Spring Fever Anyone?!

[thumperden]

Good morning Brewerfan nation.

So, now that it is finally winter in Wisconsin, I realized today that I've become spoiled by the relatively good weather up to this point. We get hit with our first snowstorm of the season and the very next morning I realize I already have "spring fever". The issue I have with that is two-fold.

1. I dislike snow and cold, but live in Wisconsin. That's on me. Operators are standing by to take my call.

2. I like to think optimistic thoughts about the beginning of another Brewer season to soothe my soul and to get me through winter until the baseball season begins in earnest. Although, spring training is a nice tide me over until April.

However, the Braun and Fielder situations have not concluded to this point and that is waning on my optimism at this point. The cynical, doomsday part of me is expecting the worst case scenario for both; a 50 game suspension and Fielder signs a long-term contract to a nemesis that we see many times over the next X amount of years. The optimistic side hopes and prays that Braun's suspension will be lifted and Fielder signs a 1 year deal here and the Brewers make another run at the World Series.

My gut tells me that reality is going to side closer to the worst case scenario and that'll ruin my off-season optimism if/when that happens. I've come to grips long ago about the chances of Fielder coming back. I'm not naive. I just want the suspense to be over...on both fronts.

I know I'm not alone in this thought process, from reading others' posts here. The struggle I have at this point is how to rally around these potential negatives and yet have real hope for another outstanding season coming up.

I'd like to get your perspective. I just wanted to get this off my chest.

[hawing]

I'm not sure if I can help. My general take is I'm happier when I have baseball games to follow and attend. So I've been focusing on that instead of the dramas involving individual players.

 

Though there aren't many Brewer nemeses left on the plausible list for Prince...are there? At least there's that.

[brettac1]

At least the team has first world problems now. You've been around here for a long time and must remember how bad other offseasons were, where us fans were going in hoping for .500. There were years where I HOPED they could just make it to even 76-86. Now, were wondering if the reigning MVP/top 10 hitter in the game will be suspended, and where the guy who gave the team two 1.000 OPS seasons and another just below is going to sign, and knowing it won't be within the division. Or whether they can extend the guy who won the Cy Young a couple years ago. No, they're probably not going to win 96 games again, but they're not going to be the Pirates, either.

[thumperden]

Agreed hawing. Regardless of who is on the roster, I'm a Brewer fan through and through and I stand by them religiously either way and enjoy the process of the season. I just fear the team is going to start to go backwards this year and I have to prepare for that. I just don't want to. I don't expect them to win 96 games next year, but I'm holding out hope that they'll be roughly as competitive for a title. Thanks for your help in that regard.

As far as Fielder is concerned, you may be right that there may not be many nemeses left on the plausible list for Prince. Time will tell.

Is it spring yet?!

[thumperden]

Heck yeah, brettac...I remember seeing George Scott on tv as a kid in 1973. Of course, at that age I was thinking to myself, "What's this actor doing playing baseball?" I was 4 yrs.old. That's my first visual memory of the Brewers anyway...a year before Robin Yount's rookie season.

So, I'm a diehard from far enough back to remember nearly all the history of the Brewers. I've read the rest I missed. A GREAT season back then would've been 81-81.

I'd just like to see this run of relevance continue for as long as possible. Given the financial state, fanbase, of the club etc. it is plausible for this club to remain at least decent for a long time. But, you have to strike when the iron's hot, as they say.

[CheezWizHed]

Personally, I enjoy the snow. I wish it would not fall on roads or my driveway, but... I haven't like the mild weather. My apple trees just budded, so I hope the rest of the winter isn't too hard on them.

 

And I'm ok without Brewer games for the moment (sorry Hawing), as we have Packer playoffs to follow! After they win the Super Bowl, I'll be itching for ST to start. The Bucks just aren't enough to fill the gap...

 

Man do I need to plan a trip to ST some year...

[thumperden]

I saw grass turning green and flies and gnats flying around for two days before yesterday. I hope your apple trees have a chance to come back next year, but that typically requires a long period of dormancy...fingers crossed for you.

Also, as a Packer fan, it's a wonderful time to be a true fan isn't it? It's good for business as they say. My band is even playing after the game on Holmgren Way for example.

I told myself that I wouldn't follow the Bucks much, but I'm intrigued, especially with Jon Leuer off to early success.

I still haven't gone to any spring training games...that's about six weeks away give or take? I'd love to go some year.

[TooLiveBrew]

The struggle I have at this point is how to rally around these potential negatives and yet have real hope for another outstanding season coming up.

 

The infield this season, all-around, should give equal or even better production compared to what the Brewers got last season. The pitching staff has both quality & depth of quality. Braun suspension or not, this is a damn good team.

 

The best hitter in this generation, who'd played his entire 11-season career thus far with a (/an insufferably obnoxious) divisional rival, signed a 10-year deal with a team in the AL West.

 

The same sanctimonious divisional rival lost their manager, the main & probably only reason said team was so said-ly sanctimonious.

 

The Cubs are securely back into 'It's Next Year Every Year!' mode.

EDIT: I still haven't gone to any spring training games...that's about six weeks away give or take? I'd love to go some year.

