Are Milwaukee Brewers postseason bound in ‘08?
Milwaukee made solid strides towards their first postseason appearance since 1982 last season before falling off in the second half. Now the Brewers look to take the next step.
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed a marked improvement in the Brewers since Bud Selig sold the team off? I can’t help but wonder if the same might be true for MLB overall once Selig steps down from that throne?
Ok, that’s my one and only Selig remark regarding this team. Still, though it might be entirely unfair to the Selig Clan that ran the team prior to the sale to Mark Attanasio in Jan 2005, it’s factual nonetheless. In the 12 seasons leading up to the franchise changing hands, the team didn’t record a single campaign at .500 or better. In the three seasons since, two have been at the .500 level or better.
The upswing on the field was probably going to happen regardless of who was listed as owner. Thanks to some nice trades during the previous regime that also brought in a solid GM-Manager duo in Doug Melvin and Ned Yost, both of whom came aboard prior to the 2003 season, Attanasio took over a Milwaukee club that was in good hands and already had a nice park in which to play.
For much of the first half of last season, the Brewers appeared ready to play on once October appeared on the calendar. Milwaukee opened the season with a nice 16-9 record in April and was a season-high 14 games above .500 after play on July 2 when their 48-34 record gave them the best record in the NL and a 6½-game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central. But a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cardinals in Milwaukee in mid-August was the real death knell, and the club closed 34-40 after the All-Star break.
Now Melvin and Yost shoot for the playoffs with some of the game’s best young hitters and a restocked bullpen.
PITCHING
The bullpen received the biggest makeover this winter after a season in which the relief corps was very good at times and utterly awful at others. The very good part was when Francisco Cordero who got off to a quick start with 10 saves in April and did not allow his first run until May 8. He closed the year with 44 saves and a 2.98 ERA before moving southeast to Cincinnati as a free agent after the season.
Eric Gagne was brought in to replace Cordero, and the jury will be out on Gagne for a while until he proves he’s really back from arm trouble.
Derrick Turnbow was part of the bad bullpen last season, just as he was in 2006. He should play a middle relief role this season instead of the primary setup arm or closer he’s been the past three years.
Milwaukee inked David Riske as the main setup arm and some insurance at closer should Gagne fail. The Brewers also brought in Salomon Torres and Guillermo Mota in hopes of finding at least one gem among those two right-handers. Brian Shouse and Randy Choate have the inside edge for southpaw relief jobs, but Mitch Stetter is another lefty to keep an eye on in the spring.
Yost and pitching coach Mike Maddux entered Spring Training with what they thought were four rotation spots decided. Ben Sheets, Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan and Yovani Gallardo were supposed to have their names chiseled in stone for the rotation, but some rough outings and an injury have altered those plans.
Sheets, to put it simply, must stay healthy and get in 30 starts if Milwaukee is going to have a shot at the playoffs. He managed to make 24 starts last season, but only three came in July-August when the team was spiraling out of the NL Central lead. And when he returned in September, he was not at his best. News so far this spring is good on Sheets, but with his track record we aren’t holding our breath.
Suppan did pretty much as expected when signed before the 2007, chewing up innings and finishing 12-12 in 34 starts. Don’t expect much different this year.
Shelled in his first two outings this spring, Bush is starting to look more like a back end of the rotation guy instead of the No. 2, No. 3 Milwaukee hoped for. And Gallardo, who was strong in his rookie season, will start the year on the DL after a knee injury that required surgery. So opening the season behind Sheets, Suppan and Bush, it looks like Chris Capuano, Carlos Villanueva, Manny Parra and Claudio Vargas are battling for two spots instead of just one. Look for Capuano to work out of the pen when Gallardo returns.
OFFENSE/DEFENSE
Hitting coach Jim Skaalen has to look at his troops and smile. Milwaukee has a solid group of young bats that start with Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks and 2007’s NL Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun, with Weeks the oldest of the bunch at 25 entering this season.
Fielder became the youngest to swat 50 homers last year and has done nothing but show marked improvement year after year, beginning with his fairly brief minor league days. Weeks will once again be to his right at second base and should finally be ready to bust loose in ’08.
