Forget the negativity, here's why to get excited

[JohnBriggs12]

Carlos Gomez is raking this spring. Sure it's Arizona and numbers are inflated, but I don't remember him hitting like this last year in Arizona. Nobody's ever questioned his ability. Maybe he takes a big step forward.

 

Rickie Weeks has only fanned 6 times all spring. He could be poised for an even bigger year this year.

 

Kottaras took a serious threat to his job and went out and earned a spot. That's encouraging.

 

Braun had his annual inter-costal muscle strain in spring training and not the regular season.

 

Ken Macha is not around.

 

Jeff Suppan in not around.

[lcbj68c]

We now have a first class video board

[jjkoestler]

Zack Greinke

Yovani Gallardo

Shaun Marcum

[Invader3K]

A top tier offense which is still basically completely intact from last season, but with realistic room for improvement.

 

A quality bullpen, that while it could face some regression, has actual depth.

 

An owner who has shown willingness to spend money mid-season to improve the team.

 

A GM who is in "win now" mode.

 

A manager who the players seem to like and respect (at least for now).

[joepepsi]

I expect a winning season, and if everything goes right, domination of the division. Seldom does everything go right, but a healthy rotation can take this club a long way.

[RockCoCougars]

"Ken Macha is not around.

 

Jeff Suppan in not around."

 

Two of four biggies if you ask me- Greinke and Marcum being the others.

[lcbj68c]

2008 (Post-Season Appearance) vs 2011 ...obviously it goes beyond this, but here's why to get excited:

 

C - Kendall 151 games at .246 vs Lucroy/Kottaras (Advantage 2011. If our pitching is improved, less steal attempts will give us an offensive advantage at catcher over 2008)

1B- Fielder .276/.372/.507 vs Fielder (Push. If only because I think his power numbers are matchable 32hr/102rbi)

2B- Weeks 129 games .234 vs Weeks (Advantage 2011. Weeks has to have a better season than that. Even if he only plays 130 games, I think he'll do so at better than .234 clip)

SS- Hardy .283 24HR vs Betancourt (Advantage 2008. Big time. I don't think Betancourt is going to be a bumbling idiot, but JJ had an all-world season.)

3B- Hall .225 125K vs McGahee (Advantage 2011. McGahee may regress a bit from last season, but this may be the biggest advantage outside of starting pitching)

LF - Braun .285 37hr vs Braun (Push. He is capable of hitting .325 but I think his power numbers will remain more around 31 hr)

CF - Cameron .243 142k vs Gomez (Slight Advantage 2008? If maybe only because of leadership? The suspension and horrible postseason play loom in my mind.)

RF- Hart .268 20hr 23sb vs Hart (Push. I think Hart can replicate those numbers)

Bench- Counsell, Kapler, Branyan, Durham, Gwynn vs Unknowns (Push, Counsell was horrid. Kapler and Durham produced and Branyan was Branyan)

 

#1 - Sheets 31 starts vs Greinke (Slight adv. 2011 Greinke can still make it to 31 starts and Sheets only struck out 156 that year and failed to be available when it mattered.)

#2- Gallardo 4 starts vs Gallardo (Huge Adv 2011. Presuming Gallardo is healthy)

#3- Suppan 10-10 4.96 ERA vs Marcum (Huge Adv 2011)

#4- Bush 4.18 9W vs Wolf (Push. Dave Bush was extremely good in 2008 for a #4 starter other than HR allowed, despite only winning 9 games. Wolf can duplicate those #'s)

#5- Parra/McClung vs Narveson (Slight Adv 2011)

No, I didn't forget CC Sabathia, it was just hard to match him up for half a season (17 starts). Without knowing the potential impact of any of our in-season moves, I'll hold off. Obviously his impact was monumental, but he replaced Gallardo and Sheets at times so that kind of offsets. Fully healthy with 30+ starts each, I like this rotation better.

 

Bullpen- It's hard to project, but there were some stinkers in that 2008 pen (Turnbow, Gagne, Riske).

[craigharmann]

You forgot the most important ones.....

 

Mark Kotsay is on the team

 

and......

 

SERGIO MITRE SAW IS A BREWER!!!!!

[logan82]

CF - Cameron .243 142k vs Gomez (Slight Advantage 2008? If maybe only because of leadership? The suspension and horrible postseason play loom in my mind.)

 

Huge, huge, huge advantage 2008. Not even close. The only possible way they could even come close to matching 2008 in CF is if Dickerson gets a lot of AB.

 

 

That pitching staff in 2008 was also awesome. The individual parts look just ok but they were solid with a much better defense behind them.

 

Edit: Nevermind. CF is gonna suck big time this year on offense.

[cwolf2012]

"Edit: Nevermind. CF is gonna suck big time this year on offense."

 

That about sums it up. I was very content on waiting for Gomez to suck (which he will), and have Dickerson step in and put up a .350/.400 line with comparable defense.

 

Now, we're looking at an UPSIDE of .320/.380.

 

Ugh.

[lcbj68c]

CF is gonna suck big time this year on offense.

 

But it sucked big time in 2008 minus some flashes of power. 150k's in 120 games while hitting .240. Advantage yes, but I think it's not as great. Measurables only.

[logan82]

CF is gonna suck big time this year on offense.

