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The Milwaukee Brewers 2007 Thread

post #1 of 111
3/30/07 at 12:29pm
Thread Starter 
1957 Milwaukee - WS Champs
25 years later, 1982 Milwaukee goes to 7 games against St. Louis
25 year later = 2007

Sheets, Capuano, Suppan, Bush, and Vargas with AAA depth including Villanueva, Gallardo, and Zach Jackson make it one of the deepest starting rotations in the majors.

The bullpen appears solid now that Turnbow is back throwing strikes in Spring Training.

Hall, Fielder, Hart, Hardy, Braun, and Weeks is an impressive collection of young talent. Estrada, bumping Miller to backup catcher, is an offensive upgrade. Jenkins/Mench figures to be an adequate, perhaps better, platoon. Gross is a solid 4th outfielder.

The farm system is in such a state that the Brewers can easily trade from the depth for help at the deadline.

Keys include:

1) Health. The Brewers could have won the division last year without injuries to Sheets, Ohka, Weeks, Hardy, and Koskie. If Sheets pitches 220+ innings, as he's proven capable of in the past, they could win 90 games.

2) How quickly the young position players progress. As soon as Braun figures out his defense at third, he'll get called up and provide a boost to the offense. The Brewers are young enough that improvement is to be expected, whether 2007 or 2008 is the key year is up to the individual players and how many step it up, how far, this year.

3) How much is the defense going to improve. They definitely have more range in the outfield this year. Hardy is supposed to be an upgrade at SS. Weeks made major improvements during the course of last season and we'll see if those improvements carry over.

Baseball Prospectus has them as an 84 to 85 win team, assuming Sheets only pitches around 180 innings and no major additions are made via trade. I think they're capable of better.
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post #2 of 111
4/2/07 at 12:49pm
Brewers are going to the WS this year.
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post #3 of 111
4/2/07 at 1:11pm
Ben Sheets is as brittle as Kerry Wood. Suppon won't have the Cardnial defense and offense behind him. 4th/5th starters aren't anything to write home about. And their offense was near the bottom in every offensive category.

they had more wins than the Cubs last year but stat wise they were close and the Cubs sucked.

They can win their division because it doesn't look great as the Cards lost 4/5 of their rotation and Izzy may not be any good. But they need alot more than what they have now to get to the World Series.
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post #4 of 111
4/2/07 at 1:25pm
As brittle as Kerry Wood? Let's not go crazy here.
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post #5 of 111
4/2/07 at 1:51pm
I think the division will go to the Brewers, but a quick post-season exit is inevitable. But there's a lot of upside to this club and I really would love to see them make a championship run in the next few seasons.

Before I moved to Oregon from Tennessee, I used to follow the Triple-A Sounds, so I've seen the depth that the Brewers have. Come July 31st, they could feasibly trade a few prospects to fill in the holes they discover over the course of this season.

Sheets needs to stay healthy and Capuano needs to return to where he was before the All-Star break last year. And with Cordero closing, I like the Brewers to win at least 90 games.

I'm also curious to see if Hall can repeat his numbers from last year.
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post #6 of 111
4/2/07 at 1:53pm
I think fans of the Cardinals, Cubs, Brewers and Astros all think their team is going to win 90 this year.
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post #7 of 111
4/2/07 at 1:56pm
I'm serious, I think the Brewers are gonna be great.
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post #8 of 111
4/2/07 at 2:10pm
I think the Brewers have a better than decent chance of knocking off the Cards and winning the Central, although it's probably a more likely scenario that the NL wild card is going to be the Phillies or the Brewers. If I had to pick the four NL playoff teams right now, I'd pick the Mets, Cards, Brewers, and Dodgers.

I like the Brewers' pitching (when healthy, third best staff in the majors?), infield depth/youth, and the fact that they have Brett Favre hungry for 500 at-bats while manning the outfield.
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post #9 of 111
4/2/07 at 5:28pm
Thread Starter 
Ace

Ben Sheets - 9 IP, 3 Ks, O BBs, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 104 total pitches (65 for strikes) - Win

Efficient and dominating. Nice way to start the season.
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post #10 of 111
4/2/07 at 6:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EvilTwin
Ace

Ben Sheets - 9 IP, 3 Ks, O BBs, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 104 total pitches (65 for strikes) - Win

Efficient and dominating. Nice way to start the season.
Nobody has ever doubted Ben Sheets's talent. They've doubted his ability to be healthy enough to start 30+ games.

