The Milwaukee Brewers are 24-30. It's June 4, two months into the baseball season. Check out the beauty of a starting lineup the Crew threw out against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon:
LF - Norichika Aoki
CF - Nyjer Morgan
RF - Corey Hart
3B - Taylor Green
2B - Rickie Weeks
SS - Cody Ransom
1B - Brooks Conrad
C - Martin Maldonado
P - Michael Fiers
BOLD = Not on roster at beginning of the season
ITALIC = Not in opening day starting lineup
If my math is correct (and as a failed math major, it might not be), that lineup sports FIVE players that weren't on the opening day roster for the Milwaukee Brewers. On top of that, only TWO of the eight position players in yesterday's starting lineup were in the opening day starting lineup. Holy cow. I know injuries have been bad all over the league this season (something that would make a pretty good feature story, by the way), but has anybody been hit as hard as the Milwaukee Brewers? Two months into the season, and we already know Chris Narveson, Mat Gamel and Alex Gonzalez, all regulars for the Crew, are done for the year. Not to mention...and this is a long list...players such as Marco Estrada, Travis Ishikawa, Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez, Jonathan Lucroy (ugh), George Kottaras, and Carlos Gomez are either currently missing time with injury or have missed games due to injury. Say what? Sunday's lineup is a pretty clear representation of how the Brewers' season has been going, but this season has been fun and makes me want to watch the Brewers even more than usual. Here's why:
Ryan Braun
Yesterday, the Brewers were down 5-4 in the bottom of the eight inning and Milwaukee managed to get two men on base with two men down. A camera shot then showed Ryan Braun getting ready to come out of the dugout and pinch-hit for Cody Ransom, and the crowd went nuts. Sitting at home, I couldn't help but get that assuring feeling that Braun was going to come through, just like he had time-and-time again. Unfortunately, this would not be one of those times, but you can count on your fingers how many players in pro baseball bring that kind of excitement to their fans. Braun is a little banged up right now, but he could very well be back in the starting lineup on Tuesday, and that's something this team and this city desperately needs because of the special moments he creates. Even if the Brewers season continues down this path and they don't return to the playoffs, at least we've got Ryan Braun.
Players trying to make their mark
With the flush of injuries the Brewers have suffered through this season, new players naturally have to be brought in as replacements. In Milwaukee's case, some of these guys have come from the minor leagues, like Fiers, Maldonado, Conroy and Green. These guys have been getting plenty of time to make their mark because of the injuries to everyday players. Fiers had an incredible debut start, Green's versatility has helped, and even Edwin Maysonet got in on the action with the team's only grand slam of the season. Few of them deserve to actually be on a major league roster, so the extra fire and scrapiness (made up word?) they present makes the Brewers fun to watch, even if they don't necessarily translate to victories.
There's still hope, and lot's of it
I'm not sure if there's anyone on the planet who checks the MLB standings has much as me before the month of July, but I like to use the standings to gauge my level of cautious optimism. While the Brewers are only 24-30, they are starting to put things together on offense, and the pitching hasn't been half-bad either. Last week, the Crew swept the best team in the National League ON THE ROAD. Oh, and they are only 6.5 games out of first place. Their next six games are against the worst two teams in the NL and the Brewers will be playing within the confines of Miller Park. Braun and Ramirez are expected back within the next couple games, which will bring some stability to the lineup. And to top it all off, I'll be attending the game on Friday, and good things tend to happen when I enter The Keg. Just check out what occurred the last time I was there (ahhh...goosebumps).
First of all, let me say that it doesn't feel right that I haven't been to Miller Park and it's already June 4. Clearly, I have some catching up to do. Second of all, I think I bring up three strong points as to why people shouldn't stop watching the Brewers and filling up the seats, myself included. This is a team that came two games away from playing in the World Series last season. The city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin has rallied around this team and their confident swagger that boarders on arrogance. Sure, losing Prince Fielder was one of the bigger blows this franchise has perhaps ever seen, and along with that the Brewers lost not only a great talent, but a great presence in the clubhouse. But there are still a number of characters on this team that I consider "igniters," such as Ryan Braun because of his cockiness and great ability, Carlos Gomez because of his 110 percent all-the-time effort, Nyjer Morgan because of...Nyjer Morgan. Even a relief pitcher like K-Rod who acts like he won the World Series every time he throws a scoreless eighth. This team is FUN to watch, even as it attempts to tread water as it battles injury and tries to find its identity at the plate.
