Tagged: Brewers
The (Red Hot) Milwaukee Brewers Appreciation Thread
As much as I have criticized the Brewers this season, I have to say thank you!
Give the Brewers credit. With the bad start to the season, they are currently 17-6 in their last 23 games including a 8 game winning streak during that stretch. True they swept a bad Phillies and Reds team, but they also took 2/3 from the Mets and the Twins, while sweeping at the time a red hot Pirates team. The Mets, Twins, and Pirates are all fighting for playoff spots.
Credit goes to the veterans on the team. They could all be going through the motions and packing it in. Also with many trade rumors swirling about this team, they could be distracted. Kudos to them keeping focused on winning ball games and appearing to have a bit of fun as well.
Even more credit goes to Craig Counsell. I was a fan of the hiring but a critic of the timing of it as it seemed like a PR move to try to jump start a team that very early looked to be non-contenders.
I know the team is rebuilding and the next 10 days will be extremely important for the future of the franchise. However, with some of the young rotation players like Jimmy Nelson, Taylor Jungmann, & Tyler Cravy (when he has been called up), this might not be as long of a rebuild as we think.
Noticed I did not mention Mike Fiers. As much as I really like him as a Brewers player just like I do Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez, their names have been mentioned in trade rumors.
Brewers fans sound like they may be divided on if Gerardo Parra (who is one of the hottest hitters in baseball the month of July) should be kept or traded.
Here is the thing to keep in mind. The Brewers are not going anywhere this season. It makes baseball sense considering their record and the fact that around $50 million comes of the books after this season that they need to get as many young players and prospects as they can.
If someone wants Mike Fiers and you get younger in return, trade him. If someone wants to give you 2 players for Gerardo Parra, trade him (since he is a Free Agent you can always look to resign him later). If someone wants to give you the world for Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura, or Jonathan Lucroy, you trade them.
This is not the time as Brewers fans to be loyal or get emotional about any player on this 25 man roster. The short term future of the franchise depends on what this team does on the trade market in the next week to 10 days. So instead of worrying about it, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the winning ways of this team and take it day by day.
I thought this would be a long summer for this ball club. I thought my interest for Brewers baseball would be one of the lowest it has been in the last several years. However the exciting recent play along with playing armchair GM sifting through trade rumors has actually got me excited again for Brewers baseball.
Have you seen their schedule from July 30-August 19? They have one road trip and that is basically a home game in Chicago August 11-13.
| Thu, Jul 30 |
|
8:10 PM | Jungmann (5-1) | Arrieta (11-5) | 2,526 available | ||
| Fri, Jul 31 |
|
8:10 PM | Garza (5-10) | Richard (1-0) | 2,058 available | ||
| AUGUST | OPPONENT | TIME (ET) | TV | MIL PITCHER | OPP. PITCHER | TICKETS | |
| Sat, Aug 1 |
|
7:10 PM | Lohse (5-10) | Hammel (5-4) | 1,855 available | ||
| Sun, Aug 2 |
|
2:10 PM | Fiers (5-7) | Hendricks (4-4) | 3,027 available | ||
| Mon, Aug 3 |
|
8:10 PM | Nelson (7-9) | Ross (6-7) | 1,240 available | ||
| Tue, Aug 4 |
|
8:10 PM | Jungmann (5-1) | Cashner (3-10) | 1,249 available | ||
| Wed, Aug 5 |
|
8:10 PM | Garza (5-10) | Kennedy (5-9) | 1,498 available | ||
| Thu, Aug 6 |
|
2:10 PM | Lohse (5-10) | Despaigne (3-7) | 1,288 available | ||
| Fri, Aug 7 |
|
8:10 PM | 1,589 available | ||||
| Sat, Aug 8 |
|
7:10 PM | 3,600 available | ||||
| Sun, Aug 9 |
|
2:10 PM | 3,747 available | ||||
| Tue, Aug 11 |
|
8:05 PM | 5,223 available | ||||
| Wed, Aug 12 |
|
8:05 PM | 5,220 available | ||||
| Thu, Aug 13 |
|
2:20 PM | 3,515 available | ||||
| Fri, Aug 14 |
|
8:10 PM | 1,897 available | ||||
| Sat, Aug 15 |
|
7:10 PM | 4,148 available | ||||
| Sun, Aug 16 |
|
2:10 PM | 4,041 available | ||||
| Mon, Aug 17 |
|
8:10 PM | 1,271 available | ||||
| Tue, Aug 18 |
|
8:10 PM | 1,415 available | ||||
| Wed, Aug 19 |
|
2:10 PM | |||||
Enjoy!! It is going to be a fun rest of the summer Brewers fans!
PS
Here are a few great sites to keep up on the Brewers payroll and the latest trade rumors:
Milwaukee Brewers MLB Trade Rumors
September 2014: I declare “war” in the NL Central
Happy Labor Day!
