Um....Somebody get Braun out of the OF...

[bigh0rt]

Their two best hitters are also terrible defenders, the Brewers must be regretting moving to the NL right now.

I'd say they're pretty stoked to be there. I'd much rather face off with the Cubs, Reds, Cards, and Pirates than the Tigers and Indians.

Conveniently left the White Sox, Royals, and Twins out of there, eh?

Not that it really changes a whole lot, but still...

[swyck]

Do the Brewers really want to risk this just to get Bill Hall in the infield?

NO.

[lane_anasazi2]

If you understand how much defense contributes to run prevention, you will see right away why getting him in a less important defensive position is essential. I mean, as flawed an stupid as fielding percentage is as a stat, Braun's was .895. .895! That's beyond awful. That is an error MORE than once every 10 tries. League average (AVERAGE, mind you), was .954 for that position.

Don't underestimate the effect a good defender has on run prevention. One of the reasons we Mariner fans were so upset with the Bedard trade was that replacing Raul Ibanez’s decaying corpse in LF with a superb defender like AJ, then signing a competent defender like Geoff Jenkins for RF would have been almost as big an improvement to run prevention over an entire season as adding Bedard, and this is even without taking into consideration AJ’s bat.

Anyway. Defense is important. Braun has a lead glove that needs to be hidden as well as possible.

[BitterDodgerFan]

do you think last year's sorry defense at 3B made him play offense harder to make up for it? don't players try to make things up with the bat if they mess up on the field?

[chipper]

Do the Brewers really want to risk this just to get Bill Hall in the infield?

NO.

I meant improve the defense by getting him into the infield and Braun into the outfield.



You guys.....everyone knows that it would be the best case scenario for him to work in LF.
Of course the Brewers defense would be better off. But to me it doesn't seem like a good idea to have your bread and butter bat running around in a position he's never really played. Can he do it, yes. Is there a lot more risk and potential for him to hurt himself out there, also yes.

Just food for thought. It doesn't need to be stated that he's not a great 3B (even though he's only had 1 yr there in the majors and is still very young), everyone knows that.
But the question remains, is it worth the risk.

[Scooter1027]

Of course you make this move, no doubt in my mind. It improves the team defense across the board with Cameron in center and Hall at third. And Braun has the skill set to be a good defensive outfielder in time (speed and a strong arm). His "injury" is a run-of-the-mill Achilles pull caused evidently by a new pair of Nike cleats that didn't agree with him (the same "model", albeit sneakers, that apparently several NBA players dumped for the same reason). I'm not concerned at all.

[colemwi]

putting a 24 yr old kid into the OF is going to increase his chance of inury? Give me a break.

[sandman042]

braun made 26 errors in 112 games last yr. I know they should let hiim develop at third but he simply isnt cut out to be a third baseman. In alot of games last yr they had to take him out in tied games in the 8th and 9th inngs beacuse he was such a liability in the field... When someone1 is that much of a liablity then they gotta move postions. Braun just simply cant play 3rd so that it. He cant play 1st so the only other place is the of. so i think this was a good move. and what makes u think this achiilies injury he has has anything to do w/ the of?? why cause it involves running more??

[Ender]

Braun says a new pair of shoes that were bothering him probably caused it.

The Brewers are a contending team, they don't have time to take chances and hope his defense improves and they most certainly don't want to take his bat out of the lineup so the move is a smart one.

He hit a HR today so it isn't like he is being that bothered by it.

[bigken117]

Remember when Kevin Mench had shoes that were bothering him so he switched to a bigger size, then hit 7 HR in as many games?

Watch out for Braun this year, it's all I'm saying...