The OFFICIAL Brewers 2012 Season Preview

Oh, baby! Can you smell it? The freshly cut green grass. The beer. The brats. Burgers on the grill. Vomit in the parking lot. It's finally baseball season, the greatest sport in the world, and the Milwaukee Brewers are poised to defend their National League Central Division title beginning Friday against the very team that knocked them out of the postseason last year: the St. Louis Cardinals. Unlike last year at this time, the weather is cooperating with the start of the season. Whether it's warm enough for an open roof this weekend at Miller Park is a whole different issue (God forbid we open the roof when the temperature reaches the high 50s). Several off-season story lines have put the Brewers in the national spotlight, and not for the right reasons. From the Prince Fielder exit to the Ryan Braun dilemma, it's good to finally put the past in the past and play some ball. With several experts discounting the Brewers because of these off-season story lines, being put on the backburner is exactly what the Crew would prefer as they look to build on their 2011 record-breaking season of 96 victories. So let's take a look at what's changed since the Brewers' NLCS exit last October.

Who's New?

3B - Aramis Ramirez

I'm still trying to let this move grow on me. A long-time player of the hated rival Chicago Cubs, Ramirez has always been a player I've despised. His on-field demeanor bothers me not to mention the numerous times A-Ram has knocked a game-winner home run out to defeat Milwaukee over the years. But there was a hole to fill at third base after trading away one-hit wonder Casey McGehee and Ramirez (33), coming off a solid contract year (.306/26/93) was one of the top third basemen on the free agent market. I would have liked to see Taylor Green get a full-time shot at the 5, but he's still developing and to put a rookie at each of the corner infield positions would be a risk. Ramirez is proven, and although it's unrealistic to think he can fill the void Prince left, he will be counted on to protect Ryan Braun in the lineup.

1B - Mat Gamel

So Gamel might not exactly be "new," but this will be the first time Mat the Bat gets a chance to start the season with the big league club, and in a full-time roll to boot. Thank goodness...it's been a long time coming for the 26-year old. In my opinion, and I know I've clamored for this before, Gamel needs to have the comfort of being an everyday player to succeed in the Bigs. Only getting opportunities here and there has forced Gamel to press at the plate and struggle tremendously. Gamel will "replace" Prince at first base and there is some insurance behind him with another newcomer you'll soon meet as well as Corey Hart. Look for a stellar year for Gamel.

SS - Alex Gonzalez

To the surprise of everyone, the Brewers allowed shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt to walk this off-season, and in his place walks in Alex Gonzalez (35). Dude has been on an absolute tear in Spring Training, hitting well over .400, so let's just hope he isn't using blowing his you-know-what too early. Gonzalez is a free-swinger just like Yuni B, so that will be sure to frustrate Brewer fans all season, but he is much slicker with the leather at short and combining with Rickie Weeks up the middle has me excited. The Brewers should be considerably better on the left side of the infield, although the age factor means the combination of A-Ram and A-Gon is just a short-term solution.

OF - Norichika Aoki

The Japanese import didn't bring nearly as much attention as Rangers-signee Yu Darvish, but Aoki gives the Brewers an incredibly experienced and deep outfield. Aoki (30) hit a solid .308 in Spring Training and will essentially be a utility outfielder along with Carlos Gomez for the Brewers, although he appears to be someone who can step in and hold his own should he be forced into extended action. He's also in a pretty funny commercial with Mat Gamel, so I already like the guy. Hopefully he proves to be a solid contributor for the Brew Crew.

1B/OF - Travis Ishikawa

Here's another veteran who can step in and play solid defense and make the occasional start for the Brewers (General Manager Doug Melvin must have finally realized defense wins championships last season). Ishikawa (28) isn't quite as old as the other signees, but his versatility and solid spring was enough for him to be the final man to make the 25-man roster. He can come in late in games to relieve Gamel at first for defensive purposes and also play a kind of Mark Kotsay-kind of roll. Ishikawa is a good guy to have around and just like Aoki, he hits from the left side of the plate.

