Chris Capuano
I was talking with Brad, the owner of Uptown Pizza, the last time I was in Waupaca, WI and he was saying how he checks out the Baseball Zealot from time to time and would appreciate a little coverage on his Milwaukee Brewers. So here you go Brad, your wish is my command.
It seems as though a lot of times in sports a team will take a huge step forward, only to take a step back the following year. This seems to be the case with the Brewers. The 2005 Brewers overachieved, while the 2006 ballclub struggled to reach high expectations. I think the 2007 Milwaukee baseball team will step it up. And here are some reasons why…
Their starting rotation is tough. Ben Sheets is as good as anybody’s number one, then they’ve got Chris Capuano, Doug Davis, and Dave Bush rounding out the starting four. Not to mention Carlos Villanueva (who had flashes of brilliance) in the fifth slot.
The pickup of closer Francisco “Coco” Cordero was huge! The 2006 Brewers would have had a much better record had they just had a closer to hold onto a 9th inning lead.
Kevin Mench, Tony Gwynn, & Corey Hart are young, talented, and ready to put up some big league numbers in the outfield. But the real talent is on the infield. Prince Fielder will contend for the home run crown, while Rickie Weeks is one of the most exciting players in baseball, J.J. Hardy at SS, and Bill Hall at 3B give Milwaukee one of the best hitting infields in the NL. And Damien Miller will be a stabilizing influence behind the plate.
I’m sure the ROAR of GO BREWERS GO will be heard all over Cheeseland as soon as the Packers are through messing around.