Weeks’ double play buddy at short, J.J. Hardy, is also just 25 and had his breakout season last year with 26 taters and 80 RBI. Bill Hall will complete the infield at third base after a season playing center.
You don’t normally see a Rookie of the Year like Braun shifted to a new position in their sophomore season, but getting his glove out of the infield should be a very good thing for both him and the Brewers. Braun will also have the luxury of one of the game’s best center fielders to help him out after Milwaukee signed Mike Cameron this winter. And completing the outfield will be Corey Hart in right. Hart is off an unsung season in which he batted .295 with 24 homers and 23 steals.
The one weak link in the order will be veteran catcher Jason Kendall. But that’s alright with Yost and his staff as Kendall was brought in to provide leadership behind the plate and nurture the pitching staff.
One thing Yost doesn’t have to do this spring is look over a bunch of non-roster invitees as the Brewers only have seven such players in camp. Two have a good shot to stick – infielder Abraham Nuñez and outfielder Laynce Nix. Craig Counsell will also provide backup on the infield with Mike Rivera and Eric Munson battling to be Kendall’s assistant behind the plate. Tony Gwynn Jr. will also stick in the outfield and will likely be a late-inning defensive replacement often for Braun. If Nix doesn’t cut it, then two Gabe’s, Gross and Kapler, will fight it out for the last outfield slot.
Key Player(s): Start with the two most crucial arms, Sheets and Gagne. Without them, Milwaukee will be in the middle of the pack in the NL Central instead of in the thick of the NLC race with the Cubs. Other arms are also critical – Gallardo and Riske stand out – but the offense should be just fine.
Futures: Getting the Brewers at +215 to win the NL Central over at 5Dimes is a pretty darn good wager. Sure, you’d like to get more than that on a futures bet, but considering they only have the Cubs to beat most likely, it’s not bad. The Brewers are at +1500 to win the NL and +3000 to go all the way. The Greek set their O/U break for wins at 84½, and laid -125 chalk on the Over. My sims say that Over is a good bet with Milwaukee hitting 79, 85, 86, 88 and 90 in my test runs.
Milwaukee made solid strides towards their first postseason appearance since 1982 last season before falling off in the second half. Now the Brewers look to take the next step.
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed a marked improvement in the Brewers since Bud Selig sold the team off? I can’t help but wonder if the same might be true for MLB overall once Selig steps down from that throne?
Ok, that’s my one and only Selig remark regarding this team. Still, though it might be entirely unfair to the Selig Clan that ran the team prior to the sale to Mark Attanasio in Jan 2005, it’s factual nonetheless. In the 12 seasons leading up to the franchise changing hands, the team didn’t record a single campaign at .500 or better. In the three seasons since, two have been at the .500 level or better.
The upswing on the field was probably going to happen regardless of who was listed as owner. Thanks to some nice trades during the previous regime that also brought in a solid GM-Manager duo in Doug Melvin and Ned Yost, both of whom came aboard prior to the 2003 season, Attanasio took over a Milwaukee club that was in good hands and already had a nice park in which to play.
For much of the first half of last season, the Brewers appeared ready to play on once October appeared on the calendar. Milwaukee opened the season with a nice 16-9 record in April and was a season-high 14 games above .500 after play on July 2 when their 48-34 record gave them the best record in the NL and a 6½-game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central. But a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cardinals in Milwaukee in mid-August was the real death knell, and the club closed 34-40 after the All-Star break.
Now Melvin and Yost shoot for the playoffs with some of the game’s best young hitters and a restocked bullpen.
PITCHING
The bullpen received the biggest makeover this winter after a season in which the relief corps was very good at times and utterly awful at others. The very good part was when Francisco Cordero who got off to a quick start with 10 saves in April and did not allow his first run until May 8. He closed the year with 44 saves and a 2.98 ERA before moving southeast to Cincinnati as a free agent after the season.
Eric Gagne was brought in to replace Cordero, and the jury will be out on Gagne for a while until he proves he’s really back from arm trouble.
Derrick Turnbow was part of the bad bullpen last season, just as he was in 2006. He should play a middle relief role this season instead of the primary setup arm or closer he’s been the past three years.
