Anyone who suffered through the Macha Years (2009-2010) can tell you the negative effect that poor pitching has on a team. Likewise anyone who went on the incredible ride of 2011 will know the effect that good pitching has on a team. Last year it seemed like nothing could go wrong. We used only 6 starters (Gallardo, Grienke, Marcum, Wolf, Narveson and Estrada) all season which I believe was the fewest number in the Major Leagues. And also the bullpen was lights out in the 2nd half of the season especially after the acquisition of KRod. Pitching led the Brewers to their first NL Central title, the NLDS win and their first appearance in the NLCS. And then it was also pitching that doomed them in that series against the St. Louis Cardinals as well. But why am I talking about 2011 when this is a 2012 recap? Because the pitching in 2011 led to the team's success but in 2012 it led to their failure. The offense has proved to be one of the best in the National League and if we only had a decent pitching staff behind it then we should be able to make the playoffs. But the problem was that we didn't have a decent pitching staff. Not even close.
Let's start with the Starting Rotation because they are the ones who set the tone for the game. In 2011 they were a model of consistency and health leading to the aforementioned minimal use of starters that year. In 2012 they would nearly double that number as they had 11 different pitchers (Gallardo, Greinke, Marcum, Wolf, Narveson, Estrada, Fiers, Peralta, Rogers, Thornburg and Stinson) start a game. Injuries and trades affected the starting rotation but it may have been a blessing in disguise as young pitchers like Fiers, Peralta, Rogers and Thornburg got a taste of the Major Leagues which should help them immensely in 2013. But more on that later. All in all the starting rotation wasn't that bad with a 55-46 record and a 3.99 ERA, which was good for 9th out of the 16 National League teams. With the #1/2 offense that should have been good enough to get them back into the playoffs. But it wasn't. The starting pitchers did their jobs, so why did the team only win 83 games and finish 3rd in the division behind Cincinnati (who won the NL Central) and St. Louis (who won the 2nd Wild Card), missing the playoffs by 5 games. You what lost them those 5 games and the 2012 season? The fucking bullpen.
The Brewers bullpen was the worst in the National League (16th out of 16 teams) with a 28-33 record, 4.66 ERA and an uncalled for 29 blown saves. This was their undoing. It didn't really make sense because with a few notable exceptions (LaTroy Hawkins and Takashi Saito) the 2011 bullpen that was so good returned for 2012. Maybe the loss of that veteran presence from Hawkins (40 years old) and Saito (42 years old) really did hurt them. Or maybe the entire bullpen by some cataclysmic event all fell apart in the same year. There was not pitcher out there in deep left year that I would say had a good year. All of them had their ups and downs and averaged out at the end. But it was those extreme sways that prevented this team from finding any success especially in the late innings of games. It was horrifying to watch at times and I often found myself covering my eyes in the 6th through 9th innings and peaking through my fingers like a small child taken to a rated R movie by their drunken Uncle. There was something happening out there that I knew I wasn't mature enough to watch but I couldn't look away because it was an absolute train wreck. I hate to blame the entire season on the bullpen but if you look at the ranks among NL teams (offense - 1st-ish, starting pitching 9th and bullpen 16th) they are the only ones who deserve the accusation. So that's a little overall look at how the pitching staff did this past year. Keep reading for a breakdown of individual players and my comparison of the preseason predictions with their final season stats.
Yovani Gallardo, SP
Preseason Prediction: 17-7 record, 3.31 ERA, 210 innings pitched, 213 strikeouts, .238 batting avg, 3 HRs, 9 RBI and my idol because in his heart every day is Cinco de Mayo.
2012 Actual: 16-9 record, 3.66 ERA, 33 starts, 204 innings pitched, 204 strikeouts, .164 batting avg, 1 HR, 9 RBIs and el mexicano más grande que jamás he conocido.
