Official Silver Lining Thread

[jlau20]

For anyone who's been a Brewer fan for an extended period of time, setting indiviual players performances as of late aside, I think that looking at things as a whole should be enough for one to be ecstatic.

 

The Crew is 49-39 going into the All-Star break with a 4.5 game lead OVER the 2nd place team. We have no one in front of us, keeping us from the playoffs. It's up to the team to keep doing what they've done so far and we'll taste our first postseason in decades.

 

Today's 6th inning aside, today should be a great day for any Brewer fan to sit back and enjoy the position we're in.

[obobo55]

Despite the 3-7 road trip, the Brewers still have the 2nd best record in the NL at the break to the Padres:

 

SD 49-38

MIL 49-39

LAD 49-40

NYM 48-39

ATL 47-42

ARZ 47-43

CHC 44-43

 

So even if the Cubs stay ridiculously hot, the Crew still is in a good position at this point for the wildcard. Half game lead on the Dodgers and Mets and 3 games on the D-backs and Braves.

 

In the AL we would be in 6th overall behind Seattle (48-36) and Cleveland (52-36) for the wildcard.

 

 

Fixed the stupid EZBoard emoticon thing - b19

[logan82]

Quote:

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I'm looking forward to the All-Star break as a 4-day reprieve from worrying about losing ground in the standings. Is something wrong with me?

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I almost started a thread on how I was going to take a pledge saying I was going to avoid the score of Cubs games and looking at the standings until the middle of August. I find my happiness as a Brewers fan more dependant on how the wether the Cubs win or lose than how the Brewers do. The worst part is at the start of the season I would have picked them to finish 2nd in the central to St. Louis and miss the wild card. They have played beyond my expectations and I am still dissapointed. You are not alone.

[obobo55]

Just for those of you trippin' about the ground the Cubs have made up on us recently.................

 

We could be Angels fans http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

On June 24th, they had an 8 game lead in the division over Seattle and a 5 game lead on the closest wild-card team, Cleveland.

 

mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings...d=20070624

 

Since then they are 4-8. The lead in the division has shrunk to 2.5 games. They maintain a wild card lead of 1 over Cleveland. I wonder how much their playoff expectancy numbers have changed over those 14 days...

 

Swept at home by KC, 4-5 on a road trip against some pretty miserable competition (Balt, Texas, NYY are actually worse overall than our trio of CHC, Pitt, Wash). Boy am I glad i am not an Angel scoreboard-watcher http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/pimp.gif

[obobo55]

Thought I would add 1 more just to bump this thread further along in its chase to catch the vent threadhttp://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

With the Padres loss last night, we have a decent chance at becoming the first team to get to 50 wins in the NL.

 

The Padres and Dodgers don't play until Friday as well and since they are at home (late starts) we could get to 50 before they have a chance if we can beat the Rockies on Friday. Hmmmmm says here that Sheets will be pitching, and a bobble.....I may have to attend mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers.jsp?c_id=mlb&ymd=20070713

 

Now the only issue that may prevent this from happening is that the Mets play the Reds on Thursday and Friday at home and their Friday game starts about an hour before ours does. Maybe the Reds could win 1 or perhaps we could root for a rain delay.

 

This is fun. Why is this only on page 8?

[Schlitz001]

If you had told me at the beginning of the season that the Brewers would be where they are, I would have been very happy.

[rluzinski]

The Brewers are already well ahead of what I thought they were capable of this year. Lot's of work left but it's hard to be disappointed so far. The good news is that some of the biggest problems on this team (Cappy, Soup, Bush, Weeks) will probably tend to fix themselves in the second half.

[biedergb]

I got down about the losses recently. Then I read some threads here about Suppan, Bush, Capuano, Weeks, Gwynn.

 

Then I thought to myself, we would have loved to have any one of those guys on our team about 6-9 years ago. In fact Suppan/Bush/Capuano would have been the "aces" of our teams pre-Sheets.

 

Then I remember we still have Ben Sheets, and Cordero, Villanueva, Gallardo. And Prince, Ryan, JJ and Corey.

[Nearsighted Views]

Quote:

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The good news is that some of the biggest problems on this team (Cappy, Soup, Bush, Weeks) will probably tend to fix themselves in the second half.