This is the last sprint of the marathon called the baseball season. I write this ironically as I am leaving the comforts of home in Milwaukee back to Chicago where the Brewers are about to play again in a little over an hour.
Now the wannabe ultra critical sports fans that don’t watch the league as much as a die-hard like me can watch NFL football and that “Cheese team” while the most emotional part of the year is upon us.
Before I get into anything else, this has been a great Brewers season! The media and some glass half empty fans make it sound otherwise, but back in March, NOBODY ever thought we would be where we are at right now. If you told me in January that we would be 73-63 tied for first with the St. Louis Cardinals, I one would have thought you were crazy and two would have said I loved if that happened.
Here is some articles that gave us not chance back in March:
CBS Sports.com Brewers Preview
So here we are. The Brewers proved so many people wrong and their talent is developing faster than expected while the Cardinals best young talent in many ways never materialized to their potential this season. This highly touted starting pitching they had needed to get Justin Masterson and John Lackey in July in order to tie with us on September 1st.
Personally, I am happy that we are tied with the Cardinals for 1st. In order for the Brewers to ever exorcise that yellow Cardinal beak that has been hovering over this franchise like a vulture since 1982, we need to prove that we can beat them. Personally I think the Cardinals and some of their fans have assumed that at any point they will take over first and win the division that we have been keeping warm since April 5th. It’s time for the Brewers to pick themselves up off the infield dirt, dig down and finish these last games on a high note.
Here are my grades on my trends from August:
1) Schedule C+
If this was mid August I would have given the team an A+. To go to LA and sweep that team after playing Kershaw and Greinke back to back was the most proud moment of the season. It sent a statement that this team is for real and here to stay.
Then the disaster in San Diego and San Francisco happened.
I am kind of glad it happened. Sometimes having a team beat you left and right like the Giants did will show what type of team you really are. It’s why today’s game at the Cubs may be one of the defining moments of the year. How will this team bounce back?
2) Wily Peralta Future ACE B-
Wily is struggling as we head into September. However 15 wins for the season and competing with the likes of Adam Wainwright and Clayton Kershaw for most NL wins shows how far he has come. He is still only in his 2nd full year. He will get better. The best thing about how he loses is his demeanor. He used to get upset when he did not have his stuff last year. This year he has learned to take it with a grain of salt.
3) Waiver Claims A
Baseball is one of the few sports where people that don’t follow the game stick out like sore thumbs. I heard everyone blame Doug Melvin for not getting Justin Morneau when they don’t even know the waiver process. The Rockies probably were never really serious about dealing Morneau and wanted to see if a team would be stupid enough to give away too much.
Then Doug Melvin under the radar gets another bullpen guy in Jonathon Braxton.
Melvin does not get enough credit. Here is the 8th inning guy who not only is reliable but could even close if needed. He also has a contract through next season should K-Rod leave. Brilliant waiver deal!! Mevlin is smart enough not to mortgage the farm for this season and then get pieces that help now and will benefit later.
4) Injuries B
Matt Garza went on the DL and Mike Fiers pitched better than anyone ever expected. Carlos Gomez it was revealed has been bothered by a sore wrist (day-to-day) and Gerrardo Parra can instantly fill in. Another under the radar move by Melvin.
For the most part injuries have not hurt this team. Let’s hope it stays this way.
5) West Coast Woes D
I knew when the Brewers had to travel to California two times in the last two weeks and have to be in Chicago also two times in the last three weeks that might have been trouble.
The Padres are playing better lately and gave the Brewers fits and then the Giants decided they know how to hit again. The only reason why this is not an F is because of the Dodgers sweep in LA.
So now why did I call this a war? Because it is more PC than a blood bath.
Here is the Brewers schedule in September
1-3 @ Chicago
4-7 vs St. Louis
8-11 vs Miami
12-14 vs Cincy
16-18 @ St Louis
19-21 @ Pittsburgh
23-25 @ Cincy
26-28 vs Chicago
Only 4 games vs a non NL Central team
Cardinals
1-3 vs Pittsburgh
4-7 @ Milwaukee
8-11 @ Cincy
12-14 vs Colorado
16-18 vs Milwaukee
19-21 vs Cincy
22-24 @ Chicago
26-28 @ Arizona
6 games vs a non NL Central team
Pirates
1-3 @ St Louis
5-7 @ Chicago
8-11 @ Philadephia
12-14 vs Chicago
16-18 vs Boston
19-21 vs Milwaukee
22-25 @ Atlanta
26-28 @ Cincy
11 games vs a non NL Central team
And while I think the Reds playoff hopes are dwindling, I will put their schedule down for sake of argument.
