Aramis Ramirez = Brewer Killer

During his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs Aramis Ramirez was often considered a Brewer killer. Milwaukee fans loved to hate the guy and he seemed to relish beating up on the Brewers. The Brewers went out and signed Ramirez to a 3-year, $36 million contract in the off-season hoping he would offer some improvement on defense and assist in plugging the massive hole left by Prince Fielder.

I was one that supported the move. After Fielder and Albert Pujols he was statistically the “next best” available hitter. I was also one of the fans that hated the guy with a passion - you know the thing he lacks.

His smug attitude and lazy appearance made me so frustrated so many times while he was wearing a Cub uniform. The guy was the poster child as far as I was concerned for everything I disdain about that unit to the south - present manager excluded.

But again, who else could the team have gotten with those kind of stats? And he genuinely seemed interested in being a Brewer. So in Doug Melvin I trust and I talked him up and praised the move. What a sucker Melvin and I were. Ramirez appears to have come here for one reason – to be a Brewer killer.

I tried to rationalize with others that Andre Rison was a thug and a jerk when he joined the Packers and helped complete a team on the cusp of a World Championship. Instead he is Anthony Mason.

Last year’s Brewers team was a wonderful assortment of personalities that absolutely had fun playing the game. Led by Fielder and a young nucleus of players that came up together the team was a riot and the results on the field were the best in team history during the regular season and except for a seemingly destined run by the Cardinals it could have been the greatest.

Insert Aramis and you have seen a team that looks like dead men walking (striking out actually).

The play last night where he dropped the ball during a rundown between home and third was of the most pathetic plays I have ever seen - at any level. He did almost nothing right on the play and then looked like “oops I spilled some milk”.

Then after Ryan Braun leads off the 9thwith a hit and stolen base he grounds out weakly. He ended the game with a .233 average, 2 HRs and 19 RBIs. 12 million per year for that? And then to look like he doesn’t even care just drives me insane.

Maybe he let that run score in the 8th so he wouldn't look quite so bad failing in the 9th.

Old, slow, and paid. That is what we got and we have to watch it for 2 ¾ more years.

Add Cesar Izturis to the left side of the infield and it sure makes you yearn for the halcyon days of McGehee and Betancourt doesn’t it. At least they played with heart and passion.

If it weren’t for “A-Ram,” Izturis may be getting more of my ire. He was tagged out the other day going from second to third on a grounder to THIRD. The kids in the local t-ball league know better.

Next he was “going on contact” and was thrown out at the plate in Sunday’s game. There is no going on contact when the infield is playing on the grass. The coaches won’t throw him under the bus for it but I will.

Then we move on to last night in a close game where Green was on third and he was asked to get a squeeze bunt down.

First of all, RON have you seen him try to bunt this year?

Still, a veteran like that should know better than to deaden the ball in front of the plate in that situation but it doesn’t seem to matter to him. Please Craig, come out of retirement. You can hit .200 AND get a bunt down properly.

I’m not giving up hope but the one thing you could always count on with the Brewers in recent history is that they would play hard and have some fun. These two old, slow and paid players could care less.

Aramis and Cesar, the fall of the Brewers empire?