I know it won't happen, but I'd love to see Ned Yost bench Rickie Weeks tonight and let newly acquired second baseman Ray Durham get a start.
For anyone who didn't watch the "playoff game in July" last night, Weeks basically lost the game for the Brewers by botching a routine double play, which allowed two Cubs' runs to score. He also went 0-4 at the plate, with two untimely strikeouts.
Obviously, Weeks wasn't the only problem Monday ... but he certainly didn't help the team's cause.
Weeks didn't make an excuse for his lousy play, and that's nice.
"I tried to turn it the best way possible," Weeks said. "It just got away from me ... It's not a mental thing, it's going out there and making a play. I made a mistake. I haven't had too many of those in clutch situations. That's the way it goes."
But Yost could make a statement tonight and play veteran Durham, who was acquired from the Giants to be a competent backup.
Obviously, the talk about firing Ned Yost has all but died this year, as the Brewers are 14 games over .500 and in sole possession of the wildcard spot. But Yost is so smug, so unapologetic for any managerial decision he makes -- not to mention defending his players no matter what.
If I see one more dugout shot of Yost standing there, arms crossed, pursing his lips, I might lose my lunch.
Sadly, I wouldn't count on the skipper to sit Weeks for even one game.
Benching Weeks tonight is the right decision. If the Brewers are to overtake the Cubs down the stretch, they need to play focused, fundamental baseball. Weeks, God-given talent aside, is sloppy, wild and generally unreliable on defense.
The Brewers need a leadoff hitter with numbers better than a .224 average and a .330 on base percentage. They also need someone who can play defense in clutch situations.
For a day, wouldn't it be nice to see what someone else could do at second base?
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