2-4 @ Baltimore
5-7 vs New York Mets
8-11 vs St. Louis
12-14 @ Milwaukee
15-17 @ Chicago
18-21 @ St Louis
23-25 vs Milwaukee
27-28 vs Pittsburgh
6 games vs a non NL Central team
The math is simple for the Brewers. For them to win the NL Central, they have to beat their rivals. Pittsburgh might have the edge there or it might be a curse. They have the least chance to control their own destiny since they play 11 games vs non NL Central teams, the most out of the competing teams.
Also, the Chicago Cubs who have nothing to play for and have players who are out to prove they can be major league talent, will have plenty of say in this NL Central.
Additionally, don’t believe for a second they are not licking their chops trying to bypass the Reds for 4th place which would be considered a major success.
September 4-7 is probably the biggest challenge of the year for the Brewers to start this month. They can prove they belong and are better than the Cardinals this year, or they can be down for the first time looking up. The Red birds have that circled on the calendar. Expect a war. Heck I even expect a bench clearing incident to occur. However this is what as a fan we live for. Let me quote the great wrestler Ric Flair as saying:
“In order to be the man, you have to beat the man”
And let me add for everyone that wants to rip this franchise for not getting David Price or Jon Lester.
September 1st the Tigers after acquiring David Price are in 2nd place chasing the Royals and have the 2nd wild card.
How about the Athletics going for it this year? They are 5 games out of first and have the first wild card.
It is not even guaranteed one or both teams may keep that as Seattle and Cleveland are hot on their trail.
To make a July blockbuster move can backfire.
It is time to let the chips fall where they may and just the enjoy the ride that this season has given Brewers fans! Can they make it to the end of the road celebrating what would be the best division title since that 1982 season?
We will find out soon. Until then, I declare war!
A perspective on the Brewers July struggles
Before I get into the Brewers July, let me recap June:
1) MLB Draft/Kendrys Morales (A for the draft: B for eventually not getting Morales)
The Brewers according to several of the media covering the draft did pretty well for themselves. All top 3 players are officially signed and into the system. The potential is high for all three players.
This is important because while Morales for reasons only he knows signed with Minnesota after the draft, an already good farm system may become even better. The Brewers are in a unique situation where they are competing quicker than many realized while still building up the farm system. Win-win strategy.
2) Pitching Depth: A
Brewers have shown their pitching depth by being one of the only teams in baseball to use the fewest starters. Minus Jimmy Nelson start back in May, all five starters in the rotation did not miss any starts. Also until Wily Peralta’s bad outing earlier in the week, all starters have pitched more than 5 innings each start minus the Matt Garza injury. Pretty good.
Even better? You have the ability to call up Jimmy Nelson while moving Marco Estrada to the bullpen. That is almost as good as an in season trade. It will be interesting to see how Nelson does vs Cy Young potential candidate Adam Wainwright.
Nelson is known for being a bulldog so I don’t have any concerns with him being nervous. I kind of get goosebumps with him and Peralta back to back in the rotation potentially.
3) Jonathon Lucroy A+
First of all, congrats to Lucroy on making his first all-star team. He due to Yadier Molina’s injury is going to start for the NL and if voting for the All-Star game was not treated as a king and queen homecoming contest, he should have started the game anyway. He is stats wise having the best season among top catchers in the major leagues and should be in conversation for NL MVP. Let’s start up the MVP talk for this guy as he deserves any and all accolades this year. It’s great to see.
4) Lineup B
Minus the last 10-15 games or so, the Brewers lineup was hitting on all cylinders. I will get to their struggles recently, but I can’t solely base that on the offense.
5) Kyle Lohse A
Lohse has been everything the Brewers had hope. A calming vet who has influence on the entire pitching staff. Most games when Lohse takes the mound, you have confidence that the Brewers will at least be in the game. Kyle has had a wonderful season and let me throw this out there. Perhaps you could talk extension in the off season as he will be in the final year of his contract.
IMPORTANT Dates/Series
Since I started my July blog late, I will mention all series up to this point with the results:
July 1-2 @ Toronto (Both losses)
July 4-6 @ Cincinnati (lost 2 out of 3)
July 11-13 vs St Louis (lost Friday night)
July 18-20 @ Washington
July 21-23 vs Reds
July 31st Trade Deadline
Now that my review of June out of the way, let’s talk about July.
Let me take a moment to talk to the segment of Brewers fans who are saying the following:
“Brewers suck”
“I knew this was going to happen”
“The sky is falling”
“I told you they are not good”
Calm down……
Is the last 10-15 games the Brewers have played this season concerning? Yes. Absolutely. Does it mean they are not a good team? No.
The Brewers as of Saturday morning July 12th are currently 52-42. 10 games above .500, 94 games into the season and still in 1st place.
Baseball is 162 game marathon. ALL teams will have times when they struggle. Let me repeat that, ALL teams will have times when they struggle.