Geoff "Brett Favre" Jenkins looks like a new man out there!
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post #11 of 111
4/3/07 at 2:59am
Time for my expectations to get abnormally large only to be dashed at a later point in the season. Stay tuned.
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post #12 of 111
4/3/07 at 10:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Overlord
Nobody has ever doubted Ben Sheets's talent. They've doubted his ability to be healthy enough to start 30+ games.

Geoff "Brett Favre" Jenkins looks like a new man out there!
Right - Sheets has been somewhat undependable. But man, when he is on, look out. I'm amazed he only had 3 Ks yesterday, that's a bit below par for him.

And if Jenkins can produce consistently, that is big. My statement going into the game yesterday was "when you see Jenkins take a big whiff on a breaking ball, you know it's summer"
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post #13 of 111
4/3/07 at 10:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boomstick
I'm serious, I think the Brewers are gonna be great.
....so when are you and Gutty comin' up for a game?
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post #14 of 111
4/3/07 at 2:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chavez
Right - Sheets has been somewhat undependable. But man, when he is on, look out. I'm amazed he only had 3 Ks yesterday, that's a bit below par for him.

And if Jenkins can produce consistently, that is big. My statement going into the game yesterday was "when you see Jenkins take a big whiff on a breaking ball, you know it's summer"
The thing about Sheets is, it's not like he's a undependable pitcher. He's had two rough spots the last two seasons. Before that he was a workhorse, it's a bit of a misnomer. It's not like he's never produced results. That said, I'll be on pins and needles for a while with our pitching staff, hoping that nothing goes wrong.
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post #15 of 111
4/6/07 at 5:53pm
Thread Starter 
Early Cubs series starts tonight. Good thing Miller Park has a dome. It will still be cold, but it will be playable.

Matchups
Hill vs. Bush
Zambrano vs. Sheets
Miller vs. Capuano

Tomorrow's game with Zambrano vs. Sheets should be a lot of fun. Might be the best matchup of the weekend.
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post #16 of 111
4/6/07 at 6:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chavez
And if Jenkins can produce consistently, that is big. My statement going into the game yesterday was "when you see Jenkins take a big whiff on a breaking ball, you know it's summer"
Jenkins....you mean the guy that looks like Brett Favre?
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post #17 of 111
4/7/07 at 12:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Overlord
Jenkins....you mean the guy that looks like Brett Favre?
That's him.

Jeez, I remember that being a big deal when Jenks first came up; nowadays he has his own identity in Wisconsin (that being "streaky power-hitter who truly deserved a Gold Glove when he was in his prime")
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post #18 of 111
4/7/07 at 12:32am
Oh, just so's nobody thinks I'm ignoring the disgrace that occurred on the field tonight - blech.
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post #19 of 111
4/7/07 at 2:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chavez
Oh, just so's nobody thinks I'm ignoring the disgrace that occurred on the field tonight - blech.
You mean Rich Hill pitching a great game? You sound lie the Brewers gave that away.
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post #20 of 111
4/8/07 at 12:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anyawatchin Angel
You mean Rich Hill pitching a great game? You sound lie the Brewers gave that away.
They DID give away the Friday game.
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post #21 of 111
4/8/07 at 1:11pm
Please explain. Hill was unhittable for 5. In the first the Cubs had legit hits. Just because Bush sucked in the first doesn't make the game a give away.
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post #22 of 111
4/8/07 at 1:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anyawatchin Angel
Just because Bush sucked in the first doesn't make the game a give away.
When you're down 6-0 before you even come up to bat because your pitcher is serving up meatballs, yeah it does.

Either way, it was a disgraceful effort by Bush, if not the entire team. Go be an idiot somewhere else, please.
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post #23 of 111
4/8/07 at 1:29pm
that's not giving the game away dip shit. Walking a couple players before a big hit, making costly errors, your bullpen blowing a 3 run lead late is giving the game away. The Cubs just took the game. Big difference.

I guess The Brewers gave Saturday's game away too.
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post #24 of 111
4/8/07 at 1:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anyawatchin Angel
that's not giving the game away dip shit. Walking a couple players before a big hit, making costly errors, your bullpen blowing a 3 run lead late is giving the game away. The Cubs just took the game. Big difference.
.
It's easy to pitch when you're up 6-0; not taking anything away from Hall's effort, but when the opposing pitcher gives up 6 hits in the top of the first inning, to say nothing of a key outfield error, the team hasn't even given itself a chance. If the Cubs "took" the game, it was because it was sitting right there on a silver platter.
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post #25 of 111
4/12/07 at 8:06pm
Brewers take 2 out of 3 from the Marlins; the fans win as well, getting some decent games at bargain-basement prices with Cle/Ana visiting Miller Park.

