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Melvin: "Something Needed To Be Done"

Doug Melvin. | Photo: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Story Created: Aug 12, 2009

Story Updated: Jan 6, 2012

Melvin: "Something Needed To Be Done"

By Jay Sorgi

Milwaukee Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin isn't known for major knee-jerk action in the vein of the Steinbrenner-string-pulling of the New York Yankees.

But after seeing his Brewers fall to 5-9 against sub-.500 teams in the last month against losing teams, including a debilitating 13-6 loss to San Diego on Tuesday, Melvin felt a change was demanded.

"Something needed to be done," admitted Melvin on 620WTMJ's "Wisconsin's Morning News."

That something became sending former All-Star shortstop J.J. Hardy to AAA Nashville, designating multi-position specialist Bill Hall for assignment (and probably sealing his fate to never play in Milwaukee again) and firing 17 1/2 year Brewers coaching veteran Bill Castro, the pitching coach.

Audio on Recent Moves: 
• Doug Melvin on 620WTMJ's "Wisconsin's Morning News"

Analysis on Recent Moves:
• Sports Glance with Lance: Brewers Blow Things Up | React
• Big Unit Blog: Castro, Hardy and Hall Gone; Who Else Should Be Responsible 
• O'Blog: Castro Fired, Hardy and Hall Sent Down  
• Jay Sorgi: Will Brewers Blow-Ups Blow Team To Playoffs?
• Llama Laments: A Jolt To The System That Game Two Weeks Late

More:
• Doug Davis to the Brewers?
• Journal Sentinel
"You look for consistency in this game, and we're looking at consistency on the positive side of well pitched games, good defense, timely hitting and all that which you need to win," explained Melvin.

"I saw the consistency, but it was all the things I didn't want to see, and I was continuing to see. That was pitching that wasn't getting big outs. It was a defense play that looked lethargic. It was offensive play that looked lethargic."

"When that happened, I tried to give it as much time as I could. I thought our road trip wasn't a bad road trip, but coming home to a homestand against a team that I felt we should be beating, and we just looked very flat, I felt something needed to be done."

Melvin recalled shortstop Alcides Escobar and outfielder Jason Bourgeois from AAA Nashville to the major league level. 

Escobar was batting .298 with four home runs, 34 RBI's and 42 stolen bases in 109 games with the Nashville Sounds.  He will wear uniform number 21.

Hardy was hitting .229 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI's in 102 games with Milwaukee in 2009.  His career average is .262 with the major league club.

Hall had hit .201 with six homers and 24 RBI's in 76 games with Milwaukee.  He had previously been assigned to AAA earlier this season.

To replace Castro, the Brewers chose Chris Bosio, a former Brewer from 1986-92 and the team's AAA pitching coach in Nashville, as their interim pitching coach.

The Brewers ranked 27th in Major League Baseball in ERA (4.84), 26th in walks allowed (421) and 30th in home runs allowed (151) through games on August 12th.

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