This was always a three team race between St. Louis, Cincy, and Pittsburgh going into this season. The Brewers being better than anyone including I expected have now made this a 4 team race. For reference here is a previous blog that talks about it.
http://brianthab.mlblogs.com/2014/01/29/matt-garza-is-more-than-just-a-big-signing-for-2014/
Go back to March/April. Most baseball analyst had this Brewers team finishing 4th at best while some even had them predicted to finish last behind the Cubs!
If you are saying you knew this Brewers team on July 12th would be 10 games over .500 back in March, you are lying. I watch a ton of baseball and I never thought that would ever happen!!! On that statement alone, this has been a successful Brewers season!
The Cardinals, Reds, and Pirates all made the playoffs last year in the NL Central. They had their troubles and their slumps earlier in the season for various reasons while the Brewers went off to a hot start.
Now those teams are getting hot and playing better and the baseball law of averages appear that the Brewers were due to have this.
Remember the talk about the Giants and how hot they were back in June? 9.5 game lead over the Dodgers at one point.
They as of Saturday morning are deadlock with the Dodgers in the NL West at 51-42. At one point before the Brewers slide, they lost 9 out of 10 (June 9-15) after being 42-21. Yes the Giants have only won 9 out of 30 games from June 9-July 12 (.300 winning pct)!! That includes a Tim Lincecum No hitter during that stretch.
How about the Atlanta Braves who looked good earlier in the season and was poised to run away with the NL East. Well they had a slump too and are in battle with the Nationals for first place.
It’s July. This baseball season races are just getting started. If I had a choice for the Brewers to struggle now or struggle in September, I would want it to happen now.
Remember: The Braves slide in September of 2011 is how the Cardinals took the Wild Card and we know how that turned out.
Let me explain:
Baseball is a strange game if you only casually watch it. For diehards like me, this type of stuff happens all the time!
It’s unexplainable how the Brewers are losing some of these games with 4 run leads or more early on. Thursday July 10th’s meltdown vs the Phillies defies reality. A potential no hitter turned to a blowout by the team that was being no hit for several innings? Crazy!
The Brewers also were not going to run away with this division because their competition is too good and too talented to play the way they have been playing.
To add some perspective, I will detail the current and final standings the last two years the Brewers have not made the postseason:
July 12, 2012
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/?tcid=mm_mlb_standings#20120712
The Yankees, White Sox, and Rangers were leading the AL with the Angels and Orioles for the Wild Card.
The Nationals, Pirates, and Dodgers were NL Division leaders with the Reds and Braves as the Wild Card.
Final playoff teams were:
AL: Yankees, Tigers, A’s Wild Card: Orioles and Rangers
NL: Nationals, Reds, Giants Wild Card: Braves and Cardinals
The White Sox, Angels, Pirates, and Dodgers did not make it from July to September (40%)
July 12, 2013
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/?tcid=mm_mlb_standings#20130712
The Red Sox, Tigers and A’s were AL division with the Rays and Rangers as Wild Cards
The Braves, Cardinals, and Diamondbacks were NL division leaders with the Pirates and Reds as Wild Cards
Final Playoff teams were:
AL: Red Sox, Tigers, A’s Wild Card: Rays and Indians
NL: Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers Wild Card: Pirates, Reds
The Rangers and Diamondbacks did not make it from July to September (20%)
I know this is just quick numbers, however based on the last two seasons the Brewers have a 60-80% chance of making the postseason.
This is still a good team. They are having a great season. For those who may not be huge baseball fans like myself, this is advice I always remind myself going into every season.
When a team is playing terrific, never get too high. When a team is slumping, never get too low.
Baseball is one of the hardest sports to follow because it can be an emotional roller coaster. It is also why I feel it is the best sport out of all the professional sports. You can’t get too emotionally wrapped in the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in a 162 game season.
Hopefully I have taken you off the ledge and given you some tips on how to cope with this division race. I do think this is going to go down to the wire. The NL Central top to bottom has some of the best talent in all of baseball!
Here are my trends for July:
1) Jimmy Nelson
So many Brewers fans were asking for him to be called up again and you now have your wish. Personally, I still would go with the people that got you to this point giving him a little more time to develop, however I do agree that it got tiring watching Marco Estrada throw batting HR practice against opposing batters. At least the Brewers appear to have a pulse on the fan base.
Nelson I do believe is here to stay barring major struggles. The Brewers had this move planned since they went past the 90 days Rule 5 rules to keep Wei Chung Wang on the major league roster. He is suddenly on the DL with “left shoulder tightness.” I am sure the Pirates are amused.
2) Jean Segura
We really need to get Jean Segura going at some point. He is in a huge slump. They tried putting him towards the top of the lineup and that did not work as it affected the entire lineup. I believe he is a good hitter just struggling right now. Judging by his sample size in the bigs, he should get out of it. I think he is too good of a hitter not to.
