I'll admit that this might not be fun for you to read, but I'm about to unleash my NFL predictions like I said I probably would at the end of my last post. But don't worry...this is basically replacing the boredom I put everyone through week after week during the last NFL season where I guessed the lines with Kyle, got dominated and barely broke .500 on the season (a moral victory to say the least). And before I get to picking the over/unders and eventually settling on a final record for each and every team in the NFL, I'll update the world on a few newsworthy items regarding Wisconsin sports. By the way, there aren't many. With the Brewers cruising along and the entire state in a calm before the storm mode before the Packers take the field on Thursday, I'm scrambling, which makes it a good time to do the over/under thing. So here we go:
The Brewers magic number is currently 11. This number goes down every time the Cardinals lose or the Brewers win, so that's why tonight's loss is unfortunate. Only one more game to go this season against the Cards.
Today it was announced that on the rise linebacker Vic So'oto hurt his back in the weight room and will miss Thursday's game against the Saints. This is extremely disappointing because of how fun So'oto was to watch in the preseason, so now it looks like it will be the Erik Walden and Brad Jones show opposite of the Claymaker.
The Badgers look to continue their strong start to the season on Saturday at Camp Randall against Oregon State. For what it's worth, the Beavers lost to Sacramento State last week. I know what that's worth...Oregon State sucks something fierce. Should be an easy task for Bucky. Phillip Welch will be out for the second straight week after having a minor surgery, so it's be Kyle French holding the kicking duties again.
Alright. That's all I've got for now. I'll have more to blab about after Thursday night for obvious reasons. For now, let's get to the over/unders!
NFC NORTH:
Green Bay: 11.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 11-5
Chicago: 8.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
Detroit: 7.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
Minnesota: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 6-10
NFC EAST:
Philadelphia: 10.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 12-4
Dallas: 9.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
NY Giants: 9.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
Washington: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 5-11
NFC SOUTH:
Atlanta: 10.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 11-5
New Orleans: 10 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 11-5
Tampa Bay: 8 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
Carolina: 4.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 4-12
NFC WEST:
St. Louis: 7.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 8-8
Arizona: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 6-10
San Francisco: 7.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 6-10
Seattle: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 4-12
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
AFC NORTH:
Pittsburgh: 10.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 11-5
Baltimore: 10.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 11-5
Cleveland: 6.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 8-8
Cincinnati: 5.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 4-12
AFC EAST:
New England: 11.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 12-4
NY Jets: 9.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 10-6
Buffalo: 5.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 7-9
Miami: 7.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 5-11
AFC SOUTH:
Houston: 8.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 10-6
Indianapolis: 9.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
Tennessee: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 6-10
Jacksonville: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 4-12
AFC WEST:
San Diego: 9.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 10-6
Kansas City: 7.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 7-9
Oakland: 6.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 7-9
Denver: 5.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 6-10
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Playoffs:
NFC: 1. PHI, 2. ATL, 3. GB, 4. STL, 5. NO, 6. DAL
AFC: 1. NE, 2. PIT, 3. SD, 4. HOU, 5. BAL, 6. NYJ
NFC Champ: Philadelphia
AFC Champ: New York Jets
Super Bowl Winner: New York Jets
Whatever. Everyone knows this is a bunch of crap, but just by looking at the schedules of each team and going with my gut feeling, I think other teams have managed to do just a bit more than the Packers in an NFC Conference that I feel might be better than the AFC this season. The Jets have been knocking on the door to get in the Super Bowl the past two seasons and I think this is the year they break through. As for the Eagles, they give me the same kind of feeling the Miami Heat gave me and therefore, I have them losing in the biggest sporting event in the World. I'm sure I'll look back at this in February and regret I'd ever set myself up for such failure.
Showing posts with label Predictions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Predictions. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
OFFICIAL 2011 Green Bay Packers' Preview
2011 Green Bay Packers: 10-6, 2nd in North Division, Won Super Bowl XLV
Last August, I dedicated the third blog post of my life to preview the 2010 season for the Green Bay Packers. Having come off a year where the Packers were arguably the third best team in the NFC and yet suffered such a demoralizing loss in the first round of the playoffs, I was cautiously optimistic going into Aaron Rodgers' third season as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. I felt that the pieces were nearly in place and that a deep run in the post-season would be another step in the right direction for the league's smallest franchise, so that's what I predicted: the Packers would finish 11-5 and fall in the game leading up to the Super Bowl. It seemed to make sense...Green Bay hadn't lost any key contributors in between '09 and '10 and therefore it made sense that they would make a jump, but deep down I knew that perhaps if the chips fell right, the Pack could find themselves in Dallas for Super Bowl 45. After a 3-3 start and names like Ryan Grant, Jermichael Finley and Nick Barnett on the shelf, this feeling had left and didn't plan on making a return. Or so I thought.
Fast forward about three months and the Packers are celebrating on a podium in the middle of the Dallas Cowboys' brand new stadium with the Lombardi Trophy while Clay Matthews gives Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers an actual championship belt. Finally, Rodgers' celebration was justified and Green Bay had won a Super Bowl that I could truly call my own...first grade Dave could only appreciate winning Super Bowl XXXI so much. As fun as winning the Super Bowl was, it's time to put it in the rear view mirror and focus on the new task at hand. Because of all the injuries the Packers sustained through last season, it didn't seem necessary to make any splashes in free agency since the players returning from injury were essentially additions to a team that just won a championship. As a result, other teams around the league like the Eagles, Jets and Patriots garnered a lot of attention...and that's just the way Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy want it. With that, let's take a look at some of the players the Packers saw walk away as well some key players making a return.
Key losses: DT Cullen Jenkins, SS Atari Bigby, LB Nick Barnett, LB Brady Poppinga, LB Brandon Chillar, RB Brandon Jackson, OT Mark Tauscher
Key returnees/additions: TE Jermichael Finley, SS Morgan Burnett, RB Ryan Grant, FB John Kuhn, WR James Jones, K Mason Crosby, OG/OT Derek Sherrod, WR/KR Randall Cobb, RB/KR Alex Green
The Packers will hardly lose anything on offense and in fact will probably get better thanks to using their first three picks on offensive players (offensive tackle, wide receiver, running back) along with starting running back Ryan Grant and starting tight end Jermichael Finley returning from season ending injuries. With the departure of o-linemen Jason Spitz, Mark Tauscher and Daryn Colledge, Green Bay finds themselves a little depleted up front, so they used their first round pick on Derek Sherrod, an offensive tackle. He has been moved back and forth between tackle and guard during the course of the preseason since there is still uncertainty at left guard, but it's beginning to appear that he will back up both tackle Chad Clifton and guard T.J. Lang. The next two players drafted, wide receiver Randall Cobb and running back Alex Green, should both also be utilized in the return game, an area that the Packers could definitely use some improvement. Cobb has looked solid thus far in the preseason at both receiver and returner and Green had his moments in the second week of the exhibition season. The Packers probably like Green for third down situations and he could develop into even more than that should the Pack eventually part ways with Grant. By bringing back wide-out James Jones at a cheaper price than they expected, there isn't much room for Cobb in the receiving corps, but it now means that the Packers are LOADED on the outside with Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver all returning.
