Your prediction: will the Brewers win the division

[LUKE232323]

So 54 games left, tied with the Cubs. Are the Brewers going to take this thing?

 

I think the Cubs end up winning the division, mainly because they play competently on the road, their rotation is more settled than ours, and they are just a more experienced team overall. I look at the Brewers and I see a lot of the young guys struggling down the stretch.

 

I don't think either team runs away with it, but the Brewers lose out by 3 games or so and have to wait until next season for the playoffs.

 

I pray that I'm wrong and someone bumps this thread to rub it in my face.

[Fatter than Joey]

I agree with you Luke -- so I guess thats a no.

[Ennder]

I would tend to agree. I think the key to this season is that we need to stay in the race so the team gets to play contending baseball late into the season. If we go on a losing streak now and are out of the playoff picture come next month then the season is a failure even if we end up with 83 or 84 wins.

 

If we can find a way to make the playoffs that would obviously be huge too but I think thats going to take the Cubs finally having an injury(dempster and ward don't really count in my book) or falling apart in some way.

[sgtcluels]

We will win the division. Cubs haven't had to really test their depth like we have. Injuries to Hall, Sheets etc.

 

Nows the time for a fire to burn in their belly and them to come out swinging. Go get em boys!

[LUKE232323]

I know this has been rehashed several times, but I don't consider this season a success if we do not make the playoffs. Whether we were playing over our talent level or not early in the season, we had a 9 game lead. 9!! It's playoffs or bust for me.

[Tbadder]

I just can't see the Brewers winning the division or making the playoffs.

 

1) they're too young, and learning to win at the MLB level is a process

2) Cubs have more talent and are more consistent

3) distractions: injuries, demotions, babies, you name it

 

I think next year the Crew will be much better even after losing important pieces in free agency and the overhauls I suppose are coming in St. Louis and possibly Houston.

[Ennder]

I know this has been rehashed several times, but I don't consider this season a success if we do not make the playoffs. Whether we were playing over our talent level or not early in the season, we had a 9 game lead. 9!! It's playoffs or bust for me.

I don't really get this line of thinking. A 9 game lead in May is like an NFL team having a 2 game lead after 4 games. That lead is nowhere near safe. The Cubs went on a complete tear and caught us, we are still playing .537 ball which is still a little better than what I expected from this team to begin with.

[FVBrewerFan]

No. In fact, I'll be the first to say (at least in this thread) that the Cubs WILL run away with the division. With that said, the only hope is the young Brewers may feel more comfortable pursuing, rather than protecting the division. That's a very real situation that's in play, and I wouldn't discount it.

[zingsheim]

I also think that the Cubs will win the division. I don't see the Brew playing consistent enough on the road to be in contention for much longer.

[naivin]

At this point though, if either team can put a modest hot stretch together, they probably secure the thing. I suspect that is likely to happen for the Cubs in August. The Brewers will probably be able to make it somewhat interesting in early September, but ultimatley the Cubs will hang on to win the division.

[Nearsighted Views]

The main reason I think the Cubs have a better chance is because of their pitching. I knew their offense would come around at some point but I did not expect their bullpen to buckle down like it has. They seemed to have come together and have all the momentum right now.

 

That being said, there's still 2 months to play and anything can happen. I hate myself for this, but I still think they have a good chance. I'm just hoping for a good and exciting race.

[jhart05]

I still believe the Crew wins the division and we will see playoff baseball in Milwaukee this year.

 

The ScRubs are due for a cold streak and our Crew is due for a hot streak.

 

I'm still going to enjoy watching a pennant race either way.

[drezdn]

I really think the Cubs are starting to cool off while the Brewers might be starting to heat up. So, I'm going to say, the Brewers are going to win the division.

[brewcrew00]

I think the Brewers CAN win the division if a couple of things happen...

 

-- Vargas needs to be replaced. This is not a knee jerk reaction to last night, it's a fact that he's taxed our bullpen every fifth day since April. If they are worried about protecting young arms then split the starts up between Yo and Parra.

 

-- They can't sit around and wait for Cappy to "snap out of it." He's had two good starts since May, if he lays another egg here, you need to think about shaking something up.

 

-- The offense needs to find the ability to ADD on runs later on in the game. I really think this is a big key to the remainder of the season.

