Braun wants to be GM.... Calls out pitching staff after loss

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What I'd say about Braun is very un-Christian

So I’ll just say he probably should keep his mouth shut about these things in public.

And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.

by Ace Venom on Jul 5, 2009 8:06 PM CDT reply actions

That's what I was thinking

even if it’s true keep it in house. Not sure if this would hurt any trade negotiations they may have, but it wouldn’t help.

by LT on Jul 5, 2009 8:15 PM CDT up reply actions

That's ok he's Jewish

"I daydream just like everybody else, I just do it with my body facing the field, so everybody thinks I'm paying attention."- Greg Maddux

by Doggie Stalker on Jul 5, 2009 9:25 PM CDT up reply actions

Only half.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Jul 6, 2009 4:08 AM CDT up reply actions

The top or bottom?

by CaliCub on Jul 6, 2009 8:22 AM CDT up reply actions

Yes Rabbi

I say the power hiting half is Jewish and the asshole part is goy ?

"I daydream just like everybody else, I just do it with my body facing the field, so everybody thinks I'm paying attention."- Greg Maddux

by Doggie Stalker on Jul 6, 2009 3:10 PM CDT up reply actions

I wonder

how my half-jewish self is divided.

I'm a Cubs FANATIC. They are my team, through thick and thin. [ibid] This is the kind of fan I am.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 6, 2009 3:36 PM CDT up reply actions

I cannot stand him...

"Check the magic of a winning season and there are always reasons beyond the talent." Ned Colleti

by wrigleyrocker12 on Jul 5, 2009 8:25 PM CDT reply actions

What... a Brewer's implosion..

Sounds like an unexpected gift to me. Let ‘em have at it. Thanks Ryan. I’ve heard that telling your own teammates they’re lousy is a great way to unravel a team, so i guess we’ll see if that theory holds.

by DisCUBbobulated on Jul 5, 2009 8:34 PM CDT reply actions

and the inevitable downfall begins.

I'm a Cubs FANATIC. They are my team, through thick and thin. [ibid] This is the kind of fan I am.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 5, 2009 8:39 PM CDT reply actions

You'll be happy to know....

… your graph is featured at the bizarro BCB. They “yawn” over it, yet feature it nonetheless. One day they’ll conquer their insecurities.

"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008

by BeerCub on Jul 5, 2009 8:53 PM CDT up reply actions

oh

that’s where I got it from.

Schadenfreude is GRAAAAAND.

I'm a Cubs FANATIC. They are my team, through thick and thin. [ibid] This is the kind of fan I am.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 5, 2009 8:55 PM CDT up reply actions

awwwwwkwwwwward

bet that’ll be an awkward locker room once the pitchers catch word of that quote.

by spain2323 on Jul 5, 2009 8:53 PM CDT reply actions

Braun is a bubble-eyed alien creature who is more interested in marketing a

new clothes line than in playing baseball. Brewer fans are not too happy about this:

http://www.brewcrewball.com/2009/5/28/891843/an-experiment-tell-me-why-im-wrong

"I'm not much of a chemistry guy, you know. Chemistry to me is a pinch-hit double with the bases loaded"--Jim Frey, Chicago Tribune, 1985.

by zevkalman on Jul 5, 2009 9:51 PM CDT reply actions

Very Surprised at the comments

Obviously he was speaking out of frustration. I was surprised that he said “their pitchers are better than ours”, instead of “their pitchers were better this weekend”. He kind of backtracked.

My question is…is he wrong? No. Our pitchers are better, and that should show over a 162 game schedule. Hopefully.

The Brewers seem to regularly show their age/maturity. Makes me chuckle.

I have nothing funny or creative to write.

by Canadian Cubs Fan on Jul 5, 2009 10:06 PM CDT reply actions

I don't see anything wrong with what he said

And I don’t like the guy.

What’s the big deal?

I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Jul 6, 2009 9:01 AM CDT reply actions

Would you feel that way...

…if your name was Mike Burns or Jeff Suppan or Seth McClung? (I presume Gallardo recognizes that he’s exempt from Braun’s remarks.) Ryan is absolutely correct, but those are some pretty harsh words to be unleashing in the national spotlight. Maybe Braun feels he’s taking a leadership role by doing so, but I’d argue he’s still a little young to be going quite that far. But, hey, if it distracts/unsettles the Brewers, I’m certainly not going to complain.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Jul 6, 2009 9:47 AM CDT up reply actions

I suppose . . .

It didn’t come across to me as ripping them, though.

I guess we’ll see how they respond.

I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Jul 6, 2009 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm sure they loved it

when he said they weren’t as good as the Cubs pitching staff. He needs to learn what to keep in house. But like Daver says below, works for me if it distracts them from winning.

by LT on Jul 6, 2009 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions

They shouldn't have let go of Mike Maddux.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.

by SackMan on Jul 6, 2009 10:33 AM CDT reply actions

They didn't

Texas offered him MUCH more money & freedom. Also he came with his old friend Yost so he was probably odd man out.

"I daydream just like everybody else, I just do it with my body facing the field, so everybody thinks I'm paying attention."- Greg Maddux

by Doggie Stalker on Jul 6, 2009 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't see what the big whoop is

unless you really believe that a player should feel obligated to keep his mouth shut for the sake of clubhouse cohesion. He also called out the Brewers offense in the series too, and saying that the Cubs starting rotation is better is hardly a news flash, our rotation is among the best in baseball.

I doubt many Cub position players would have been thrilled to see Zambrano or Lilly hit the road as Sabathia did prior to the season either.

by BeltwayCubsFan on Jul 6, 2009 12:46 PM CDT reply actions

Eh

He probably should’ve toed a company line better… but I don’t see anything horribly wrong with what he said.

Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it. -George Halas

by Allie on Jul 6, 2009 1:50 PM CDT reply actions

I'm loathe to defend Braun, but will do so all the same.

From time to time on here, a few of us have commented that we think a lot of what is said about Milton Bradley is media-driven spin. In response, many seem to doubt the media could or would make someone seem as petulant, erratic and childish as Bradley has been. Well, whatever your thoughts on the specific example of MB, this fanshot/article are a perfect reminder of exactly how easy it is for the media to create a scandal where none exists.

Look at what Braun actually said:

bq"I wish I got to make decisions like that," Braun said with a smile. "I wish I was in those conversations. I know he’s trying to make our ball club better. I know he recognizes the importance of making a move and making it soon.
“At the same, I think everybody has recognized there are a lot of teams still in the race. There are not too many teams willing to give guys up and if they are, the asking price is pretty high.
“That being said, it would be nice to make a move and it would be nice to do something to help us out for the time being. The sooner we do it, the better.”
Braun said the Cubs’ starting pitchers are “a lot better than ours.”
“They threw the ball a lot better than our starters did,” said Braun. "They certainly swung the bats better than we did as well. Clearly, they were the better team.
“It was nice to at least get one win but they clearly outplayed us and outperformed us during the series.”bq

The first statement ~~- “I wish I got to make decisions like that”~~-clearly signals that these comments were in response to a direct question about whether he thought the Brewers should make a trade. And his Answer? That its not his job to make those decisions, but he’s confident the GM is working to improve the club. The balance of his comments were just an acknowledgment that they got their brains beaten in by a better team, in every phase of the game “They threw the ball a lot better than our starters did …They certainly swung the bats better than we did as well. Clearly, they were the better team”

Those comments are completely innocuous. How are they spun? “Braun: Lets make a deal.” An obvious distortion of what he said, and a reflection more of what the original questioner wanted him to say than what he actually said. How is that headline then received: “Braun wants to be GM … Calls out pitching staff after loss.” An even bigger distortion of what he said, and a reflection only of the headline, not of his actual comments.

Sorry for the rant, but this is just too easy for sportswriters to do. And they do it all the time.

by Orval Overall on Jul 6, 2009 2:01 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Sorry for the weird formatting

the “bq” was supposed to lead off a block quote, and the strkeout was not intended to be such. I’m many comments away from being able to do this as competently as some.

by Orval Overall on Jul 6, 2009 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions

Rec'd

Well put. Although I do enjoy the thought of Braun splitting the Brewers clubhouse. That guy is talented but his ego will be his downfall someday.

by burncruisin on Jul 6, 2009 5:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Melvin says Braun was out of line

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/07/discussion-milwaukee-brewers.html

by LT on Jul 6, 2009 8:22 PM CDT reply actions

also

http://brewersbeat.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/07/brewers_gm_fires_back_at_braun.html

by LT on Jul 6, 2009 8:24 PM CDT reply actions

Quote from Doug Melvin

The Brewers were off on Monday, but Melvin told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt that Braun’s comments were “inappriopriate” and “irresponsible.”

“We all work every day from 9 a.m. to midnight, and basically 12 months a year,” Melvin told the newspaper. "I’ll be glad to have Ryan help if he wants to. I’ll give him a badge and he can be my deputy.

“I don’t know his motivation for saying it. It demoralizes the people in the organization at a time when we should be pulling together. It puts a bad taste in our mouths. That’s a pretty strong statement
.
“I understand that maybe he thinks it’s taking a leadership role. I don’t know if he’s trying to tell me I’m not doing my job. We need to stick together as an organization. We’re all trying to win.”

Pretty strong stuff from a GM in public to one of his best players.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Jul 7, 2009 4:24 AM CDT up reply actions

one more

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/brewers.html

Good quotes by Melvin- “I think he made a fundamental mistake,” said Melvin. "I didn’t hear our pitchers complaining when we lost a 1-0 game (to New York last week) or the 2-1 game in 10 innings in Chicago.

“They didn’t say the hitters weren’t doing their job. He’s hitting in front of one of the best hitters (Prince Fielder) in the game.”

Seems like he should have just had Braun benched for a game. They are keeping this in the media.

by LT on Jul 6, 2009 8:33 PM CDT reply actions

Good stuff - love it.

Seems like this Brewers team has been good for an internal implosion or two like this a season. What’s worse for the team and their fans is there really isn’t much starting pitching out there for them to trade for. Javier Vazquez’s name came up today on MLBTR but was just as quickly dismissed.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Jul 6, 2009 9:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Wow.

The Brewers do a lot of their whining in the media. Remember last year when Ned Yost made such a big deal about Sabathia not getting one call that might have cost him a no-hitter?

The Brewers went into a tailspin after that and it cost Yost his job.

To which I say, “Keep up the good work, Ryan.”

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Jul 7, 2009 4:23 AM CDT up reply actions

Yep, I remember that.

And already we’ve had Macha whining about Dempster’s so-called “headhunting” pitch. Again, it really makes me question what’s in the Milwaukee water system.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Jul 7, 2009 10:16 AM CDT up reply actions

it's only a matter of time

before Prince Fielder is shoving Eckstein-sized holes in the wall…

I'm a Cubs FANATIC. They are my team, through thick and thin. [ibid] This is the kind of fan I am.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 7, 2009 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm surprised Prince hasn't slapped a pitcher yet this year.

He really is due.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Jul 7, 2009 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions