General Manager Doug Melvin

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Money Ball
Based on payrolls, Brewers faring quite well this season

The bottom line of victories and losses is the absolute best way to judge how a major-league team is managing its money.

With nearly six weeks of the 2005 season complete, the Milwaukee Brewers have to feel pretty good about how they've fared.

With a $41 million payroll, which ranks 27th among the 30 big-league clubs, the Brewers have forged a 17-16 record. Breaking that down further the Brewers have spent $2.41 million per victory, a figure that obviously will decrease dramatically as the season progresses.

"We don't really look at it that way," said Brewers general manager Doug Melvin. "You try to win as many games as you can.

"But, really, you do look at what other teams are doing. It's still early, and it could really fluctuate, but I guess there are some teams spending more money who would like our record."

Such as the team that just lost two of three games to the Brewers, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia has a $96 million payroll, fifth-highest in the majors, yet limped out of Milwaukee with a 15-20 record. Of course, it didn't help to have slugger Jim Thome ($13.2 million salary) on the disabled list.

No team has underachieved more, per dollar spent, than the New York Yankees, who have a league-high $208 million payroll - $84 million more than the team with the second-highest payroll, Boston. Despite winning five consecutive games, the Yankees are 16-19, which works out to $13 million per victory.

In getting the most for your money, the Brewers ranked second in the majors, taking into account games played through Wednesday night. The top team was Tampa Bay, which had a 13-22 record and $30 million payroll, which worked out to $2.31 million per victory.

It's difficult to take the Devil Rays seriously, however, because their payroll is so low - $7 million behind the No. 29 team, Kansas City, another cost-cutting club. Nine games under .500 is hardly a mark of success, no matter how much money you're spending.

"You have to ask what's their purpose?" said Melvin. "Is their purpose to make money, or avoid trying to lose money? There's a big difference."

Just think where the Brewers might be if two of their highest-paid players were producing as expected. Rightfielder Geoff Jenkins, tied with leftfielder Carlos Lee for the team's highest salary at $8 million, has yet to get going, batting .261 with only three homers and 10 runs batted in.

And staff ace Ben Sheets, by far the highest paid pitcher at $6 million, has been on the disabled list since April 21 with inner ear inflammation.

"I've said all along I like this team," said manager Ned Yost, whose club just completed a 9-3 home stand. "We don't have 'Jenks' going yet, and Junior (Spivey) and Carlos struggled early. And we don't have Benny right now.

"When we get all those guys going, it'll be even better. It's a combination of having guys who fight and battle and having more talent on the club."

Yost isn't about to get excited just yet because the second-half nightmare of 2004 is seared into his memory. After getting to the all-star break with a 45-41 record, the Brewers tumbled to a 22-53 mark in the second half, the worst collapse in major league history.

"I've still got last year in my mind," said Yost. "You've got to maintain it. We need to put two halves together. I don't care what other teams are doing. I just care what we're doing."

One game over .500 is not a bad place to be at this point, particularly when you suffered through a seven-game losing streak in April and you take a look at the teams below the Brewers in the NL Central.

The Houston Astros, with a $77 million payroll, took a 12-21 record into play Thursday night, which tied them with Cincinnati for last place.

Among the middle-tier teams (spending between $55 million and $77 million), the Astros have been the biggest flop. First baseman Jeff Bagwell, the highest paid regular player with an $18 million salary, recently went on the disabled list with a shoulder injury that could threaten his career. The Chicago Cubs, who rank ninth in the majors with an $87 million payroll, also have suffered more than their share of injuries. But the main reason they are 15-18 is a gosh-awful bullpen in which LaTroy Hawkins has been the leading arsonist.

In a recent online column, Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci noted how Melvin had put together one of the most effective bullpens in the NL by spending a mere $2,792,000 on seven pitchers. Setup man Ricky Bottalico is by far the highest paid of the bunch with an $800,000 salary.

Again, it comes to getting the biggest bang for your buck. Melvin has rightly earned a reputation throughout baseball for recycling players discarded by other organizations and getting productivity from them, with the help of Yost and his hard-working coaching staff.

It certainly didn't hurt that the Brewers raised their payroll from a puny $27.6 million to $41 million under new owner Mark Attanasio. But when you consider they have the fourth-lowest payroll in the majors, a 17-16 start looks even better.

"You always want to get the most for your money," said Melvin. "That's really what all teams try to do."

