I wonder how many current Brewers fans know that the team used to be in the AL Central until the 1998 season when they moved. If I had to do an informal poll at Miller Park of people younger than me (I'm 31) I bet the majority of them would not know that to be true. That's because the casual drunken fan who is there on a Friday night has only been a fan over the last 5 years or so when the Brewers got good again. Those people weren't helping me try to fill up Milwaukee County Stadium because there were only about 14,000 of us there on a hot summer night in the mid-90's. I guess I can't blame them because if you are 21 in 2012 you would have been 4 years old in 1995. So I don't expect you to remember those days nor would I have expected you to be there unattended like I was. Granted I was 14 and would ride my bike or get dropped off by my parents, but still I went. Where am, I going with this? I'll tell you. I remember when the Brewers played the White Sox in regular division play during the season and not just once every 3-4 years as part of Interleague Play. I don't know why I care to bring this up because it's not your fault that you aren't as old as me. Count your blessings that you won't be dead in 10 years. You probably are even good looking and have a girlfriend too. I hate you 21 year olds. All this is a moot point thought because Interleague play will be expanded to last the entire year to balance out the uneven leagues (remember that the Houston Astros are moving to the AL West) and I'm certain we will play the White Sox on a more regular basis. Not that I'd want to. I don't want to be tempted to roadtrip it to the South Side where I could get robbed, stabbed or raped (heaven forbid a cruel world exists that all 3 would happen at the same time). No thank you, I'll stay safe up here at cozy Miller Park.
The Cincinnati Reds are in 1st place in the National League Central and we have to take 2 out of 3 games if we want to gain any kind of ground in the division and have a chance at the Playoffs. You see, it doesn't matter how the rest of the league is doing. You just need to keep pace with the other teams ahead of you in the division to make the playoffs. Screw the Wild Card. It doesn't happen too often, but look at the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. They won the NL Central with 83 wins (the Brewers finished 8.5 games back with 75 wins) then went on to win the World Series. All you have to do is make the playoffs and anything can happen. Unfortunately in 2012 that's not a possibility. Please tell me without crossing your fingers or with a smirk on your face that this team is better than the Reds, Pirates and Cardinals this year. This series was a pretty good gauge as to how we stacked up against the competition and as you saw, it wasn't very good. The offense was dormant in the worst way and almost got no-hit by Bronson Arroyo but at least was able to sneak out of town with a win on getaway day but still sit 7 1/2 games back. I know it's possible to come back from that but do you see it happening? They can't even win more than 4 games in a row. And usually after winning those 4 games they drop 3 of the next 4 and slide back to 5-6 games under .500 again. It's just not our year folks. Enjoy the game but do so without expectations.
Friday June 22 - Sunday June 24. Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago White Sox at US Cellular Field. Games 70 - 72 of 162. I was hoping for good things to happen on Chicago's South Side, but then again nothing good ever happens down there. I'm just glad none of our players got shot or killed. Then again, would anyone notice the difference? I bet the reanimated zombie corpse of Cody Ransom could also strikeout 4 times in a game. And I know the body of Nyjer Morgan lying in the morgue would also take off for 3rd on a 3-1 count thinking the count was full. I don't get this team. They rode the pitching performances of Greinke (Friday) and Fiers (Sunday) and both resulted in 1-0 games with each taking one game. But Saturday saw Randy Wolf and the Brewers bullpen fail a little more than Dylan Axelrod and the White Sox pen. That was on courtesy of our 2nd tier pitchers like Loe, Veras and Dillard, who is sticking around because of his legend alone. He sucks as a Major League pitcher. He should go back to creating custom made rocket jets for the rich and famous. So this Brewers team loses another series and we're back to 6 games under .500. Up next is NL Central's 1st place team Cincinnati. This should be interesting. We need to win now. Brewers 1, White Sox 0. White Sox 8, Brewers 6. White Sox 1, Brewers 0.