The injuries have been flat out ridiculous, from Gonzalez destroying his knee sliding into second to Lucroy breaking his hand via suitcase. There's no denying that. Two every day starters are out for the season, and who's to tell there won't be any more (fingers crossed). But this team is scrappy. It has swagger. It has Ryan Braun. It has a strong starting rotation save for Randy Wolf, who apparently still deserves his own catcher. I'm excited to finally get back to Miller Park this week and root on my Milwaukee Brewers, because there are plenty of reasons to do so.
Showing posts with label Injuries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Injuries. Show all posts
Monday, June 4, 2012
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Dealing With Imperfection
WIN-sconsin. I think most of you are now familiar with the term coined by us Wisconsinites late last summer. It was very fitting and also probably the first time in my life this combination of the words "Win" and "Wisconsin" was deserved when referring to the high level the state's sports teams were playing at. The Brewers were heading into the playoffs, the Badger football team seemingly couldn't be defeated and the Packers were the reigning Super Bowl Champions and hadn't lost since December of 2010. For the first time in my life, I felt spoiled as a sports fan. Never had these three teams been this successful at the same time. Never. But all good things must come to an end. The Brewers were eliminated by the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. A few months later, the Ryan Braun news surfaced. The Badgers lost in heart-breaking fashion two weeks in a row, although they were able to pull it together and reach the Rose Bowl for the second consecutive year. And then there's what happened early this week...Marquette's undefeated season came to an end in a loss against LSU on Monday. Well, that DID actually happen, but nobody cares about non-conference basketball. Let's get to what I'm actually referring to:
December 19, 2010. I was back home for Winter Break just like I am right now, watching the Matt Flynn-led Green Bay Packers play the juggernaut New England Patriots at Foxboro Stadium. The Packers were 8-5, barely clinging on to their playoff hopes. Green Bay would eventually lose, albeit by only four with a chance to go ahead at the end, but this was also the last time the Packers would lose until last Sunday, December 18, almost a year later. Ironically enough, the last two Packer losses have occurred while I've been back home, so I think I know how to fix this problem...move far, far away and never come back. No? I thought it sounded reasonable.
The fact of the matter is, this day was going to come eventually. Yeah, it was against the 5-8 Kansas City Chiefs, but who cares? Anyone can beat anyone in professional sports on any given day...especially when you're down to only two starting offensive linemen, you're number one wide receiver is out and your defense is somehow incapable of stopping Kyle Orton. I could go a little more in depth as to why the Packers lost, but I don't think anyone wants to relive the feeling of pain and anguish that we hadn't felt in almost exactly a year. In one sentence, it was a combination of injuries, dropped passes, failing to challenge what should have been a touchback, the inaccuracy of Rodgers, a team playing for its coach and having a piss poor excuse of a defensive strategy for a guy who was cut in favor of Tim Tebow. Final result: Chiefs 19, Packers 14. Should have been a whoooooole lot worse.
13-1. You know...that's a record I can live with at this point of the year. Better than losing in late January, that's for sure. What's even better is that no team is closer than two games behind Green Bay, which means it's extremely likely the Packers hang on to the number one seed and get home field advantage in the NFC. All that needs to happen is either one more 49ers loss or one more Packers win and by God, if the Pack loses to Josh McCown and the team that calls itself a professional football franchise, then it doesn't deserve to get the one seed. That's not something I'm even going to think about right now. What's important to think about is how the Packers now gear up for the postseason, both physically and mentally.
Here is the current Green Bay offensive line:
LT - Marshall Newhouse (Chad Clifton)
LG - Evan Dietrich-Smith
C - Scott Wells
RG - Josh Sitton (Derek Sherrod)
RT - T.J. Lang (Bryan Bulaga)
The players in parenthesis are currently injured, Sherrod done for the season after a gruesome leg injury. Other regulars who have been hampered by injury might remind you of the list the Packers compiled last season. Greg Jennings, James Starks, Alex Green, Andrew Quarless, A.J. Hawk, Desmond Bishop, Ryan Pickett, Mike Neal, Vic So'oto, Frank Zombo, Nick Collins. I'm probably missing a few here and there, but that number is getting awfully close to the number of players injured by the end of the '10 season, granted not all of the players I listed are on injured reserve. What was 'good,' if you will, about the Packer injuries last season were that many of the notable ones occurred early on in the season, giving the Packers time to recover and plug in new players to get adjusted to more playing time. What concerns me is that this season, many injuries, especially up front, are coming toward the end of the year and guys are playing in spots they aren't used to (i.e. Lang at right tackle), making it harder for the team to mesh together with so many players in new roles. But really, that's a fairly minor concern for a few reasons...Jennings will be back, which I think is the biggest reason Green Bay had trouble moving the ball on Sunday. Also, Clifton and Bulaga, the two starting tackles (and the two most important spots on the offensive line), should be healthy for the playoffs. Bishop should be back. Pickett should be back. Really, it comes down to the Packers willing to let everyone get healthy in time for what's really important: the playoffs. Of course, obtaining the one seed is the main goal right now, and that is unlikely to avoid Green Bay's grasp.
