Quote:
Originally posted by Fors:
Still been looking for a team to start supporting. How sbout the Brewers? Are their young players signed up for a while?
|
Not a bad choice. They're a sexy pick to be a surprise playoff team in some circles, so some people are saying they'll be good as soon as this season. That helps.
They only have two clear all-star caliber players in Prince Fielder (1B) and Ben Sheets (SP), but they're backed by a group of young players with good potential (Richie Weeks (2B), JJ Hardy (SS), Ryan Braun (3B), and Corey Hart (OF). Some of them might blossom into all-stars as well. And if Bill Hall can hold onto the gains he made last season (35 homers), he'll give them an above average bat in center field for a while (he's only 27 or 28).
Sheets is an ace when healthy, but he gets injured a lot, and last season only played in about half the games. There aren't any big names behind him, but fortunately, the Brewers have a very good pitching coach (Greg Maddux's brother) who gets good results out of seemingly mediocre pitchers. So Capuano, Bush, and Suppan probably make for a slightly above average starting rotation. They also have a stud in waiting in Yovani Gallardo, who blew away high A and AA last season, and is off to a good start in AAA this season. (His last start: 6 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 2BB, 3H, 12K. That's beastly.) He should be up in the majors some time later this season.
The ownership also seems like they are willing to support the team, as payroll has nearly doubled since 2005: $39.9 mil to $71.9 mil today. That's always a good sign.
Their nickname is the "Brew Crew" and their mascot is "Billy the Brewer", who slides into a huge beer mug full of fake suds whenever a Brewer hits a home run at their home park. Can it get any better? Yes. They also have a sausage race each home game, between people dressed up in oversized costumes representing five different sausages.
Sausage race
As for history, they've been around for 35 seasons or so, and only finished first once (1982, when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, and their nickname was Harvey's Wallbangers. Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Paul Molitor were on that team). They've only finished second once, so their history is fairly doormat. But maybe you could get on the bandwagon just as their fortunes are turning.
Last but not least, since I haven't seen anyone else on here posting things about the Brewers, you could be their lone OTF fan rep, which would, I imagine, carry some cache, although you wouldn't be able to give a virtual high five to anyone when they won.
Linear Mode