3) Trade deadline
Some people are saying the Brewers should get pitching. I would like to see them get another bat. The pitching re-enforcements of Jim Henderson and Tyler Thornburg will hopefully come off the DL soon. I would like to see the Brewers acquire someone who is a utility guy that can play anywhere in the field and get on base. I truly believe the Brewers will get someone like this if not by July 31st, in August through waivers. Doug Melvin has been on the record saying nothing is cooking at the moment, however, he is the same GM that surprised everyone by signing Matt Garza and who shocked the baseball world acquiring CC Sabathia and Zack Greinke. He NEVER plays his cards.
4) Platoons
I get that you want to platoon guys due to pitching match ups, however can we stop the 2B and 1B platoon!!
I am not saying it is the sole reason why the Brewers are struggling but could be one of the factors. At this point in the season, you put you best players on the field.
Scooter Gennett has proven that he can play 2B and hit. He should be playing the majority of time there no matter how the pitcher throws. Weeks is Weeks and he is on his way out whether the Brewers can sucker someone for a trade, put him on waivers or if he cleans out his locker when the season ends.
Also Mark Reynolds is your better overall player option at first over Lyle Overbay. I like Overbay however I just don’t have the confidence that he can hit or get on base as much as I do in Reynolds.
5) Fans/Media
Please see above. I know Brewers fans are not used to what a division race is like every year but you are in one. Have faith. This team is good. As much fun as this season has been, they still have not played their best baseball yet and are 52-42.
I have dealt with some adversity personally this year and unfortunately by last night’s sad news the team is facing adversity that makes baseball not seem so important.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_07_11_slnmlb_milmlb_1&mode=recap_home&c_id=mil
This team has great chemistry and will get through the funk that they are in.
Keep the faith Brewers fans!!
Update: 7/12/14 12:20 pm. Condolences to Jean Segura and his family on hearing the unfortunate news the team found out last night.
Will it be a Kendrys Morales June to Remember??
So, we have now hit June Brewers fans. The team is still in first and has not let it go since the 20-8 start. We are slightly over 1/3 of the season and for all the complaints, the Brewers did an average month of May. Here are my grades from my 5 trends in the month of May:
1) Injuries/health. Can’t really grade this. For the most part the Brewers pitching has stayed relatively healthy outside of Jim Henderson. Since he was struggling we now know why. His shoulder injury is a concern, however the bullpen is so good that it has not really showed.
As for the offense, we have yet to see the full healthy Brewers lineup most of May and a tweak to the lineup has worked wonders. Once Aramis Ramirez returns, can you believe the Brewers have a problem of where they place him? He might bat 5th or 6th which is a great problem to have. Keep this lineup please Ron Roenicke!
Segura
Bruan
Lucroy
Gomez
Davis/Ramirez (once he returns)
Ramirez/Davis
Gennett
Reynolds
Pitcher
2) Matt Garza Grade: C
Garza actually has not pitched really bad and has been better as of late. His problem now is that he is rolling and then ends up hitting a wall around the 6th or 7th inning. This is going to have to change if the Brewers continue to contend. However with other pitchers pitching very well, it is a concern but not hurting the team. As I still believe, Garza in the end will be fine. He has shown signs of coming around.
3) Losing Streaks: Grade B-
The reason why the Brewers have been successful this year is simple. They limit the amount of losing streaks. So far the teams behind them including 2nd place St. Louis can’t do that. Currently the Cardinals after heating up have lost 5 of the last 7 at home! They are also under .500 on the road. The Brewers have only lost 4 in a row once, and their worst stretch was May 17-24 losing 6 out of 8. They followed that up by finishing the month going 5-2, negating that week and as of June 2nd are 11 games over .500 (34-23). They ended April 12 games over .500. Can’t complain. Good teams figure out how to negate times when they struggle.
4) Short Term memory loss: Grade A
I wanted the Brewers to forget about May 2013. The fans certainly did not and when they started struggling and losing series to last place teams like the Cubs and D-Backs, some fans were talking like the sky is falling and that will be the start of their downfall.
I am not naive to think that some fans that follow the Brewers are not true die-hard baseball fans like myself. Let me say this to some Brewers fans. Please stop using NFL (football) logic and apply it to baseball. If the Brewers lose 3-4 games in a row, it is not the end of the world or the beginning of them tanking. 3-4 game losing streaks have much more of an impact to a NFL team that plays 16 games. 2 months should be a good sample that this team will be in the race all season.
ALL MLB teams struggle. It is part of the highs and lows of a long 162 game season. Look at the Red Sox. In the month of May they lost 10 in a row and have followed that by currently (June 2) being the hottest team in baseball winning 7 in a row. Now that may not be the best example but you get my point.
