So what did we accomplish this season?

[rluzinski]

If all people want to talk about is actual results, 29 teams will have accomplished nothing this year. The Brewer failed in that they will not win the World Series.

 

If we want to know what we learned about the possibility of future success, several young players are primed to have some excellent 2008 seasons. Yo and Villy seem ready to put up 200 IP of above average baseball (with Yo having the much higher potential, obviously). We learned that Hardy is a legitimate starting SS (although his offensive peak could still be somewhere between decent to great). The sky is the limit, offensively, for Braun and Prince. Hart and Weeks looks great offensively as well.

 

The defense sucks and needs to be improved.

[PeaveyFury]

I personally have learned that "treadng water" is most often a precursor to drowning, which is how I would describe our collective effort from 2005-2007.

But, if you get younger in the process, it's a sign that you've managed to set your team up for future improvement. That 05 team won with Carlos Lee, Geoff Jenkins (in good form), Lyle Overbay, Brady Clark, Victor Santos, etc. IE, a whole bunch of guys at the peak of their talent in their late 20's/early 30s. This team could potentially win 83 games with six out of eight regular members of the lineup in their early to mid 20's, and has two sub-25 starters set for the rotation going forward (and 4/5 under 30). This team may have tread water a bit, but they're younger, with HUUUUUGE upside, and have already accomplished quite a bit this year.

 

Hopefully this morning some of the rage and jadedness have subsided and people can see the good from this season.

[pretendastronaut]

Not a whole lot of things I could add to the lists that haven't already been said, good job guys.

 

I think we learned a lot about ourselves this year, I think next year's starting rotation is going to be a tough one to pick and will probably be one of the strongest in the league. We got a lot of great pieces in line this year and got them a hopefully a bit more polished.

 

But for me the biggest thing was what naivin talked about, they went through a high pressure situation. Granted its not getting to the playoffs and getting through that, but this is an incredibly young team, many of whom had never played a full major league season, and they went through a tough one that they were at least in the hunt until the final weekend. For a team that couldn't come back often in games, they showed a remarkable amount of strength in playing their heart out all September, despite what had gone on in the month's previous. The pressure was able to get to them at times as we've seen over the past week, but they should be stronger for it next year.

[clancyphile]

Not a whole lot of things I could add to the lists that haven't already been said, good job guys.

 

I think we learned a lot about ourselves this year, I think next year's starting rotation is going to be a tough one to pick and will probably be one of the strongest in the league. We got a lot of great pieces in line this year and got them a hopefully a bit more polished.

 

But for me the biggest thing was what naivin talked about, they went through a high pressure situation. Granted its not getting to the playoffs and getting through that, but this is an incredibly young team, many of whom had never played a full major league season, and they went through a tough one that they were at least in the hunt until the final weekend. For a team that couldn't come back often in games, they showed a remarkable amount of strength in playing their heart out all September, despite what had gone on in the month's previous. The pressure was able to get to them at times as we've seen over the past week, but they should be stronger for it next year.

Exactly - I admit that it was very easy to get caught in the excitement of the early start, but this season... I have a lot more to be happy about than to be unhappy about. We're not celebrating champs this year, but you could have changed on of the bad breaks over the season (Capuano's injury and non-return to 100%, Wise's problems after the Break, Fielder's BS suspension, Sheets going down twice after the All-Star Break, Hall's injury), and this team would have been the champs in spite of everything.

The Brewers have the best infield in the majors. Estrada's the best catcher the Crew has had since Nilsson in 1999. The outfield of Hart (LF), Hall (CF), and Gross (RF) should be very good next year. The rotation's gonna be some combo of Sheets, Capuano, Suppan, Gallardo, and Villanueva. Figure the bullpen will benefit somewhat from the surplus of starters, both in the majors and the minors (I had thought Tim Dillard and Manny Parra would be key contributors in the rotation - and instead, it looks like they'll be out of the pen). Turnbow's had a few bad outings, but far more often than not, he shot folks down (he was only "lit up" for three runs or more in seven out of his 77 appearances - I can live with that from a closer).

I like McClung, too. His ERA in September was 2.45 - he started rough, but settled down, and I like his K to IP ratio. Worth a look next spring, IMO. So is Mitch Stetter. Add Ray King, and some others could emerge later. And Steve Bray and Marino Salas will deserve shots, too. Plus there are four picks coming from Cordero and Linebrink, so the farm system can be replenished.

