Woo Hoo! The Klobberer traded!

[General]

MLB radio is reporting that Danny Kolb has been dealt back to the Brewers for Wes Obermueller.
It seems to us that it would have made a lot more sense to wait until he was non-tendered by Atlanta, something that was sure to happen. Kolb made $3.4 million last season and couldn't receive less than $2.72 million in arbitration. Maybe the Brewers can work something else out with him. If anyone can straighten him out, it would seem to be Mike Maddux, the pitching coach who helped mold him into a reliable closer in the first place. Of course, the Brewers won't want Kolb to do any closing next season.

[General]

I think we got him to play SS. If memory recalls correctly, he was a SS in college. His career MLB BA is like .273 or something ridiculous like that.

[General]

Article, by Wes himself:



Obermueller: Pitching in at the plate


Swinging the bat in college for three years has helped make me more comfortable at the plate than most big league pitchers.

For example, my teammate Ben Sheets never even hit in high school. I had always been a position player. In college, I would spend 20 minutes on pitching and then the next two hours on hitting. It's something in which I've always taken pride and I've worked really hard at it.

Even though I am facing elite pitching talent now, I think my prior experience still gives me confidence. It allows me to have a better opportunity to handle the bat.

At this level, a lot of pitchers go after other pitchers with just fastballs. I think you want to treat every batter like a Carlos Lee, a Geoff Jenkins or another big-time hitter. Last year, in 2004, I saw mostly fastballs. This season, I saw more sliders and breaking stuff.

When it comes to watching hitters, I like Brady Clark and his approach at the plate. Lee has a good approach to the game. I've always been impressed with Jim Thome because he treats me like it's batting practice. I'm glad he's back in the AL now. Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds are pretty good as well.

When it comes to watching other pitchers hit, I'd say the best I've seen are Jason Marquis, Jason Jennings and Brandon Backe.

I don't take a lot of batting practice. I probably take a little less than the average NL pitcher. Sometimes we get the opportunity to take early BP with the hitters, but the day of our start we get to hit in the first group. That's about all I do.

If I went to the AL, I think I would be a bit disappointed. It's fun to be in the NL. I was drafted by the Royals in 1999, but I rarely got to take pitchers' batting practice. Even then, I took it pretty seriously, however. In the NL, it's great because you know you have an opportunity to help yourself with your bat. I never hit in the Minors.

When I hear someone say that I'm a good-hitting pitcher, I take that as a compliment. When we go over scouting reports and we hear that one of their pitchers can handle the bat, we're told to pitch him like a hitter.

I have yet to hit a big league homer, but I have gotten close a couple of times. Early this past season, I got to the warning track off the Mets' Pedro Martinez. I thought I got it over Cliff Floyd's head in left, but he's tall and he reached out and caught it.

Sinkerballer Wes Obermueller is one of the game's best-hitting pitchers. He had three hits in 2005 -- including a triple and a double -- and in 2004, he hit .385 with five RBIs.

[DravenX]

I had a big grin on my face when I found out this news. I was just waiting for when the Braves get rid of Kolb.

[General]

At least we got something in return.

[DravenX]

Yeah how good is Wes Obermueller anyway? Is he a decent closer?

[General]

Obermueller is a mediocre SP who's only 27 (I think). He is the best hitting pitcher in the MLB though.

[Kingdom]

Not named Marquis.

[love_that_reefer]

Obermueller was terrible as a starter last year and was in and out of the pen. Mediocre is putting it nicely.

[DravenX]

Hopefully he will be more use as a closer than because we sure need one.

[General]

Nah, I think we give the job to Boyer, McBride, or Devine, whoever pitches better.

Then again, Reitsma might pull his head outta his ass and start pitching like he can, that'd be nice.

[awefullspellare]

Kolb dominates in Milwaukee.... I can see it.

[DravenX]

Yeah once he leaves Atlanta he starts to dominate. Wouldn't be surprised but I wouldn't want him on my team.