5) WCWWÂ (Wei-Chung Wang Wednesdays) Grade: F
What started out as a great side note to the Brewers season became a major concern as the Brewers started losing some games. Especially after the May 19th meltdown in Atlanta.
This is one of the issues that the Brewers will eventually have to face. Wei-Chung Wang is holding a roster spot and I get that he has great 90+ mph stuff and is a southpaw which is valuable in baseball. I think he will be good, however when the Brewers took him in the Rule 5 draft in December, the priorities then were different. Now to many people’s surprise including myself, the team has gone from the conversation of just being competitive to the conversation of actually winning the NL Central. The problem is you have to keep Wang on your MLB roster even though he never pitched above Rookie baseball. I really hope the Brewers eventually don’t sacrifice making a trade or getting a more reliable proven arm for the sake of keeping Wang. You might have to return him back to the Pirates and worry about if it will hurt you later.
Now here are my trends for June to keep an eye on:
1) MLB Draft/Kendrys Morales
The first week of June will be interesting for Brewers fans. We get to keep our great and high draft pick because the team did not sign Kendrys Morales (who has the same contract status as Kyle Lohse last year where you lose a draft pick if you sign him). Actually this is why nobody has signed Morales yet. I don’t think that type of contract is fair to the players by I digress.
Once the draft is over, many people will be asking what is the likely hood of a Morales signing. Lyle Overbay is doing a serviceable job at 1st base in the meantime, however the major weakness of the team is the Brewers bench. Also Overbay is not hitting as well in the twilight of his career and the Brewers at times have even moved Jonathon Lucroy to first on days he does not catch since he is among the best hitters in baseball.
Signing the switch hitting power hitter Morales to play 1st base immediately makes the lineup scary (they are currently warming up) and instantly makes the bench better. The question will be who is expendable. I am sure the Brewers would love to shop around Rickie Weeks however his terrible contract might have the Brewers release him rather then get him traded. This will be the top story as we head into the summer for this team. Stay tuned…..
2) Pitching depth
If you remember my blog on Matt Garza, I said he adds depth to a growing area of pitching.
http://brianthab.mlblogs.com/2014/01/29/matt-garza-is-more-than-just-a-big-signing-for-2014/
When Gallardo had to miss a start the Brewers sent up Jimmy Nelson who went 5 2/3 gave up 5 hits, no runs, 3 walks, and 6 K’s. Not too shabby for a guy who had at most a couple day’s notice that he was needed to help the big league team.
It is great to see to how much pitching depth we have. I do admit I just get giddy that in the next few years we could have a top of the rotation of Wily Peralta and Jimmy Nelson, two guys that bring it every time they are on the mound!
3) Jonathon Lucroy
Carlos Gomez is definitely the Brewers MVP. MLB Network interviewed him last week and it was a great interview. They mentioned he is definitely an MVP candidate this year and debated if he is on the verge of being a superstar. Here is the interview below:
Jonathon Lucroy is quickly becoming one of the most underrated catchers in the game. He is currently 6th in the league with a .317 average and has been so good that he was moved to 3rd in the lineup while Braun who was a mainstay there moved to 2nd. It has made the offense much more potent.
Now Buster Posey and Yadier Molina are two of the best catchers in the NL however I hope Lucroy gets some love. I wish Brewers fans vote to get him in the starting lineup for the All-Star game. He deserves it as one of those solid players that may get overlooked.
P.S. It’s a travesty that he is 4th in the voting for catcher!
4) Lineup
I mentioned this earlier. Ron Roenicke please don’t completely change this lineup once Ramirez returns. If he has to bat 5th or even 6th for the betterment of the team, then so be it!
Here is a quote from Jeff Sarmardzija (one of this year’s best pitchers) after he had his worst outing of the year against the recently improved Brewers lineup.
“When you face a team that has a plan, you can definitely tell,” Samardzija said. “They’re not only feeling good but going up with a lineup plan. They jumped on my fastballs, and that was their plan today.”
Signs of respect from a pitcher that has not had the best of luck this season getting wins.
5) Kyle Lohse
To say he is not a major part of the Brewers resurgence would be plain wrong! Another brilliant signing by Mark A. and Doug Melvin! He is as of June 1st, 7-1 in 12 starts with a 2.60 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. Gallardo may be the defacto ace of the Brewers, however Lohse is the true ace. He is pitching like a veteran does and when the team is struggling, you are beginning to have the confidence that he can get you a W. While the Brewers were struggling on their 10 game road trip, the highlight was his strong outing shutting down the Braves.
Yes, Adam Wainwright will most likely be the Cy Young for the NL, however Kyle Lohse is on pace to be a 20 game winner and after this gem, perhaps he begins entering the conversation of Cy Young. He also is not a bad hitter for a pitcher either. Let’s hope he keeps it up!