The Brewers have given me lots to be excited about.

[JohnBriggs12]

This was a hugely disappointing season. Blew lead after lead. Hit around 230 HR, but I can only think of 2 that turned loss into victory late. There were very few big flies when they were really needed.

 

Worse than all though is that this franchise lost ground to their number one rivals, the Cubs, who will have everybody back from a team that over the last 4 months was frankly a lot better than the Brewers.

 

It's hard for me to see the Brewers overtaking the Cubs next year.

[milwaukeesportsfan]

We cannot rely on Ben Sheets to stay healthy throughout an entire season anymore.

 

We have to do something with Turnbow, along with the rest of that bullpen.

 

Capuano and Bush are best suited for the bullpen. Neither can be counted on to give six quality innings anymore.

 

Villanueva and Gallardo are for real and should be in the starting rotation next year, along with Suppan. Parra hopefully will also be in there.

 

Our defense is atrocious.

 

Yost will most likely be back, but if team defense and in-game management don't show marked improvement by the start of next season, he may not last until the all-star break.

[bigredrobbo]

What we learned from 2007? That Brewerfan.net has considerably more "glass half empty" posters than "glass half full" ones.

 

Sure, the Brewers had the potential to win the division, but potential and a buck and a half will get you a cup of coffee. The way some around here have been talking, it's like we are the Braves of 06, just failing to make the playoffs after years of success.

 

We made improvements in many areas this season: the starting pitching is in the top 5 for both strikeouts and fewest HRs. Legitimate 30HR threats in Prince, Braun, Weeks and Hart. Nuggets in Yo, CV2 and Parra that mean we can divert payroll to getting a quality pen instead of a FA pitcher. An improved bench - Gross, Dillon and Miller >>> Durrington, Magruder and Moeller.

 

This'll be a brutal winter for many on this roster. Jenks, Miller, Graffy, Koskie, Mench, Wise, TBow, Spurling, McClung and Aquino probably not on the 08 team. What we get back in approximately $30m of salary will go a long way to determining just how good we'll be next year.

 

The other thing I learned from 07. That some of the heroes from 06 (Hall, Melvin) whom people were ready to name their children after, descended very quickly into "what have you done for me lately" territory when things didn't go their way in 07...

[Ennder]

The other thing I learned from 07. That some of the heroes from 06 (Hall, Melvin) whom people were ready to name their children after, descended very quickly into "what have you done for me lately" territory when things didn't go their way in 07...

 

Add team ace Capuano to that list...

 

I don't care what our record was in 2005, 2006 and 2007 this team has way more potential than any team we've had in the past 15 years. We have multiple legit top of the line MVP/CY type talent players on the team. We need to dump some of the dead weight and make some smart moves to flesh out the roster but the core of this team is the best we've seen since the early 80's.

 

We obviously need to work on the bullpen and I seriously think Hall should be moved back to 3B with Braun in LF. A few years ago when the team wasn't as solid I'd say let him work it out but now isn't a good time for that since we already have a defensive black hole at 2B. I'd also like to see us look at a C to split time with Estrada, preferably a defensive C.

[biedergb]

What have we accomplished.

 

1. I say the biggest thing was we fielded a team that was practically all homegrown talent, and we quite a few games with those line-ups. (Take the games that started Sheets, Villy, Gallardo). The best players on this team are all young, so that is quite an accomplishment, and all due to hard work by the front office for the past several (5-7) years. I think the Brewers have proven that they are a team to be taken seriously now, and will no longer be the "dark horse" in the division.

 

2. But the other accomplishment was to get these guys into a pennant race. And while we came up short, we learned what we need (all the things that have been said -- better bullpen, better defense, another bat in OF or C, and either a new approach by our current manager or a new one but that's a whole 'nother thread).

 

Hopefully the strength of point 1 (management) will help solve point 2

[TerraceReserved]

This was a hugely disappointing season. Blew lead after lead. Hit around 230 HR, but I can only think of 2 that turned loss into victory late. There were very few big flies when they were really needed.

 

I don't get you're point here. Sure, there may have only been 2 home runs that led to victory in the 8th or 9th inning. But a 2-run HR in the 1st is just as important as one in the 9th if we end up winning by 1 run. Dozens and dozens of our games were won with our home runs.