 

-- Sheets obviously has to make it back by Sept. 1st. If I'm not mistaken, if he's not off the DL by September 1, isn't there some restriction for the playoff roster? Just curious if anyone can help me with that.

 

Overall, I think they are more than capable of winning the division, the Cubs will cool off eventually, it's just taking longer than we all had thought. Pressure if off, it's time to get it done, and I think they all know that. I say Crew by 3.5

[Tedaldtada]

I am sticking with the Crew as the division winners. I just can't give up yet. Its only Aug. 2nd and there is still like 50 games to go. Our roster is playoff worthy, so if they don't win the division, it's only because they are too young still.

[Fatter than Joey]

By the way -- what is that playoff predictor website you guys look at?

 

Thanks!

[jhart05]

All right!!

 

Nice to see some haven't thrown in the towel yet, there is still a lot of baseball yet to play.

 

GO CREW!!!

[patrickgpe]

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_odds.php

[lukevan]

I'm going to say no, but I still have high hopes for the rest of the season. Another hot streak and we could push back into a few game lead, so it's still too soon to say much for sure. I will say that our starting pitching could be on the rebound even without Sheets. Suppan had a nice start, Cappy seems to be getting it back, Bushy has been good the last 2 months and Gallardo is Gallardo. If Parra pushes into the rotation I think we'd be better off as well. Sheets being out really hurts right now though.

 

One big injury could decide this thing.

[naivin]

Our roster is playoff worthy, so if they don't win the division, it's only because they are too young still.

Therein lies the major problem in my opinion...I don't see this team becoming appreciably more consistent this season. There doesn't seem to be much to indicate that they will somehow mange to win a road game anytime soon.

[RyDogg66]

I'm not throwing in the towel as much as I am looking at reality. The Brewers started off 24-10. Since then they are 34-40. So what team are they really? That team that played ridiculously well for 5 weeks or the team that has been below average in a below average division for 3 months? I'd guess the Brewers will play about .500 baseball the rest of the way out and the Cubs will win the division by 3-4 games.

 

This team as a whole just hasnt been inspiring at all since about May 10th.

[MoneyballMan]

I still hope the Crew makes the playoffs and will be sticking with them through the last pitch of the season (which I've done every season since I can remember - 75? 76?). However, one pretty good goal should just be to finish above .500 for the first time in how many years, shouldn't it? We haven't contended for anything since '92 and just got to .500 two years ago. Maybe "expecting" a playoff team this year was overreaching and we should be very happy to just finish better than 81-81. The way they've been playing on the road, I think 81-81 may just be a legitimate goal (I know, no one wants to hear that).

 

And as I've said often, we're just getting started here with a multi-year run of success!

[naivin]

-- They can't sit around and wait for Cappy to "snap out of it." He's had two good starts since May, if he lays another egg here, you need to think about shaking something up.

If his last 3 consecutive starts are any indication, I'm not sure he hasn't already snapped out of it. Lsts outing was a little rough but he still went 6.1 and gave up 4 runs. Not great, but far from unusual in today's MLB. The two prior to that were pretty stellar. He's not Jake Peavey and never will be. At this point Suppan is a far bigger problem.

[RyDogg66]

Playoff expectations were raised when we were 14 games over .500 after 5 weeks and pretty much all we had to do was play .500 baseball from then on out to probably make the playoffs. Unfortunately we havent been capable of that. Are we 5-6 games better than .500 the rest of the way home? I dont know, I havent been watching a better than .500 team play in a few months, maybe they'll reappear, but I am not holding my breath. My prediction will be 84 wins.

[naivin]

I However, one pretty good goal should just be to finish above .500 for the first time in how many years, shouldn't it?

I think the only goal the team should have in mind right now is to win the next game. That's it - everyday until the season ends.

 

From a fans perspective, because they are in position, I think playoffs should be the gaol. Maybe that wasn't appropriate on April 1st, but sitting here on August 1st, it is. Theoretically, a good 2 week or so stretch is all it would take. Are they capable of that? I think so. Just stay close or get ahead through August. Get Sheets back, a better Weeks back, maybe a waiver deal, and take the thing in Spetember. Their performance on the road tells me that is unlikely, but it is far from impossible.