico]

If only I could think of another team in Milwaukee with non-local owners that spend like crazy and have won a title....

Is this a fair comp?  I know this is a popular take but the sports are wildly different.

[MUfan12]

Is this a fair comp?  I know this is a popular take but the sports are wildly different.

Not totally fair, but the idea that Mark would have to sell to someone local for the team to stay is even more absurd.

[Hards Alumni]

If only I could think of another team in Milwaukee with non-local owners that spend like crazy and have won a title....

Salary capped league with a new stadium they're tied to for 20+ years.

[Hards Alumni]

Eh.  Any new owner is stuck in Milwaukee for awhile with the new stadium deal they agreed to.

Oh, yeah, forgot the new deal keeping them around went through in the last year, my bad.

[Hards Alumni]

Not totally fair, but the idea that Mark would have to sell to someone local for the team to stay is even more absurd.

No one suggested that though.

[wadesworld]

Salary capped league with a new stadium they're tied to for 20+ years.

Yup.  Plus, when you have the best player in the world in basketball, your team will be competitive.  When you have the best player in baseball, you might be the LA Angels.

[tower912]

Two best players, in Trout and Ohtani.

[Uncle Rico]

Not totally fair, but the idea that Mark would have to sell to someone local for the team to stay is even more absurd.

That is correct.  There isn't a local that I can think of that would buy the club.  It'll be an out-of-towner if he would sell.

[The Sultan]

Anyone who thinks Mark A. is a poor owner should look at teams like the As.

[MUfan12]

I don't need Mark to spend like the Mets. But he's gotta stretch at some point. Wasting Burnes and Woodruff's last few years of team control without getting the offense help (Cutch doesn't count) was so bad.

I was fine with them not spending going into this year, given what they had coming back. But this year showed the young guys can hang, that Chourio is on a star trajectory, and the pitching depth is ridiculous. Now's the time to push the chips in. Get some guys who can give Chourio some actual protection in the lineup. You can't let Willy walk and hope that Yelich is healthy, and that'll be enough offense.

The idea that "hey, we're a small market what else do you want?" drives me up the wall. If you're good enough to get to the postseason this often you do whatever is necessary to break through. Right now, the organization seems comfortable being the Twins of the 2000s. Yeah it's better than when Bud and Wendy owned the team, but you can't scold fans for wanting to see some actual ambition.

[Uncle Rico]

I don't need Mark to spend like the Mets. But he's gotta stretch at some point. Wasting Burnes and Woodruff's last few years of team control without getting the offense help (Cutch doesn't count) was so bad.

I was fine with them not spending going into this year, given what they had coming back. But this year showed the young guys can hang, that Chourio is on a star trajectory, and the pitching depth is ridiculous. Now's the time to push the chips in. Get some guys who can give Chourio some actual protection in the lineup. You can't let Willy walk and hope that Yelich is healthy, and that'll be enough offense.

The idea that "hey, we're a small market what else do you want?" drives me up the wall. If you're good enough to get to the postseason this often you do whatever is necessary to break through. Right now, the organization seems comfortable being the Twins of the 2000s. Yeah it's better than when Bud and Wendy owned the team, but you can't scold fans for wanting to see some actual ambition.

I agree with this.  They can't go into '25 without adding bats.  They can win now.

[Lennys Tap]

Anyone who thinks Mark A. is a poor owner should look at teams like the As.

You don't have to look thousands of miles west - just look 100 miles south!

[tower912]

I fear that the Tigers' run is going to convince more owners that winning on the cheap can be done routinely and that their teams should aspire to that.

[Jockey]

Is this a fair comp?  I know this is a popular take but the sports are wildly different.

Not very fair at all. Every team in the NBA plays under same rules when it comes to money. In baseball some teams have a $60M payroll - others $300M.

[GB Warrior]

I don't need Mark to spend like the Mets. But he's gotta stretch at some point. Wasting Burnes and Woodruff's last few years of team control without getting the offense help (Cutch doesn't count) was so bad.

