Is this team worth getting excited about?

[moofnelson]

... What I am excited about is the future. Maybe we will get a glimpse of that still this year in Mat Gamel and Alcides Escobar. Now that would excite me!

Man, it seems like we've been down this road only too recently. We're already looking towards the next crop of budding superstars to replace the current crop that didn't pan out as hoped.

 

That being said, the infusion of new minor league talent always provides excitement.

[theavrock]

... What I am excited about is the future. Maybe we will get a glimpse of that still this year in Mat Gamel and Alcides Escobar. Now that would excite me!

Man, it seems like we've been down this road only too recently. We're already looking towards the next crop of budding superstars to replace the current crop that didn't pan out as hoped.

 

That being said, the infusion of new minor league talent always provides excitement.

 

What about Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, JJ Hardy and Yovanni Gallardo doesn't excite you? Not trying to be snarky here but multiple posters have given listed reasons to be excited but you seem to only want to talk about the negative things (Julio, the fact that we are talking about replacing current players with new "budding superstars" etc.).

[PrinceEatMeat]

I'm not saying that those guys don't excite me. What excites me is an infield of Fielder, Weeks, Escobar, and Gamel. With an outfield of Braun, Cain, and Hart. Then we have Gallardo and Parra at the top of the rotation, and hopefully get a good, young third guy to back them up, and still have Bush and Looper as solid 4/5 guys. This could happen next year. I'm still holding out hope that we will turn it around fast this year though. It's just frustrating to see this happen after all the excitement at the end of last year with CC and the playoffs. Here's to the hope that we stand strong and make a big acquisition again this year! If not, we'll be back before long! I just think this horrible start has knocked people down. We will survive.

[PeaveyFury]

I'm not saying that those guys don't excite me.

 

I think based on the quote he cited that he was directing his comment at moofnelson, who wrote:

 

We're already looking towards the next crop of budding superstars to replace the current crop that didn't pan out as hoped.

 

IE, who of the current crop didn't pan out as hoped?

[endaround]

I'm not saying that those guys don't excite me. What excites me is an infield of Fielder, Weeks, Escobar, and Gamel. With an outfield of Braun, Cain, and Hart. Then we have Gallardo and Parra at the top of the rotation, and hopefully get a good, young third guy to back them up, and still have Bush and Looper as solid 4/5 guys. This could happen next year. I'm still holding out hope that we will turn it around fast this year though. It's just frustrating to see this happen after all the excitement at the end of last year with CC and the playoffs. Here's to the hope that we stand strong and make a big acquisition again this year! If not, we'll be back before long! I just think this horrible start has knocked people down. We will survive.

Please explain how getting worse at SS and CF makes the Brewers more exciting.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Escobar is a more exciting player to watch then J.J. Hardy, especially in the field. I've seen Escobar play numerous times, and I can honestly make that comparison. Escobar will win a gold glove at some point in his career, and that is exciting. Cain is also just as exciting. Maybe not to the point of Escobar, but he will at least give us a legit leadoff option in the future, which is something we haven't had in a long time, which also excites me. Hardy can be used to get us another good starting pitcher, which also will make this team more exciting to watch. If we want to compete consistently, our pitching needs improvement, our fielding needs improvement, and our do-or-die offense needs to be fixed. Escobar and Cain, as well as the pitcher we get for Hardy will do that for us. Competing on a consistent basis in the future is exciting to me.

[lukevan]

The Angels are 4-8, Tampa is 5-8, Philly is 5-6... just can't get too worked up over a bad start with some close losses.

 

If you can't get excited about this team, maybe you're just not that big of a baseball fan. This is probably the second best team we've had since the mid nineties.

[Invader3K]

Yeah...as has been pointed out, we've faced some tough teams and tough pitchers so far. Our next three series are against Philadelphia, Houston, and Pittsburgh. Call me crazy, but I could see the Brewers winning all three of those series. They have the ability to do it, at least. If the Brewers can somehow go 6-3 in the next 9 games, then they're suddenly at just one game under .500 before the final game of the month. Maybe I'm being over optimistic, but it doesn't seem that far fetched.

[joepepsi]

I'm still very excited about this team. Losing Sheets and CC are big changes, but the team as a whole looks much better to me than at this point last year. Leaving aside the couple of bobbles by Hardy, the defense yesterday was nothing short of outstanding.

