The guys at Brewerfan.net were gracious enough to answer more questions about the start of the season in the minor leagues. Toby Harrmann answered the questions for this installment in the interview series with the guys from Brewerfan. If you have not had a chance, stop by their site and thank them for doing the interview!

BN: Which offensive prospect had the best April in your opinion?

Brewerfan.net: There were a number of superb performances during April in the minor leagues, but I believe the cream of the crop was AA Huntsville third baseman Mat Gamel. Gamel smacked 39 hits, 16 of them for extra bases, on his way to a .379 batting average. What makes it more impressive is that he did it in the Southern League - a notoriously pitcher-friendly league.

To put Gamel’s April 1.128 OPS into perspective, Corey Hart won the Southern League MVP honors in 2003 with an .807 OPS. Gamel can swing the stick without a doubt. The hole in his game is defense at third base, much like Ryan Braun before him. The Brewers will be more conservative with Gamel’s progress to the big leagues in order to let him be as defensively ready as possible when he hits the big leagues full time. They would like to get Mat’s left-handed power bat in the lineup, though.

BN: The Milwaukee Brewers traded Gabe Gross for a relatively unknown entity in RHP Joshua Butler. Could you tell us a little about him and what he brings to the table down in Brevard County?

Brewerfan.net: Baseball America ranked Josh Butler as the 16th best prospect in the Tampa Bay organization - that’s notable as BA ranked the Rays’ organization #1 overall in terms of talent. After his acquisition, Brewerfan.net’s Power 50 ranked him as the 14th best prospect. Why the love for Butler?

Though he’s never had great numbers in the minors, his stuff has impact potential. His best two pitches are a low-middle 90’s sinking fastball and a nice slider. He also throws a decent curveball and mixes in an occasional changeup. He’s had some problems wearing down, and that leads some to suspect that he’ll be a relief prospect down the road. For now the Brewers will keep him in the rotation and see how he does against better competition. I personally think they’ll keep him as a starter for as long as possible, and have no immediate plans to switch him to relief. He should make the move to AA in the second half of the season.

BN: Omar Aguilar has had a supremely hot start to the 2008 season. We know that he has a blistering fastball, but how about any breaking pitches? Does he have good enough stuff to be the closer in Milwaukee someday, or are we looking at a middle reliever in Omar?

Brewerfan.net: As you noted, Aguilar throws in the middle to upper 90’s. His “out” breaking pitch is a very good slider, and he also mixes in a changeup. Like any other ultra-hard thrower, the key for Aguilar is location of his fastball. When he can throw his fastball for strikes, he can be unhittable. That alone makes him a potential closing prospect.

BN: Zach Braddock has already been promoted in the young 2008 campaign. What makes him so special?

Brewerfan.net: Beyond his stuff - a low 90’s fastball, a plus slider and a changeup, with flashes of great command - Zach is a tremendously fierce competitor and a physically imposing presence on the mound. Any left hander that can pump the ball into the 90’s grabs your attention, but Zach has the intangibles that make you think he’ll be pitching in Miller Park some day.

The biggest issue for Braddock, like all young pitchers, is staying healthy. He had Tommy John surgery in high school and missed the second half of 2007 with a tweaked shoulder. If he can stay on the mound, he’ll be a top pitching prospect in the near future. He sort of reminds me of Dana Eveland, only a bit taller and with a tick better stuff. Dana is doing well in the big leagues right now as a 24 year old (sadly, not for the Brewers)… I could see a similar career progression with Braddock.

BN: Which pitcher should Brewers fans keep an eye on in May and June?

Brewerfan.net: The easy answer to the question is Jeremy Jeffress. He should be back on the mound by the end of May and he’s our best pitching prospect. I’m going to go in a little different direction and suggest one of my favorite prospects in the system: 20 year old Canadian-born righty Alexandre Periard.

Periard has a heavy 89-95 MPH fastball complimented with a solid curve and a solid changeup. He’s adept at keeping the ball down in the zone and gets a lot of groundball outs - he has the potential to be a 2 to 1 (or better) groundball to flyball pitcher. The knock on him so far has been his lack of strikeouts. He averaged about 1 every 2 innings pitched last season. This year so far, it’s a different story. He’s striking out 3 guys every 4 innings. While his ERA has risen, I don’t see that as any reason to worry. His WHIP is exactly the same as it was last year, he’s striking out more guys, and keeping his groundball ratio up. He’s a guy you’re going to hear a lot more about in the very near future.

