2017 Brewers Optimism Thread!

[Brewer Fever]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BRINSON IS RETURNING! NOT ENOUGH EXCLAMATION POINTS FOR THIS FACT!

 

Agreed! I'm hoping this is the start of Brinson's every day permanence in CF for many years to come.

[bjkrautk]

Here's one for the Optimism Thread: At what point do we start talking about Zach Davies as a potential 20-game winner?

 

12-4 after 21 starts. I haven't gamed out the schedule to see if he's going to get the full 35 (starting game 1 after the ASB certainly leaves that on the table), but he would need 8 wins in his last 14 or so starts, barring injury (knock on wood).

 

Obviously, Wins aren't the be all and end all for pitchers in the modern era, but it's still a mark that warrants discussion...if only because a lot of good starting pitchers have come through Milwaukee without reaching 20 wins.

[torts]

I'll take a 20 win Davies with a ERA of any number! 20 WINS! Thats 25% of a winning season (give or take a win)!!! ZACH IS GOING TO DO IT FOR US!!!

[NievesNoNO]

Brinson is back up (hopefully to stay!), Swarzak is on his way, Hader dominated Harper showing he's indeed one of the team's best arms, 1st place is a win away and there's still 10 more to go against that 1st place team. What's not to be excited about?

 

A day game tomorrow. Scherzer should be on the ropes by the 5th inning; he's never beaten Blazek. 2 of 3 on the road against the Nats will be a nice turn around as we head home for a big series!

[TJseven7]

Brinson notches his 1st. 1/3 bb is a line I'll take any day even if the 1 is a single.

 

Davies since start 5 of the season on APRIL 25TH... ERA 3.7. People see the rough 4.5 era and forget his first 4 starts were real bad.

 

Nelson Anderson/Suter Davies Garza... have been quite solid.... that guerra/willy/espino slot.... eesh!

[moofis]

If you'd have told me before the season started that the Brewers would be 0.5 GB of first on July 27th I'd have been thrilled! I've been as disappointed as anyone over the past two weeks, but it's important to keep things in perspective. The Brewers are far outperforming expectations, the farm system is stacked, and we've got a great GM and manager running the ship. The future is bright and things haven't looked this positive since 2011 at least. I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of the 2017 season no matter what happens. Go Brewers!

[Greenleaf1]

Assuming we stay with a similar batting order for the rest of the year (which we probably won't but whatever), our #7/#8 hitters are now our back-to-back top prospects. They should be able to regularly turn over the lineup and hopefully kickstart the offense a little.

 

I also think that last night was Hader's coming out party. Embarrassing Harper so badly that he gets tossed from the game has got to be a HUGE confidence boost for the guy, especially in front of a huge crowd of friends and family. I know it's just one batter, but it was the biggest out of the game for the Brewers and he absolutely dominated one of the top 3 best hitters in the game today, if not the best.

 

As for Davies, he has really turned a corner lately and if he keeps getting run support like he has (which is obviously a big if), a 20-win season could actually be possible which would be absolute insanity.

 

I think the Brewers are a Justin Wilson/Ian Kinsler package away from looking like a really solid team. A bullpen of Knebel/Wilson/Swarzak/Barnes/Hader/Hughes/Blazek/Torres looks like a playoff-ready bullpen.

 

Surprised I could muster up this much optimism after last night but there's still a lot to be happy about with this team.

[torts]

Hey, they did alright that year. Went 81-81, it was their first non-losing season in eons.

 

Yep, they actually had a countdown on FSWI to 81 wins after each win in September. Daron Sutton was insufferable with it. Pretty embarrassing.

 

I would welcome that back SO MUCH! BRING ON THE WINNING!

[NievesNoNO]

Despite the cold stretch of late, the first 80 game really did happen. This team is still better than what many are giving them credit for. I really believe they are only a few players away. Those pieces might not come this season but Stearns has managed to put together a competitive team during a rebuild and build a deep farm system.

 

Brinson homers for the 2nd straight!! Hopefully he's one of the missing pieces. I think they still need a TOR starter and a couple bullpen arms along with some consistency at 2B. The encouraging part is it's quite possible most of those items could be met internally. They payroll is low so they have room to spend as well.