Now let's stomp a fucking mudhole in the Cards.
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post #26 of 111
4/12/07 at 8:12pm
Dave Bush, whom I targeted as a late round sleeper due to his high K numbers, terrific WHIP, and unluckily high ERA last year, did quite well. Considering that his first start was a disaster (six runs before retiring an out), this was great news.

I will keep you all posted.
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post #27 of 111
4/17/07 at 11:33pm
Well, so far the Brewers appear to be the team to root for if you want to develop a drinking problem.

They seem to follow up solid wins with complete meltdowns. Talk about frustrating.
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post #28 of 111
4/20/07 at 6:11pm
Thread Starter 
I'm very encouraged that the Brewers handled the Pirates relatively easily. It's a sign of a good team when you don't struggle against lesser competition.

Still early though. Lot's of things can happen, good and bad. Ryan Braun is getting closer though, and that will help.
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post #29 of 111
4/20/07 at 7:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EvilTwin
I'm very encouraged that the Brewers handled the Pirates relatively easily. It's a sign of a good team when you don't struggle against lesser competition.

Still early though. Lot's of things can happen, good and bad. Ryan Braun is getting closer though, and that will help.
I agree. The funny thing about the season so far was I expected the pitching to carry the team while the offense gelled, and it's been the other way around. But the last few outings seem to indicate that the starters are getting it together - which may not make for the "best" rotation, but 5 innings eaters ranging from rock-solid to spectacular (Sheets on a fairly regular basis) sure don't hurt ya. Bill Hall busting out of his offensive slump is nice as well.

This series is about as important as a series this early in the season can be - vs a good Astros team for first place. Go Brew Crew!
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post #30 of 111
4/21/07 at 11:42pm
It's always nice to see that "-" in your team's "GB" column when you look at the standings.
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post #31 of 111
4/22/07 at 7:31pm
Why was Bush allowed to go out in the ninth and get rocked? He allows one baserunner, you get him out of the game and put Cordero in there. Instead, they let him put two guys on, then try to get Cordero warmed up. What happens? Of course Cordero allows all of BUsh's runs to score, then ekes out the save.
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post #32 of 111
4/23/07 at 4:40pm
Thread Starter 
The pitching matchups don't favor the Brewers this series. The Cubs are likely to take 2 of 3 because of that, although I expect three low scoring, close games. I've seen a lot worse than Vargas, Suppan, and Sheets over the years.

Who knows, Zambrano's struggled with the strike zone while Vargas has been sharp, so tonight might be a closer matchup than expected.
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post #33 of 111
4/24/07 at 10:01am
Thread Starter 
Now that turned out to be a fun game last night, although I imagine some Cubs fans want to pull their hair out. Good work by Carlos Villanueva in the bullpen in particular. And some really nice defensive plays by Jacques Jones and Geoff Jenkins.

I've got to imagine that the Cubs bullpen is gassed after the last two games. The Brewers probably would be smart to take a few extra pitches from Hill tonight.
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post #34 of 111
4/25/07 at 12:12am
Wow, this win REALLY impresses - Hill had been lights-out all season but they managed to get to him.

Get the brooms!
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post #35 of 111
4/25/07 at 12:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boomstick
I'm serious, I think the Brewers are gonna be great.
Like I said... I'm serious about this.
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post #36 of 111
4/25/07 at 7:18pm
I never thought I'd be regarding Sheets as the weak link of the staff. JJ Hardy certainly cost them the game with that error.
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post #37 of 111
4/25/07 at 7:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chavez
I never thought I'd be regarding Sheets as the weak link of the staff.
The Brewers staff is criminally under-rated.
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post #38 of 111
4/25/07 at 7:49pm
I don't know if it's criminal, but as I said above, being able to trot out an average-to-above-average innings-eating starter each day, with not one but TWO All-Star closers on the staff sure makes you start thinking about the "P" word.
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post #39 of 111
4/25/07 at 7:52pm
I'm certainly not sold on the Brewers being great, but they've looked good so far. We knew the NL central would be bad, but sweet dog shit is it terrible and it's been the majority of their schedule so far. That bodes well for their winning the division, but I'll be interested to see how they do against the Braves and Mets before I call them a great team.

I'll admit they're playing a lot better than I thought they would, however.
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post #40 of 111
4/27/07 at 12:41pm
Thread Starter 
One of the reasons I'm optimistic about the Brewers this year is minor league depth. So far this year:

Ryan Braun (BA/OBP/SLG) .319/.398/.722 only 1 error
Brad Nelson .348/.400/.652

Yovanni Gallardo 2.35 ERA, 33 Ks in 23 IP
Also solid work by Tim Dillard, Dennis Sarfate, Zach Jackson, and Jose Capellan at AAA. And Manny Parra looks back on track at AA.