Bonus: Mark Reynolds
For a vet that was signed for a minor league contract (with the agreement he would make the team) his defense has been much better than advertised. He has played great defense while Ramirez has been on the DL. He is what he is on offense. Will give you the occassional HR but will strikeout alot. Still, if the Brewers are looking for a 3rd basemen bridge to developing a player in the minors, if Ramirez does not resign, Reynolds is your guy and will probably be a bargain to resign.
Important Series
June 2-5Â vs Twins (Home/Away border battle that is always exciting)
June 6-8 @ Pirates (Big Series if the Pirates want to still contend. Teams won’t play again til late August)
June 13-15 vs Reds
June 23-25 vs Nationals
Side note: I really love the way Interleague has been woven into the season instead of happening over 3 weeks. All the games the Brewers have played vs the AL East reminds me of their old AL days and have all been very competitive on both sides.
It looks to be a great summer of Brewers baseball and as the weather warms up, so will the talk about how this could be a great season!
October Postseason is here!!!!!
Here we are. October 1st. As the we say goodbye to summer and transition to fall, there is nothing better than the baseball postseason. Games get intense. You hang on the edge of your seat. Every pitch and at-bat is magnified. There isn’t any better drama in my opinion (NHL is quickly becoming a close 2nd).
In 2011 when the Brewers won game 5 of the NLDS, it will go down as one of the best memories in Brewers history. To win a tie game in extra innings on a walk off in the playoffs is an amazing feeling. Now my Brewers are not in this year’s postseason, but it does not mean the excitement ends.
Earlier in July, I did a 2nd half preview. Let’s see how I did.
My playoff picks                                  Actual teams                                     Â
American League
Division Winners: Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Oakland       Boston, Detroit, Oakland
Wild Cards: Boston, Detroit                                             Tampa Bay, Cleveland
National League
Division Winners: Washington, Pittsburgh, LAÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Atlanta, St. Louis, LA
Wild Cards: St. Louis, Atlanta                                             Pittsburgh, Cincy
May have not gotten the right teams in the right spot, however I was pretty accurate minus picking Washington to make the playoffs.
For my division picks, look for Pittsburgh to hold off the Reds. I think out of all the teams who made the playoffs, the Reds appear to be the weakest. Why you ask? They lost 8 of the last 15 contest to a bad Brewers team. Nuff said.
Also look for Cleveland to edge off Tampa Bay since they had a game rest and will not be facing David Price since he pitched last night. I believed in Terry Francona mid season, and he has the Tribe believing in themselves.
This postseason looks very intriguing. New teams like the Pirates, Dodgers, and Indians. We also have teams we have grown to see consistently like the Tigers, Cardinals, and happy to say Athletics!
Also for the first time in recent memory we do not have any New York or Chicago teams in the postseason. There is a balance of small and large market teams all in the postseason which shows how evenly competitive baseball is (NBA are you taking notes and paying attention?)
Look out for my Division Series preview late Wednesday after the AL Wild Card finishes.
Let the postseason begin!!!
The Sights of April Baseball
Gotta love baseball in April. From freezing is 30 degree weather to being comfortable in wearing a fleece at the end of the month, spring in the Midwest is fickle. The league has probably set the record for the most snowed out games both in Denver and Minneapolis!! At least I got a rain out April 10th game moved to a 1:20 July 30th game! đŸ™‚
Still its fun to know that warmer temperatures, the smell of grills going, and the happiness that people have in the summer months is right around the corner!
Here is some sights and highlights of the games I went to in April. Happy May days!!
April 9th Cubs-Brewers game
April 12 Cubs-Giants Game
April 18 Brewers-Giants Game
Why this Winning Streak Means Something Long-Term
What a difference a couple of weeks make. The Brewers started out 2-8 and the bandwagon fans were all ready to write this team off. They are terrible. Bullpen sucks. They can’t hit.
Fact: Brewers are officially the first team in Major League Baseball history to start out 2-8 and then proceed to go over .500 by winning the next 7 games.
So now they can’t lose!! They are the hottest team in baseball winning 8 straight playing a slumping San Diego team Tuesday/Wednesday and a Dodgers team this weekend that has not been the same since the brawl with the Padres. Here are now eight reasons why this current winning streak means something.
1. Ryan Braun
There is all this talk that Braun is slumping. He is not really hitting for contact, his strikeouts are up, and his batting average is down. Still he has 6 home runs already this season. 5 for his last 32 but all 5 hits have been clutch. If this is an idea of a slump, I will take it.
2. Rickie Weeks and Alex Gonzalez
They are both slumping. Weeks is currently batting cleanup and being moved around the lineup due to injuries to Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart. He is hitting .171 and officially is some of the fans new whipping boy now that Axford has settled down. I don’t get it.