Monday June 25. Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark. Game 73 of 162. The worst part about losing to the team that is in 1st place in your division is that you fall a full game back in the standings. The Brewers as of today are 7 1/2 games behind the Cincinnati Reds and if they lose the next two, could fall way out of it and almost be forced to become sellers. While that would be for the best in the long term for this team, this year would suffer and the fans would stay away. No 3 million fans, no money for Scotty from the paying customers. But the trading deadline is the end of July so we don't have to make those decisions yet. But in one week it will be the statistical halfway point (at 81 games into a 162 game season) so the clock is ticking. If this offense doesn't find a way to be consistent you are going to see more games like this. And thanks to that offense who scores as much as an awkward teenager, we'll be on the losing side of these games more often than not. When all the injuries started piling up and guys we forced to start who weren't starting material, I took my emotions out of this season. so whatever happens happens man. Unless something major happens don't expect me to get my panties in a twist. Reds 3, Brewers 1.
Tuesday June 26. Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark. Game 74 of 162. Remember a few weeks ago when I said getting swept by Kansas City was the lowlight of the season? Well, we've got a new one today. The Brewers offense was miserable for 7 innings and were getting no-hit by BRONSON FREAKING ARROYO! Then they showed a huge amount of life and resiliency by tying the game up at 3 thanks to Taylor Green (who collected the first hit), Corey Hart (who drove in the first runs) and Norichika Aoki (who drove in the tying run). Seemingly giving all the momentum back, John Axford was brought in for the 8th inning (WTF!?!) and gave it all back with 1 pitch, allowing the Reds to take the lead via a Drew Stubbs homerun. Then Skips O'Donnell closed off the game and somersaulted off the mound like some god damn little kid on the playground. That was pretty f'n embarrassing. Yeah I know we did the whole "BeastMode" thing last year so we should be ready for some retribution but that was tough to stomach. So now we're 8 games under .500 and 8 1/2 back of the Cincinnati Reds. Umm Brewers fans, what makes you think this team is good and can make the playoffs? Sell! Sell! Sell! Reds 4, Brewers 3.
Wednesday June 27. Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark. Game 75 of 162. They had to win this one or else the season was over. Plain and simple. You can't get swept by the division leader and call yourself still in it. So things kind of came together today and they had a good showing. Whoop dee freaking doo. Where was this yesterday? Or the day before that? Or the day before that? Or the day before that? Or the... well you catch my drift. All I'm saying is so what. I've been saying it for a long time. Before this win they lost 4 in a row. How often do they win 4 in a row? Or 8 out of 10? Never. Well they may have done it once this year. But the bottom line is they don't string together victories so they still sit 7 games under .500. Until they get closer to having a winning record nothing matters. But they gotta start somewhere, right? Now let's see what we can do with a homestand. If they can't put up back to back winning series in the next week or so then everyone is expendable. For the right price of course. Change is coming. Brewers 8, Reds 4.
I hate being negative. I really do. I know that it doesn't seem like it but I wanted the Brewers to be good this year. I want them to be good every year. I was born in 1981 so I have pretty much only known failure in my adult life as a Brewers fan until 2007. So while I am overly optimistic at the beginning of the year there always comes a point where you realize that it just isn't our year. The sooner you accept it in 2012 the less likely you are to get your heartbroken. Go ahead and hold on to hope. I've done that for way too many years to do it again. If we can't gain any ground in the division nor make any kind of significant climb back to .500 then what is the point of talking about trading FOR players to make a playoff push? No sense further depleting our already thin farm system and elongate the rebuilding process. No thank you. I've sat through too many rebuilding years and would like to get it finished as soon as possible so we can be competitive again. And if that means trading Greinke then have at it. Trade anyone who isn't nailed down or named Braun, Gallardo or Lucroy. Up next we got a couple of teams who are performing below expectations in the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Miami Marlins. Now is the time to make a run as the All-Star Break looms but I just don't think they have it in them. Too many things are going bad for the team to expect any kind of miracle to happen.
- pookon -
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com
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