There are upgrades and ammunition for a major trade available at the upper levels for the first time in awhile.
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post #41 of 111
4/28/07 at 10:41pm
Another solid win followed by an utter meltdown.

I think they've looked HORRID in the bulk of their 9 losses, and can't figure out why they simply do not come to play every 3rd day or so.
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post #42 of 111
5/2/07 at 11:46am
Thread Starter 
Way, way too early. That said, Baseball Prospectus's Playoff Odds Report is putting a smile on my face. All three versions.

A good start isn't everything, but it sure helps.
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post #43 of 111
5/4/07 at 9:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Overlord
Nobody has ever doubted Ben Sheets's talent. They've doubted his ability to be healthy enough to start 30+ games.
These numbers are interesting:

over the past two "injury-plagued" seasons, Sheets made 39 starts and posted a 16-16 record with a 3.53 earned run average. In 262 2/3 innings, he allowed 147 hits and 103 earned runs. He walked 36 batters and struck out 157.

http://onmilwaukee.com/sports/articl...card42807.html

There are a lot of guys who'd like to be that good when injured.
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post #44 of 111
5/9/07 at 5:15pm
Thread Starter 
It's a sign of a good team when bad teams come into town and are dealt with accordingly.

The most difficult part of the Brewers schedule is coming up with series at the Mets and Phillies, home against the Twins, back on the road against the Dodgers and Padres, and then back home to face the Braves, Marlins, and Cubs. How the Brewers do over that span will go a long ways towards determining how much of a race its going to be.

It's worth noting that the Cubs have a nearly identitical schedule. I'm convinced that the Cubs (and them the Astros) are the Brewers chief challenge as the rest of the teams in the division are seriously flawed.
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post #45 of 111
5/13/07 at 12:28pm
Win or lose today, I'd say it looks pretty apparent that the Brewers can at least hang with the Mets.

My "it's still early" mantra is starting to wane in the face of tremendous optimism.
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post #46 of 111
5/14/07 at 10:55am
I actually expected a low scoring affair from the rubber game, but it seems as though the Mets faced some sort of Bizarro Capuano. I couldn't keep up on the game as much as I'd have liked, but I was utterly shocked by how easily the Mets stole bases on Capuano. I mean, sure, Capuano's inability to throw his changeup for strikes was far more important, but that hardly seemed as glaring.

Anyway, you guys just saw Oliver Perez's best start as a Met, IMHO. Sure, he's had better looking appearances, but the thing about Perez is, he still hasn't been able to handle adversity very well. Ollie almost always starts off well, then, all of a sudden, he'll walk the pitcher, or there'll be an error, or he'll get a bad call, and all hes worked towards goes out the shitter.

Instead of melting down, Ollie just kept on his game. A little wildness early on? He strands Weeks. Errors? who cares. A base hit to the pitcher? No skin off his nose. Course, I'm sure starting three center fielders out there, rather than having Moises Alou and Shawn Green man the corners, probably helped matters a "little."
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post #47 of 111
5/14/07 at 11:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chavez
My "it's still early" mantra is starting to wane in the face of tremendous optimism.
Honestly, if nothing catastrophic occurs, the Brewers shouldn't have a problem making the playoffs.
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post #48 of 111
5/14/07 at 11:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoNkaholic
Honestly, if nothing catastrophic occurs, the Brewers shouldn't have a problem making the playoffs.
its the NL Central. the Staten Island Yankees wouldnt have a problem making the playoffs in that division. ay-ooooo!
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post #49 of 111
5/14/07 at 5:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoNkaholic
Anyway, you guys just saw Oliver Perez's best start as a Met, IMHO. Sure, he's had better looking appearances, but the thing about Perez is, he still hasn't been able to handle adversity very well. Ollie almost always starts off well, then, all of a sudden, he'll walk the pitcher, or there'll be an error, or he'll get a bad call, and all hes worked towards goes out the shitter.
Starting Oliver Perez every week in fantasy baseball is the equivalent of thumbing your noses at the Gods and playing dice with the Fates. I follow my players on-line religiously, except for him. His second start of the year (the one with eight or nine walks....in about two innings) was epic.
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post #50 of 111
5/14/07 at 7:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 555
its the NL Central. the Staten Island Yankees wouldnt have a problem making the playoffs in that division. ay-ooooo!
It's all well and good to say the Brewers have an easier road this year, but I think it's pretty apparent that they are a pretty fuckin' good squad.
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