Not overly shocking, considering his recent performance. It’s also not terribly uncommon in the baseball world, as his story becomes a further footnote in the book of people who cannot reach the upper echelon of baseball greatness.

It’s a tough sport, and an even tougher business that can’t afford to wait for players to get healthy and put everything together. Owners and General Managers cannot always err on the side of potential, especially when waiting for that potential to materialize as something helpful to the team.

The non-tendering of Parra’s contract is a stark reminder of this – to some fans, it’s good riddance to a man who was central in a bullpen meltdown that all but resigned the Milwaukee Brewers to the middle ranks of the NL Central.

To me, it’s a bitter-sweet moment. On the one hand, it clears up the spot for a reliever or starter who can perform well regularly and help the team get back to the top of the division. On the other, it’s letting go of a long-held desire to see Parra succeed as a Brewer.

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Ron Roenicke (10) argues with home plate umpire Joe West (22) after being ejected from a game against the Houston Astros. Photo:

As a game, baseball is unfair.  Not just on the field, but on the business end as well.  Sometimes, heads have to roll.  One Brewers coach already did a Louis XVI earlier this season, bullpen coach Stan Kyles.  I think that is enough for now, but it turns out I am in the minority of the Brew Crew Nation.  Many of you do not want to see RRR back in the dugout next season.   

We can credit this seasons disappointments to many things: poor pitching, untimely hitting, a complete and total lack of facial hair.  The one thing I do not think any of us can blame this on is the skipper, Ron Roenicke.  (I mean you can, and most of you do, but you shouldn’t) 
 
It is not Ron’s fault that his bullpen couldn’t close out a Little League World Series game.  The only guys that he can roll out there to finish of the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings, are the ones on the roster.  It’s not like he can waive a magic bullpen wand and make them all go away.  Or even better, waive the wand and make them better pitchers.  The current state of the pen leaves RRR very little to work with.  K-Rod has been a joke(2-6, 3 saves, 5.55 ERA), Axford has been uncharacteristically bad (4-7, 18 saves, 5.25 ERA), and everyone else has been adequate at best.  So, I  guess the question is, why is everyone ragging on RRR for the teams struggles? 
 
I am fairly certain that there is not a skipper on this earth that would trade places with Ron.  This guy lost his opening day shortstop, 1st baseman, and #5 starter in his rotation within the first 2 weeks of 2012.  Then you add the loss of Prince Fielder, Takashi Saito, his lover Mark Kotsay, Jerry Hairston Jr, and LaTroy Hawkins before the season even started.  Sprinkle a dash of 23 blown saves by your bullpen, two sluggers who started the season batting under .200 (Ramirez and Weeks), and finally a pinch of terrible batting with runners in scoring position…and you have the 2012 Brewers.  A mess, by any standard. 
 
Now, I am not a Ron Roenicke fan.  I did not think that he was the right person for the job when they hired him last winter (I love Dale Sveum), and that still holds true.  However, what is happening this season, can not be put on him.  And I will defend him for the duration of the season, because the assault he has taken from Brewers fans is unwarranted.  While he may not be my favorite Brewers skipper, he is certainly better than the last two (Macha and Yost). 
 
This bullpen has 23 blown saves.  TWENTY-THREE!!!!!  If they had saved even 40% of those opportunities the team would be a game over .500 and maybe Greinke would still be around.  But they didn’t, so we aren’t, and he isn’t.  Again, not Ron’s fault. 
 
Trying to predict the Crew’s offensive consistency, is a lot like trying to predict how many pounds of garbage it would take to make an entire city stink.  It’s pointless and nobody wants to know. 
 
If you are one of the many people who want Roenicke’s head to roll, just ask yourself this question:
 
If I was coaching the Brewers and we had a one run lead in the 9th inning, who do I send out to close the game?
 
That question SUCKS!!  And quite frankly, I don’t want to answer it.  Do you?  Can you imagine being in that position on Friday and Saturday night against the fricking Astros.  It is a lose/lose situation.  And if we can not stop the Astros offense from walk-off wins…who can we stop? 

Put quite simply, Brewers fans are better than regular fans.  This unnecessary assault on Ron Roenicke needs to stop.  We are not the Yankees, Phillies, or Red Sox.  Let’s not just assume that everything that is wrong with the team is the managers fault.  It is not his fault that management offered K-Rod arbitration, thus ending any hope of bringing back Hawkins and Saito.  It is not Ron’s fault that there is not a single pitcher in his bullpen that he can trust.   And it is certainly not his fault that this team has played flat and lifeless baseball from day one. 