BN: Russell Branyan has been mashing down in Triple-A Nashville. I would love to see him get a call-up sometime soon, but I do not know where he would fit in Milwaukee. What are your thoughts here?

Brewerfan.net: The Brewers’ dearth of left-handed hitters in the lineup has been well documented. While I tend to believe that good hitters will hit, maybe this lineup could use a little shakeup and left-handed infusion. Case in point, Billy Hall has been a great asset to the team, but his at-bats against right handed pitchers have become increasingly frustrating.

I could see the Brewers bringing up Branyan to spell Hall (though not platoon with him) at third base against right handed pitchers, and to get some of the power back on the bench that we lost when we traded Gabe Gross. As for a corresponding move, I’d send Gwynn back to AAA. We have three other guys that can play center field, and Branyan can play the corners.

BN: In our earlier interview, Luis Pena garnered a lot of praise from Brewerfan. He has struggled to start the season. Is there any reason for concern here, or do you think he will be able to bounce back?

Brewerfan.net: Pena had one horrific appearance early on that has skewed his entire stat line. On April 10th against Oklahoma, he recorded one out, allowing 6 earned runs on 3 hits and 3 walks. Outside of that appearance, he’s given up 3 earned runs in 13 innings of work, and has a 2/1 K/BB ratio. I know you can’t just pretend that outing never happened, but I don’t think he actually has anything to bounce back from. I should also note that he hasn’t had a lot of regular save opportunities…Nashville lost a lot games early on. He’ll be just fine.

BN: Give readers at BrewersNation something to look for in May and June.

Brewerfan.net: If you haven’t been following the exploits of the AA lineup, do it now before the Brewers break those guys up. And with the draft coming up June 5th and 6th, remember that the Brewers have 6 of the top 62 picks in the draft, so there should be a huge influx of top tier talent by the middle-end of June.

Go Brewers!

Nashville Sounds (14-22), 4.5 GB

LHP Chris Narveson - ND, 5.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 5 BB, 0 K - 3.94 ERA
RHP Derrick Turnbow - 0.1 IP, 1 hit, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K - 54.00 ERA
C Vinny Rottino - 2-4, 2 1B, SB (5) - .244 BA

Huntsville Stars (27-11), — GB

LHP David Welch - (W, 5-1) 9 hits, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K - 4.47 ERA
RHP Juan Sandoval - (S, 3) 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K - 2.84 ERA
SS Alcides Escobar - 3-5, HR (3), RBI, 2 runs - .274 BA
RF Cole Gillespie - 1-4, HR (7), 2 RBI - .272 BA
1B Chris Errecart - 2-4, HR (5), 2 RBI - .287 BA
2B Mike Bell - 1-4, HR (4), RBI - .289 BA

Brevard County Manatees (18-19), 4.0 GB

LHP Josh Butler - (L, 0-4) 6.0 IP, 5 hits, 5 runs (4 ER), 3 BB, 3 K - 4.74 ERA
RF Lorenzo Cain - 2-4, 2 1B, BB, run - .266 BA
3B Taylor Green - 2-5, 2 1B - .333 BA
DH Chuck Caufield - 2-4, 2B, RBI, run - .255 BA

West Virginia Power (14-22), 8.5 GB

RHP Rob Bryson - (L, 0-2) 5.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K - 5.04 ERA
RHP Amaury Rivas - 4.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K - 2.88 ERA
C Jonathan Lucroy - 1-2, HR (4), RBI, 2 BB - .307 BA
DH Steffan Wilson - 1-4, 2B, run - .259 BA
SS Brent Brewer - 1-3, RBI, BB - .222 BA

Ryan Braun told anyone who would listen in Houston that he was on the verge of getting on a major hot streak.  He sounded like a player who hoped to get on a hot streak more than anything.