Oh, and I heard that the Packers had a pretty good guy under center. Aaron Rodgers is obviously a stud, but so is his backup - and maybe even his backups' backup. Matt Flynn has looked as solid as ever during the preseason and we all saw what he can do in real games last season against the Pats. And then there's Graham Harrell, who has probably done enough to earn a roster spot each and every week. I don't think the Packers can afford to place Harrell on the practice squad again for a couple reasons...for one, Flynn has become a valuable trade commodity, so he could be gone sometime in the next year or two. I mean, look what the Eagles got in return for Kevin Kolb - a 2nd rounder and a starting corner? Imagine if Green Bay could get something similar for Flynn. This leads me to my next reason...if Harrell is on the practice squad, he could be claimed by another team and then Flynn isn't quite as expendable. I love Flynn and I think he's great to have, especially if Rodgers goes down like he did last year, but what we could get in return for him might be better for the Packers in the long run...and then Harrell could step in to the number two spot. This is all just speculation, but probably an issue that needs to be addressed.
The old saying goes, "defense wins championships," and that's one saying that I have always found to be rather stupid. You know what else wins championship? Offense. Special teams. Good play calling. Good execution. Limiting mistakes. Making big plays. You get it by now, but the Packers did come up with some big plays on defense in Super Bowl XLV and they return many players from the unit that "won" the championship. Barnett and Jenkins are gone and the loss of Jenkins still stings (especially since he went to the Eagles), but safety Morgan Burnett is back and the Packers arguably are better at middle linebacker with Desmond Bishop. Up front, there are still questions and I was surprised that Green Bay didn't use any early draft picks on the defensive line, but there are still guys like B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett fence to help plug the middle. Several others will be in the mix, but that is definitely an area to keep an eye on, especially since the guys up front are the ones who allow the Packers to blitz and stuff the run game up the middle. Speaking of questions, now that Frank Zombo has gone down with an injury and could possibly be placed on IR (hope to God not), it's between Erik Walden and Brad Jones for the spot opposite of Clay Matthews. My feeling is that it will be a bit of a platoon, with Walden providing more of a blitzing option and Jones being much better dropping back into coverage. Moving on to the secondary, not much has changed, but Burnett is back and appears to have regained his starting role at strong safety with Charlie Peprah providing an excellent security blanket. Burnett will be surrounded by pro bowlers in the secondary, so their shouldn't be much cause for concern. Nick Collins and Tramon Williams are only getting better as they are still early in their careers and we'll see if old Father Time starts catching up with Chuck Woodson. If there are problems at the corners, which I don't expect, there is plenty of depth with Sam Shields, Jarrett Bush...I suppose...and newcomer Davon House. House was the first defensive player drafted by Green Bay and I'm holding out hope that House won't turn out to be like fellow Packer corner Pat Lee, who frankly doesn't deserve a roster spot.
A quick blurb on special teams...kicker Mason Crosby apparently earned a new, luxurious contract and is back with the Pack. There's no denying that Cros has a big time leg, but he needs to start making the big kicks. Fortunately, there weren't any tough situations presented for Crosby late in the 2010 season, but the Packers probably won't be so lucky this season. For once, there isn't any preseason competition at punter and the job belongs to Tim Masthay, who was huge last year in the playoffs - man, it's good to finally have a punter who lasts longer than one season in Green Bay. Like I mentioned previously, rookies Alex Green and Randall Cobb should be involved in the return game. However, Cobb is battling an injury that no one knows the extent of, so we could see Jordy Nelson back in the return game equation or even Chastin West, whose strong preseason performance could land him as a return option or number five receiver.
Prediction time. The Packers finished second once again and therefore face about as tough of a schedule as they did last season, when they went 10-6. Of course, injuries contributed to this record (which should have been better) and it's hard to imagine the Packers seeing that many injuries two years in a row (knock on wood). With many players back from injury and the additions outweighing the subtractions, I'm expecting big things in 2011.
Regular Season Record: 11-5
Playoffs: Lose in NFC Championship game
Yes, I said the exact same thing last season. Yes, my prediction partially stems from the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles got way, way better and the NFC is getting tougher and tougher each year. Yes, I'm a superstitious idiot.
Last August, I dedicated the third blog post of my life to preview the 2010 season for the Green Bay Packers. Having come off a year where the Packers were arguably the third best team in the NFC and yet suffered such a demoralizing loss in the first round of the playoffs, I was cautiously optimistic going into Aaron Rodgers' third season as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. I felt that the pieces were nearly in place and that a deep run in the post-season would be another step in the right direction for the league's smallest franchise, so that's what I predicted: the Packers would finish 11-5 and fall in the game leading up to the Super Bowl. It seemed to make sense...Green Bay hadn't lost any key contributors in between '09 and '10 and therefore it made sense that they would make a jump, but deep down I knew that perhaps if the chips fell right, the Pack could find themselves in Dallas for Super Bowl 45. After a 3-3 start and names like Ryan Grant, Jermichael Finley and Nick Barnett on the shelf, this feeling had left and didn't plan on making a return. Or so I thought.
Fast forward about three months and the Packers are celebrating on a podium in the middle of the Dallas Cowboys' brand new stadium with the Lombardi Trophy while Clay Matthews gives Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers an actual championship belt. Finally, Rodgers' celebration was justified and Green Bay had won a Super Bowl that I could truly call my own...first grade Dave could only appreciate winning Super Bowl XXXI so much. As fun as winning the Super Bowl was, it's time to put it in the rear view mirror and focus on the new task at hand. Because of all the injuries the Packers sustained through last season, it didn't seem necessary to make any splashes in free agency since the players returning from injury were essentially additions to a team that just won a championship. As a result, other teams around the league like the Eagles, Jets and Patriots garnered a lot of attention...and that's just the way Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy want it. With that, let's take a look at some of the players the Packers saw walk away as well some key players making a return.