I was fine with them not spending going into this year, given what they had coming back. But this year showed the young guys can hang, that Chourio is on a star trajectory, and the pitching depth is ridiculous. Now's the time to push the chips in. Get some guys who can give Chourio some actual protection in the lineup. You can't let Willy walk and hope that Yelich is healthy, and that'll be enough offense.

The idea that "hey, we're a small market what else do you want?" drives me up the wall. If you're good enough to get to the postseason this often you do whatever is necessary to break through. Right now, the organization seems comfortable being the Twins of the 2000s. Yeah it's better than when Bud and Wendy owned the team, but you can't scold fans for wanting to see some actual ambition.

This. There are years to contract and years to make the push. I obviously like to always be competing, and they obviously have been extremely successful there. But to waste the best (team controlled) pitching staff we have ever had is criminal...even if you take the hit in subsequent years.

[wadesworld]

I don't need Mark to spend like the Mets. But he's gotta stretch at some point. Wasting Burnes and Woodruff's last few years of team control without getting the offense help (Cutch doesn't count) was so bad.

I was fine with them not spending going into this year, given what they had coming back. But this year showed the young guys can hang, that Chourio is on a star trajectory, and the pitching depth is ridiculous. Now's the time to push the chips in. Get some guys who can give Chourio some actual protection in the lineup. You can't let Willy walk and hope that Yelich is healthy, and that'll be enough offense.

The idea that "hey, we're a small market what else do you want?" drives me up the wall. If you're good enough to get to the postseason this often you do whatever is necessary to break through. Right now, the organization seems comfortable being the Twins of the 2000s. Yeah it's better than when Bud and Wendy owned the team, but you can't scold fans for wanting to see some actual ambition.

But that's pretty much exactly what Mark has always done.  When he feels he has a real chance, he goes for it.  2018, 2011, 2021.

There's a TON of luck in winning a World Series.  The best team doesn't always win.  Get yourself into the Playoffs and hope you're hot at the right time. 

[tower912]

Yes.  Get in, get hot.  Like NCState.

[MUfan12]

But that's pretty much exactly what Mark has always done.  When he feels he has a real chance, he goes for it.  2018, 2011, 2021.

There's a TON of luck in winning a World Series.  The best team doesn't always win.  Get yourself into the Playoffs and hope you're hot at the right time.

2018 and '19 are the closest to a genuine go at it, with Cain/Moose/Grandal and the Yelich deal. After that it was pretty half ass.

And of course there's luck involved. But when the areas you're good at go sideways in the playoffs every year, that ain't just bad luck.

[tower912]

The opponent is a good team and it is a short series.   Sometimes, it is nothing but small mistakes and bad luck.

[Jockey]

My final word(s) on who should have pitched the 9th:

Bruce Bochyq and Josh Sborz.

[PGsHeroes32]

Its what got them here so cant really fault it much, but really dont see the point in HOlton as the opener for the Tigers today.

Olson was a top starter in the AL for a bunch of the first half until he got hurt. Just let him start the game.

There is much match up to play when Kwan(elite bat to ball skills), Fry(righty), Ramirez(switch and better right handed) start off. Basically HOlton is there for Naylor??

And then I think it was compounded that if you do go that route, you cant bring in a starter like Olson out of the pen mid inning. Bring someone else in. Let Olson start a clean second

in 1 pitch you saw why. Olson was great after that.

[PGsHeroes32]

One bad pitch to a guy you cant throw a meatball to

But Senga looked really good in his two innings. Bummer for Mets he basically missed the whole season so he could only go 2

[tower912]

Holton has been very good all year, not just the last two months.  Not today.    Good to see Olson stretch it out a little.   But you dance with who brung ya.
Everytime in the last 8 weeks that Detroit has lost, that little voice whispered that the run was over.  Every time, the kids shrugged and bounced back.  Hopefully, Skubal is his normal self on Monday.

Now, for everyone's favorite cliche.

House money.