It's amazing. Just a great atmosphere since there are so many facilities so close together. I actually had more fun at other teams' facilities, just since I didn't care about the games themselves if the Brewers weren't playing... just soaked up the atmosphere (& sun). ST-time is also the perfect time to escape late winter in WI & enjoy the low & mid-80s temps of Phoenix.

[hawing]

At least the team has first world problems now.

What a great way to look at it. When I think about the Brewers' mid-80s to mid-2000s, and the Badgers' general non-hockey/non-cross country athletic performance when I was a UW student, it's still sometimes hard to believe how far both organizations have come.

 

I share thumperden's hope that the Brewers' relevance continues. After years of being regarded as the sports weirdo at my workplace because I follow the Brewers instead of the Packers (never mind that the Packers had their own fairly recent decades of suck, yet those who hung on their every action weren't regarded as weird at all), it's so much more pleasant to be one of multiple Brewers fans (and, I dare say, something of a go-to fan in terms of insight).

 

It's uncomfortable sometimes to ponder how the Brewers will do without Ryan for as many as 50 games, but he or any other Brewer could just as easily miss that kind of time due to injury (on-field or freak). The loss of Prince won't sink in for me 100% until he's actually donning someone else's jersey at a presser.

 

But a completely straightforward and predictable MLB season is hard to come by. I know I first regarded the Morgan-for-Dykstra trade last March as barely noteworthy, and maybe a bad idea if Nyjer was still Angry Nyjer. Then he had a pretty good season, and an unforgettably good role on October 7. That was a good lesson for me in keeping an open mind.

 

Also (not that anyone asked, but it's glacially slow at the library today), I'm generally OK with the four seasons, but I was oddly not missing the snow at all before yesterday's storm.

[ilovebeer]

Yes I have spring fever, mine started the day the Brewers season ended last year.

[BREWCREW5]

A bit off topic...but...

 

I truly enjoy the holidays. After they are done, it is basically 2.5 months of horribleness.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I'll be good until February 6. Football will be over, all focus will be on the Brewers.

[Ennder]

NBA, NHL, NASCAR, Soccer, Golf and Bowling are just horrible. So once football is over sports might as well not exist until the NCAA basketball tourney and at that point Spring training is going strong and there are sports worth watching again.

[brettac1]

February 19th can't come soon enough after that Packers game.

[DocLuna7]

February 19th can't come soon enough after that Packers game.

 

 

totally agree, really kind of love it. Go Brewers, can't wait for spring training in a month.

[PrinceFielderx1]

Does anybody know the latest of what is going on with the contract that the Brewers have in Phoenix, AZ with their Spring training complex? The last I heard was that their contract was set to expire after this coming season (2012).

[GAME05]

1. I dislike snow and cold, but live in Wisconsin. That's on me. Operators are standing by to take my call.

if it means anything, i was born and raised in WI and hated the cold, so i moved. but sometimes what gets missed is how nice it is to be a part of a familiar culture, and that Northern Midweterners are the warmest and most welcoming people in the country.

 

i'm not worried at all with Braun missing 50 games. i mean, Greinke was either hurt or stunk the first 50 games last year and we seemed to have had an ok season, so we can handle missing Braun for a while.

 

although i have my own version of Spring Fever. i don't enjoy my job and am planning on quitting and then moving come end of April, so the next three months for me is going to be very long and difficult.

[PrinceEatMeat]

February 19th can't come soon enough after that Packers game.

Yep, completely ready for the Brewers now.

[logan82]

I can't wait for the next 49ers game.

[hawing]

i'm not worried at all with Braun missing 50 games. i mean, Greinke was either hurt or stunk the first 50 games last year and we seemed to have had an ok season, so we can handle missing Braun for a while.

Not to be all downer, but Zack wasn't expected to be in all or nearly all of the Brewers' first 50 games. Still, you can never rule out a problematic absence for any player, so even if a full season for Ryan hadn't been called into question the way it has been, something else could have messed him or any other player up.

 

OK, sorry, I guess that was all downer. Well, imagine being an STL fan last winter and seeing Adam Wainwright counted out for the whole season. Still not the ideal example for this site, but teams can overcome bad stuff.

[GAME05]

i kind of automatically look at one start by a pitcher as equal to five games by a hitter just for comparison's sake. but yeah, it's a stretch in order for me to have a more-positive outlook on the season. otherwise it would be an agonizing wait until April.

[CheezWizHed]

Yep, spring fever just bit hard now... Badgers lose Rose Bowl, Packers...ugh, at least Miss America was won by Wisconsin!

 

I can't wait for the next 49ers game.

 

I'll "cheer" for the 49ers, but I doubt I'll even watch much more football...

[thumperden]

Harrumph! I'll pull for the 49ers too but I don't know if I'll watch.

[BuckyBrewer61]

Rather than being productive this afternoon, I've been mainly watching random-fan home video of Nyjer Morgan's game 5 walk-off. With the snow outside and all the offseason talk of Prince leaving, Ryan's allegations, etc, this makes me happy. I'm also trying to keep a straight face in front of the rest of the Alterra patrons. It's tough.

[pitchleague]

I cracked on Wednesday night and played some MLB2k11 for the first time since October.