 

Nelson continues to impress. He handcuffed a really good Nationals lineup in their home park. Watching him throw, he's not the same pitcher he was in the past. I'm confident that he's a 1-2 starter going forward.

 

It's close people!! Hold out another year yet, instead of bashing Stearns for actually putting together a competitive group without having to endure a 100 loss season.

[rickh150]

I know it looks bleak and feels bleak.. Fact is, we win tomorrow, we'll feel a whole lot better about THIS season going forward.

[shanedog19]

If the Cubs take 2 of 3 or sweep us this weekend, I would flip the switch in a hurry and sell on July 31.

[torts]

If the Cubs take 2 of 3 or sweep us this weekend, I would flip the switch in a hurry and sell on July 31.

 

thats not being very optimistic

 

 

if nothing else changes and we do not return to 1st this year, we will have been in first place for 69 consecutive days. heh. heh.

[3and2Fastball]

Lewis Brinson has looked fantastic in the last 2 games. I'm starting to see what the hype is about. He's got a very quick swing. Looking forward to 6 years of Brinson being a Brewer

[Thurston Fluff]

Usually the second year of a rebuild is the worst. All the good veteran players get traded in year one and it takes a year or two for the new players to make it to the majors. So year two tends to be a lot of losing with little movement in the personnel front to get excited about. Yet here we sit in year two with a competitive team and some hope to remain so for at least a while longer. For a summer of fun (so far) in a year I wasn't expecting any I am grateful.

[Thurston Fluff]

Usually the second year of a rebuild is the worst. All the good veteran players get traded in year one and it takes a year or two for the new players to make it to the majors. So year two tends to be a lot of losing with little movement in the personnel front to get excited about. Yet here we sit in year two with a competitive team and some hope to remain so for at least a while longer. For a summer of fun (so far) in a year I wasn't expecting any I am grateful.

[Boomer5]

My optimism with this past two weeks is I'd like to see the kids play. Enough of using them as fill ins. Let's do with Brinson what we did with Arcia last year. Ditto Woodruff and Hader.

 

That's something I'd enjoy watching.

[rickh150]

I know it looks bleak and feels bleak.. Fact is, we win tomorrow, we'll feel a whole lot better about THIS season going forward.

 

Biggie....

Win tomorrow and Attanasio/Selig set up tents in Stearns office til the deadline! Hey, this is fun.... this is more like it. I am sitting, yet sweating.

[Pugger]

One good thing about last night's loss in extra innings was Hader throwing strikes.

[pacopete4]

One good thing about last night's loss in extra innings was Hader throwing strikes.

 

Throwing strikes at a 61% rate right now.

[NYChez]

Hader, Davies, and Suter were brilliant in July, against top competition in a pennant race.

[FVBrewerFan]

Big picture, they're still right in the middle of playoff hunt. I have read dozens of comments, mostly in IGT, that they had to sweep the Cubs, or win the series.

 

Now all is lost, CC is stupid, Stearns is scared, etc. Just ridiculous emotional response. The IGT really has turned into talk radio. Every player is horrible, CC has never made a single correct pitching change decision.

 

People still don't understand there's two full months of baseball to be played. Will they turn it around? I don't know, but the season isn't lost just because they only took 1 of 3 from the Cubs.

 

They weren't supposed to be in the race in August. To whatever extent they are, enjoy it!

[DuWayne Steurer]

IGT should be avoided at all costs if you dont want to see minute by minute emotional knee jerk response posts. Just sayin...

[pacopete4]

Yes, lots said in IGT is just that, emotions. Usually not rationale thought behind it. That being said, I'm excited to see how the last two months go.

[yfinn6]

IGT should be avoided at all costs if you dont want to see minute by minute emotional knee jerk response posts. Just sayin...

 

You're not new here, why the shock to what is said in an IGT?!

[DuWayne Steurer]

IGT should be avoided at all costs if you dont want to see minute by minute emotional knee jerk response posts. Just sayin...

 

You're not new here, why the shock to what is said in an IGT?!

 

I'm not shocked at all. Just a response to what FVBF said about the general state of comments in the IGT's