"MILWAUWKEE BREWERS SPRING & SEASON OUTLOOK"

Pitchers:

SP-- Ben Sheets
SP-- Chris Capuano
SP-- Yovani Gallardo (once healthy)
SP-- Jeff Suppan
SP-- Charlie Villanueva

SP-- Claudio Vargas
P-- Guillermo Mota
P-- David Riske
P-- Randy Choate
P-- Salomon Torres
P-- Seth McClung
P-- Scott Cassidy
P-- Derrick Turnbow
CL-- Eric Gagne

Position Players:

C-- Jason Kendall
C-- Mike Rivera
1B-- Prince Fielder
2B-- Rickie Weeks
3B-- Ryan Braun
SS-- J. J. Hardy
OF-- Bill Hall
OF-- Mike Cameron
OF-- Corey Hart
Ut.-- Gabe Kapler

Ut.--Tony Gwynn Jr.
Ut.-- Craig Counsell
Ut.-- Eric Munson
Ut.-- Joe Dillon
Ut.-- Abraham Nunez

Reserves:

The Milwaukee Brewers are set at position players, starting pitching, and have a fairly good amount of reserves, overall. Craig Counsell and Abraham Nunez can both play four infield positions and two outfield positions and the newly signed Russell Branyan can play the corners. Gabe Kapler, Gwynn, Jr., and Gabe Gross can play in the outfield, spell for at-bats, and if injuries happen they will fill in just fine. In the bullpen, Seth McClung was a huge player in the minors, and was a September call up. He did well in September and expects to at least be in the pen, possibly a set up role, in the future. There are enough young arms, in the Brewer organization, to keep them in the pennant race. If they need a trade, thru July, they have enough to pull that off, as well. Overall, the reserve and platoon players for the Brewers will keep players like Fielder, Braun, and Corey Hart fresh, but they also have enough players to keep the "on base guys/nitche guys" fresh, as well.


Rookies:

The Brewers have a stable of great first year and rookie players, on the bench and down on the farm. For starters, no pun intended, Yovani Gallardo is on the verge of having a huge season (if he is healthy, after having an early spring cartilage problem in his knee, the Brewers are not sure about opening day). However, last year he burst onto the scene having a huge year between AAA and the Brewers organization. He posted an overall record of: 17-8, 156 K's, and a 211:65 K to BB Ratio. If his knee and health holds up, he could be a dandy, for years to come. Another break out year, for the Brewers, was had by Ryan Braun. He played only three quarters of the season in the majors. Yet, Braun held up to his names sake, yielding "ROY" honors, and totals of: .324 avg., 34 HRs., 97 RBI, with a .634 slugging percentage. With the two superstar candidates, in waiting, getting warmed up for a full season with the Brewers, they also have some extra help coming. The extra rookies down on the farm to watch, which could also be extra help come September, are Brad Nelson, Manny Parra, Mitch Stettar, and Fernan Iribarren (all pitchers).

Outlook Out of Spring:

The Milwaukee Brewers have just as much chance of winning the NL Central Division, as any team in the league. The Brewers have a variety of table setters and on base people, throughout the lineup. Bill Hall, Kendall (although not in his prime), J. J. Hardy (who has some pop in his bat, as well), with the other position players, mixed with the big three in the middle of the order, Fielder, Braun, and Corey Hart, should bring home four to seven runs a game. The offense mixed with a solid up the middle defense of Weeks, Hardy, Cameron/Hall, and Kendall will be more than adequate. Which leaves only the pitching staff? The Brewers were without Ben Sheets for most of the season, and still almost won the Central. This year with a healthy Sheets (in a contract year and something to prove), Capuano, Suppan, Villanueva, and David Bush who are all solid veterans, with a lot of experience and will give six to seven innings, each time out. The bullpen has a lot of quality arms in it, and all of the pitching above, without mentioning Yovani Gallardo. The whole Brewers team is in a position looking up, but they just may be looking up at a National League Championship trophy, if not a World Series trophy, as well.

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