OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Harry Lyerly and the Denver Brewers of the WPK

BirdWatcher · 03-24-2019, 07:58 PM

Another interesting thing to watch this Spring has less to do with 1972 and more to do with the future a year or two ahead.

Tanner Yurek, the 31-year old 2-time All-Star secondbaseman for the Brewers, who after having a fine 1970 season, struggled at the plate for much of 1971, is signed through 1973 but the team has an option on his contract for that last season. Yurek has long been a fan favorite and it would be an unpopular decision to part with him, but his batting contact abilities have clearly slipped and his defense is fairly average. Yurek has been one of the more reliable power bats in the lineup (and also has had a knack for hitting big walk-off HR's and hitting HR's in bunches- he is still the only WPK player ever to hit 4 in one game and he also has a 3 HR game). But with the Brewers starting to get more power production from other positions, this might not make him as valuable as it has in the past.

Danny Roman is the most immediate contender to take over his job. Roman had a fine rookie season in 1971, finishing with a slash line of .284/.380/.402 and collected 17 extra base hits in 274 plate appearances. His ability to work a walk exceeded expectations and his OBP was among the best on the team. Roman is also a much better fielder and can turn the double play with the best of them and while he is still a bit unfinished in his technique, he has top-of-the-line speed, base-stealing, and base-running abilities.

Then there is 23-year old Jonathan Koch. Koch has better defensive range than either Yurek or Roman, is nearly as good on the pivot as Roman, and has much more potential upside in terms of hitting for contact and power (gap mostly, but some HR power potential as well). He likely will never draw as many walks as Roman or Yurek, but isn't likely to strikeout much either. On the down side, in spite of his great natural speed, he isn't likely to ever be anything more than a below average base-stealer and base-runner.

It will be interesting to see who emerges as the secondbaseman for the Brewers going forward.
And on top of that, a few of the more talented prospects at the lower levels of the organization are also natural second sackers.

03-24-2019, 07:58 PM	#27
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	Spring Training Storylines, pt. 2. Another interesting thing to watch this Spring has less to do with 1972 and more to do with the future a year or two ahead. Tanner Yurek, the 31-year old 2-time All-Star secondbaseman for the Brewers, who after having a fine 1970 season, struggled at the plate for much of 1971, is signed through 1973 but the team has an option on his contract for that last season. Yurek has long been a fan favorite and it would be an unpopular decision to part with him, but his batting contact abilities have clearly slipped and his defense is fairly average. Yurek has been one of the more reliable power bats in the lineup (and also has had a knack for hitting big walk-off HR's and hitting HR's in bunches- he is still the only WPK player ever to hit 4 in one game and he also has a 3 HR game). But with the Brewers starting to get more power production from other positions, this might not make him as valuable as it has in the past. Danny Roman is the most immediate contender to take over his job. Roman had a fine rookie season in 1971, finishing with a slash line of .284/.380/.402 and collected 17 extra base hits in 274 plate appearances. His ability to work a walk exceeded expectations and his OBP was among the best on the team. Roman is also a much better fielder and can turn the double play with the best of them and while he is still a bit unfinished in his technique, he has top-of-the-line speed, base-stealing, and base-running abilities. Then there is 23-year old Jonathan Koch. Koch has better defensive range than either Yurek or Roman, is nearly as good on the pivot as Roman, and has much more potential upside in terms of hitting for contact and power (gap mostly, but some HR power potential as well). He likely will never draw as many walks as Roman or Yurek, but isn't likely to strikeout much either. On the down side, in spite of his great natural speed, he isn't likely to ever be anything more than a below average base-stealer and base-runner. It will be interesting to see who emerges as the secondbaseman for the Brewers going forward. And on top of that, a few of the more talented prospects at the lower levels of the organization are also natural second sackers. Attached Images