Other new guys that could play a role: RP Jose Veras (acquired in trade for McGehee), SS Cesar Izturis, RP Manny Parra (coming off injury)

Who's Gone?

1B - Prince Fielder

Maybe you've heard of him? The Brewers were unwilling to fork up $214 million to re-sign Prince, and that's just fine with me. A few years ago, I knew it would be inevitable that Fielder would walk, making the break-up easier. Now Prince is with the Detroit Tigers, and rather than be upset with Fielder, we should be happy for the time he gave us and most importantly, we should be glad he decided to go to the American League. If and when you return to play against Milwaukee, you'll be welcomed with open arms, big fella.

OF - Ryan Braun for 50 games

3B - Casey McGehee

As mentioned before, McGehee is a goner and now a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Perhaps it was too soon to give up on McGehee, who is a stand-up guy and someone impossible not to root for, but the disparity between 2010 and 2011 was alarming. It got to the point where McGehee had to be completely replaced at third base by Jerry Hairston Jr. last season and while I thought he would return to the Brewers this season in some capacity, the front office had other ideas and the Casey McGehee-era in Milwaukee is over.

SS - Yuniesky Betancourt

The nicknames are endless with this guy, and not many of them are good, but the Yuni-bomber was not retained by the Brewers after the 2011 season even though he did show signs of brilliance during the postseason. Betancourt was a streaky hitter and a streaky fielder, and that simply doesn't cut it here in Milwaukee. The shortstop position has turned into a rent-a-player situation now with the 35-year old Gonzalez coming in and Betancourt was simply there last season to bridge the gap.

IF - Craig Counsell

Craig knew it was time to hang up the cleats after last season, and about all that will be missed from Counsell is his clubhouse presence. The Wisconsin native has now assumed a role in the Brewers organization (don't worry...not as a player). Counsell was always a fan favorite and his two World Series rings and goofy batting stance are the two things fans will take away from a pretty stellar career as a professional baseball player.

Other losses: OF Mark Kotsay, IF/OF Jerry Hairston, RP LaTroy Hawkins, RP Takashi Saito, Hitting coach Dale Sveum

As you can see by the "Other losses" category, the Brewers lost some key role players as well as some key bullpen arms. However, they were able to bring in some new role players in Ishikawa, Izturis, and Aoki along with some veterans in A-Ram and A-Gon, not to mention the return of Fransisco Rodriguez and closer John Axford. Is this team as good as the 2011 team, one of the best Brewer teams we've ever seen? That answer is no. But they can come close if they play to their potential. There are several story lines to keep an eye on this season with the Crew. How will Braun respond to the adversity? Can Gamel live up to his potential and put up the numbers he has continually put up in AAA? Can Yovani Gallardo be a true ace and have a career season? Will the starting five help to carry the Brewers' not-so-juggernaut offense? How long will K-Rod last before he complains about being a setup man? Will Zack Greinke get a deal done before the end of the season? I'm sure there are more out there, such as how A-Ram and A-Gon will fit in and such, but there are many questions that need to be answered over the course of 162 games in order for the Brewers to make a return trip to the postseason. As I did last season, I'll make 12 more bold predictions for the 2012 Milwaukee Brewers. For the record, I went four of 12 last season. Ouch.

1. Shaun Marcum is going to suck a fat one due to injuries and poor location.
2. Zack Greinke will struggle until his contract issues are resolved.
3. Mat Gamel, finally settling into a role, will have a .280/23/80 season.
4. Yovani Gallardo will lead the team in wins with 17.
5. Ryan Braun will have his typical .300/30/100 season and shut everyone up.
6. When the Brewers enter the eighth inning with a lead, the game will be over.
7. Norichika Aoki and Carlos Gomez will shine in their respective roles.
8. Marco Estrada will start more games than he did last season.
9. Aramis Ramirez will disappoint as the new clean-up hitter - Gamel may replace him.
10. The Brewers will be in the top half of Major League Baseball in defense.
11. An injury will force Doug Melvin to look elsewhere (minors/free agency) for help.
12. Milwaukee Brewers 2012 record: 91-71, 1st place in NL Central