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Most Bang for Your Buck

Several high-payroll teams are off to poor starts this season, while many clubs with lower payrolls have made the most of their resources. A look at those doing the best, and the worst, as far as victories produced per dollar spent (records through Wednesday):

TOP FIVE
Team Payroll Record Millions Spent per Victory
1. Tampa Bay $30 M 13-22 $2.31 M

2. Milwaukee $41 M 17-16 $2.41 M

3. Toronto $46 M 19-16 $2.41 M

4. Pittsburgh $38 M 15-18 $2.53 M

5. Washington $49 M 18-16 $2.72 M

BOTTOM FIVE
26. Boston $124 M 21-13 $5.90 M

27. Philadelphia $96 M 15-20 $6.40 M

28. Houston $77 M 12-21 $6.42 M

29. Seattle $88 M 13-21 $6.77 M

30. New York (AL) $208 M 16-19 $13.0 M

BIGGEST SPENDERS
$83 M to $208 M

Best
Atlanta $86 M 21-13 $4.10 M

Worst
New York (AL) $208 M 16-19 $13.0 M

MIDDLE TIER
$55 M to $77 M

Best
Minnesota $56 M 20-13 $2.80 M

Worst
Houston $77 M 12-21 $6.42 M

BOTTOM RUNG
$30 M to $49 M

Best
Tampa Bay $30 M 13-22 $2.31 M

Worst
Colorado $48 M 9-22 $5.33 M

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Decisions, decisions

General manager Doug Melvin said he and assistant Gord Ash had toyed with the idea of sending Hardy to Class AAA Nashville when third baseman Russell Branyan returns from the disabled list.

"It's not an outlandish thought," Melvin said. "We've talked about it."

The thinking is that Branyan and Wes Helms could split time at third base, allowing Bill Hall to start at shortstop every day. That would allow Hardy to go down and hopefully find his batting stroke, then come back up later in the season.

Melvin said he was not inclined at this point to make that move, however. He said he still wanted rookie first baseman Prince Fielder to go down and play regularly.

"J.J. is learning the pitchers, learning the game up here," said Melvin, who watched as Hardy went 2 for 5 with two RBI in the victory over the Cubs. "He's getting over the learning curve up here."

Melvin said he had arranged for Hardy to play in the Arizona Fall League, a somewhat unusual move for a player after his rookie season in the majors. A player is eligible for the AFL if he has less than a year in the majors as of Aug. 30.

"That will allow him to make up for some lost at-bats here," Melvin said.

Melvin said Fielder also would play in the AFL this year.

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Team, not Yost, in focus

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Melvin Era Trades

General manager Doug Melvin has made 17 trades during his nearly three-year tenure with the Milwaukee Brewers. A look at each of those trades, the players involved and where they are now:

2002

Nov. 15 - Minor-league pitchers Matt Yeatman and Gerry Oakes to Minnesota for RHP Matt Kinney and C Javier Valentin. Current status: Yeatman is at Class AA New Britain and Oakes at rookie Gulf Coast League Braves (Atlanta). Kinney is with Class AAA Fresno (San Francisco) and Valentin with the Cincinnati Reds.

Nov. 26 - C Paul Bako to Chicago Cubs for minor-league infielder Ryan Gripp. Current status: Bako is with Los Angeles Dodgers (DL). Gripp is not active.

Dec. 16 - LHP Ray King to Atlanta for LHP John Foster and 3B Wes Helms. Current status: King is with St. Louis. Foster is back with Atlanta and Helms is a bench player for the Brewers.

2003
March 23 - C Javier Valentin to Tampa Bay for OF Jason Conti. Current status: Valentin is with Cincinnati. Conti is with Class AAA Oklahoma (Texas).

May 27 - OF Alex Sanchez to Detroit for LHP Chad Petty and OF Noochie Varner. Current status: Sanchez is with San Francisco. Petty is not active and Varner is with Class AA Tennessee (Arizona).

July 2 - RHP Curtis Leskanic to Kansas City for RHP Wes Obermueller and IF Alejandro Machado. Current status: Leskanic retired after the 2004 season. Obermueller is with Class AAA Nashville and Machado is with Class AAA Pawtucket (Boston).

Aug. 19 - 2B Eric Young to San Francisco for RHP Greg Bruso. Current status: Young is with San Diego. Bruso is out of baseball.

