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Brewers have the lumber, but do they have the arms?March 31st, 2008
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It seems the team in the National League Central that everybody wants to discount is the Milwaukee Brewers. Everybody knows their good, but that talent carries with it a caveat of "Yeah, but…"
That doubt is well-deserved, considering the Brewers haven’t made it to the postseason in 25 years and last year was the organization’s first winning record in 15 seasons. Even with last year’s record, the season was disappointing because of the way the club imploded down the stretch. The criticism and doubt are justified, which is why the overlooked Brewers could be the dark-horses of the National League this year.
What’s undeniable is Milwaukee’s offensive potency. The Brewers boast arguably the best lineup in the NL and would rival that of American League contender Boston. All-star first baseman Prince Fielder and 2007 NL Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun give the Brewers a 1-2 power pop that led the Majors last year with a combined 84 homers.
Manager Ned Yost will bat Braun behind Fielder this year in the cleanup, a reverse from last year. The sixth-year Brewers skipper believes this will deny team the opportunity to pitch around Fielder and open things up for Corey Hart, who will bat fifth, to have a big season.
"They’re going to pitch around Prince because of the intimidation factor," Yost told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Then they’re going to get to Braunie. If Braunie stays in his game, Corey hart is going to have a hell of a year…The key is Braunie being selective. Because if he’s not, I’ve got to change the order and put him in front of Prince."
Manager Ned Yost will bat Braun behind Fielder this year in the cleanup, a reverse from last year. The sixth-year Brewers skipper believes this will deny team the opportunity to pitch around Fielder and open things up for Corey Hart, who will bat fifth, to have a big season.
"They’re going to pitch around Prince because of the intimidation factor," Yost told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Then they’re going to get to Braunie. If Braunie stays in his game, Corey hart is going to have a hell of a year…The key is Braunie being selective. Because if he’s not, I’ve got to change the order and put him in front of Prince."
While the Brewers are in talks with the two sluggers to lock them up for the future with multi-million dollar deals, they’re not the only offensive threats the team has.
Yost expects Hart to have a breakout season after batting .295 a season ago with 24 long balls. Bill Hall has long been a reliable hitter for Milwaukeeand the emergence of Tony Gwynn, Jr. and Ricky Weeks last year should pay dividends this season. Gwynn will start Monday’s nationally-televised opener against the Cubs in center field after hitting a blistering .373 in spring training.
Catcher Jason Kendall and shortstop J.J. Hardy are two more offensive weapons in the arsenal for the Brewers, who will get a boost in mid-May when outfielder Mike Cameron is done serving a 25-game suspension.
Where Milwaukee’s weakness lies is in its pitching staff. The top three starters – ace Ben Sheets, Jeff Suppan and Chris Capuano– struggled late in the season. Those three will have to find some kind of consistency to lead the team, especially Sheets who has oft-struggled to remain healthy during his seven-year career. The three-time all-star threw just 16 innings in the preseason, but has been given the nod for Monday’s Wrigley Fielder opener. Dave Bush is the fourth starter who, theoretically, should round out a solid starting rotation. Carlos Villanueva, who had an excellent season last year, moves from bullpen duty into the starting rotation. The Brewers are hoping his 0.87 ERA from a season ago in relief will translate to a sub 3.00 ERA as a starter.
If Milwaukee can have a team ERA under four, it’s going to be tough to beat. In order for that to happen, the bullpen must be solid. The team’s closer from two years ago, Derrick Turnbow, is back but the man who took his job last year is gone. Francisco Cordero left as a free agent for Cincinnati, taking his 44 saves with him. Assuming his role as closer will be Eric Gagne, who was awful last year in Boston. Milwaukeeis investing a lot of trust in the former Dodgers and Expos all-star, who watched his ERA balloon to 6.75 before the Red Sox shipped him to Texas.
Gagne is the biggest question mark in the bullpen, and registered a hefty 5.63 ERA in eight outings this spring. If he can’t fill the closer role, the Brew Crew will turn to either Turnbow or journeyman Brian Shouse, who has four career saves, but two this spring. Whomever gets the job should be set up well by Guillermo Motaor Manny Parra. The Brewers are also hoping to get solid innings out of former Tampa Bay Devil Ray Seth McClung, who turned in a solid preseason and showed a young arm short on wear in five Major League seasons.
Milwaukee has the offensive firepower to match runs with anybody in the big leagues. The question is will the Brewer pitchers be up to the challenge of shutting down batters late in tight games. Cincinnati and St. Louis should have both the Brewers and Cubs looking over their shoulders the entire season. Last year the Brewers were unable to pull away from the pack, conceding to division to the Cubs, who seemed to win the division crown by losing less instead of actually winning games. This season, the Brewers are hopeful they are the team that is strongest down the stretch. If the postseason awaits the Brewers, they’ll have to knock off Chicago, every-body’s favorite in the NL Central. They get their first crack at the Cubs Monday, the first of a three-game series to open the season. Milwaukee’s home opener is Friday against the San Francisco Giants.
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