Oops. I did it again. Same exact prediction as a year before. And why mess with the formula for success? I underestimated the Brewers last season and was five games under with my guess, so technically I'm just compensating for the loss of Prince Fielder. Five games sounds about right...right? Alright, so there is my annual Milwaukee Brewers season preview, a preview I did instead of the pile of homework I have waiting for me at the library right now. I guess that's what all-nighters are for...college! As far as the Brewers' postseason chances, I'm not sure. As always, the Phillies will be tough, the Reds, Marlins and Nationals are resurgent, the Cardinals are in an eerily similar position as the Brewers, and the Diamondbacks could very well be the best team in the NL. A division championship is by no means going to be easy, but I believe people are putting too much into what the Reds did this off-season, overrating the Cubs (per usual), and the Cardinals are always going to be tough. It should be a fantastic year of baseball, and I'm as excited as anyone to make my way out to Miller Park, get my tailgate on, and watch me some Brewers baseball.

Summer is right around the corner.

The Madness in Review

Sorry for the month in between posts. This graduation thing is really putting a damper on my blogging plans and a trip out to Las Vegas last week - and this goes without saying - kept me away from the computer for a few days. What have I missed? March, and all that March offers is, well...madness. The last time I swung by BBB, I got my feelings out about Ryan Braun and although myself and the state of Wisconsin are likely the only ones who share those views, I couldn't really give a damn. It's time to move on from the miserable stretch that was Braun's appeal, but before moving on from March Madness, let's look back at the stretch that pumped false hope into millions of Badger fans and Warrior fans.

Both Wisconsin and Marquette were knocked out of their conference tourneys and this normally isn't really cause for concern - except this time, specifically for MU. The last team to reach the Final Four that got knocked out in the first round of their conference tournament was...hmmm...turns out no one has ever done it. There's a first time for everything, but it just wasn't meant to be for the Warriors to be the first to do this. The seeds handed out to Marquette (3) and Wisconsin (4) were to be expected unless each had made better runs in their respective conference tournaments.

To my great chagrin, I was forced to miss the ending of BOTH first round matchups involving my two favorite college basketball teams, neither of which I favor above the other for the record. Instead, I had the privilege of taking one of the more difficult exams my young mind as ever been challenged with...an exam that I pulled a B out of my ass for. Don't ask how that happened. Thankfully, UW and MU had my back and easily took care of business in round one (don't give me this "actually it's round two" crap). As the first round of the NCAA tournament was winding down, so were my hopes of winning any money as my Final Four "lock" of Missouri lost to Norfolk State (and thank goodness, because their second round game against Florida was THRILLING). Believe it or not, I'm still doing quite well in the two pools I'm entered in that involve money, but there is little chance I win anything.

Round two rolled around, and now Wisconsin and Marquette had to bear down. Both did just enough, with Bucky barely holding off Vandy in a thriller...a team I picked to roll into the elite 8 and final four in one bracket (whoops again)...and Marquette pulling out an ugly one against one-loss Murray State. The Badgers looked a heck of a lot better than the Warriors did and this should have been a sign of things to come in the round of the Sweet 16. Even though it had appeared that Marquette was done a favor by WHAT THE NorFOLK State, the Florida Gators were a team on a mission. The Badgers would square off against Syracuse in what is perhaps one of the top three games of the tournament thus far.