[clancyphile]

We won #82.

[PeaveyFury]

Winning season.

[brettac1]

I had lower expectations coming in, so I will take the 82 wins.

 

Still sucks that they did preetty much blow a legit shot at a playoff berth, but it is what it is.

[brewmann04]

yes we finally have a winning sewason /However all the fans have to feel a Tad Dissapointed at the end Results.

Now it will be Melvin Job to step up anbd Make the Brewers better for next season

[sbrylski]

Most with the totally negative view are probably still too emotional to answer this question completely truthfully. Give it a few weeks, I think everyone will look back on this season as a good year. Missed opportunity, sure, but a solid, fun season that was a giant step in the right direction.

[splitterpfj]

I thought we'd get 85 wins, then as the season unfolded it was obvious that we could have topped 90 wins, but this season was a success in many ways.

 

The first-ever 50 homer season for a Brewer, establishing Prince as a legitimate superstar, not just a good young hitter.

 

Ryan Braun has already established himself as an elite bat in the NL. Yes, there's work to be done for him, but he is well beyond prospect status already.

 

Yovanni Gallardo is one of the best young SPs in the league, already.

 

Carlos Villanueva can get it done as a member of the rotation.

 

Rickie Weeks' wrist has healed, and he's showing the skills that we've been waiting for...take a look once at his runs, HR and SBs...what if he gets 600 ABs?

 

Corey Hart IS a 20/20 guy, he isn't just tools in a long body....oh, and he can field, too!

 

JJ Hardy may not be Hanley Ramirez, but he's a bonafide MLB shortstop now, with some pop.

 

If Cordero and Linebrink return, we'll have a solid back end of the bullpen, while we try to fill in around them, and if they don't, we'll draft all day long next time around.

 

Yes, the season ends in disappointment, and is a HUGE "what might have been", but the team accomplished a lot this year. There isn't merely young talent here anymore, now, there are young stars.

 

Good luck to Melvin and Co as they try to fill in the blanks this winter, the Milwaukee Brewers are going to be everybody's pick to win the division next year.

[ryanbraun75]

Lets look to next season:

 

Starting Rotation: Trade Cappy and Vargas and make Bushy a Bullpen Option

 

Ben Sheets

Yovani Gallardo

Carlos Villanueva

Jeff Suppan

Manny Parra

 

Bullpen: Resign Linebrink and Cordero, Trade Turnbow

 

Francisco Cordero

Scott Linebrink

Seth McClung

Dave Bush

Mitch Stetter

Matt Wise

and hopefully more talent

 

Starting Lineup: Let Jenkins and Mench go, Tony Gwynn for bullpen help.. Otsuka?

 

2B: Rickie Weeks

LF: Joe Dillon?, Matt LaPorta?

3B: Ryan Braun

1B: Prince Fielder

RF: Corey Hart

SS: JJ Hardy

CF: Bill Hall

C: Johnny Estrada? FA? Trade? Mike Rivera?

 

IMO if we can figure out our bullpen and the left field and catcher position look at that lineup i mean we have so much potential and will be world series contenders next year and for many years to come.

[endaround]

Can we please stop with putting LaPorta anywhere near Milwaukee?

[AdvantageSchneider]

I read this whole thread and I was going to post that the season overall was a negative, but I will slightly amend it to say that what we've accomplished is to open the window.

Our window is now open to make the playoffs and the world series. We need to do it in the next 4-5 season probably. Look at Oakland and Minnesota. They had their window. It looks like it is now closed and it may be a while before it's open again. They made the playoffs for several years in a row, but never made the world series. Meanwhile, one year wonders like Detroit or the White Sox either make it to the series or won the whole thing. So the window is open but we need to make the right moves to get us over the hump this offseason.

But I also think that people who are happy that we had a winning record or that we played meaningful games in September, are the same types of people that voted Lindy Infante the best head coach in the history of the packer franchise after his 10-6 season Packer fans just like brewer fans were so happy to see semi-competent football/baseball they didn't get the big picture. That turned out great for the packers fans, once they got rid of Inftante. But the brewers franchise doesn't have that kind of time.

There is reason to be optimisic about the future, but there is also reason to be upset about the present. Anyone who isn't truly upset about the present doesn't get it.