My Dad always said, “If you dress a turd in a tuxedo, it is still a turd.”  The 2012 Brewers are lucky to even have a tuxedo.  I think that any skipper should be given at least 3 season, unless that manager is Ken Macha.  In my next piece (due next week), I will share with you why I think the Brewers are in a prime position for making a run in 2013.  And I would be extremely disappointed in Brewers management if Ron Roenicke was not a part of that.

Zack Greinke left for the Angels. George Kottaras left for Oakland.

Then, something strange happened: nothing.

The Non-Waiver Trade Deadline has officially washed over Major League Baseball, and though there were plenty of big deals going down across both leagues – the Brewers weren’t in on one of them.

Why?

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• dissapointing
• frustrating
• infuriating
• depressing
• unbelievable

Regardless of your choice of adjective, the 2012 Brewers campaign has left the Crew with quite a hill to climb in terms of taking back their Central Division title. Since late June, however, they have been quietly working their way back the only way they know how: putting one foot in front of the other.

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With the Hall of Brewers We Won’t Miss series going on back in June and a remembrance for, well, players we won’t miss, I assembled candidates for the All-Brewers We Won’t Miss team from the 2000′s.

So without further ado, make a quick run to your closet, put on your Royce Clayton shirt, and cringe a bit as you go through the team.

Catcher

Candidates- Henry Blanco, Paul Bako, Chad Moeller

Moeller somehow hit for the cycle on April 27, 2004 against the Cincinnati Reds.

Any of these guys could have easily been selected to the team, but, in the end, consistently bad play was the determining factor. Henry Blanco batted .236 in 2000 and .210 in 2001 while getting the majority of the playing time over Raul Casanova. Though he was one of the best defensive catchers in the game, (2.7 combined dWAR over his two seasons), his offense was abysmal (negative oWAR in both seasons). Chad Moeller was really bad (batted .208, .206, and .184 from 2004-2006) and probably deserves being on the list, but he hit for the cycle and is thus spared. Paul Bako posted a mere .295 OBP and -0.7 WAR in 87 games in 2002 but only played one season with the Brewers–not nearly enough time for us to celebrate his departure.

Winner- Henry Blanco

We should actually be thanking Blanco for his contributions to the Brewers; tied at 2, he hit an inning-ending ground out with runners on the corners in the ninth inning of Game Five of the 2011 NLDS in Milwaukee. In the bottom of the 10th, his defense allowed Carlos Gomez to steal second after Blanco dropped the ball behind the plate and, as we all know, Gomez then scored on Nyjer Morgan’s series-winning single.

First Base

Candidates- Kevin Barker, Brooks Conrad, Brad Nelson

Look, who did you really expect too see here? Richie Sexson? Lyle Oooooooverbay? Prince Fielder? The Brewers have had some of the best luck with first basemen over the course of the 2000′s. To put it in perspective, the worst season by a Milwaukee starting first basemen (until this season because there really hasn’t been one starting 1B) was in 2005 when Overbay hit .276/.367/.449 with 19 homers, 72 RBI, and 80 runs.

I give you Brad Nelson, ladies and gentlemen.

Brewers fans will really have to dig into the memory bank to recall Kevin Barker. He was a 24-year-old draft pick of the Brewers and the Opening Day starter in the infamous tie game with the Reds in 2000. He batted .220 in 100 at-bats, posting two homers and nine RBI. Barker drew nearly as many walks (20) and hits (22), which led to a respectable .352 OBP before his season ended on May 27 and some guy named Richie Sexson took over. Brad Nelson and Brooks Conrad pretty much go hand-in-hand after their performances with the Brewers. Nelson started 2009 on the big league roster and couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn. He failed to get a hit in 21 at-bats (mainly as a pinch-hitter, but still…) before being released as a .000 hitter with nine strikeouts. Conrad wasn’t much better; the former Braves postseason hero went 0-27 to open 2012 despite batting over .400 in AAA. He finally broke through with a two-run homer on June 2 against Pittsburgh. Two of his three hits on the season were home runs against the Pirates before he was released as a .075 hitter with two homers and six RBI in 40 at-bats.

Winner- Brad Nelson

At least Brooks Conrad got a hit. Nelson was a joke each time he stepped into the box. No confidence. Overswinging. Pressing. It was just a bad situation for a guy who made the postseason roster a year before. Sorry, Brad, but we won’t miss you.