I did in fact make a couple bets on March Madness during my time in Vegas, but neither involved the hometown squads (I picked Kentucky to cover and NC State +8 against Kansas - winner, winner, chicken dinner). We walked over a couple of delicious pitchers of Miller Lite and sat down in the sportsbook viewing room to watch the first game - Syracuse v. Wisconsin, a game being played just miles away from Cuse in Boston. While I said earlier in the year that it was the relying on the three point shot that would do in the Badgers eventually, it was the 3-ball that kept Wisconsin in the game. They made 14 threes! Unheard of. They went on stretches draining three after three, a shooting clinic. That was nice and all, but as Jordan Taylor would say at halftime (and what I was screaming at the television about) was that the Badgers needed to get the ball in the middle to collapse the defense and then kick it back out right away. The baseline was also an open area on the floor against the Orange zone, but the athleticism of Syracuse was overpowering and any attempt to score down low resulted in turnovers and blocked shots. Getting the ball to Jared Berggren in the high post led to more open looks and was the driving force behind the Badgers getting back into the game. Wisconsin would finally grab a lead on a Ben Brust trey to go up 3 with about eight minutes left. From there, several nails were worn down and the Badgers only scored 2 points in the last four minutes. However, after the Syracuse missed a one-and-one, Wisconsin had 15 seconds to bring the ball up and win the game. There was just one problem: Berggren, who was 6 of 7 shooting on the game, NEVER CHECKED INTO THE GAME! Well that's okay, the Badgers had a timeout left so they'll just use that and...oh crap...they aren't using it. They never used it. Rob Wilson had an open look, could have even driven down the lane, but the SENIOR got wet feet, passed it off to Taylor, who heaved a prayer, and that was it.

Syracuse 64, Wisconsin 63. Why in God's name Bo Ryan didn't get Berggren in the game will forever puzzle me.

But at least there was still hope, for Marquette was up next, the favorite in a game against the Florida Gators. Who would have ever thought that the Badgers would be more entertaining to watch in this tournament than the Warriors? I mean, seriously? This Florida-Marquette game was flat out brutal to watch. All that really needs to be said is that MU couldn't shoot the damn ball, and that's why they lost 68-58 to a team that very well should have reached the Final Four should they not have had an epic collapse at the hands of Louisville two days later. It was disappointing because it could have easily been the Warriors in the Final Four - heck, it could have very well been Wisconsin in the Final Four. There was a legitimate chance of each happening. The Badgers did all they could to get there. Marquette...did not.

Next season may look bleak for the college basketball landscape in Wisconsin. Taylor, Jae Crowder and DJO are all moving on, but there is reason to keep your hopes high. The Badgers will lose Taylor but bring in highly touted freshman Sam Dekker, who did this a few weeks ago and is still the reigning top play on SportsCenter. He's a top 20 recruit at 6'8" and should contribute immediately for Wisconsin. For Marquette, they will actually return some legitimate size down low with Davante Gardner and Chris Otule coming off of his ACL injury. Jamil Wilson, who can jump out of the building, will also be back and the Warriors are bringing in three recruits with grades higher than 80 according to ESPN.

It's sad to see March Madness go, but it will lead us right into baseball season and my beloved Milwaukee Brewers. Their preview is up next, so stay tuned.

Miracle in Milwaukee: Braun a Free Man

Brewer fans anxiously awaited the verdict on Ryan Braun's appeal of a positive drug test for over a month. They got the answer they were looking for.

Braun is no longer suspended for 50 games. He is no longer a violator of Major League Baseball's anti-doping policy. In my opinion, the Brewers just became the favorites to win the National League Central. But we'll get to that debate (as well as a season preview) at some point next month. Right now it's time to take a look at why Braun ended up becoming the first player to ever have a positive drug test at the MLB level overturned. The most scrutinized aspect involved in Braun's defense was that his sample of pee wasn't immediately turned in to baseball by the man who was handling it. In fact, it reportedly sat out on his kitchen counter...not even in a refrigerator...for almost TWO days. Now I'm not saying that miraculously an inordinate amount of testosterone can accumulate in a cup of urine over a two day period, but there are a few things wrong with this picture. For one, this goes against the testing process of the MLB. The sample was NOT brought directly from wherever Braun peed in a cup to a FedEx building, which would then proceed on to the testing center. And two, do you think this guy maybe had sabotage on his mind? He had multiple FedEx locations near his house where he could have gone to drop off Braun's sample, INCLUDING a center that was open 24 hours. Strange.

