Here's a new post from guest blogger Superfan 99...
One of the things that I'm surprised hasn't received a lot more attention (from what little media I've been able to consume lately, anyway) is Ryan Braun's comments following the BoSox sweep of the Brewers.
Here are a few verbatims:
"It's just a feeling. Every time we were winning, I just didn't feel we expected to win. It was like we were just content to be there and compete. I don't think we necessarily expected to win."
"Obviously, they're a great team. It's a good gauge of where we're at when we can go out and compete with those guys. For us, as a team, our goal can't be to compete. Our goal has to be to win."
"Obviously, to come in here and win the series would have been extremely difficult but it's a real disappointment to come in here and get swept."
"A team like (Boston), they come out every day and expect to win. You can just sense it. I feel like we're there at times but we need to come with that approach every . No matter who we're playing against, no matter who's throwing against us, and expect to win. Part of that comes with success, comes with beating good teams and good pitchers. We're too talented to approach the game any other way."
"We've got to figure it out and figure it out in a hurry. We're better than that. We're certainly talented enough to win games. But a lot of it, our approach mentally, sometimes has to improve."
Most pundits have connected the dots between these comments and Ned's leadership (or lack thereof). And while that's a logical correlation, I think there's a bigger question here.
Who was the biggest leader of this team last year? Without a doubt, Prince Fielder.
Next question: Who feels like he was slighted in contract negotiations during the offseason? You've got it. Prince Fielder.
It's common sense of running a business, isn't it? Keep your leaders - your most talented team members - happy. And yet, the Brewers have done the exact opposite.
Now to be clear, Prince has his own role to play in this. He's represented by Scott Boras, the most vicious negotiator who promises one thing, and one thing only, to his clients: to extract the maximum amount of dollars, regardless of the methods or risks involved (in this case, Prince currently being without a long-term contract - a serious vulnerability in the event of a major injury). In hiring Boras, and following this approach, Prince has created a bit of a self- fulfilling prophecy: of course his contract hasn't been renewed - because he's with the one agent with the lowest odds of that happening.
In addition, you don't need to read a whole lot of media on Prince to understand how his emotions have a direct impact on his attitude. And his game play. And his leadership in the clubhouse.
It's the trickle down theory of baseball - that business off the field impacts game play on the field.
When the Brewers headed into Fenway and their leader remained in his shell, doing his job in a workmanlike manner, absent his previous leadership style, it's no wonder they were a little lacking in the confidence department.
And it's likewise no surprise that Braun (who signed a deal - for a lesser amount than optimal in the "Boras approach" but still enough for his grandchildren to live quite comfortably) is now in a position of trying to emerge as a stronger leadership voice, filling the vacuum of Mr. Fielder. He knows where he stands, he feels well compensated, and he can personally commit to and invest in this baseball team.
I think many baseball fans (myself included) like to think of this sport as an escape from the pressures of our lives - many of which often involve baseball. We like to put up blinders and think of it as "just a game." But the reality is that it's a business, and how it's run at the top can't help but have a very meaningful impact on how it's played on the field.
So here's hoping that the Brewers find a way to make Prince happy. Or Braunie can fill Prince's vacuum - fast. Otherwise, I fear it's gonna be a long, long season.
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