It turns out that Ryan did not lie.  Braun hit two more solo home runs today off of Cardinals starter, Adam Wainwright.  Both were shots to left field, and he set the pace for a balanced Brewers offensive attack.  How often have I gotten to type that this season?  Not very…

The Crew got its third straight quality start, as right-hander Dave Bush went six strong innings.  The struggling Bush got his first win of the season, only giving up one run and striking out one.  In the first inning, it was clear that Bushie had his good stuff.  Normally hitting 87-88mph on the gun, Dave came out firing fastballs in the 90-92mph range.  He gave up a home run to Rick Ankiel on a hanging curveball in the top of the first inning, but Bush shut the Cards down after that.

I was slightly surprised to see Dave pulled after only six innings.  His pitch count was at a manageable 92 pitches.  Ned Yost must have wanted Bush to feel good about his outing, so he pulled him before anything bad could have happened.  That, and Ned saw a prime opportunity to get Eric Gagne some work in a pressure-free situation.

Eric did get in two innings of work, but it did not go as well as planned.  His command still alluded him with his fastball and change-up…basically all his pitches.  He induced a double play to get out of the seventh unscathed, but he gave up a run in the eighth after Skip Schumaker laced a single to right that scored Cesar Izturis.  Eric may need a little more work than previously thought before regaining the closer role.

Mitch Stetter entered the game in the ninth inning and made it interesting.  Mitch walked four out of the six batters he faced, and he left the contest with the bases loaded.  Ned Yost then called upon Guillermo Mota to finish off the game.  It worked out, as Guillermo struck out Ankiel to end the game.

The Brewers broke it open in the third inning.  Corey Hart delivered a two-RBI single with two outs, and two more scored when Bill Hall reached on an error.  Billy later homered off Wainwright for his eighth long ball of the season.

Records: Brewers (19-19); Cardinals (23-17)

Hero of the Game: Ryan Braun

What can you say about a player that had back-to-back multiple home run games?  He’s obviously found a comfort zone at the plate.  Ryan even took a walk in the game.  That is only his seventh free pass of the season.  All Brewers fans would like to see that number climb, especially in front of Prince Fielder.  Ryan finished the day two for three, even though he looked to be safe on his final at-bat.  His batting average is now .288.  Last year’s Rookie of the Year has finally found his stroke at the plate.  It is fun to watch him hit the ball when he’s on a tear like this.

Goat of the Game: Prince Fielder

You will not see this name here very often this year.  Prince had a game to forget this evening.  He struck out with the bases loaded in the third inning.  That could have potentially killed the Crew, but Corey Hart picked up his teammate with that two-out single to score two runs.  Prince looks utterly lost at the plate right now.  He’s trying to hit a home run on every pitch, and he’s trying to pull every ball he sees.  The big guy needs to slow down a bit at the plate and take a couple pitches the other way.  Home runs will come in bunches for Prince.  The Brewers simply need a few base hits from him now.

On Tap

Carlos Villanueva and the Milwaukee Brewers will welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to Miller Park tomorrow.  Villy will look to give the Crew its fourth straight quality start.  He will take on the hard-throwing Brad Penny in Game 1 at 7:05pm CT.

The Milwaukee Brewers won one for the mothers in the stands yesterday.  Ryan Braun looked to have enjoyed using those pink bats.  Let’s hope they can pull out a series win today against the Cardinals!