 

The walks early on were really annoying, but the rotation just completed a cycle where every starting pitcher turned in a quality start. Most teams have crappy 4th/5th starters; the Brewers' rotation is capable of keeping the team in every game. 4 of the starters have been remarkably healthy their entire careers. Parra is the odd man out on this, but he's been free from pitching related injuries for 2+ years. The bullpen will get worked out and be better than last season once Hoffman is off the DL.

 

The offense is sputtering a bit, but everyone seems to have a good hitting approach this year. We're not seeing a lot of flailing at pitches; last year most of the lineup was doing this from Opening Day on.

 

Finally, the coaching staff is better by a long shot. It's too bad Maddux left, but overall this seems to be a well coached team with a clear calm focus.

 

While the rotation doesn't have a CC or Sheets type veteran ace, it is capable of consistent quality starts every game. This will prevent extended losing streaks and set the possibility of for a couple 10 game winning streaks in the course of the season. That's enough to put them in contention for the playoffs.

[moofnelson]

I'm still very excited about this team. Losing Sheets and CC are big changes, but the team as a whole looks much better to me than at this point last year. Leaving aside the couple of bobbles by Hardy, the defense yesterday was nothing short of outstanding.

 

The walks early on were really annoying, but the rotation just completed a cycle where every starting pitcher turned in a quality start. Most teams have crappy 4th/5th starters; the Brewers' rotation is capable of keeping the team in every game. 4 of the starters have been remarkably healthy their entire careers. Parra is the odd man out on this, but he's been free from pitching related injuries for 2+ years. The bullpen will get worked out and be better than last season once Hoffman is off the DL.

 

The offense is sputtering a bit, but everyone seems to have a good hitting approach this year. We're not seeing a lot of flailing at pitches; last year most of the lineup was doing this from Opening Day on.

 

Finally, the coaching staff is better by a long shot. It's too bad Maddux left, but overall this seems to be a well coached team with a clear calm focus.

 

While the rotation doesn't have a CC or Sheets type veteran ace, it is capable of consistent quality starts every game. This will prevent extended losing streaks and set the possibility of for a couple 10 game winning streaks in the course of the season. That's enough to put them in contention for the playoffs.

Now that's what I call optimism! Thanks, Joe. You make it sound so easy for the Brewers. Let's hope their first 10 game streak started yesterday.

[Never Outhustled]

If we want to compete consistently, our pitching needs improvement, our fielding needs improvement, and our do-or-die offense needs to be fixed. Escobar and Cain, as well as the pitcher we get for Hardy will do that for us.

If the pitcher we aquired in your proposed Hardy deal was replacing Ruben Quevedo, I'd agree, but that pitcher would likely be replacing Braden Looper. Lets say, for example, that Hardy was traded for Matt Cain (even though I don't think SF would do that). Cain was a quality pitcher last year and carried 3.7 value wins. Looper, however, carried 1.7 value wins. Thats only 2 wins differense, and Hardy is at least 2 wins better than what Escobar will be next year, and likely more. We have not gotten any better with this deal, and possibly worse.

[silversurferr]

Tough pitching on the road. Going west is always tough on the Brewers; then some tough losses against Cinci, and an Excellent Cubbie team at home; followed by a series against an excellent team, the Mets, on the road. Now the Phillies on the road. Who designed this schedule? Ron Santo?

[joepepsi]

Well, they don't play the Red Sox this year. That's something to get excited about too.

[apirk]

I find it hard to believe that anyone who has been a fan of the Brewers for a long time is all of a sudden down on this team now. How did you make it through the mid 90's and early 00? It is early, they are facing some great SP and well they aren't playing that well.

[PrinceEatMeat]

In the 90s in 00s we came into every season knowing we would suck. This year we are coming off a playoff appearance, and we all expected more from this team. That's all it is. I still have a lot more faith then I did in teams back then. I think it has a lot more to do with our terrible pitching, more from the bullpen as of late other then Coffey, then it has to do with facing good pitchers.

[rluzinski]

Hell, this board was a ghost town, mid-September last year. It was obvious to about 75% of Brewer fans that the Crew didn't have the heart to make the playoffs. Fans are a fickle, emotional bunch.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Yeah that's a very true observation.