[Roscoe Chill]

There is reason to be optimisic about the future, but there is also reason to be upset about the present. Anyone who isn't truly upset about the present doesn't get it.

 

Yep. Because next year Prince could tear his bicep in Spring Training. You don't get better opportunities to make the post season than this season, and the whole 'this team is young' argument is hogwash, because most of the young guys did their part.

[adamb100]

Alright now that my anger has wore off I can actually say we did accomplish alot...

 

We ended 15 years of losing.

We saw the potential what Fielder, Braun, Hart have. It's exciting to see how these talented players will turn out.

We actually made September count, we stayed in the race all the way till the last 3 games of the season. We also let the division know theres a new contender in town. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[pogokat]

A helluva lot of national exposure

 

4 all stars

 

the best rookie season since albert pujols

 

a 50 homer season

 

a terrific season from a pending free agent who will net us great draft picks (seriously, when was the last time this happened?)

 

82 wins!

 

yo and villy...

 

rickie weeeks in september

 

corey hart is my new favorite player...glad other have begun to notice that he is the reincarnation of dale murphy

 

our homegrown infield hitting like their potential

 

jenkins going out in style

 

and best of all, a pennant race that lasted until September 29th!

 

a great year, once you cough up the vomit residue in the back of your mouth...

[watertown28]

There is reason to be optimisic about the future, but there is also reason to be upset about the present. Anyone who isn't truly upset about the present doesn't get it.

 

Yep. Because next year Prince could tear his bicep in Spring Training. You don't get better opportunities to make the post season than this season, and the whole 'this team is young' argument is hogwash, because most of the young guys did their part.

When that guy dove into first base there and hit princes ankle and he went down I had a really sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Lose prince you lose one of the biggest threats the brewers have for power.

Ari is young, so why are they the top of their division.... mind you a much harder one then the brewers

[Ennder]

Parra won't be a starter, he hasn't stayed healthy a full year in a while so I cannot see them putting him in the rotation to start the year.

 

Ari is young, so why are they the top of their division.... mind you a much harder one then the brewers

 

 

Because of extreme amounts of luck and a good bullpen. Arizona didn't even play like a .500 team this season statistically, they just won way more than their share of close games.

 

Yep. Because next year Prince could tear his bicep in Spring Training. You don't get better opportunities to make the post season than this season, and the whole 'this team is young' argument is hogwash, because most of the young guys did their part.

 

You don't know this though, you don't know that next year won't see every team in the NL Central under .500 except the Brewers. The team is young argument means we have time to get to the playoffs, this is not a team being dismantled because its all overpriced vets, its a team that has a window just now opening up to make the playoffs.

[AJAY]

As many of you know, I have complained for years about never getting what I call the real "Major League Experience". I am proud to say that after all these years, we FINALLY got it this season.

 

1. It was great to see all those Brewers games on ESPN and FOX. It didn't feel like we were being shown because of the opponent either.

2. It was great to see the team in a playoff race. It was so much more fun when the games feel so important down the stretch.

3. We got a winning record. I wish we could have had more, but we were not losers.

4. Baseball Tonight didn't just show our highlights. They featured us and talked about us a lot. We had their respect.

5. Prince Fielder got voted into the starting lineup for the All-Star game after beating out a popular Cub and a popular Cardinal.

6. Almost 3 million fans at Miller Park. Everyone was spirited and passionate.

7. Prince Fielder article in Sports Illustrated.

8. Prince Fielder on the cover of ESPN Magazine

9. Four all-stars this season. That's incredible.

10. Prince Fielder becoming the youngest to hit 50 homeruns and establishing himself as a major superstar.

11. Prince Fielder being an MVP candidate

12. Ryan Braun being a Rookie of the Year candidate.

13. Numerous curtain calls at Miller Park.

14. Much more local media coverage including Brewers Live, Brewers Blast, Brewers Fever, WSSP Pre-game, WSSP Post-game, etc.

15. Brewers merchandise being sold in stores that normally don't sell clothing or sports-related things.

16. Ownership that spent some real money on the payroll.

 

We still have a lot of work to do as an organization, but the fan experience of the season taught me what the rest of the baseball world experiences more regularly. It was awesome.

 

It was finally MAJOR LEAGUE.

 

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention the Young and the Restless appearance. It was cool to have some Brewers on there.