Why isn’t Alex Gonzalez getting more criticism? He is hitting even worse at .137 with a awful on base percentage of .196 (YIKES). Why am I putting this in here? The Brewers are winning despite these two and a few others like Aoki and Lucroy struggling as well. During this stretch the defense has been solid. The team does not make many mistakes and make their opponents pay for mistakes they commit. It’s why you can’t tell how a team does just by stats alone. You have to watch how they play.
3. Carlos Gomez
Have yourself a week Carlos Gomez! As the NL Player of the week, Gomez went 9 for 18 with a .526 on-base percentage and recorded his 500th hit.
Here is the best quote according to the Brewers website Gomez NL Player of the week
“The week past, we won seven games in a row,” the 27-year-old Gomez said. “That’s more important. For Player of the Week, you can have three or four really good games, but when you do something to help win games for your team, I think that’s more important.”
I remember when we traded for him from the Twins, the knock on Gomez was that he had all the criteria of a 5 tool player but his mind was holding him back. He was very challenging to coach. Gomez recently in March was given a raise and extension. From going to the Mets to Twins, and now the Brewers, the Brewers have been the first team that has shown they believe in him. Maybe that is what he needed to realize in order to become a better player. His approach to the game is totally different. He finally has figured out that he does not have to over do it. He is one of the fastest players in baseball on the base paths and does not always have to swing for the fence. His defense as been great as always and he knows the fans love his play hard attitude.
Additionally a game in Chicago back earlier in the month he got real upset at a strike out. The next day I see this article where his 3 year old child taught him a valuable lesson about how parents should set examples of their kids. This was a great story and showed me that Carlos has matured. The link to the story is below from the Brew Beat blog:
Gomez is also a team favorite. He is the one always giving pies to the player of the game on the Brewers Live Post game shows. Below is a game last week when Braun tried to get him back and he was a little too quick for him. Here is hoping his great play and attitude continue.
4. Kyle Lohse
It looks like even though he dislocated his finger last night, he should not miss a start. I hope so because Lohse has been valuable during this stretch. He has set the tone by his great pitching and the other starters have followed. He is 1-1 with a 2.52 ERA and has only walked 2 people in 25 innings. His one loss was due to the hitting slump the entire team had. I hope Brewer fans can stop being worried that he is the next Suppan or Wolf. This was a signing we had to have in order to stabilize what was going to be a young rotation. We had to do this in order to compete.
5. Managing: Ron Roenicke
One major thing Roenicke has done during this stretch has been taking Axford out of the closer role. Since then he has not given up any runs and while the pen is still a work in progress, the bullpen the last 9 games has gone 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA. Jim Henderson has emerged as the current closer going 2-0 with a 1.oo ERA and 4 saves this season. Kudos to Roenicke for realizing early Axford closing was not working and making a change when other managers would be stubborn to do otherwise. In my opinion Henderson is the closer until further notice. Do not change what isn’t broken.
6. Gutsy Starting Pitching: Yovanni Gallardo/Hiram Burgos
Gallardo had a bad week being pulled over for driving under the influence. He has apologized and was on a mission last Thursday to prove that this won’t be a setback. He pitched very well during the first sweep of this streak even hitting a home run to boot off Matt Cain. I was at the game and when he hit his HR, I and other Brewers fans gave him a standing ovation. Not because of his hit, but to show that we understand his mistake and still will support him through thick and thin.
Additionally the Brewers made a gutsy move of calling up highly touted Hiram Burgos to pitch last Saturday. He responded by giving up 1 run and 5 hits and getting his first major league win. He is the beginning of some great starting pitching coming up through the ranks, one of which we already have in the rotation in Wily Peralta. Don’t know if Burgos’ stay will be permanent, however it shows that we have some reliable guys in AAA should an injury occur.
7. Yunieski Betacourt
Don’t let the .245 batting average fool you. He is hitting clutch this year. He was instrumental in the grand slam back on April 16th and Monday night put the game out of reach in the 1st inning with a 3 run home run. He also is willing to play any infield position while Ramirez and Hart get healthy. It was a under the radar signing that happened at the same time Lohse was signed and our bench will be so much stronger once we get healthy. I was even one who once the Phillies released him, wondered why are we bringing this guy back? He is making me eat quite a bit of crow now!
8. Jean Segura
I like to personally thank the LA Angels for giving us three prospects for Zach Grienke. Jean Segura is maturing right before our eyes and is near the top of the league in hitting (.359), and has solid defense. We can officially say that the Brewers won this trade. I never thought he would be as good as advertised and he is better. Him moving up in to 2nd in the lineup will make us better when we get healthy. I would even argue keeping him up in the lineup there permanently. A trio of Aoki, Segura, and Braun look awfully tough to the opposing pitchers right now.
He also now is known across the league for this crazy play where he gets credited for stealing 1st base last week! Click on the picture to see the entire play.
Way to go Brewers!! Let’s keep streaking!
College Basketball Nuggets 