• For more on yesterday’s win, here’s the Milwaukee JS article.
• Yovani Gallardo will have surgery tomorrow morning.  The team sought second and third opinions on the injury.  Apparently, the team wanted Yo to avoid having the surgery if possible.  That would have been foolish on the team’s part, in my opinion.  You do not take chances with your young ace.
• Between the Green Pillars discusses the “dreaded Closer By Committee” now happening in Milwaukee.  Ryan seems to believe that the Brewers do not have someone that can consistently be the closer, as he wishes the team would acquire one elsewhere.  Give Guillermo Mota and David Riske a shot before we go giving players away for a closer.  Plus, there is not a quality closer available right now.  Huston Street is struggling, and the only other worthwhile closer would be George Sherrill in Baltimore.  Not impressed?  Me neither.
• Al’s Ramblings notes that a starter has not been announced for Thursday’s game.  Perhaps this signifies that Seth McClung will get an opportunity to get a spot start for the Crew.  That would be interesting, even though it would not be my first choice.  It may be a long shot, but Thursday would also be near-regular rest for Mark DiFelice.  He’s put up a 3.91 ERA in Nashville thus far.
• The Brew Town Beat has some suggestions for the Brewers offense.  They like my idea of a Bill Hall/Russell Branyan platoon.  They also suggest that Tony Gwynn Jr. should get more at bats in lieu of Mike Cameron.  Sure, Cameron has not lit the world on fire with his start for Milwaukee, but no one expected him to hit .300.  Mike is someone that can give you 20/20 stats, but will only hit about .240 with lots of strikeouts.  Those who thought Milwaukee was getting something else is either naive, or didn’t know much about Cameron as a player.
• Also from The Brew Town Beat…they are wondering if Eric Gagne is tipping his pitches.  After Ned Yost’s cryptic comments the other day, I began to think the same thing.  Brew Town makes a very convincing argument.  If that is the case, Eric should be able to get back on track fairly easily.
• In-Between Hops says that Prince Fielder is not performing as well because of his vegetarian diet.  Either that or he is trying to hit every pitch 500 feet.  I’m tired of the vegetarian talk.
• Tom Haudricourt has a preview of the 2008 First Year Player Draft.  Actually, he does not really preview anyone the Crew might draft.  The article simply dwells on the fact that Milwaukee has many more picks early in the draft than usual.  That has been well-chronicled here.  I’d like to see some analysis of actual potential-draftees.
• The Huntsville Times has an article on Matt LaPorta.  This just in: Matt LaPorta can hit very well.
• MLB Trade Rumors notes that the Chicago Cubs are considering signing veteran centerfielder, Jim Edmonds.  He would replace Felix Pie in the lineup.  Personally, I hope they sign Edmonds.  He has hit .178/.265/.233 in 103 plate appearances.  That would be an improvement for them…

Nashville Sounds (14-22), 4.5 GB

RHP Jeff Weaver - ND, 4.2 IP, 4 hits, 5 ER, 4 BB, 6 K - 5.40 ERA
RHP Tim Dillard - (W, 2-0) 3.0 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K - 2.39 ERA
1B Brad Nelson - 3-6, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, BB, SB 2 (5) - .320 BA
3B Russell Branyan - 1-5, HR (8), RBI, 2 BB - .355 BA

Huntsville Stars (26-11), — GB

LHP Derek Miller - (W, 4-1) 5.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K - 2.59 ERA
SS Alcides Escobar - 4-5, 4 1B, RBI - .263 BA
LF Cole Gillespie - 2-5, HR (6), 3 RBI - .273 BA
C Angel Salome - 3-5, 2 2B, run - .403 BA

Brevard County Manatees (18-18), 4.0 GB

Did not play.

West Virginia Power (14-21), 7.5 GB

Postponed.

Ryan Braun sent his mother a very happy Mother’s Day gift today.  He hit two solo shots off of Braden Looper and led the Brewers to a much-needed victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.  One was a towering shot to left, and one was a bomb to center.

It takes a special hitter to hit the ball with power to all fielder.  When Prince Fielder is right, he can do that.  So can Corey Hart.  Ryan may not be seeing many pitches per at bat or walking very much, but he is one of the only hitters that has been consistently producing for the Crew of late.

Jeff Suppan gave Milwaukee a strong start on the mound today.  It is Milwaukee’s second quality start in as many days, and the bullpen surely needs the rest.  Soup did not have his best stuff today, as he walked five Cardinals, but he was good enough to go seven innings and only allow one run.  This is exactly what Doug Melvin signed Soup for last off-season.  Well done, Jeff.

The closer by committee idea got off to a shaky start today for the Crew.  Salomon Torres came in to finish the game, but after allowing a lead-off double to Troy Glaus and another baserunner, Brian Shouse came in to close it out.  He allowed another man on base, but he got out of the inning without further damage.  Shouse gets the save, and the Brewers get the win.  Great day all around.

J.J. Hardy may have gone under the radar today, but I came away very impressed.  He used right field very well today at the plate, knocking a double and a single to the opposite field.  The Brewers need J.J. to heat up in front of the pitcher.  After a 3-4 day with an RBI, perhaps he is beginning to heat up.  That would do wonders for the Brewers offense.