The second concern I have is in regards to the defensive unit. By this time of year last season, the defense was beginning to click and the bend but don't break mentality was in full force. If you watched that Kansas City game, the defense was bending to the point of nearly snapping in half, but let's be real...it looked horrendous. Maybe that had to do with gameplanning for Tyler Palko instead of Kyle Orton (we saw what happened when the Bears trotted out Caleb Hanie in the NFC Championship game last season), but the defense was unable to force any turnovers and as a result, the Chiefs moved the ball at will. Here's the interesting stat of the day: when was the last time the Packers failed to create a turnover? December 19, 2010 against the New England Patriots. That's right. The last time Green Bay lost a football game. 19 games later, and Dom Capers' defense didn't manage a forced fumble or an interception, resulting in a loss. I don't know what the deal is this season. Whether it's the loss of Nick Collins, an aging Chuck Woodson, Clay Matthews failing to reach the quarterback enough, or the overall inability to rush the passer, something isn't there yet. There are still two weeks to get on a little run, so it's nothing to get our panties in a bundle over. I thought the Oakland game was a start, but the Kansas City game was a step backward. We'll see how the defense (and the offense, for that matter) can close out the season without some of its key pieces. For now, let's forget about the failed attempt at an undefeated season and relish in 13-1, the best record in all of football.
Figured you might want a little update in my football life. Well, I doubt it, but you'll get it anyway. In fantasy football, I once again entered an auction league to go along with the two leagues I play in with friends, one of which is for money. I'm currently in the finals in my league that's for money ($80 to the winner!) with friends and I'm also in the finals in the auction league for the second year in a row. In case you forgot, I finished third in the money league last season and won the auction league, so I'm sitting pretty once again. As far as the third league I'm in, my commissioner failed to alert me that he would be rewarding a ridiculous amount of points for defenses, AND it was a PPR (points per reception) league, meaning a wide receiver gets an additional point for each catch they make. Think this might have affected my draft strategy a bit? The answer is yes, and the result was going 7-6 and losing in the first round of the playoffs two weeks ago. Good thing no one cares about that league. Besides, I won it last year. Gotta share the wealth.
As far as guessing games with the spread...same old story. Last year, I went 132-124. Through 15 weeks this season? 112-112. Imagine that. So I'll have to go 20-12 over the last two weeks, which are always hard to guess, in order to match my 2010 effort. Wish me luck!
I'll be back soon with a Milwaukee Bucks' season preview. Whether you want to read it or not is an entirely different issue. Perhaps they'll join in on the WIN-sconsin fun? Only time will tell.
December 19, 2010. I was back home for Winter Break just like I am right now, watching the Matt Flynn-led Green Bay Packers play the juggernaut New England Patriots at Foxboro Stadium. The Packers were 8-5, barely clinging on to their playoff hopes. Green Bay would eventually lose, albeit by only four with a chance to go ahead at the end, but this was also the last time the Packers would lose until last Sunday, December 18, almost a year later. Ironically enough, the last two Packer losses have occurred while I've been back home, so I think I know how to fix this problem...move far, far away and never come back. No? I thought it sounded reasonable.
The fact of the matter is, this day was going to come eventually. Yeah, it was against the 5-8 Kansas City Chiefs, but who cares? Anyone can beat anyone in professional sports on any given day...especially when you're down to only two starting offensive linemen, you're number one wide receiver is out and your defense is somehow incapable of stopping Kyle Orton. I could go a little more in depth as to why the Packers lost, but I don't think anyone wants to relive the feeling of pain and anguish that we hadn't felt in almost exactly a year. In one sentence, it was a combination of injuries, dropped passes, failing to challenge what should have been a touchback, the inaccuracy of Rodgers, a team playing for its coach and having a piss poor excuse of a defensive strategy for a guy who was cut in favor of Tim Tebow. Final result: Chiefs 19, Packers 14. Should have been a whoooooole lot worse.