Key losses: DT Cullen Jenkins, SS Atari Bigby, LB Nick Barnett, LB Brady Poppinga, LB Brandon Chillar, RB Brandon Jackson, OT Mark Tauscher
Key returnees/additions: TE Jermichael Finley, SS Morgan Burnett, RB Ryan Grant, FB John Kuhn, WR James Jones, K Mason Crosby, OG/OT Derek Sherrod, WR/KR Randall Cobb, RB/KR Alex Green
The Packers will hardly lose anything on offense and in fact will probably get better thanks to using their first three picks on offensive players (offensive tackle, wide receiver, running back) along with starting running back Ryan Grant and starting tight end Jermichael Finley returning from season ending injuries. With the departure of o-linemen Jason Spitz, Mark Tauscher and Daryn Colledge, Green Bay finds themselves a little depleted up front, so they used their first round pick on Derek Sherrod, an offensive tackle. He has been moved back and forth between tackle and guard during the course of the preseason since there is still uncertainty at left guard, but it's beginning to appear that he will back up both tackle Chad Clifton and guard T.J. Lang. The next two players drafted, wide receiver Randall Cobb and running back Alex Green, should both also be utilized in the return game, an area that the Packers could definitely use some improvement. Cobb has looked solid thus far in the preseason at both receiver and returner and Green had his moments in the second week of the exhibition season. The Packers probably like Green for third down situations and he could develop into even more than that should the Pack eventually part ways with Grant. By bringing back wide-out James Jones at a cheaper price than they expected, there isn't much room for Cobb in the receiving corps, but it now means that the Packers are LOADED on the outside with Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver all returning.
Oh, and I heard that the Packers had a pretty good guy under center. Aaron Rodgers is obviously a stud, but so is his backup - and maybe even his backups' backup. Matt Flynn has looked as solid as ever during the preseason and we all saw what he can do in real games last season against the Pats. And then there's Graham Harrell, who has probably done enough to earn a roster spot each and every week. I don't think the Packers can afford to place Harrell on the practice squad again for a couple reasons...for one, Flynn has become a valuable trade commodity, so he could be gone sometime in the next year or two. I mean, look what the Eagles got in return for Kevin Kolb - a 2nd rounder and a starting corner? Imagine if Green Bay could get something similar for Flynn. This leads me to my next reason...if Harrell is on the practice squad, he could be claimed by another team and then Flynn isn't quite as expendable. I love Flynn and I think he's great to have, especially if Rodgers goes down like he did last year, but what we could get in return for him might be better for the Packers in the long run...and then Harrell could step in to the number two spot. This is all just speculation, but probably an issue that needs to be addressed.
The old saying goes, "defense wins championships," and that's one saying that I have always found to be rather stupid. You know what else wins championship? Offense. Special teams. Good play calling. Good execution. Limiting mistakes. Making big plays. You get it by now, but the Packers did come up with some big plays on defense in Super Bowl XLV and they return many players from the unit that "won" the championship. Barnett and Jenkins are gone and the loss of Jenkins still stings (especially since he went to the Eagles), but safety Morgan Burnett is back and the Packers arguably are better at middle linebacker with Desmond Bishop. Up front, there are still questions and I was surprised that Green Bay didn't use any early draft picks on the defensive line, but there are still guys like B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett fence to help plug the middle. Several others will be in the mix, but that is definitely an area to keep an eye on, especially since the guys up front are the ones who allow the Packers to blitz and stuff the run game up the middle. Speaking of questions, now that Frank Zombo has gone down with an injury and could possibly be placed on IR (hope to God not), it's between Erik Walden and Brad Jones for the spot opposite of Clay Matthews. My feeling is that it will be a bit of a platoon, with Walden providing more of a blitzing option and Jones being much better dropping back into coverage. Moving on to the secondary, not much has changed, but Burnett is back and appears to have regained his starting role at strong safety with Charlie Peprah providing an excellent security blanket. Burnett will be surrounded by pro bowlers in the secondary, so their shouldn't be much cause for concern. Nick Collins and Tramon Williams are only getting better as they are still early in their careers and we'll see if old Father Time starts catching up with Chuck Woodson. If there are problems at the corners, which I don't expect, there is plenty of depth with Sam Shields, Jarrett Bush...I suppose...and newcomer Davon House. House was the first defensive player drafted by Green Bay and I'm holding out hope that House won't turn out to be like fellow Packer corner Pat Lee, who frankly doesn't deserve a roster spot.
A quick blurb on special teams...kicker Mason Crosby apparently earned a new, luxurious contract and is back with the Pack. There's no denying that Cros has a big time leg, but he needs to start making the big kicks. Fortunately, there weren't any tough situations presented for Crosby late in the 2010 season, but the Packers probably won't be so lucky this season. For once, there isn't any preseason competition at punter and the job belongs to Tim Masthay, who was huge last year in the playoffs - man, it's good to finally have a punter who lasts longer than one season in Green Bay. Like I mentioned previously, rookies Alex Green and Randall Cobb should be involved in the return game. However, Cobb is battling an injury that no one knows the extent of, so we could see Jordy Nelson back in the return game equation or even Chastin West, whose strong preseason performance could land him as a return option or number five receiver.
Prediction time. The Packers finished second once again and therefore face about as tough of a schedule as they did last season, when they went 10-6. Of course, injuries contributed to this record (which should have been better) and it's hard to imagine the Packers seeing that many injuries two years in a row (knock on wood). With many players back from injury and the additions outweighing the subtractions, I'm expecting big things in 2011.
Regular Season Record: 11-5
Playoffs: Lose in NFC Championship game
Yes, I said the exact same thing last season. Yes, my prediction partially stems from the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles got way, way better and the NFC is getting tougher and tougher each year. Yes, I'm a superstitious idiot.
Monday, July 11, 2011
First half (56.8%) Review for the Crew
The timing of the All-Star Game has really thrown me off. Usually when baseball reaches the Midsummer Classic, people assume that the season is halfway done. In reality, the Brewers were through 81 of their 162 games a few weeks ago and have technically now completed 56.8% of their season...so let's just call the following the 46/81 review for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Record: 49-43, T-1st in NL Central
Team MVP: 1B Prince Fielder, .415 OBP, 22 HR, 72 RBI
Team Cy Young: Yovani Gallardo, 10-5, 3.76 ERA, 104 K
I already did a mini-season review for The Sports Jury, but I'll be putting my blood, sweat and tears into this one so you've come to the right place. With baseball getting a little breather with the exception of the Home Run Derby (currently putting me to sleep) and the ASG, it's a good time to reflect on what the Brewers have accomplished so far this summer. If you wanted to take the short route in summing up the Brewers, it could be done with one word...inconsistent. There probably isn't a better team to root for than Milwaukee if you're looking for some health problems. The Brewers could easily be looking up to the division leader instead of the ones on top if they didn't manage several heart-stopping comebacks, although they have also let a few leads slip away late in ball games. Earlier in the season, I wrote about how there is something different about this team than in past years and I still believe that to this day. When the Crew hit their lowest point of the season and were 13-19, they picked themselves up and went 21-7 from May 7th to June 6th. Since that time, they have had their ups and downs, but here they are...in 1st place. And that's what really matters.