Records: Brewers (18-19); Cardinals (23-16)

Hero of the Game: Ryan Braun

Ryan continues to be one of the most consistent producers on Milwaukee’s team.  He has raised his average to .281 and has now socked seven home runs.  His defense remains passable in left, and the offensive firepower he can bring to the lineup more than makes up for those shortcomings.  I love the way Ryan is using center field and playing gap to gap at the plate.  He appears to be heating up at the plate.  Then again, I have been saying that for the past week.  Let’s hope that I am correct this time.

Goat of the Game: Salomon Torres

This is tough giving the Goat to Salomon, but today was not an impressive campaign to be the team’s closer.  He looked very much like Eric Gagne on the mound, making things much more difficult than they need to be.  Closers must avoid the lead-off hit and cannot afford to walk batters.  Salomon did both today.  Fortunately, this has not been a trend for the workhorse-righty, so I will not dwell much on this fact.

On Tap

Dave Bush will again attempt to win his first game of the year, as he takes on Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals in the series finale tomorrow night.  The game will be at Miller Park and will start at 7:05pm CT.  Go Crew!

After yesterday afternoon’s game, Eric Gagne said that he did not deserve the closer’s job in Milwaukee. He said that his struggles have been embarrassing. I agree.

Apparently, so does Ned Yost. After being informed of Gagne’s comments after the game, Yost removed Gagne as Milwaukee’s closer. He did not say who would take over the job, but did imply that it would be a mix of relievers. Salomon Torres, David Riske, and Guillermo Mota have all had experience in the closer’s role. I would like to believe Mota is first on the list, followed closely by Torres. Time will tell, however. Yost said that it will depend on matchups.

If you want more detail on Gagne’s struggles, read down a couple posts.

Offensive Player of the Week: C Angel Salome

Last 10 Games:  .531 BA, 4 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI

Angel Salome came back from his suspension in a big way.  He’s always been known for his offense, but these numbers are ridiculous.  He also has a 3/6 BB/K ratio.  Bill Hall could learn from that.  I cannot help but wish that someone on the Brewers could have this type of hot stretch in the big leagues.  Stretches like this are the reason that Angel is the number one rated catcher in the Brewers system.

I would also like to point out that I figured Matt LaPorta and Mat Gamel being on a hot streak is a given.

Honorable Mention

2B Mike Bell - (Last 10: .371 BA, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI) - Mike is known as a power-hitting second baseman who does not hit for average.  He goes against that entire notion this week, hitting for average more than power.  That offense in Huntsville is impressive.

3B Taylor Green - (Last 10: .333 BA, 3 2B, 0 HR, 6 RBI) - While Mat Gamel has continued to mash in Huntsville, Taylor has quietly continued to produce in Brevard County.  His glove is far better than Gamel’s, but he does not hit for as much power.  I would like to see Taylor up the power numbers a bit if he is to make the list next week.

OF Caleb Gindl - (Last 10: .333 BA, 3 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI) - Caleb spun his wheels out of the gate to start the season, and many thought that Caleb was going to disappoint this season.  It turns out that Caleb has different thoughts about that.  He is hitting for power and average right now.  Impressive.

Pitcher of the Week: LHP Steve Hammond

In his past two starts, Steve has been dominant.  In 12.1 innings on the mound, he has only given up two runs and struck out 16 batters.  That is a sick amount of strikeouts for a left-hander.  It is starts like these that make me believe that Steve may be on his way up the prospect food chain.  He is walking a little too many batters for my liking (6 in 2 starts), but we shall see if that is a trend continues.

Honorable Mention

RHP Joe Bateman - In the past week, Joe has appeared in the three games, going 6 innings without giving up a run and striking out seven batters.  In contrast to Steve Hammond, Joe has kept the walk rate down.  He only has one walk.  Joe has a deceptive, sidearm delivery, which makes him very difficult against righties.  If all goes well, he may be able to make it to the bigs as a situation righty…not unlike Pat Neshek.

RHP Amaury Rivas - Amaury only started one game, but it was impressive.  He pitched six innings of scoreless ball, giving up three hits and striking out three.  Amaury has been getting loads of praise from coaches and the press around West Virginia.  His 95mph fastball may be difficult for batters at Class-A ball, but he will need to develop a solid off-speed pitch.