13-1. You know...that's a record I can live with at this point of the year. Better than losing in late January, that's for sure. What's even better is that no team is closer than two games behind Green Bay, which means it's extremely likely the Packers hang on to the number one seed and get home field advantage in the NFC. All that needs to happen is either one more 49ers loss or one more Packers win and by God, if the Pack loses to Josh McCown and the team that calls itself a professional football franchise, then it doesn't deserve to get the one seed. That's not something I'm even going to think about right now. What's important to think about is how the Packers now gear up for the postseason, both physically and mentally.
Here is the current Green Bay offensive line:
LT - Marshall Newhouse (Chad Clifton)
LG - Evan Dietrich-Smith
C - Scott Wells
RG - Josh Sitton (Derek Sherrod)
RT - T.J. Lang (Bryan Bulaga)
The players in parenthesis are currently injured, Sherrod done for the season after a gruesome leg injury. Other regulars who have been hampered by injury might remind you of the list the Packers compiled last season. Greg Jennings, James Starks, Alex Green, Andrew Quarless, A.J. Hawk, Desmond Bishop, Ryan Pickett, Mike Neal, Vic So'oto, Frank Zombo, Nick Collins. I'm probably missing a few here and there, but that number is getting awfully close to the number of players injured by the end of the '10 season, granted not all of the players I listed are on injured reserve. What was 'good,' if you will, about the Packer injuries last season were that many of the notable ones occurred early on in the season, giving the Packers time to recover and plug in new players to get adjusted to more playing time. What concerns me is that this season, many injuries, especially up front, are coming toward the end of the year and guys are playing in spots they aren't used to (i.e. Lang at right tackle), making it harder for the team to mesh together with so many players in new roles. But really, that's a fairly minor concern for a few reasons...Jennings will be back, which I think is the biggest reason Green Bay had trouble moving the ball on Sunday. Also, Clifton and Bulaga, the two starting tackles (and the two most important spots on the offensive line), should be healthy for the playoffs. Bishop should be back. Pickett should be back. Really, it comes down to the Packers willing to let everyone get healthy in time for what's really important: the playoffs. Of course, obtaining the one seed is the main goal right now, and that is unlikely to avoid Green Bay's grasp.
The second concern I have is in regards to the defensive unit. By this time of year last season, the defense was beginning to click and the bend but don't break mentality was in full force. If you watched that Kansas City game, the defense was bending to the point of nearly snapping in half, but let's be real...it looked horrendous. Maybe that had to do with gameplanning for Tyler Palko instead of Kyle Orton (we saw what happened when the Bears trotted out Caleb Hanie in the NFC Championship game last season), but the defense was unable to force any turnovers and as a result, the Chiefs moved the ball at will. Here's the interesting stat of the day: when was the last time the Packers failed to create a turnover? December 19, 2010 against the New England Patriots. That's right. The last time Green Bay lost a football game. 19 games later, and Dom Capers' defense didn't manage a forced fumble or an interception, resulting in a loss. I don't know what the deal is this season. Whether it's the loss of Nick Collins, an aging Chuck Woodson, Clay Matthews failing to reach the quarterback enough, or the overall inability to rush the passer, something isn't there yet. There are still two weeks to get on a little run, so it's nothing to get our panties in a bundle over. I thought the Oakland game was a start, but the Kansas City game was a step backward. We'll see how the defense (and the offense, for that matter) can close out the season without some of its key pieces. For now, let's forget about the failed attempt at an undefeated season and relish in 13-1, the best record in all of football.
Figured you might want a little update in my football life. Well, I doubt it, but you'll get it anyway. In fantasy football, I once again entered an auction league to go along with the two leagues I play in with friends, one of which is for money. I'm currently in the finals in my league that's for money ($80 to the winner!) with friends and I'm also in the finals in the auction league for the second year in a row. In case you forgot, I finished third in the money league last season and won the auction league, so I'm sitting pretty once again. As far as the third league I'm in, my commissioner failed to alert me that he would be rewarding a ridiculous amount of points for defenses, AND it was a PPR (points per reception) league, meaning a wide receiver gets an additional point for each catch they make. Think this might have affected my draft strategy a bit? The answer is yes, and the result was going 7-6 and losing in the first round of the playoffs two weeks ago. Good thing no one cares about that league. Besides, I won it last year. Gotta share the wealth.
As far as guessing games with the spread...same old story. Last year, I went 132-124. Through 15 weeks this season? 112-112. Imagine that. So I'll have to go 20-12 over the last two weeks, which are always hard to guess, in order to match my 2010 effort. Wish me luck!
I'll be back soon with a Milwaukee Bucks' season preview. Whether you want to read it or not is an entirely different issue. Perhaps they'll join in on the WIN-sconsin fun? Only time will tell.
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