Second Base

Candidates- Ronnie Belliard, Enrique Cruz, Junior Spivey

We could really just flip a coin for this one. Belliard had a good year in 1999, but that wasn’t the 2000s, which weren’t as productive for the dreadlocked Brewer. He batted a combined .263 over 2000 and 2001 and posted a 3.4 WAR in 2001. His 2002 season was simply awful, however. He had an OBP, not an average, of .257. 257. Two-fifty-seven. And a WAR of -2.3. In the end, his positive 2000 and 2001 season save him from making this team. Enrique Cruz somehow lasted the entire 2003 season in the majors despite only going 6-71 for a .085 average. He struck out more than 42% of the time. Adam Dunn’s career rate is 28%. His longest hitting streak was one and, in only 76 plate appearances, he had a -1.5 WAR. Junior Spivey came to Milwaukee in the Richie Sexson trade before the 2004 season after being an All Star in 2002. He got injured and only appeared in 59 games in ’04, then hit .236 in 2005 before being traded for Tomo Ohka. His defense made Rickie Weeks look like a Gold Glover, making 18 errors in 108 games over his two seasons.

Winner- Junior Spivey

Cruz wasn’t a starter like the two, and Belliard had two out of three good seasons. Spivey couldn’t stay healthy and didn’t prove nearly as valuable as the Brewers had hoped the former All Star would. When Rickie Weeks took over second after Spivey’s departure, we didn’t miss him.

Third Base

Sep 19, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Casey McGehee reacts after striking out during the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. (Image: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE)

Candidates- Jose Hernandez, Wes Helms, Casey McGehee

Though he started at shortstop in 2001 and 2002, Jose Hernandez’s arguably worst season came at third base in 2000. He batted .244 with 11 homers and 59 RBI–not the prototypical “power” third baseman numbers–and struck out 125 times, or over 25% of the time. His K totals grew worse as the years went on, but 2000 was his all-around worst season. When I asked someone on Twitter what they thought of Wes Helms, he replied “at least he was good at getting hit by pitches”. His numbers weren’t terrible (.267/23/67 in 2003) but Brewers fans were happy to replace him in 2006. He (zero steals over three seasons) and Casey McGehee (one over three seasons) would make for a good race to determine the slowest non-catcher of the 2000′s for the Brewers. McGehee actually may have had a better year than Prince Fielder in 2010 when he batted .285 with 23 homers and 104 RBI, but 2011 was a completely different story. He batted .223, led all NL third basemen in errors, and posted a -1.1 WAR.

Winner- Jose Hernandez

Normally, I’d put Hernandez under the shortstop category seeing as it was his primary position in two of his three season, but his terrible season as a third baseman coupling with the strong candidates for the team at short make for him reaching the squad at the Hot Corner. He led the team in errors, struck out three times more than he walked, was caught stealing seven out of ten times, and had a -0.3 WAR.

Shortstop

Candidates- Royce Clayton, Yuniesky Betancourt, Cesar Izturis

ROYCE CLAYTON HAS AS MANY RINGS AS LEBRON, GUYS! (And more hair!)

In 2003, my first year to follow every Brewers game, I distinctly recall my grandmother having a strong dislike for Royce Clayton, the long-haired shortstop for the Crew. He was an All Star with St. Louis in 1997 (once again proving the ASG is seriously flawed), but only batted .228 with a .301 OBP and 39 RBI in 146 games in his only season with Milwaukee. My grandma always noted that if he cut his hair, maybe he’d hit the ball…but judging by his -1.5 WAR that season I’d say that’s wishful thinking. As for Yuniesky Betancourt, I need not explain much. We won’t miss his first-pitch swinging, ground ball-botching play, but he did have a clutch RBI single in Game Five of the 2011 NLDS. Yuni B swung at the most first pitches in the league and was only in 12 3-1 counts all season long.  Cesar Izturis has taken over the role of shortstop this season after losing Alex Gonzalez for the season to injury, playing more games at short than any other Brewer despite a stint on the DL himself. We can count on a .215 average and a dismal .234 OBP with a homer and eight RBI from the man Ron Roenicke calls “Caesar”.

Winner-Royce Clayton and Yuniesky Betancourt

There simply is no leaving Betancourt off the team, but Clayton was awful in his year with the Brewers. They’ll split time at shortstop with Cesar Izturis getting the occasional Ned Yost Sunday Special start.

Left Field

Candidates- Ryan Thompson, Carlos Lee

The fact that Geoff Jenkins and Ryan Braun manned the garden in front of Friday’s Front Row at Miller Park for 11 of the last 13 seasons limited the options from which to choose. Jenkins was shelved because of an injury in June of 2002 and career .243 hitter Ryan Thompson joined the team and accumulated 62 games over the course of the remaining season. He stayed near his career totals, posting .248/.295/.518 splits. As for Carlos Lee, the production was never a problem. He played all 162 games in 2005 after being exchanged for Scott Podsednik, hitting 32 homers and driving in 114 runs. He was an All Star in both his seasons with Milwaukee, 2005 and 2006, but never had the fan-friendly appeal to him of other players. Lee never (and still doesn’t) run out grounders and was a minus defensive player.