I am not one for knee-jerk reactions. Everyone says that when they are about to call for a change in the ranks on the team, but you have to realize that I have defended everyone on the Brewers for the past month plus. Today’s loss finally broke me, however. Things need to change. Let me outline them for you:

• Eric Gagne needs to be replaced. He has proven that he does not have what it takes to be the closer for the Milwaukee Brewers. This afternoon, Gagne showed me that he cannot pitch in important situations with effectiveness.

  It all comes down to the first pitch for Eric. If he throws a strike to the batter, he will get them out more often than not. It’s that simple. If the first pitch is a strike, the opposing hitter has an average of .161 with 11 strikeouts. Gagne has not walked a batter this season after getting ahead 0-1 in the count.

  How about if the pitch is a ball? The opponent’s batting average jumps to .417. Gagne has walked 10 batters after falling behind 1-0 in the count. He has struck out 6 batters as well, but the sharp contrast between the levels of success is astounding. One would think Eric could adjust fairly easily, even after throwing one ball, but apparently not. His command has been spotty all season. It is time for Eric to find his groove elsewhere in the bullpen. There are pitchers who can get the job done.

  Who do I mean? Try Guillermo Mota. The Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets essentially swapped contracts in the off-season when the Johnny Estrada trade was made. Mota faced a lot of opposition before he even threw a pitch in a Brewers uniform.

  A simple change in his mechanics appears to have changed his success. He now stands much taller on the mound to get a much more downward plane to the plate.It has done wonders for Guillermo. He has a 2.40 ERA with 18 strikeouts. The 10 walks leave much to be desired, but the damage has not been too severe. Mota has not given up run in the past six innings he has pitched, and opposing hitters have managed to hit a measly .241 against him for the year. Even more impressively, Guillermo has yet to give up a run on the road. He has pitched 8 scoreless innings away from Miller Park.

  It is clearly time to move Eric from the closer’s role. Guillermo Mota has proven that he deserves a shot. I am not claiming that he will get 25 saves this season, but I believe he has a better chance to succeed in the role.

• After being shuffled around from position-to-position in the past few years, Bill Hall has found a home defensively at third base. The switch has been amazingly smooth for the former infielder, and he has shown a penchant for making the spectacular play. I have been pleasantly surprised with the switch for Billy.

  Offensively, however, Bill has had his ups and downs. His power stroke, which was notably absent last season, has returned. Through May 10, he already has 7 home runs and 19 RBI. Some have attributed this success to his contact lenses. Some have wondered whether or not Billy has more energy to hit since he’s not running all over the place in center. Whatever the reason, Bill has become a power threat for the Brewers once again.

  The problem is that his average is pitiful. After struggling again today, Bill is now hitting .206 on the 2008 season, with an astounding 37 strikeouts. That is a lot of strike outs. Left-handed pitchers have not been the issue. Billy is mashing lefties, to the tune of a .333 batting average.

  Righties are a different story. The power-hitting third baseman has only managed to hit .163 against right-handers. He has struck out 30 times against righties, while only whiffing 7 times against southpaws. Bill Hall has also shown Brewers fans that he is not productive against right-handed pitching. It may not be a popular move, but a platoon could be extremely beneficial for the Brewers offense.

  Enter Russell Branyan. Russell is mashing pitchers in Triple-A Nashville. He has matched Hall’s 7 home runs thus far and has plated 23 runners. The power is clearly there. The important thing is that Russell would need to be able to hit righties to make the platoon beneficial.

  Trust me, Russell Branyan has noooo problems hitting right-handed pitching. In the 2008 season, the veteran has hit .405/.479/.750 against righties, and all seven home runs have come against them. These numbers have come after 84 at-bats, so the sample size is large enough to prove convincing. I am sure that Branyan is not as good defensively as is Billy, but those gaudy numbers outweigh the defensive difficulties (which are not all that great). The offense needs a boost right now, and it is foolish to not reward Russell for mashing in the minors. That is what Doug Melvin brought him in for, after all. A Hall/Branyan platoon could be a huge spark for a struggling offense.

• As much as I do not want to endorse a managerial change mid-season, The Ned Yost Experiment has run its course. Ned no longer has the excuse that he is still learning on the job. Brewers teams under his tutelage have notoriously collapsed, or at lease swooned, after the All-Star break. That would spell disaster for this Brewers team after its slow start.

