Thursday, February 12, 2009

Final Roster Moves

Our boy Doug was busy this week on the phones making final roster moves to the 40 man roster before pitchers and catchers report tomorrow.

Everybody knew the Looper deal was basically done. The only question was who was going to get the ax off the 40 man. According to Tom H., Vinnie Rottino got DFA'd.

Too bad, I'm a big Rottino supporter. It would have been a great story to see him play significant time on the Brewers but it turns out he won't get the chance. I got the chance to play next to Rottino in his last year at UW-L (when he played for the baseball team...and I was...ahem...cut from the baseball team after 4 weeks of fall tryouts) where he still holds basically every offensive record.

To this day, I will maintain he was the best player I've ever been on a diamond with (take that for what it's worth, but I did play with some good ballplayers in my day). Every time he got to the plate during a scrimmage, I swear the ball shot off his bat into right-center, left-center, or over the fence. Plus he played shortstop and had an absolute cannon. Needless to say, he was the hardest working player on the team. Plus, he played his last year under the tutelage of THIS GUY, who apparently ended up being not the best role model in the business.

So who knows what will happen with Rottino. Unfortunately he never found a clear position in the minors and has been passed by now with the development of Angel Salome and upcoming Brett Lawrie (who as we know...expects to be in the majors next year). I wouldn't be surprised if somebody plucked him off waivers in the next 10 days. We shall see.

In the other move which I guess can be considered somewhat of a surprise, the Brewers DFA'd Luis Pena and picked up a dude by the name of Nick Green from the Angels Org. Pena was the closer most of last year at Triple A but it seemed like the presence of Derrick Turnbow caused him to have serious control problems (47 walks v 49 strikeouts...yikes). He also ended up with a whip of 2.05 (!!!). Anyway, Pena was probably the top bullpen prospect in the organization last year before his blowup.

As far as Nick Green goes, let me just say that I find it ridiculous that there is already a picture of him with a Brewers hat on Brewers.com. Actually, its kind of spooky.

This move is fine by me. Green has thrown 178 and 159 innings the last two years...and will provide more depth for the rotation down at Triple A. Melvin hates relievers anyway.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

what did that La Crosse coach do? The article didnt' say. It just said he was "in an altercation."

Unknown said...

Green's picture on Brewers.com looks like a photoshop job to me... I am surprised that teams don't do that more often. Just 'shop the hat and t-shirt on an existing photo for recently-signed players.

Matt said...

I'm not going to lie - before looking at that photo I had Nick Green pegged as a white guy.

No idea why, I suppose probably because there aren't a lot of black pitchers anymore.

Kind of like when I learned that Brandon Chillar was white.

Anonymous said...

Whatever the LaX coach did, I bet it involved Octoberfest.

woziszeus said...

Ask Todd from Brew Town Beat what the LAX coach did. He broke the story.

Long time ago...but if I remember correctly it involved drunken racial slurs.

Todd said...

I was the editor of the paper at the time, another writer broke it. It damn near got us all axed...apparently as young, impressionable collegiate "journalists" we should have used the word "alledgedly" a few times. Thing is, it all turned out being true...You're right about what it involved Woz.

jnizzle said...

I was a part of that staff at the Racquet....What a time in history that was...The coach got drunk, dropped some n-bombs, started throwing haymakers in the air....Pretty Bobby Knightesque...Very classy