Before the 2011 season began, General Manager Doug Melvin realized the trend that was going around baseball. Teams were loading up on pitching...and it was working. The other trending topic, if you will, was teams loading up on defense. This hasn't been as much of a success (see: Seattle, Oakland, Chicago White Sox), and Melvin decided that he wasn't going to go the defensive route...we'll get to that later. The two pitchers that the Brewers gave up so much for were Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, who have gone a combined 14-6 so far this season. Yeah, you can go ahead and complain about Greinke's struggles...and he certainly hasn't been right for the majority of the season...but the way he pitches to contact (99 Ks & only 16 walks), works fast and keeps the defense on its toes can't be overlooked. Hitters reward Greinke with lots and lots of runs, which explains his solid record despite his 5.45 ERA. Before the season, I thought that Greinke wouldn't perform as well as expected, but Gallardo would succeed due to some pressure being taken off his shoulders. And in my mind, Yo has been the rock of this team and that's what makes him the M-V-Pitcher for the Crew. Gallardo has been healthy all season (unlike Marcum and Greinke), has already reached double digits in victories and has gotten HUGE wins when the Brewers needed them the most (when they were 13-19, after losing 6 of 7, etc). I still have faith in Greinke coming around, but as long as he keeps getting Ws, I'm happy. As for Marcum, he might only have seven wins (thought he would get 15), but he should probably have ten or 11. He has either pitched in a lot of low scoring games or watched Kameron Loe take the opponent off the hook with his blown saves...I'll get to that and the rest of the 'pen later. It's okay. There's still time for Mr. Marcum to reach the 15 win plateau. To round out the starting rotation, Randy Wolf has been a pleasant surprise (3.65 ERA), but he's kind of a dick for not letting Johnny Lucroy catch him so I'm not going to give him any further praise. Last but not least, we have the Narve-dog, Chris Narveson. 6-5 with a 4.75 ERA for a number five starter? Yes, please. There's no question the performance of the starting rotation is why the Brewers are where they are right now. For those of us that are religious, let us pray for continued good health and more wins. Here are the grades:
Yovani Gallardo: A- ... An All-Star last year, he has become very reliable.
Shaun Marcum: A- ... A true pitcher, Marcum almost always keeps team in games.
Randy Wolf: B+ ... Always keeps hitters guessing but has struggled of late.
Zack Greinke: C ... Tends to miss too much with his spots and it kills him.
Chris Narveson: B- ... Like I said, I'll take his numbers for a #5.
Overall: B+
It's hard to argue with who the most valuable player for the Milwaukee Brewers has been so far. Perhaps Ryan Braun has an argument for this honor with his gaudy average and productive numbers hitting in front of Prince, but that's the thing. It's partly due to hitting in front of Prince. Fielder has embraced being in the final year of his contract and is making his case for not only a massive pay day, but also MVP of the National League. In my season preview, I noted that King would either collapse under the pressure of a contract year or have a career year. I think I'll give myself a correct prediction on that one up to this point. Speaking of correct predictions...Nyjer "Tony Plush" Morgan. Even before the season began, I felt like a giddy school girl every time I thought about what Plush could bring to the table once coach Ron Roenicke finally decided it was time to give the Carlos Gomez experiment a rest. The result has been spectacular defense, a .327 batting average, speed on the base paths and possibly the most entertaining interview in the history of sports. Alright. It's time to go through all the position players the Brewers currently have on the roster:
LF Ryan Braun: A ... A total stud in the 3-hole. Not much more can be said.
OF/1B Mark Kotsay: B- ... Surprisingly clutch, but a liability in the field.
OF/IF Josh Wilson: B ... Was he the key bench player pick-up the Crew needed?
CF Carlos Gomez: C ... Can become likable when accepting the role he plays.
OF Nyjer Morgan: A- ... This guy should get a job setting tables. Or in comedy.
RF Corey Hart: B ... His numbers are about where you'd expect, so can't complain.
3B Casey McGehee: D- ... Terrible at protecting Prince and at the hot corner.
SS Yuniesky Betancourt: D+ ... Hasn't really done much of anything for MIL.
IF Craig Counsell: C- ... Can't be too harsh. Solid with the glove, good teammate.
2B Rickie Weeks: B+ ... Definitely Weeks' best year to date, but still bad w/glove.
1B Prince Fielder: A ... It's a damn shame that he's leaving Milwaukee because...
1B Mat Gamel: INC ... Gamel still hasn't figured it out at the Big League level.
C Jonathan Lucroy: B+ ... Putting up league leading numbers among NL catchers.
C George Kottaras: C ... A nice power threat to have and handles Wolf well.
Overall: B ... Even though it appears on paper that this offense is fairly impressive, there doesn't seem to be enough help around Braun and Fielder. We all know about McGehee and the lack of production from Yuni B and I think there is a simple solution: take Weeks out of the lead-off spot. We've seen how well Plush gets on base to start rally after rally, and therefore I think he has the ability to assume this role from Rickie. Morgan has hit first before in his career and Weeks is better suited in the five hole because of his immense production as far as lead-off hitters are concerned. Perhaps it's too drastic of a move for Roenicke to make in his first year of managing, but this might be it for awhile for fans in Milwaukee. He needs to do whatever it takes to get as much out of this squad as possible. Just think about it...Morgan, Hart, Braun, Fielder, Weeks to start off a ball game? With Lucroy as the anchor to keep things respectable at the bottom of the order? I'm salivating. One last thing...I didn't think Gamel would be brought up this year (at least not until September) and I still wish he hadn't. Gamel needed as much time as possible in the minors to get used to first base for next season and it didn't happen. This was due in part to Roenicke wanting an extra bat for interleague play and the awful play of McGehee. There's no way he's back on the roster with his .115 average after the All-Star break.
Finally, the bullpen. I believe that this is one of the more difficult aspects of a big league club to manage. It's shown this year in Roenicke's first year as skipper as it took him about 85 games to realize that Loe simply couldn't handle the 8th inning role. I've harped on this enough, but ever since LaTroy Hawkins assumed this role, have the Brewers lost a lead? No, sir. Other than that, the Ax Factor John Axford has been very reliable as the Brewers' closer and many guys have come and went. As of now, the Brewers only have six relievers on their roster...the six mainstays that should remain at the major league level as the season continues. Here are the grades:
John Axford: A- ... Hasn't been quite as good as '10, but hasn't let many get away.
LaTroy Hawkins: A ... With a 1.08 ERA, he has earned the setup role behind Ax.
Kameron Loe: C ... Incredibly effective against righties, but has seven loses.
Marco Estrada: C+ ... Has faced some difficult tasks as the long-inning man.
Zach Braddock: C ... He is clearly still dealing with some issues after DL stints.
Takashi Saito: INC ... Has been solid since returning from injury; could be key.