  Ned has traditionally handled the bullpen very poorly as well. I am not naive enough to blame Eric Gagne’s struggles on the skipper, but it is something to be concerned about. He has also managed the pitch counts of starting pitchers poorly, which has been well-chronicled during the off-season. I do not feel the 2008 Brewers can afford to wait until July or August to realize that Ned is doing the same thing again. I would give Ned another week or so to turn things around. If he cannot, a change may be in order. Perhaps Ted Simmons can light a fire under this team. Someone has to do it.

These changes could help the Brewers get back to their winning ways, and it could help them immediately. None of these would create a championship-caliber team instantly. I admit that. The starting rotation still has issues. Manny Parra and Carlos Villanueva need to step up. Jeff Suppan must be the innings-eater that the Brewers are paying him to be. Hopefully Dave Bush will be able to find his command consistently. Brewers starters need to fix their problems in the fifth inning!

All in all, Gagne must go, Russell Branyan should get a call-up to platoon with Bill Hall, and Ned Yost should have a very short leash. The 2008 Milwaukee Brewers have serious issues that need to be addressed. The “It’s still early” excuse is no longer relevant. Doug Melvin needs to make some moves to help the team succeed. That is what he is paid for, after all.

Finally!!!  Rickie Weeks comes through last night with a huge hit in the bottom of the ninth.  Unfortunately, I was unable to catch the game last night.  I missed a dandy.  It feels wonderful to get off the losing streak.

• Derrick Turnbow has accepted his move to Triple-A Nashville.  I figured that Derrick would not be able to forfeit his $3.2M contract just to keep his pride.  Four teams were apparently interested in Turnbow, but a deal could not be worked out.  The teams wanted Doug Melvin to pay for most of Turnbow’s contract and were only offering a middling prospect in return.  That is certainly not worth losing an arm like Derrick’s.  I hope he can figure something out in Nashville.
• Tom Haudricourt is reporting that Yovani Gallardo should be having surgery next week.  Yo says that he hopes that he can get back before the season is done.  I appreciate the enthusiasm, but the Brewers need him for the next few years.  Yo cannot jeopardize his future with Milwaukee trying to rush back.
• (Hat tip to Right Field Bleachers) I has been reported, albeit from an unreliable source, that Ryan Braun has signed a long-term contract with Milwaukee.  It appears to be worth between $8-9M per year and will buy out one of his free agency years.  That price tag seems a little steep to me, especially for a player with only one year of experience.  We shall see.
• The Junkball Blues has my favorite post for today that analyzes the struggles the offense has dealt with.  It outlines the attributes that are taken into consideration for what a good approach at the plate truly means.  Let me give you a little hint, Ryan Braun does not take many pitches and does not walk often.  Shocked?  Check out the rest of the post.
• Al’s Ramblings believes that Seth McClung should get a shot at the starting rotation.  Really?  I think he’d have to come in during more important situations and prove himself before I give him the ball every fifth day.
• RHP Amaury Rivas from the West Virginia Power is getting some praise.  This article delves a little into Amaury’s arsenal.  He has a 95mph fastball that overpowers young hitters, and a slider that is big league ready…according to his manager.  It sounds like he still has some control issues, but his stuff is electric.  The 22-year old Dominican will be one to watch out for this season.

  The article also notes that LHP Mike Ramlow will be on his way to Brevard County sometime soon.  The big lefty has shown dominant stuff in West Virginia thus far in 2008.

• Florida Today writes an article on Brevard County’s CF Darren Ford.  In case you did not know, he’s fast.  He had five stolen bases in a game last week.  He has 21 stolen bases already.  That is seven more than his closest competitor in the entire league.  The article does note that his swing needs some work.  The offense as a whole is not where it needs to be, but Darren does possess some special gifts that will separate him from everyone else in the system.  Don’t blink, you just might miss Darren as he flies up the prospect list.

Don’t forget to comment on Dan’s article from yesterday.  I would really like to know if Dan’s work is something you all would like to see on BrewersNation regularly, and I’m sure Dan would love to get some feedback.  So please, comment on the article below!!!