Every once in awhile I get a hankering to look up an ex- Major Leaguer.
Luckily for me, formerBrewer pitcher Jerry Augustine still lives in the
Last week I spokewith Augustine for probably longer than he wanted, but once I get going, it’shard to stop. If Augustine charged by the hour I’d be in worse shape than our currenteconomic predicament.
Originally planningto touch base with him regarding a different piece that I was working on, Idecided that I wanted to get his take on the past season and coax him into alittle prognostication instead. I had just read a book titled Moneyball, and I wanted to get his takeon the whole premise of the book. (If you want to know more about the book,read last week’s column.)
When you have aMajor League pitcher on the horn, you may as well get a few questions off yourchest. Nagging queries you’ve either forgotten to ask another pitcher, or justdidn’t have the right opportunity.
I have the attentionspan of a gnat, so I jumped around the baseball board with a host of tangentialquestions. How does a guy like Derrick Turnbow throw bullets one minute, have aBobblehead made in his honor, then check into the reliever retirement home forwayward pitchers? “I think when you’re looking at money and stats, you alsohave to look at the player’s personality,” Augustine says. My own assessment,after a rough outing a reliever just loses the confidence and his arm becomesimpotent. That may be what happened with Derrick."
“If you’re going tolook at a Derrick Turnbow, compared to a Jamie Moyer, there are hugedifferences,” Augustine says. “Moyer is all about consistency, he knows whathis body can do. Like many pitchers with longevity, he knows how to work ahitter, how to work the plate.” Augustine further concludes that “Turnbow threwso violently, it was difficult for him to maintain any control–he was a throweras opposed to a pitcher.”
According toAugustine, the mental part of the game can’t be underestimated. “Everybodythrows the ball differently. Everyone reacts to pressure in their own way.”
Playing thePercentages
I asked Augustine ifthere was a true advantage for a left hand pitcher facing a left handed batter,and the other way around. “There are certain advantages to the way the ballmoves,” Augustine says. “That’s the greatest advantage of those match ups.
“When you watch Sabathia,he’s giving all he’s got in his delivery. There’s an explosion from his arm.Augustine thinks the Brewers have a real chance of holding on to Sabathia. Irespectfully disagree and think he’d rather watch Dennis Krause’s Roundtablethan stay in
“I really thinkkeeping CC here will come down to more than just money.
Augustine saysSabathia could be to the Brewers what Reggie White was to the Packers. Asuperstar player telling others, ‘hey, it’s not so bad to be here. “He’s notonly a Reggie White, he’s Brett Favre too,” Augustine says.
I asked him aboutSeth McClung:“I like Seth. If you watchhim, he has a great mentality. He’s learning, he’s coming on, developing abetter language on the mound. He let’s his arm do what it has to do. He keepshis body in position.”
What about BillCastro being promoted to pitching coach?
“He will do a greatjob. I’m a big Castro fan and he understands a lot about the game.”
Manny Parra ?
“What makes MannyParra a question mark is the fact he’s not a consistent pitcher. He can’tlocate his fastball.”
What about KenMacha?
“I think he’s a goodchoice. They say he’s had some problems in the clubhouse.
He’s going come inwith a different attitude.”
Yost?
“I think Ned did agreat job. When you’re with a group of young kids as he was, you must havepatience. I do think he had a bit too much patience. He should have reactedmore like a father does with his kids– some patience, but not too much.”Augustine says Yost built himself as a model of consistency, he did things acertain way. Augustine admitted Yost had a hard time holding players accountablefor some of their mistakes
“I think Yost willbe remembered for a long time in this town. He had a bad media situation,(understatement). Look how much he put his heart and soul into this team. Hislegacy will be he turned this organization around.”
What about thatposter child for first aid kits, Ben Sheets? ‘I think he’s contingent on the CCsituation,” Augustine says. “When you think of Sheets, you think power,breaking ball, a sinking fastball.”
Augustine states thatif Sheets can develop a good change up, he’dbe even better. “I think the wear and tear on his arm comes from the repetitivefastball, curve, fastball, curve. He has to buy into it. When I coached at UWMthat was the hardest thing for our kids to do, buying into an idea.”
Augustine believesthe team will be fun to watch next year. “Doug Melvin and Gord Ash have done anoutstanding job with talent. I don’t think there is anyone who wants to winmore than those guys.”
Fielder here nextyear ?“I could see Prince in a Breweruniform.”
Pitch it to Me.
The Brewers havedone the obvious, and the ridiculous. The obvious endeavor, they offered CCSabathia salary arbitration in the unlikely hope of keeping him in
I’ll give you a momentto scoff and tell me how “Big Ben” is an ace, won a bunch of games for theBrewers last year.
…Finished?
Ok. Keep in mind thisis a man who spurned the Brewers after they wanted to talk about a deal. I am sosorry it wasn’t on Ben’s timetable, or when he thought it should have beendone. Doug Melvin should let it ride, see who picks him up, and get acompensation pick for him next summer.
Ben Sheets is a jag,just like his former manager, Ned Yost. Both possess condescending,holier-than-thou attitudes and are, at best, a skin tag on the bloated anddecomposing body of life.