Overall: B- ... When the Brewers have the lead late and the bullpen is called upon, it hasn't exactly been lights out. In fact, Estrada and Loe have combined for 30% of the Brewers' losses and the bullpen overall has lost about half of the games for the Crew, which is rather staggering. Braddock has battled with a sleeping disorder, which is especially disappointing to me because I'm a huge Braddock guy and I thought he would play a very important role for the Brewers this season. However, if the Brewers want to do things this year, they will need Braddock to figure it out. Hopefully, with Hawkins and Axford taking the last two innings of games in which the Brewers hold the lead, Milwaukee can shorten the ball game.
That's that for the players. How about first-year manager Ron Roenicke? Obviously, Roenicke has made his mistakes along the way, but I would be hard pressed to find anyone that totally dislikes the man...at least not at the level of Ned Yost or Ken Macha. I think this has a lot to do with Roenicke's aggressive style of managing. He likes to put runners in motion and has put on a few squeeze plays that have been very effective. Of course, sometimes this style doesn't work and players will turn aggressive base running into flat out stupid baserunning, but you can see the progression of Roenicke. He keeps things loose and it shows in the attitudes of the players. Over the course of the last home stand while not having the luxury of Ryan Braun in the lineup, Roenicke made some crucial decisions that probably helped the Brewers win an extra game or two. I really look forward to seeing how Roenicke manages down the stretch as this club (hopefully) remains in the thick of the playoff race.
Okay. So it turns out that the Prince Fielder contract situation isn't the only elephant in the room. The Brewers' defense appeared to start off strong, but now they find themselves 22nd in the MLB in fielding percentage. Just three more spots and they'll fulfill my prophecy and finish in the bottom five of the league. Like I talked about in my last post, the Brewers are basically willing to bite the bullet and try and win games behind their stellar starting five and the big boppers in their lineup. So far, so good. Milwaukee is in first, but they face a daunting road trip after the break where they have to travel to Colorado, Arizona and San Francisco. It isn't quite make-or-break, but it's pretty damn close. Considering how much the Brewers have faltered away from home and the level of competition they will be facing on this west coast swing, we have to set our expectations at a reasonable level. If Milwaukee can manage to stay within a game or two of the division leader after the trip, I'll be more than happy. But it would be nice if by some sort of miracle, the Brewers found out the secret to winning on the road during their three days off.
For those keeping track of my pre-season predictions at home, that's five correct, three wrong, and four pending (Roenicke manager of year (at this point, ATL and PIT beat him out), Marcum wins 15 games, Rogers makes a spot start or two (looking doubtful), and the Brewers will win the division and go 91-71 (need to go 42-28 rest of the way)) as of now. Remember to root on the National League tomorrow in the ASG because, you know, this time it counts or whatever.
Record: 49-43, T-1st in NL Central
Team MVP: 1B Prince Fielder, .415 OBP, 22 HR, 72 RBI
Team Cy Young: Yovani Gallardo, 10-5, 3.76 ERA, 104 K
I already did a mini-season review for The Sports Jury, but I'll be putting my blood, sweat and tears into this one so you've come to the right place. With baseball getting a little breather with the exception of the Home Run Derby (currently putting me to sleep) and the ASG, it's a good time to reflect on what the Brewers have accomplished so far this summer. If you wanted to take the short route in summing up the Brewers, it could be done with one word...inconsistent. There probably isn't a better team to root for than Milwaukee if you're looking for some health problems. The Brewers could easily be looking up to the division leader instead of the ones on top if they didn't manage several heart-stopping comebacks, although they have also let a few leads slip away late in ball games. Earlier in the season, I wrote about how there is something different about this team than in past years and I still believe that to this day. When the Crew hit their lowest point of the season and were 13-19, they picked themselves up and went 21-7 from May 7th to June 6th. Since that time, they have had their ups and downs, but here they are...in 1st place. And that's what really matters.
Before the 2011 season began, General Manager Doug Melvin realized the trend that was going around baseball. Teams were loading up on pitching...and it was working. The other trending topic, if you will, was teams loading up on defense. This hasn't been as much of a success (see: Seattle, Oakland, Chicago White Sox), and Melvin decided that he wasn't going to go the defensive route...we'll get to that later. The two pitchers that the Brewers gave up so much for were Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, who have gone a combined 14-6 so far this season. Yeah, you can go ahead and complain about Greinke's struggles...and he certainly hasn't been right for the majority of the season...but the way he pitches to contact (99 Ks & only 16 walks), works fast and keeps the defense on its toes can't be overlooked. Hitters reward Greinke with lots and lots of runs, which explains his solid record despite his 5.45 ERA. Before the season, I thought that Greinke wouldn't perform as well as expected, but Gallardo would succeed due to some pressure being taken off his shoulders. And in my mind, Yo has been the rock of this team and that's what makes him the M-V-Pitcher for the Crew. Gallardo has been healthy all season (unlike Marcum and Greinke), has already reached double digits in victories and has gotten HUGE wins when the Brewers needed them the most (when they were 13-19, after losing 6 of 7, etc). I still have faith in Greinke coming around, but as long as he keeps getting Ws, I'm happy. As for Marcum, he might only have seven wins (thought he would get 15), but he should probably have ten or 11. He has either pitched in a lot of low scoring games or watched Kameron Loe take the opponent off the hook with his blown saves...I'll get to that and the rest of the 'pen later. It's okay. There's still time for Mr. Marcum to reach the 15 win plateau. To round out the starting rotation, Randy Wolf has been a pleasant surprise (3.65 ERA), but he's kind of a dick for not letting Johnny Lucroy catch him so I'm not going to give him any further praise. Last but not least, we have the Narve-dog, Chris Narveson. 6-5 with a 4.75 ERA for a number five starter? Yes, please. There's no question the performance of the starting rotation is why the Brewers are where they are right now. For those of us that are religious, let us pray for continued good health and more wins. Here are the grades:
Yovani Gallardo: A- ... An All-Star last year, he has become very reliable.
Shaun Marcum: A- ... A true pitcher, Marcum almost always keeps team in games.
Randy Wolf: B+ ... Always keeps hitters guessing but has struggled of late.
Zack Greinke: C ... Tends to miss too much with his spots and it kills him.
Chris Narveson: B- ... Like I said, I'll take his numbers for a #5.
Overall: B+
It's hard to argue with who the most valuable player for the Milwaukee Brewers has been so far. Perhaps Ryan Braun has an argument for this honor with his gaudy average and productive numbers hitting in front of Prince, but that's the thing. It's partly due to hitting in front of Prince. Fielder has embraced being in the final year of his contract and is making his case for not only a massive pay day, but also MVP of the National League. In my season preview, I noted that King would either collapse under the pressure of a contract year or have a career year. I think I'll give myself a correct prediction on that one up to this point. Speaking of correct predictions...Nyjer "Tony Plush" Morgan. Even before the season began, I felt like a giddy school girl every time I thought about what Plush could bring to the table once coach Ron Roenicke finally decided it was time to give the Carlos Gomez experiment a rest. The result has been spectacular defense, a .327 batting average, speed on the base paths and possibly the most entertaining interview in the history of sports. Alright. It's time to go through all the position players the Brewers currently have on the roster:
LF Ryan Braun: A ... A total stud in the 3-hole. Not much more can be said.