Milwaukee inked David Riske as the main setup arm and some insurance at closer should Gagne fail. The Brewers also brought in Salomon Torres and Guillermo Mota in hopes of finding at least one gem among those two right-handers. Brian Shouse and Randy Choate have the inside edge for southpaw relief jobs, but Mitch Stetter is another lefty to keep an eye on in the spring.
Yost and pitching coach Mike Maddux entered Spring Training with what they thought were four rotation spots decided. Ben Sheets, Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan and Yovani Gallardo were supposed to have their names chiseled in stone for the rotation, but some rough outings and an injury have altered those plans.
Sheets, to put it simply, must stay healthy and get in 30 starts if Milwaukee is going to have a shot at the playoffs. He managed to make 24 starts last season, but only three came in July-August when the team was spiraling out of the NL Central lead. And when he returned in September, he was not at his best. News so far this spring is good on Sheets, but with his track record we aren’t holding our breath.
Suppan did pretty much as expected when signed before the 2007, chewing up innings and finishing 12-12 in 34 starts. Don’t expect much different this year.
Shelled in his first two outings this spring, Bush is starting to look more like a back end of the rotation guy instead of the No. 2, No. 3 Milwaukee hoped for. And Gallardo, who was strong in his rookie season, will start the year on the DL after a knee injury that required surgery. So opening the season behind Sheets, Suppan and Bush, it looks like Chris Capuano, Carlos Villanueva, Manny Parra and Claudio Vargas are battling for two spots instead of just one. Look for Capuano to work out of the pen when Gallardo returns.
OFFENSE/DEFENSE
Hitting coach Jim Skaalen has to look at his troops and smile. Milwaukee has a solid group of young bats that start with Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks and 2007’s NL Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun, with Weeks the oldest of the bunch at 25 entering this season.
Fielder became the youngest to swat 50 homers last year and has done nothing but show marked improvement year after year, beginning with his fairly brief minor league days. Weeks will once again be to his right at second base and should finally be ready to bust loose in ’08.
Weeks’ double play buddy at short, J.J. Hardy, is also just 25 and had his breakout season last year with 26 taters and 80 RBI. Bill Hall will complete the infield at third base after a season playing center.
You don’t normally see a Rookie of the Year like Braun shifted to a new position in their sophomore season, but getting his glove out of the infield should be a very good thing for both him and the Brewers. Braun will also have the luxury of one of the game’s best center fielders to help him out after Milwaukee signed Mike Cameron this winter. And completing the outfield will be Corey Hart in right. Hart is off an unsung season in which he batted .295 with 24 homers and 23 steals.
The one weak link in the order will be veteran catcher Jason Kendall. But that’s alright with Yost and his staff as Kendall was brought in to provide leadership behind the plate and nurture the pitching staff.
One thing Yost doesn’t have to do this spring is look over a bunch of non-roster invitees as the Brewers only have seven such players in camp. Two have a good shot to stick – infielder Abraham Nuñez and outfielder Laynce Nix. Craig Counsell will also provide backup on the infield with Mike Rivera and Eric Munson battling to be Kendall’s assistant behind the plate. Tony Gwynn Jr. will also stick in the outfield and will likely be a late-inning defensive replacement often for Braun. If Nix doesn’t cut it, then two Gabe’s, Gross and Kapler, will fight it out for the last outfield slot.
Key Player(s): Start with the two most crucial arms, Sheets and Gagne. Without them, Milwaukee will be in the middle of the pack in the NL Central instead of in the thick of the NLC race with the Cubs. Other arms are also critical – Gallardo and Riske stand out – but the offense should be just fine.
Futures: Getting the Brewers at +215 to win the NL Central over at 5Dimes is a pretty darn good wager. Sure, you’d like to get more than that on a futures bet, but considering they only have the Cubs to beat most likely, it’s not bad. The Brewers are at +1500 to win the NL and +3000 to go all the way. The Greek set their O/U break for wins at 84½, and laid -125 chalk on the Over. My sims say that Over is a good bet with Milwaukee hitting 79, 85, 86, 88 and 90 in my test runs.