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Especially if we trade them all!

 

Seriously, though, I was coming to make this point. While there are players that are most likely playing above what has been expected, there are several key parts that haven't and will most likely move toward where they belong. As well as this team has played at times, I haven't really felt they were firing on all cylinders at one time for any extended periods of time. Should be a great 2nd half.

[jason21nl]

being in first place at the break is awesome. You can't really have asked for more. It is much better to be chased then to have to track down the front runner.

[Thurston Fluff]

It is much better to be chased then to have to track down the front runner.

 

I agree with this totally but I've noticed that it's nerve racking being in the lead. Every time we drop a game in the standings and the Cubs creep closer it makes me nervous. In the good old days if we came close to the lead I'd be all excited that we were catching up. Now if we don't maintain an 8 game lead I'm nervous. Is this what it's like for all fans of division leaders? I'll take it nerves and all.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[whizkid]

Is this what it's like for all fans of division leaders?

 

I remember this one particular year. Brewers had a 3 game lead with 4 to play. Everyone knows the rest of the story. Add on dropping the 1st two in the division series.

 

Of course people were tougher then. I fear for the fatalities that could happen this year under simliar circumstances.

[crewcrazy]

Roy Oswalt vs. Ted Lilly and Ben Sheets vs. Rodrigo Lopez tomorrow. I like the Brewers' chances of picking up a game tomorrow.

[foamboy1]

Pinch hitting for Rickie Weeks in a clutch situation?????

 

Ned is showing some sense.

[jason21nl]

I have been of of yosts main bashers this year but I'll give him credit tonight. Pinch hitting for weeks was a heck of a move. It might hurt weeks confidence a bit but its not little league, you play to win and Yost did that tonight. Big UPS

[And That]

I think the game on Saturday was sort of microcosm of the season. I had my doubts about the game through most of it, even enduring a potentially debilitating injury, and we still got through it OK, and with a win.

 

Even after some of the recent tough losses, I get really giddy thinking about the potential of this team going forward. We are good at every position, have depth at most positions, have four All-Stars, two potential ROY candidates, one of the best bullpens in the league and a starting staff who pretty much can only get better if healthy.

[rluzinski]

As terribly frustrating as that game was to watch, the result was that the Brewers lost 1/2 a game of their 3.5 game lead in the central. I'd still rather be a Brewer fan than a Cubs fan right now.

[logan82]

Johnny Estrada, despite his faults, is still batting like a league average catcher. I don't like him and personally nominate him for the Wes Helms award, but we could be worse off.

[LUKE232323]

I didn't jump off a bridge tonight.

[jason21nl]

Braun, Braun, Braun, Braun...

 

not only is he raking, he shows on the field that he really really wants to win. I wonder even as a rookie if he would be the type of guy to get in the face of a vet for lack of hustle.

[Crazyk1294]

Hey, Cappy didn't pich like crap. In fact, he actually pitched well. If that's not a silver lining, I don't know what is...

[shelmark]

I'm sorry but I completely disagree with the post regarding Estrada. On the plus side, T-Bow was GREAT!!

[Fear The Chorizo]

With what Weeks does when he gets on the basepaths (take out SS/2B trying to turn two, taking the extra base, putting pressure on the D), and with how he's seemed to at least creep out of his terrible OBP stretch, I think it's time to get him in the lineup at least 5 games a week again. Even through his struggles, you didn't see him moping or making excuses - that's an indication of what kind of mentality he has.

 

When he does play, he needs to lead off, and drop Hart down to the #2 or #5 slot - Estrada is terrible hitting behind Fielder, and J.J.'s been in about a 45 game slump (his avg. is approaching .250, remember when it was .340??).

 

The day Hall is back he better be hitting 5th.

 

Weeks

Hart

Braun

Fielder

Hall

Hardy

Estrada

Menchkins

P

 

That's what my lineup would be, and hopefully that lineup starts showing up by this weekend, when Hall's back on the roster. For the next week, i'd have no problem with Miller playing everyday, either - Estrada has been looking like a men's 16" softball player the past week or so.

 

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[afeter]

we lost to harrang and only lost half game to the cubs. lets get 2 of the next 3.

[naivin]

We will probably never have to see Balfour again (at least not after the double header this weekend).