OF/1B Mark Kotsay: B- ... Surprisingly clutch, but a liability in the field.
OF/IF Josh Wilson: B ... Was he the key bench player pick-up the Crew needed?
CF Carlos Gomez: C ... Can become likable when accepting the role he plays.
OF Nyjer Morgan: A- ... This guy should get a job setting tables. Or in comedy.
RF Corey Hart: B ... His numbers are about where you'd expect, so can't complain.
3B Casey McGehee: D- ... Terrible at protecting Prince and at the hot corner.
SS Yuniesky Betancourt: D+ ... Hasn't really done much of anything for MIL.
IF Craig Counsell: C- ... Can't be too harsh. Solid with the glove, good teammate.
2B Rickie Weeks: B+ ... Definitely Weeks' best year to date, but still bad w/glove.
1B Prince Fielder: A ... It's a damn shame that he's leaving Milwaukee because...
1B Mat Gamel: INC ... Gamel still hasn't figured it out at the Big League level.
C Jonathan Lucroy: B+ ... Putting up league leading numbers among NL catchers.
C George Kottaras: C ... A nice power threat to have and handles Wolf well.
Overall: B ... Even though it appears on paper that this offense is fairly impressive, there doesn't seem to be enough help around Braun and Fielder. We all know about McGehee and the lack of production from Yuni B and I think there is a simple solution: take Weeks out of the lead-off spot. We've seen how well Plush gets on base to start rally after rally, and therefore I think he has the ability to assume this role from Rickie. Morgan has hit first before in his career and Weeks is better suited in the five hole because of his immense production as far as lead-off hitters are concerned. Perhaps it's too drastic of a move for Roenicke to make in his first year of managing, but this might be it for awhile for fans in Milwaukee. He needs to do whatever it takes to get as much out of this squad as possible. Just think about it...Morgan, Hart, Braun, Fielder, Weeks to start off a ball game? With Lucroy as the anchor to keep things respectable at the bottom of the order? I'm salivating. One last thing...I didn't think Gamel would be brought up this year (at least not until September) and I still wish he hadn't. Gamel needed as much time as possible in the minors to get used to first base for next season and it didn't happen. This was due in part to Roenicke wanting an extra bat for interleague play and the awful play of McGehee. There's no way he's back on the roster with his .115 average after the All-Star break.
Finally, the bullpen. I believe that this is one of the more difficult aspects of a big league club to manage. It's shown this year in Roenicke's first year as skipper as it took him about 85 games to realize that Loe simply couldn't handle the 8th inning role. I've harped on this enough, but ever since LaTroy Hawkins assumed this role, have the Brewers lost a lead? No, sir. Other than that, the Ax Factor John Axford has been very reliable as the Brewers' closer and many guys have come and went. As of now, the Brewers only have six relievers on their roster...the six mainstays that should remain at the major league level as the season continues. Here are the grades:
John Axford: A- ... Hasn't been quite as good as '10, but hasn't let many get away.
LaTroy Hawkins: A ... With a 1.08 ERA, he has earned the setup role behind Ax.
Kameron Loe: C ... Incredibly effective against righties, but has seven loses.
Marco Estrada: C+ ... Has faced some difficult tasks as the long-inning man.
Zach Braddock: C ... He is clearly still dealing with some issues after DL stints.
Takashi Saito: INC ... Has been solid since returning from injury; could be key.
Overall: B- ... When the Brewers have the lead late and the bullpen is called upon, it hasn't exactly been lights out. In fact, Estrada and Loe have combined for 30% of the Brewers' losses and the bullpen overall has lost about half of the games for the Crew, which is rather staggering. Braddock has battled with a sleeping disorder, which is especially disappointing to me because I'm a huge Braddock guy and I thought he would play a very important role for the Brewers this season. However, if the Brewers want to do things this year, they will need Braddock to figure it out. Hopefully, with Hawkins and Axford taking the last two innings of games in which the Brewers hold the lead, Milwaukee can shorten the ball game.
That's that for the players. How about first-year manager Ron Roenicke? Obviously, Roenicke has made his mistakes along the way, but I would be hard pressed to find anyone that totally dislikes the man...at least not at the level of Ned Yost or Ken Macha. I think this has a lot to do with Roenicke's aggressive style of managing. He likes to put runners in motion and has put on a few squeeze plays that have been very effective. Of course, sometimes this style doesn't work and players will turn aggressive base running into flat out stupid baserunning, but you can see the progression of Roenicke. He keeps things loose and it shows in the attitudes of the players. Over the course of the last home stand while not having the luxury of Ryan Braun in the lineup, Roenicke made some crucial decisions that probably helped the Brewers win an extra game or two. I really look forward to seeing how Roenicke manages down the stretch as this club (hopefully) remains in the thick of the playoff race.
Okay. So it turns out that the Prince Fielder contract situation isn't the only elephant in the room. The Brewers' defense appeared to start off strong, but now they find themselves 22nd in the MLB in fielding percentage. Just three more spots and they'll fulfill my prophecy and finish in the bottom five of the league. Like I talked about in my last post, the Brewers are basically willing to bite the bullet and try and win games behind their stellar starting five and the big boppers in their lineup. So far, so good. Milwaukee is in first, but they face a daunting road trip after the break where they have to travel to Colorado, Arizona and San Francisco. It isn't quite make-or-break, but it's pretty damn close. Considering how much the Brewers have faltered away from home and the level of competition they will be facing on this west coast swing, we have to set our expectations at a reasonable level. If Milwaukee can manage to stay within a game or two of the division leader after the trip, I'll be more than happy. But it would be nice if by some sort of miracle, the Brewers found out the secret to winning on the road during their three days off.
For those keeping track of my pre-season predictions at home, that's five correct, three wrong, and four pending (Roenicke manager of year (at this point, ATL and PIT beat him out), Marcum wins 15 games, Rogers makes a spot start or two (looking doubtful), and the Brewers will win the division and go 91-71 (need to go 42-28 rest of the way)) as of now. Remember to root on the National League tomorrow in the ASG because, you know, this time it counts or whatever.
Monday, March 28, 2011
It's about that time again
Can you feel it, folks? Just taking a walk outside and feeling that chilly, mid 20s weather can't help but make you feel like baseball season is right around the corner. Okay, so maybe we'll have to keep the roof closed on Miller Park for a few more weeks, but it's almost time for the boys of summer to take the diamond for the next six (seven?) months. As I feel every year, I have my hopes that the season will last well into October for my beloved Milwaukee Brewers, but this year I actually have a few reasons to back up my optimism. And that's what I'll be getting to in just a bit. For those of you who have been caught up with the Packers and basketball during the MLB off-season (which includes me), allow me to introduce you to some of the new acquisitions to the roster as well as some key reductions.