 

But it sucked big time in 2008 minus some flashes of power. 150k's in 120 games while hitting .240. Advantage yes, but I think it's not as great. Measurables only.

Strikeouts and batting average are terrible to use for evaluating MLB hitters. Please use better stats.

[The Truth]

Strikeouts and batting average are terrible to use for evaluating MLB hitters. Please use better stats.

$6 million dollars. That is a useful stat. $6 million dollars for a .809 OPS and great leadership? It could be argued that the money could have been better spent but we did make the playoffs and Cameron was a big part of that team. I think most here would be thrilled if Gomez posted an .809 OPS this season

 

The most telling stat in '08 for Cameron was his .507 postseason OPS (extremely small sample, though I'll note that his career postseason OPS is .581, with a career .174 batting average in 92 postseason at-bats)

[logan82]

Strikeouts and batting average are terrible to use for evaluating MLB hitters. Please use better stats.

$6 million dollars. That is a useful stat. $6 million dollars for a .809 OPS and great leadership? It could be argued that the money could have been better spent but we did make the playoffs and Cameron was a big part of that team. I think most here would be thrilled if Gomez posted an .809 OPS this season

The most telling stat in '08 for Cameron was his .507 postseason OPS (extremely small sample, though I'll note that his career postseason OPS is .581, with a career .174 batting average in 92 postseason at-bats)

$6m is a steal for good defense and a .809 OPS in CF. You can safely ignore the rest. Postseason stats are about the same as taking a random series from the season. Means nothing.

 

If you don't believe strikeouts and BA are not good for evaluating hitters by now, I don't know what else to say. They are not useful at all unless you are comparing 2 players who are otherwise very similar. Gomez so far and Cameron 2008 are not. We have drastically different ways of evaluating players and I think you are using very bad stats as the base for your evaluation.

[owbc]

I know 2008 was a few years ago, but Cameron was a huge part of the playoff push that year. Besides the defense, the Brewers got a .800 OPS in 120 games out of him which is very, very good for CF. Not many teams bat their CF in the middle of the lineup. Sabathia also pushed the 2008 team from about 85 wins to 92.

 

As for the 2011 team, Weeks+Braun+Fielder+Gallardo+Marcum+Greinke. Not many teams can match those top 3 hitters and pitchers.

[The Truth]

. We have drastically different ways of evaluating players and I think you are using very bad stats as the base for your evaluation.

Me? I'm obsessed with OPS... although I do recognize that small samples can be taken somewhat with a grain of salt, I do find postseason stats somewhat telling, especially in the case of Cameron over 6 different playoff appearances

 

 

[TooLiveBrew]

If you're "obsessed with OPS", you should already know that as CFs go, Cameron was very good with the Brewers.

 

Reasons to be excited? Quickly getting overshadowed for me by reasons to be pissed at Melvin.

[lcbj68c]

I agree that Cameron had a nice season, but I think he had some holes as well. IIRC, he was a big part of the NLDS game #1 loss, which seems to stick in my craw as well. I acknowledged Cameron was an advantage, I just don't think it's huge. Any idea what Cameron's WAR was that year?

[endaround]

Cameron was at 4.2. Gomez if lucky is a 2 win player.

[The Truth]

If you're "obsessed with OPS", you should already know that as CFs go, Cameron was very good with the Brewers.

yes sir, as I already posted, I think most here would be thrilled if Gomez posted a .809 OPS this season

 

Cameron was also an excellent fielder. Gomez is, as well. Gomez if used correctly and if he can get his on-base percentage up could steal 50 bases this season, too... in case I wasn't clear enough, I think despite the fact that he was paid $6 million, Cameron was very good for the Brewers and a big part of that playoff team. I remain very optimistic about Gomez and think a .750 OPS and Gold Glove level defense are legit possibilities from him

[BuckyBrewer61]

Starting pitching 2010:

Gallardo

Wolf

Davis

Suppan

Narveson

Bush/Parra

 

Starting pitching 2011:

Greinke

Gallardo

Marcum

Wolf

Narveson

Mitre/Rogers

 

Enough said.

[lcbj68c]

Again, overall...I think this team is better than the 2008 playoff team.

[NievesNoNO]

Greinke, Marcum, and a returning top tier offense.

 

I'm still holding out hope for Gomez, so I'll still include him in a reason to get excited for myself. Maybe I don't get out much or something, but it's almost worth the price of admission for me to watch him uncork a laserbeam from CF to home or 3rd base.

 

I also have yet to feel anything like a playoff game a Miller Park, so I'm hoping to get that opportunity again.

[giffted1]

"Edit: Nevermind. CF is gonna suck big time this year on offense."

 

That about sums it up. I was very content on waiting for Gomez to suck (which he will), and have Dickerson step in and put up a .350/.400 line with comparable defense.

 

Now, we're looking at an UPSIDE of .320/.380.

 

Ugh.

What makes you think Dickerson would put up those number? A season's worth of at bats?

 

 

For excitement, I'll add that despite health problems this past year, we'll have Uecker back for another season.

[BrewCrewForever]

Braun/Fielder/Weeks/Hart/McGehee: not many teams have 5 hitters of that caliber.

 

Greinke/Gallardo/Marcum: not many teams have a top 3 in their rotation that good.

 

No Ken Macha, add Ron Roenicke.