Winner- Ryan Thompson

It’s not fair to include Thompson on this team with his limited action in a Brewers uniform, but he’s going up against Ryan Braun, Geoff Jenkins, and Carlos Lee. But does anybody really miss Thompson when El Caballo is still producing with Miami?

Cam Boogie could roam the outfield..and can bring those talents to this team. (Image: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE)

Center Field

Candidates- James Mouton, Mike Cameron, Chris Duffy

James Mouton was never the everyday starter for the Brewers, but over his two seasons with the team (2000 and ’01) he totaled 355 plate appearances, which is nothing shabby for a bench player. He hit .233 and .246, respectively, with four total homers while striking out in over 25% of his at-bats. While he spent time in both left and right, center field was his primary position. Mike Cameron was a fan favorite in 2008 and 2009 and hit 49 homers in his two seasons but was in the decline of his career. Cam-Boogie’s strikeouts were his downfall. He struck out 298 times in 269 games and only hit .247. Chris Duffy was unproductive in his short stint with the Brewers in 2009. He racked up four hits in 32 at-bats and was released early on in the season.

Winner- Mike Cameron

I loved Mike Cameron’s work ethic, but there’s no missing his strikeouts. It pains me to say it, but Mike Cameron gets the start on the Brewers We Won’t Miss Team.

Right Field

Candidates- Jeffry Hammonds, Kevin Mench, Chris Magruder, Jody Gerut

Right field is full of Hall of Brewers We Won’t Miss candidates. Jeffry Hammonds was the largest contract in Brewers history in 2001 when he signed as a free agent; injuries plagued his 2001 season but he was an intricate part in the team’s awfulness in 2002. MLB FanCave finalist, friend of RtB, and nominator of Hammonds for the Hall Steve Sievewright wrote the following on the former right fielder.

65 RBI, now that sounds like a completely average year right? Well, it would be except that’s the amount of RBIs Hammonds had in his 3 years as a Brewer.  Stats as a Brewer are as follows: .248 BA/.321 OBP/65 RBI/69 Runs/16 HRs. Here’s the key stat: 187 games. In three years! Three abysmal years. 49 games in 2001, 128 in 2002, and 10 (yes 10!) in 2003. All years were cut short by stints on the DL.

Kevin Mench came over in the deal that sent Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz (way to go, management!) to Texas for Francisco Cordero,

You go, Jeffry Hammonds. You go.

Mench, Laynce Nix, and a minor leaguer. He was incredibly slow, terrible on defense, and had consistently poor at-bats. He saw the 11th-fewest pitches per PA in 2007. He hit .288 while with the Brewers, which actually wasn’t that bad….if it wasn’t actually his OBP instead of his batting average. He drew a total of 20 walks and had a negative defensive WAR. In Chris Magruder’s two seasons, he hit .236 and .203, respectively, in a consistent role off the bench. He wasn’t very good, but seemed to just be some guy on the roster, which makes it hard to miss or not miss him. Jody Gerut wasn’t very good (he batted .197 in 2010) but he had a grand slam in ’09 and hit for the cycle in Arizona in ’10 so he gets a pass.

Winner- Jeffry Hammonds

Hammonds three year, $21 million contract, the biggest in franchise history at the time, is tied with the Jeff Suppan deal for the worst Brewers signing ever. He couldn’t stay on the field for the majority of the deal and was unproductive when he stayed relatively healthy in 2002.

Bench- Chad Moeller, Brooks Conrad, Enrique Cruz, Ronnie Belliard, Carlos Lee, Kevin Mench

Starting pitchers- Braden Looper, Jeff Suppan, Manny Parra, Victor Santos, Glendon Rusch

Bullpen- Luis Vizcaino (SU), Ricky Bottalico, Carlos Villanueva, Jorge Julio, Guillermo Mota, Eric Gagne (SU) , Derrick Turnbow (CL)

Manager- Ken Macha

Here’s how the lineup would look:

2B Spivey

CF Cameron

3B Hernandez

RF Hammonds

LF Thompson

1B Nelson

SS Clayton/Betancourt

C Blanco

It was a strange game from a pitching perspective, as Zack Greinke bounced back to the mound after being ejected the night before for spiking a ball after a bang-bang play at first. He only went three innings, but the bullpen shined and shutout the ‘Stros through seven.

Most of the action was thanks to Rickie Weeks, who knocked three hits and drove in two runs as he continued his improving numbers into July.

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