You know what else is strange? The testosterone level in the sample was said to be three times higher than any other test since testing had been instituted in 2003...and FIVE times the level needed to warrant a positive test. Considering Braun has been tested before numerous times, I find it hard to believe that somehow this time his testosterone level was so much higher. So why did this test say differently? Well...I think Braun's sample was tampered with. You can say what you want about me being a homer, having a closed mind on the issue because I'm from the state of Wisconsin, but I just think these are issues that outsiders are ignoring. Because I'm from Wisconsin and such a die-hard Brewers (and Braun) fan, I may be more likely to defend Braun, but I'm also more likely to look at every aspect of this issue. These are legitimate arguments! Naive bloggers and every other semi-sports fan with a keyboard and a monitor in front of them are going to make sure their opinion is heard, and most of them don't have their facts straight...and it's annoying. For instance, this dipshit who thinks the sample just sat in a refrigerator all weekend. And Mr. "I write for the Daily Illini" who apparently is good enough to write garbage opinion pieces like this that believes the only issue at hand is the most publicized one...the mishandling of Braun's sample.

By now, I hope you've seen Braun's press conference. If you haven't, here it is. To use a cliche, he knocked it out of the park. You can say that lawyers wrote this speech for Braun, but this was from the heart. Sure, he might have been told not to say certain things, but this was pure Ryan Braun, and anyone that can't see that probably doesn't have a soul. Baseball vehemently disagrees with the decision to overturn Braun's positive test? Well, Braun vehemently stated that he didn't put any illegal substance in his body, and Ryan Braun is not a man to shy away from the truth. This is what probably made this entire process so difficult from him...Braun wasn't allowed to hardly speak at all while the appeal's process took its course, as badly as he wanted to. Wait, let's take a step back. Remember when ESPN broke this story in the first place? I'm not going to blame ESPN, who's journalistic tactics I don't see eye-to-eye with, for somehow getting the information about Braun's positive test, but whoever they got that news from breached the confidentiality of the process. I believe Braun when he said he bet his life that this substance didn't enter his body, and that he would be the first to admit if such had happened. He won because the truth is on his side.

Something I forgot to mention earlier...once Braun was notified of the "positive" test, he offered to take any test, including DNA (which would have without a doubt shown if he was clean or not), and baseball said NO! Why? Forget that Braun is one of the most talented players the game has today, but why deny anyone that opportunity? If baseball is so angry about the decision to drop Braun's suspension, they have no one to blame but themselves. They allowed a part-time collector to handle the urine test of one of baseball's greatest, and then denied Braun's right to a second test. That makes little to zero sense to me.

I can go on and on about the reasons supporting Braun's case, and you can watch his press conference to hear them all, because Braun hits them all. It's a beautiful speech, that's all you can really say about it. At times, Braun raises his voice, but he catches himself and maintains his composure. For anyone to watch that speech, learn about the details surrounding this case, and continue to believe Braun is 100 percent guilty boggles my mind. The last issue I'll address is the timing of the positive test, which was Oct. 1 - just as the playoffs were getting underway. People can argue that Braun's body was wearing down, that he wanted an extra boost to try and help get the Brewers to the World Series, so he took synthetic testosterone. In my mind, this is something Braun didn't need to do, nor is it something I believe he would consider doing. He had an excellent run to end the regular season and looked as physically prepared as ever for the next task; the playoffs. I just don't see it. Besides, could something so awful really happen on MY birthday??

Yes, Braun's name was dragged through the mud. Yes, he may never be looked at the same as a baseball player or a person. But because of the way Braun handled things, because of the way the process played out and because I believe in Ryan Braun, he will always remain the same in my eyes - an incredible baseball player who plays the game the right way, handles himself the right way and someone I will continue to idolize for the rest of my life.

Is it April 6 yet?

With no more football, enter basketball

I don't know how any of you felt about it, but that Super Bowl we just witnessed was awful in just about every aspect until it entered the final three minutes. Terrible commercials. Terrible halftime show (I'm still waiting for LMFAO to perform). A National Anthem performed correctly. And of course the actual game which lacked exciting, meaningful plays. In fact, there was only one play that got me off my seat (well, not really) and it's pretty apparent which play I'm talking about. Anyway, the Giants beat the Patriots...again...and anyone who places bets on sports (I'm getting there) would have been stupid to take New England in this one. Nevertheless, the moment after the Packers managed to hold off the Giants in week 13 38-35, I knew the one team I didn't want to face in the playoffs: the Giants. It happened, and there's no doubt in my mind that it should have been the Packers on that podium with confetti falling down on them on Sunday.

So football is over and if you haven't already done so, it's time to either turn your attention to basketball or hockey because it's not quite time to start tailgating in the Miller Park parking lots (however, here's a link to get you thinking about the upcoming baseball season). Since there isn't a professional hockey franchise in the state of Wisconsin, I'm not going to talk about hockey. And since there still hasn't been a decision made on the Ryan Braun situation, I can't discuss that, either. That only leaves one point of interest, and that's basketball. Soon it will be time to preview the Brewers and think about what the heck the Packers need to do with that putrid defense, but for now, the state of Wisconsin has two nationally ranked division I college basketball teams and a professional basketball team sitting in the eight seed in the Eastern Conference. That's right - the Wisconsin Badgers, Marquette Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks would all make the postseason as of right now. I can guarantee you this much...two of those teams will certainly extend their seasons in 2012. Still too early to tell with the Deer.

Before you get excited over this prospect, let me dampen your spirits a bit. Not one of these teams is going to win a championship this year. Call me a negative Nancy, but all three of the major basketball teams that we follow in this state have notable flaws that championship teams simply don't possess. You can even look at the Packers...that defense was simply not good enough to win a Super Bowl and the prolific offense led by Aaron Rodgers helped cover that fact up for 18 weeks. Finishing near the top of their respective conferences may look good in the eyes of fans and the selection committee for Marquette and Wisconsin, and they might even get through a round or two of March Madness. But here is a major flaw(s) for each team that will prevent further success.

Marquette (20-5, 9-3): Slow starts, No inside presence

Coming into the season, for once their was promise down low with Chris Otule rapidly improving as a big man and Javante Gardner ready to back him up after dropping 20 pounds. Otule went down with an ACL injury and now Gardner has a nagging ankle injury that has kept him out of the last three games, leaving Jamil Wilson, who is 6'7", as the tallest Marquette player. We saw it years ago when the Warriors played Stanford and the Lopez twins, and it looks like we're heading down the same path - Marquette's athleticism fails to overcome the extreme height differentials it has with other tournament teams. Couple this problem with Marquette's tendency to always fall behind early in games and it's going to be difficult for this team to make it past the sweet 16 even though they are second in the always tough (but this year down) Big East.

Wisconsin (18-6, 7-4): Too reliant on the three

Aside from Jordan Taylor, there really isn't anyone that can carry the Badgers this season. Guys will occasionally step up, and thank goodness they have, because Taylor hasn't had the privilege of having Jon Leuer to lean on and hasn't been as good as expected. Speaking of not having Leuer, there is almost no inside presence with the Badgers either, which is probably why Marquette was able to beat them back on Dec. 3. This leads the Badgers to rely too much on the three point shot, which is something I did and look where I am now. This isn't to say Wisconsin can't get hot and string together some wins in the tourney, but it's just not something we're used to seeing and the Badgers just don't seem to be built for March Madness.

Milwaukee (10-13, 8th in East): Defending the paint, consistency

When Andrew Bogut (shockingly) went down with an injury earlier this season, all hope appeared to be lost for the Bucks. But Brandon Jennings has emerged as a legitimate All-Star candidate and Drew Gooden has been surprisingly effective filling in for Bogues. Other than that, there isn't much going for the Deer. It's a team mainly composed of role players and Gooden, who really isn't a true center, is being counted on to replace Bogut's rebounding numbers. This isn't realistic, and while guys like Ersan Ilyasova have helped fill that void, teams are out-rebounding the Bucks. Meanwhile, some nights Milwaukee has been able to defend well and other nights, like tonight against the Suns for instance, it's been God awful. Inconsistency has never resulted in overall success and unless the Bucks go out and find a legit big man (maybe in a trade for Stephen Jackson) and become more consistent on both ends of the floor, this team will likely find themselves out of the playoffs.