Who's New?
SP - Zack Greinke
Never mind the fact that Greinke fractured a rib playing basketball (ugh)...this guy will be good. Prove it, you say? Well, Greinke won the Cy-Young two years ago with the Kansas City Royals when he was finally able to put all of his focus into his day job after battling with psychological issues. Last year was a down year for Greinke, who received almost zero run support, but a move to the National League is an automatic boost to pitchers and their success. If Greinke can control his depression, he should be a force to be reckoned with after his stint on the disabled list is up.
SP - Shaun Marcum
Not much is known of Marcum, a guy who came over from a very underrated Toronto pitching staff. His numbers are almost remarkable when considering the division he came from (13-8, 3.64 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 3.84 K/BB ratio). Holy hell. That's impressive. Again, consider the move from the AL to the NL, especially because of the wretched AL East, and Marcum is set up to have a solid year by being the unsung guy behind Greinke and Yovani Gallardo. Oh yeah, and both Greinke and Marcum are signed through 2012! Only concern...a former Tommy John Surgery recipient.
Manager Ron Roenicke
The first Brewers hire I can remember being in support of since...umm...shoot...let me think. NEVER! Roenicke came from the Los Angeles Angels under manager Mike Scioscia, who is an MLB manager-breeding machine. See: Bud Black, Joe Maddon. Roenicke has made it clear that he wants to run...thank God...and he's got the personnel to do just that. The players have expressed their liking for Roenicke, who brings a lot of energy into the clubhouse, which is something you never saw with Macha. I like this guy, and that already gives him a one-up on any other manager I can remember during my lifetime.
SS - Yuniesky Betancourt
Below-average defense. Below-average hitter, but not for his position. Could provide some pop at the bottom of the order. Not really much else to be said about Betancourt other than he was necessary for the Greinke deal to go through because of what we had to give up. In other news, I named my fantasy baseball team after him, but let's just say it's not for good reasons.
CF - Nyjer Morgan
This guy gets me excited. He was solid in his first couple seasons in the bigs, but struggled last year. This was mainly due to some temper issues as well as just being in an overall bad situation in Washington. Still, he provides the Brewers with more speed, which is never a bad thing, and will certainly help with the dire center field situation that before the trade appeared would be Carlos Gomez. I would like to see this guy hit lead-off, but I don't know if Weeks will be relieved of that duty any time soon.
Other new guys that could play a role: RP Takashi Saito, 1B/OF Mark Kotsay, P Sergio Mitre
Who's gone?
CF - Lorenzo Cain
This loss was the one that hurt the most, but it was a piece that the Brewers were going to have to part ways with if they wanted to obtain Greinke. He's a guy you would've liked to watch progress and get better with the Brewers, but it won't happen, and now we have to deal with watching Carlos Gomez swing for the fence every time he steps to the plate.
SS - Alcides Escobar
As Kyle texted me today, Escobar has unleashed five dingers in Spring Training to go with a .350+ average. A little frustrating to see, but it is exhibition play. Losing Escobar hurts the Brewers' defense, but probably not their offense. Can probably say the exact opposite of Cain. Tough loss, but I'm not terribly sad to see him go. He had his chance to make his mark in Milwaukee and couldn't do it.
Manager Ken Macha
P - Jeremy Jeffress
This was another tough one to swallow, although one more slip up for Jeffress and he's out of the league. Jeffress could absolutely BRING IT, and looked solid for the Crew late last year out of the pen when we were bringing up guys to see what they had. The silver lining is that if we hadn't called up Jeffress and watched him perform well, we may not have had the final piece that Kansas City was looking for in the Greinke deal.
RP - Carlos Villanueva
Call me ill-informed, but I still have no idea who the Brewers got in return for Villa when we shipped him off to Toronto. Nevertheless, what we got from Villanueva was a fast start and then deteriorating performance as the season went on year after year. Not too sad to watch him go. Sorry, Kyle.
C - Brett Lawrie (minor leaguer)
Yeah. The Brewers really emptied out the youth movement this off-season. Lawrie was shipped to Toronto for Marcum, so it's not a total loss. Still, this guy probably has a bright future and it's sad to see him go. Again, a necessary loss should the Brewers want to compete right away.
RP - Todd Coffey
IT'S COFFFFEEEEEEY TIMMMMMMEEE!!!!! Not anymore :( Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.
Other losses: P Jake Odirizzi (ML), OF Cutter Dykstra (ML), OF Chris Dickerson
So you're all caught up, right? Not quite, as the Brewers still have to make a few roster moves before Opening Day (Thursday!). But for the most part, we know who the key players are going to be for what we all hope to be a playoff push. Some story lines to keep an eye on will be how Prince Fielder performs in a contract year, how the new pitching additions will work out, if the Brewers will be able to overcome shotty defense and if John Axford can at least match his 2010 performance in the closer role. Now sit back while I make an ass out of myself and make 12 bold predictions about the 2011 Milwaukee Brewers...
1. Shaun Marcum will win 15 games.
2. Prince Fielder will either collapse under the pressure of a contract year or have a career year because of the motivation of a contract year...then walk after '11.
3. Nyjer Morgan will eventually become the main guy in center field after starting the year in a platoon with Carlos Gomez and the Crew once again realizing Go-Go sucks.
4. John Axford won't top his 2010 season in the closer role but do enough to stay in it. In addition, set-up man Zach Braddock will be an absolute beast.
5. The Brewers will rank in the bottom five in the MLB in defense.
6. Zack Greinke will not perform as well as expected, but Yovani Gallardo will succeed thanks to a lack of pressure.
7. The Brewers will acquire a key bench player mid-season.
8. Manager Ron Roenicke will win NL Manager of the Year.
9. Mark Rogers will be called up at some point during the season and make some key spot starts...maybe even earn the fifth spot at some point.
10. Sergio Mitre will make one start and then find his way to the bullpen, where he had some success last year with the Yanks.
11. Mat Gamel will not be touched in the minor leagues (barring injuries at the major league level), but will replace Prince Fielder in 2012 at first base.
12. Milwaukee Brewers 2011 record: 91-71, 1st place in NL Central
That's as far as I'll go. Come see me for a playoff prediction after they make it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Some news and notes from around Wisconsin...the Bucks lost back-to-back heart breakers to the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Bobcats and it might be time to give up on the Deer's playoff chances (or was I the only one who still had any hope?)...the Badgers and Warriors both reached the sweet 16 and then had disastrous efforts, getting knocked out of the dance as a result...I failed to follow some of my March Madness Manifesto rules, leaving me with an 11th place finish in my pool...that's all I can think of for now. Be prepared for Brewers, Brewers and more Brewers as we crawl towards summer. I love baseball. Did I mention it's my favorite sport? Yay baseball!!!
