Pre-Offseason Ruminations

My Brewers fandom has been lacking this season. The fact that I didn't have cable for the first time since the '99 season didn't help, but from the onset I knew that the Brewers were, at best, a .500 team this year. Nothing inspired me to write (although I could have made some noise about Corey Hart and how he should have been traded earlier … now it looks like the Brewers are stuck with him).

As the 2010 season closes, this Dave Cameron piece at Fangraphs tamped down my expectations for the offseason. Fielder is likely to be moved, as expected, but because of the article I'm wary of the return. The rumor around the internets for many years has been a straight up Fielder for Matt Cain move, but now that seems unlikely. Cain is a key part of a resurgent Giants team and in no way leaving the San Francisco, so I'm at a loss for which pitcher the Brewers can obtain and be a playoff-like team for the next 3-4 years.

Plenty of coulda/shouldas can be brought up here, but my short research list is to find lumbering first basemen and what they were netted in trades. Fielder is definitely worth something of value, but with such a glaring organization need, his 2011 salary, and his imminent free agency, the Brewers could be negotiated out of a deal and the same 2010 Brewers will appear next season.

BP T-shirt Toss

Perhaps the Brewers should rethink the shooting of shirts with BP's logo on it. Unless it's to clean up a mess.

(Yes, I'm aware that BP probably paid for the promotion. I'm just saying those shirts should lay low for a while.)

Good Night, Funny Man

By all accounts a good human being was laid off today and will be receiving $10mm to play elsewhere (and probably succeed). The size of Suppan's contract after an average pitching career doomed him in the court of public opinion. Aside from this season, I don't think he pitched any differently than he did before coming to the Brewers. Clearly the loss of a few MPH on this fastball did him in. That, and being old.

In other news, David Riske is coming back this week. Totally forgot about that guy.

Doug Davis

Midseason form.

The Reason To Enjoy The Season

Adam McCalvey and BCB have been busy this week, so I've done some light reading of all the reasons and hemming and hawing about the upcoming season. I haven't been able to focus completely on the articles (save for the irrational exuberance of the Shepherd Express cover page), but the general impression I have is that A) fans are high expectations of the team and B) critics don't think the team has enough.

I don't think they have what it takes to make the playoffs ... they'd have to win the NL Central and overcome both the Cardinals and Cubs (no small feat). I hold firm at 83 wins, but hope that it's more and the cards fall their way (Cards and Cubs falter, the pitching/defense combo pans out). However, I will be blinded by visions of grandeur because of this quote from Larry Granillo at Baseball Analysts earlier today:

How good is Yovani Gallardo? Let's just say that the Brewers aren't too far away from having two homegrown, legitimate MVP contenders and one homegrown, legitimate Cy Young contender playing together every year. I can't wait.

That's the reason I'll watch and enjoy this season and next.

Imma Back?

I visited Al's Ramblings for the first time since last August ... of the 20 most recent postings, 12 were political. Exactly the reason why I stopped reading one of the few sites with good Brewers insight. Oh well, he can do what he wants.

I will renew my sparing dedication to this site with the start of the season, the grain elevator business has been crazy busy of late. For the record, I still think the Brewers are an 83 win team, so I'm trying my best to manage my expectations appropriately.

2010 Automatic Outs

01 Corey Hart
02 Carlos Gomez
03 Alicides Escobar
04 Jason Kendall
05 Pitcher

So it's all in for pitching and defense next year? If so, better get some pitching.

Back (Sorta)

It's not that I haven't paid attention to the Brewers, it's just that the team has become so frustratingly mediocre that it's not fun any longer. For much of the past three months I've said to myself "Who's blowing it now?" when I check the score. Unfortunately, it's been many.

In any case, a few major life events of this modest grain elevator manager have passed and I may contribute more to this site. Obviously the Brewers were limited in their moves this year, and just as I predicted out of spring training, this was going to be a buffer year before they officially "go for it" once again next season.

The glaring need is a starter who pitches innings ... and there's a few of them out there. I'm certain once the pain of the revolving door of starters and relievers is over this season, the team position will be clear to us all.

As for the Cardinals ... I don't know how they do it.

No Moves, Whew

Although I'm going to suffer through another series of Claudio Vargas 5th inning blow ups, I'm pleased the Brewers didn't make any major moves ... their certainly were a bunch of silly ones this time around.

It would have been nice to get a pitcher who would be sticking around through next season, the real season the Brewers should be building for. However, nothing major is good, this off season needs to be spent addressing the pitching and/or conditioning of the arms here already.

Also, no need to ever worry about Cincy as long as Dusty Baker is there ... though you should already know that.

Tough Day for Suppan

5.1 IP, 10 R, 10 H, 4 BB vs. the worst team in the league