What are you looking forward to in '09?

[Dragonbait]

Ahhh Spring hopes eternal.....

 

 

I guess for me,

1) A full year of Gallardo.

2) Seein' what Parra does in his second year.

3) Hearin' how its the Cub's year........ for the 101st time.

[NYChez]

1. Braun being healthy and putting up even better numbers than the gaudy ones he put up in '06 and '07.

 

2. Weeks starting off like he finished in '07.

 

3. A healthy Gallardo starting the season off strong and making us forget for a time about losing Sheets (but not CC).

 

4. McClung taking advantage of his opportunity and posting a sub-4.00 ERA to shore up one of the rotation spots.

 

5. At least 3 of the late-season callups making the roster and playing key bench/bullpen roles - which frees up the money to be spent elsewhere.

[Ennder]

Gallardo, Parra and Stetter for young guys and of course Gamel/Nelson/Escobar if they get some playtime.

 

I'm also interested to see what Fielder, Hart and Weeks do. Hardy seems to have settled into some more consistent stats, I think Fielder is probably the .900+ OPS guy from 2007 but I'd like to see it happen again first. Hart and Weeks are baffling to me and I could see either of them riding the bench a lot or becoming a star next year, quite the wide range of expectations on those two.

 

Finally not having to see Yost out there for a full year, I just hope we replace him with someone I like http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

[joepepsi]

A better, more balanced offense, fueled by a manager who uses his bench players in a thoughtful consistent manner.

 

A solid, heathy rotation that is dominating the league by mid-season.

 

An Earl Weaver type manager that tells his relievers their role is to warm up when he tells them and go into the game when he tells them.

 

96 wins, a division title, and World Series Championship.

[jhart05]

I think next year's team will be a .500 ball club with no Sheets or Sabathia. Gallardo and Parra will be a nice 1-2 combo soon, much like Smoltz and Glavine, but not next year.

So I'm looking forward to seeing Escobar playing SS and Hardy moving to 3B at some point, and seeing how the team will shape up for another playoff run in 2010.

Also it will be really nice to not have to listen to people complain about Yost, when if you look at the players stats and compare them to the Cubs, it's really amazing how they got 90 wins, only finished 7 games behind the Cubs, and still made the playoffs.

[MillerParkSouth]

All I really want next year is a patient ball club. Take some walks, work the pitch counts, mature as hitters as a team. The rest will fall into place I feel.

 

Aside from that, i'm excited to see who the new manager is and what moves we make this off season.

 

And i'm excited to come up for the White Sox series at MP!

[lukevan]

1) What they do with 3B. If they sign/trade for someone, which position does Gamel play at AAA?

2) Who's going to fill out the rotation? It's not likely to be CC or Sheets or Lowe or Burnett and will probably be someone we don't expect.

3) Prince Fielder: I highly doubt he will be going anywhere this offseason; will he be able to put up a .950 OPS with 40-50 HRs? Because we'll probably need him to in order to have an above average offense. This will likely require another left handed bat in the lineup, most likely at 3B. The Koskie injury still looms large.

I think we still have an above average club next year. The offense can be better just by regression to the mean and the right addition in the rotation will keep us competitive.

 

[logan82]

Seeing Escobar play a full year in AAA to prove his 2008 stats were not a fluke.

[hawing]

I hope for a bona fide leadoff hitter.

[Tbadder]

1) The draft--hopefully there will be five legit 1st round choices

 

2) a bullpen that includes Dillard, DeFelice, and Stetter

 

3) more of a long term approach to problems--the frank recognition that they're going no where, but still keeping Gamel and Escobar in the minors for a full year

 

4) a better fan in Milwaukee, one that understands the long and laborious process that a small market team must take to become consistent

 

5) a better co-ordinated minor league system that's absolutely consistent in its approach to hitting/fielding

[Fatter than Joey]

Weeks in CF

 

Less Yostiness

[tristarscoop]

Baseball. It's been like 10 days and I'm already in withdrawal. All the postseason excitement complete stopped me from getting excited and into football this season and now I just really, really want my baseball back!

[cnycerveceros]

For me there are 2 things I'll be primarily looking forward to next year: 1. Watching Parra's progression, and 2. what happens at 2b. (I think 3b and the manager situation are a given, but of course I'm eager to see how those play out too).

 

Most of all, I just can't wait til February. I've had enough of these other sports already.

[bucks2281]

1.) I want to see what happens to Rickie Weeks -- I wouldn't mind him in CF.

2.) Will there be a new SP joining the staff?

3.) The continuation of a baseball renaissance in Milwaukee.

4.) Potentially monitoring Ned Yost's next job.

 

I enjoy the breather during November and December. By New Year's, I'm ready for some baseball.

[clancyphile]

1. Braun and Fielder rebound to 2007.

2. Sheets and Sabathia return.

3. More walks taken, Weeks bunting for hits more.

4. Beating the Cubs like a pack of rented mules...

[BrewCrewForever]

1. A World Series Championship. (that is the goal every year no matter how unlikely)

 

2. A full year of Yovani Gallardo

 

3. Manny Parra really breaking out and throwing more strikes and going deeper into games.

 

4. Braun healthy and putting up numbers bigger then his rookie year.

 

5. No Yost.

 

6. Hardy improving once again.

 

7. The first Cardinals game on Memorial Day, it should be full of fire and emotion after this past seasons events.

[brewcrewkid14]

I am looking forward to one thing more than anything else: Yo's first full (hopefully, knock on wood) year as a starting pitcher.

 

I am also interested to see what type of team they put out; I am suspecting it could be a new approach than they've had the past few years--then again it could be the exact same thing, which wouldn't really please me.