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Big League Stew - MLB

Big League Stew

Tue Jul 07 10:14am EDT

Brewers GM defends self, offers to make Ryan Braun his assistant

By David Brown

Doug Melvin is the baseball sheriff of Milwaukee, but he'd be happy to deputize his slugging left-fielder if he really wants to help. 

Melvin told a Milwaukee newspaper that Ryan Braun's comments demanding the Brewers shore up their pitching staff "just ticked me off."

Braun complained Sunday the NL Central-rival Cubs had better pitching after they took three of four games at Wrigley Field over the weekend. He wants Melvin to pull another CC Sabathia(notes) trade out of his pocket.

And do it soon. Now, even.

Melvin called Braun's words "uncharacteristic, inappropriate and irresponsible," implying — in a reasonable tone — the 25-year-old All-Star should swing the bat, be quiet, lead by example and stop being a pre-prima donna.

"He's too talented a player to be doing this so early in his career," Melvin said. "He just has to be careful about what he says."

Melvin, possibly sarcastically, even offered to make Braun one of his assistants. Nice, considering he's so hot on improving the team's talent.

"I'll be glad to have Ryan help if he wants to," Melvin told the Journal-Sentinel. "I'll give him a badge and he can be my deputy."

Melvin says his front-office staff works year-round, "from 9 a.m. to midnight," in order to improve the Brewers.

"I don't like criticizing players; it's out of character for me," Melvin said. "But I'm tired of it and I need to protect the people under us. Everybody's working as hard as they can to make this a winning organization."

Milwaukee's not big enough for two baseball sheriffs, Ryan Braun.

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