Aug. 22 - RHP Mike DeJean to St. Louis for minor-league pitchers Mike Crudale and John Novinsky. Current status: DeJean is with Colorado. Crudale and Novinsky are not active.

Sept. 2 - LHP Valerio De Los Santos to Philadelphia for player to be named or cash (Brewers took $50,000). Current status: De Los Santos is with Florida.

Dec. 1 - 1B Richie Sexson, LHP Shane Nance and OF Noochie Varner to Arizona for 1B Lyle Overbay, C Chad Moeller, LHP Chris Capuano, LHP Jorge De La Rosa, INF Craig Counsell and 2B Junior Spivey. Current status: Sexson is with Seattle, Nance is with Class AAA Omaha (Kansas City) and Varner is with Class AA Tennessee (Arizona). Overbay, Moeller, Capuano and De La Rosa are with the Brewers, Counsell is back with Arizona and Spivey is with Washington (DL).

2004
March 30 - LHP Wayne Franklin and RHP Leo Estrella to San Francisco for minor-league pitchers Carlos Villanueva and Glenn Woolard. Current status: Franklin is with Class AAA Columbus (New York Yankees) and Estrella is with Veracruz of the Mexican League. Villanueva is with Class A Brevard County and Woolard with Class AA Huntsville.

Aug. 31 - OF Ben Grieve to Chicago Cubs for minor-league pitcher Andy Pratt. Current status: Grieve is with Class AAA Iowa (Cubs). Pratt is with Class AA Huntsville.

Sept. 2 - RHP Dave Burba to San Francisco for minor-league pitcher Josh Habel. Current status: Burba retired after 2004 season. Habel is with Class AA Huntsville.

Dec. 11 - RHP Dan Kolb to Atlanta for minor-league pitchers Jose Capellan and Alec Zumwalt. Current status: Kolb is with Atlanta. Capellan is with Class AAA Nashville and Zumwalt with Class AA Huntsville.

Dec. 13 - OF Scott Podsednik, RHP Luis Vizcaino and minor-league first baseman Travis Hinton to Chicago White Sox for LF Carlos Lee. Current status: Podsednik and Vizcaino are with White Sox and Hinton with Class A Winston-Salem (White Sox). Lee is with Brewers.

Dec. 15 - 2B Keith Ginter to Oakland for minor-league OF Nelson Cruz and minor-league RHP Justin Lehr. Current status: Ginter is with Oakland. Cruz is with Class AAA Nashville and Lehr with the Brewers.

2005
June 10 - 2B Junior Spivey to Washington for RHP Tomo Ohka. Current status: Spivey is with Washington (DL). Ohka is with the Brewers.

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Money to spend

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, in town for the home stand, said he had told general manager Doug Melvin there is extra money in the budget to pick up a player in a trade who might help the club.

"I've given him permission to add payroll if he can find a player who can help the team," Attanasio said. "Preferably in the medium term but if not, in the near term. That's his call.

"There's absolutely enough (money available) to get a good player. I haven't qualified it. There's money available to upgrade the team."

Despite that leeway, Attanasio said it had been very quiet on the trade front. Most teams are looking for pitching and the Brewers don't intend to deal any pitchers who fit into their future plans.

"All teams are looking to upgrade pitching, especially this time of year," Attanasio said. "Pitchers tend to be overvalued now.

"I'd love to get in there and do something. But Doug's running the show. He's showing discipline."

Attanasio did say you can forget trade rumors involving first baseman Lyle Overbay, including the latest that he's headed to the Chicago White Sox.

"Why would we trade Lyle Overbay?" Attanasio asked. "That makes no sense."

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Patience is a virtue for Brewers GM Melvin

Former New York Mets general manager Steve Phillips considers Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin a "leader" among his peers and considers him a GM who likes to let proposals marinate before he makes up his mind.

Phillips, who now works for ESPN, posted his thoughts about styles of National League general managers in baseball at the ESPN Insider Web site.

"Melvin is a patient guy, has a vision and is willing to see it through, regardless of the pace," Phillips said. "He is also very mature and professional."

That must mean Melvin isn't the guy wearing the lampshade at the GM meetings.

"He is a no-nonsense guy and a very hard worker," Phillips said. "He is willing to make a deal, but tends to be very thoughtful before proceeding. He doesn't say 'yes' to many initial proposals as he likes to buy time to further evaluate and rationalize the decision.