Who's New?
SP - Zack Greinke
Never mind the fact that Greinke fractured a rib playing basketball (ugh)...this guy will be good. Prove it, you say? Well, Greinke won the Cy-Young two years ago with the Kansas City Royals when he was finally able to put all of his focus into his day job after battling with psychological issues. Last year was a down year for Greinke, who received almost zero run support, but a move to the National League is an automatic boost to pitchers and their success. If Greinke can control his depression, he should be a force to be reckoned with after his stint on the disabled list is up.
SP - Shaun Marcum
Not much is known of Marcum, a guy who came over from a very underrated Toronto pitching staff. His numbers are almost remarkable when considering the division he came from (13-8, 3.64 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 3.84 K/BB ratio). Holy hell. That's impressive. Again, consider the move from the AL to the NL, especially because of the wretched AL East, and Marcum is set up to have a solid year by being the unsung guy behind Greinke and Yovani Gallardo. Oh yeah, and both Greinke and Marcum are signed through 2012! Only concern...a former Tommy John Surgery recipient.
Manager Ron Roenicke
The first Brewers hire I can remember being in support of since...umm...shoot...let me think. NEVER! Roenicke came from the Los Angeles Angels under manager Mike Scioscia, who is an MLB manager-breeding machine. See: Bud Black, Joe Maddon. Roenicke has made it clear that he wants to run...thank God...and he's got the personnel to do just that. The players have expressed their liking for Roenicke, who brings a lot of energy into the clubhouse, which is something you never saw with Macha. I like this guy, and that already gives him a one-up on any other manager I can remember during my lifetime.
SS - Yuniesky Betancourt
Below-average defense. Below-average hitter, but not for his position. Could provide some pop at the bottom of the order. Not really much else to be said about Betancourt other than he was necessary for the Greinke deal to go through because of what we had to give up. In other news, I named my fantasy baseball team after him, but let's just say it's not for good reasons.
CF - Nyjer Morgan
This guy gets me excited. He was solid in his first couple seasons in the bigs, but struggled last year. This was mainly due to some temper issues as well as just being in an overall bad situation in Washington. Still, he provides the Brewers with more speed, which is never a bad thing, and will certainly help with the dire center field situation that before the trade appeared would be Carlos Gomez. I would like to see this guy hit lead-off, but I don't know if Weeks will be relieved of that duty any time soon.
Other new guys that could play a role: RP Takashi Saito, 1B/OF Mark Kotsay, P Sergio Mitre
Who's gone?
CF - Lorenzo Cain
This loss was the one that hurt the most, but it was a piece that the Brewers were going to have to part ways with if they wanted to obtain Greinke. He's a guy you would've liked to watch progress and get better with the Brewers, but it won't happen, and now we have to deal with watching Carlos Gomez swing for the fence every time he steps to the plate.
SS - Alcides Escobar
As Kyle texted me today, Escobar has unleashed five dingers in Spring Training to go with a .350+ average. A little frustrating to see, but it is exhibition play. Losing Escobar hurts the Brewers' defense, but probably not their offense. Can probably say the exact opposite of Cain. Tough loss, but I'm not terribly sad to see him go. He had his chance to make his mark in Milwaukee and couldn't do it.
Manager Ken Macha
P - Jeremy Jeffress
This was another tough one to swallow, although one more slip up for Jeffress and he's out of the league. Jeffress could absolutely BRING IT, and looked solid for the Crew late last year out of the pen when we were bringing up guys to see what they had. The silver lining is that if we hadn't called up Jeffress and watched him perform well, we may not have had the final piece that Kansas City was looking for in the Greinke deal.
RP - Carlos Villanueva
Call me ill-informed, but I still have no idea who the Brewers got in return for Villa when we shipped him off to Toronto. Nevertheless, what we got from Villanueva was a fast start and then deteriorating performance as the season went on year after year. Not too sad to watch him go. Sorry, Kyle.
C - Brett Lawrie (minor leaguer)
Yeah. The Brewers really emptied out the youth movement this off-season. Lawrie was shipped to Toronto for Marcum, so it's not a total loss. Still, this guy probably has a bright future and it's sad to see him go. Again, a necessary loss should the Brewers want to compete right away.
RP - Todd Coffey
IT'S COFFFFEEEEEEY TIMMMMMMEEE!!!!! Not anymore :( Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.
Other losses: P Jake Odirizzi (ML), OF Cutter Dykstra (ML), OF Chris Dickerson
So you're all caught up, right? Not quite, as the Brewers still have to make a few roster moves before Opening Day (Thursday!). But for the most part, we know who the key players are going to be for what we all hope to be a playoff push. Some story lines to keep an eye on will be how Prince Fielder performs in a contract year, how the new pitching additions will work out, if the Brewers will be able to overcome shotty defense and if John Axford can at least match his 2010 performance in the closer role. Now sit back while I make an ass out of myself and make 12 bold predictions about the 2011 Milwaukee Brewers...
1. Shaun Marcum will win 15 games.
2. Prince Fielder will either collapse under the pressure of a contract year or have a career year because of the motivation of a contract year...then walk after '11.
3. Nyjer Morgan will eventually become the main guy in center field after starting the year in a platoon with Carlos Gomez and the Crew once again realizing Go-Go sucks.
4. John Axford won't top his 2010 season in the closer role but do enough to stay in it. In addition, set-up man Zach Braddock will be an absolute beast.
5. The Brewers will rank in the bottom five in the MLB in defense.
6. Zack Greinke will not perform as well as expected, but Yovani Gallardo will succeed thanks to a lack of pressure.
7. The Brewers will acquire a key bench player mid-season.
8. Manager Ron Roenicke will win NL Manager of the Year.
9. Mark Rogers will be called up at some point during the season and make some key spot starts...maybe even earn the fifth spot at some point.
10. Sergio Mitre will make one start and then find his way to the bullpen, where he had some success last year with the Yanks.
11. Mat Gamel will not be touched in the minor leagues (barring injuries at the major league level), but will replace Prince Fielder in 2012 at first base.
12. Milwaukee Brewers 2011 record: 91-71, 1st place in NL Central
That's as far as I'll go. Come see me for a playoff prediction after they make it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Some news and notes from around Wisconsin...the Bucks lost back-to-back heart breakers to the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Bobcats and it might be time to give up on the Deer's playoff chances (or was I the only one who still had any hope?)...the Badgers and Warriors both reached the sweet 16 and then had disastrous efforts, getting knocked out of the dance as a result...I failed to follow some of my March Madness Manifesto rules, leaving me with an 11th place finish in my pool...that's all I can think of for now. Be prepared for Brewers, Brewers and more Brewers as we crawl towards summer. I love baseball. Did I mention it's my favorite sport? Yay baseball!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)