"He is detail-oriented and has strong opinions and creative ideas. He has a global perspective about his own organization and also a real sense of the needs of the games as a whole. He is a leader among GMs, and his opinion is respected by his peers."

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Overbay won't be dealt

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Melvin stands pat

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Brewers exercise 2006 option for Yost

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Melvin in line for extension
Brewers owner Attanasio eager to retain general manager

NEW YORK -- It's not whether Brewers general manager Doug Melvin will get a contract extension. It's when, and for how many years?
So hopes the team's owner, Mark Attanasio, who returned to his New York roots this week to catch the Brewers-Mets series at Shea Stadium. Attanasio said he planned to sit down soon with Melvin to discuss extending his contract, which expires at the end of 2006. on Monday, the Brewers picked up manager Ned Yost's option for 2006.

How long an extension for Melvin? Attanasio said "it's just too preliminary" to say, but has at times referred to a five-year plan in building the Brewers into a perennial contender. Attanasio's fifth year as owner would be 2009.

"For now, we've just agreed to sit down and talk," Attanasio said. "We've already decided to pick up Ned's option, and then extend Doug, and then things will fall into place from there."

Attanasio, who grew up in the Bronx as a Yankees fan but now lives in Los Angeles, hosted a number of family and friends in the Big Apple this week and also planned to participate in Major League Baseball's orientation program for new owners. That agenda left little time for substantive talks with Melvin, but Attanasio plans to visit Milwaukee later this month and the duo could meet then.

"There's no timetable for this," Attanasio said. "You start looking at other teams and a lot of other GMs have contracts that run out after this year. I don't know that they're all talking about it. I think there's a lot of interest in our community because I'm new."

There is also a lot of interest because of Melvin's and assistant GM Gord Ash's success. The Brewers have been particularly deft at acquiring other organizations' castoffs as Minor League free agents or waiver-wire pickups, and turning them into productive players (see: Brady Clark, Doug Davis, Dan Kolb, Scott Podsednik, Derrick Turnbow).

"I've been standing here talking to New York writers about [Mets GM] Omar Minaya, and I agree that he's done an absolutely wonderful job here," Attanasio said. "But they have a $115 million payroll to work with. Ours is $40 million and they have one more win than we do. One more win! Now do you see why I'm so anxious to talk to Doug Melvin?"

The visit came a day after the club picked up the option year on Yost's contract, extending his deal through 2006. Yost also expressed support for Melvin.

"I don't think there's a better man on this planet for this job than him," Yost said. "If he's not the best general manager in the game then he's definitely one of the top two or three. I can't think of anyone I'd enjoy working with more."

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Melvin feels pain of Royals
He lived through long losing streak with Orioles

Houston - Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin loves to watch the out-of-town scoreboard while attending baseball games. Lately, like everyone else in his industry, Melvin has been paying close attention to games involving the Kansas City Royals.

Why the Royals, you ask?

Kansas City dragged a 19-game losing streak onto the field Saturday night at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland. That put them within striking distance of the American League record for consecutive losses, 21, which was established by Baltimore in April 1988.

Melvin was the Orioles assistant general manager at the time. Believe it or not, he has been pulling for the Royals to win.

"You never want anybody to lose like that," he said. "When we were going through it, Roland Hemond was the general manager and I was the assistant, and we had to be careful going through the clubhouse.

"You can't walk around feeling sorry for yourself, because the players will see that. You can't laugh and joke and horse around, because people will think you don't care. But you have to try to have a little fun because players can't play this game tight. You have to be loose. It was a tough time."

After losing their first six games of the season, the Orioles fired Cal RipkenSr., replaced him with Frank Robinson and proceeded to lose 15 in a row to run the streak to 21. The skid finally ended with a 9-0 victory against Chicago on April 29.

"It got to the point where teams didn't want to play us," Melvin said. "When a team has lost that many games, you figure they're due to turn things around."

During their skid, the Orioles lost five games to the Brewers.

The Philadelphia Phillies set the modern-day major-league mark for the longest losing streak, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, dropping 23 in a row from July 29 to Aug. 20, 1961. That skid also had a Milwaukee connection: It ended when the Phillies won a game, 7-4, in the second half of a doubleheader against the Braves at County Stadium.

The winning pitcher in that game for the Phillies, a right-hander named John Buzhardt, recently told the Kansas City Star about the experience.

"It was pretty daggone stressful," Buzhardt told the Star. "We'd go in the clubhouse after another loss, and everybody would have to sit around for 30 minutes and think about it. Then someone would turn on a shower, and it would sound like a thunderstorm."

The Phillies heard thunder again - literally - after the streak ended.

"We were playing in Milwaukee, and we broke it on a Sunday afternoon," Buzhardt told the Star. "We had to go home that night.

"The airport was full of people. It was 1 o'clock in the morning, and there was a big thunderstorm going on. You'd have thought we won a pennant.

"And the next morning, I looked at the newspaper. They had me listed up there with a lot of the greats. Charles Lindbergh, all kinds of people. My picture was right on the front page."

Buzhardt, who will turn 69 this week, suffered a stroke in 2002 and has spent much of his time in bed or a wheelchair since. He finished his career with a 71-96 record.

Learning experience: Brewers pitcher Kane Davis, who turned in a shaky outing in relief of Doug Davis on Friday night, was unhappy with his pitch selection, particularly on a game-tying single by pinch-hitter Jose Vizcaino.

"I stuck with one pitch (a fastball) through the whole at-bat and I've got three pitches," Davis said. "I have to throw my other pitches. You can't just throw fastballs, no matter how hard you throw them."

Back in the bushes: Astros right-hander Roger Clemens, who started the series opener and took the loss Thursday, threw on the side Saturday, but there was something unusual about his session.

It was held in Greeneville, Tenn.

Clemens has been spending time in Greeneville with his son, Koby, a third baseman on the Astros rookie league team.

Clemens is scheduled to pitch against Padres right-hander Jake Peavy on Tuesday in San Diego.

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Melvin to be extended

Attanasio said he had begun preliminary discussions on a contract extension for Melvin, whose four-year deal expires after the 2006 season. The owner said he wasn't sure whether a new deal would be completed before the end of the season but indicated that it would get done soon.

"It's not a function of how we do in September," Attanasio said. "I'm sold on Doug."

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Melvin, Ash consult with coaches about roster

Phoenix - General manager Doug Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash accompanied the Milwaukee Brewers to Arizona this week, but it wasn't to spend time on the golf course or at the pool.

Melvin and Ash have conducted a series of individual meetings with manager Ned Yost and his coaches to gather information about players currently on the Brewers' roster.

"What Doug and Gord do is collect information from all the coaches to help them judge and gauge what they want to do over the winter," Yost said. "We talk about (players') talents, their abilities, their makeups, the good, the bad. You get a real good sense of things."

Yost said the meetings, which were limited to players in the organization, are unusual in one regard.

"We did meetings like this in Atlanta," he said. "We'd have meetings for two or three days, but everybody would be in the meeting. They'd start with a player and everybody would speak. Everybody had to give their opinion. This way, everybody does it individually. Then, we'll all get together and go over everybody. I think this is a good way to do it.

"Doug doesn't want anything to influence what somebody says. He wants everybody to speak their own mind."

Melvin prefers to meet with coaches individually because some might be inhibited by the group setting. Many times in a group, one coach will voice an opinion and others will echo it.

Third-base coach Rich Donnelly, who said he was not shy about voicing his opinion, likes the individual format.

"I think they might hear the same things about a guy, but they'll hear it in a different way," said Donnelly, who did not undergo individual evaluation meetings at previous stops in Texas, Pittsburgh, Florida or Colorado. "Sometimes, I think (Melvin and Ash) might hear some things they don't want to hear but I think that's good, too.

"I think they're doing it in a good way. What they do is listen to everybody's opinion and take everything they get and mix it up and bake the cake. Hopefully, it'll taste good, and have a little icing on it."

Yost said he had not discussed the fate of his coaching staff with Melvin and Ash.

"We'll probably talk about that as the year goes on," he said.

Asked if he was pleased with the performance of his staff, which has been together for three years, Yost said, "I think they've all worked hard."

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The waiting game

Melvin said he didn't plan to announce until after the season which coaches will be invited back for the 2006 season. That delay probably means he is contemplating changes.

"We haven't determined that yet," said Melvin, who invited all of the coaches back for 2005 before the 2004 season ended.

"Sometimes you do that earlier; sometimes you do that later."

Hitting coach Butch Wynegar would seem to be in the most fragile position, thanks to an offense that has fallen into prolonged funks throughout the season. The Brewers might also want to make room for Frank Kremblas, who managed Nashville to the PCL title and has worked with many of the young prospects who are being filtered into the big-league lineup.