There has been some debate over whether or not Yovani Gallardo is an ace and as much as I love my fellow countryman, I would have to side with the people who say no. Ace is a term reserved for the elite pitchers in the game who go out and dominate every single time out. Gallardo however is a #1 pitcher who is very very good. I might even say he has flashes of great. The 16-9 record is really good, as is the 204 strikeouts in 204 innings. But the one alarming thing is the high ERA. His ERA of 3.66 this year was right in line with his career average of 3.69 so at least you can say that he is consistent. But for me to elevate him up to the next platform I would like to see him flirt with a 2-something ERA and end up in the 2.8-3.2 range. I do have one more issue with him though. He tends to rack up a pretty high pitch count which leads to him prematurely exiting the game. In 33 starts in 2012 he never once pitched 8 full innings and only pitched into the 8th inning twice. Just twice. Your #1 pitcher is supposed to be better than that. At least he usually pitched 7 full innings leaving the bullpen to only cover the last 2. But still, for a team starved for pitching he did his job. I just always thought that he could be better. Maybe I just hold him to a higher standard than most people because he's my brother. Of course we have different mothers and everything but after I became a born-again Mexican I knew we would be forever bonded. Which is why I stand up for him today and every other day. That's what family does for each other.
So even though I called him out for not pitching deep into games and having too high of an ERA for your best pitcher, Gallardo still is our best pitcher. Even though he has had a difficult time against the St. Louis Cardinals (1-9 record, 6.72 ERA) he's pretty damn good against every one else. And people sometimes forget that he's only 26 years old because he's been in the league for 6 years already. Rookies like Fiers (27) and Rogers (27) are older than him and just now getting their feet wet. So while they have had the time to grow and develop in the minors he has been doing it at the Major League level. So yes, he's still learning. And yes he will get even better. But what separates Gallardo is that he never seems to be worried about anything. He always seems to rise to the occasion and pitch a big game when the Brewers need him most. And he always remembers to call and wish me a happy Cinco de Mayo. He accepts that even though I don't look like him he allows me to wear a sombrero and claim Mexico as my homeland. I know that when I'm around him I can say and do anything I want. He's been like a little brother to me. And I've been so happy to watch my brother mature over the years and I look forward to the next couple of years. I just hope that the Brewers have the right mind to keep him in their uniform for the rest of his career. Damn the cost. Just pay him in pesos, sombreros, churros and burritos. That's not racist, is it? Because I'm a Mexican too. It's like black people calling each other the "N" word. When you are part of a certain group or ethnicity you can get away with things like that. You're probably thinking that I'm just being a real asshole right now for pretending to know shit about what it is like to be something other than White. Don't judge me by my skin color. Now who's the racist?
Zack Greinke, SP
Preseason Prediction: 20-8 record, 2.98 ERA, 219 innings pitched, 235 strikeouts, .202 batting avg, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, top 5 finisher in the NL Cy Young Award and a Brewers player for the next 5 years due to a contract extension.
2012 Actual: 9-3 record, 3.44 ERA, 21 starts, 123 innings pitched, 122 strikeouts, .212 batting avg, 1 HR, 2 RBIs and shipped out of town when the shit hit the fan despite him being the most unique player to ever grace the halls of Miller Park.
Zack Greinke is one of those players that only comes around once in a generation. That's one of the reasons I was sad to see him go. When you consider that baseball is a business, the Brewers had no choice but to trade him when they fell 12 games below .500 right around the trading deadline of July 31st. Free agency has gotten way out of hand and the top players on the market get ridiculous contracts, such as the one that Greinke got from the Los Angeles Dodgers (7 years, $147 million). There is no way in hell the Milwaukee Brewers can afford that kind of contract and while I'm at it, I'm just going to say that there is no way in hell that Greinke deserves it. Sure, the guy won a Cy Young in 2009 and has some pretty good career numbers 91-78 with a 3.77 ERA. But that's good, not great. Sure the guy at times has some electric stuff and gives you flashes that he can be a top 5 pitcher, but then he throws down some clunkers that make you scratch your head. And then you can't ignore the fact that fact that he was the same pitcher who didn't lose game at Miller Park as a member of the Brewers but also had a 6.43 ERA in 3 postseason games. Hardly worth $147 million dollars if you ask me. Shit no one is worth that kind of money. The money that is flying around these days is upsetting when there are so many better things that the money could go to, like starving children, housing the homeless and curing diseases. But instead we give it to men playing a child's game. This is not the time for that kind of discussion because the game is not going to change. It has gotten out of hand and there is nothing that small market teams like Milwaukee can do about it.
Trading away Zack Greinke was hard because I had grown rather fond of his direct approach and lack of tact. He really didn't give a shit about what other people thought of him and he was a real straight shooter all the way. In a day when PC answers dominate interviews (one just needs to listen to Ryan Braun speak once to know that he carefully selects his words and tells you exactly what you wanted to hear) Greinke was a breath of fresh air. I've never heard an athlete talk like Greinke and it was the greatest fucking thing ever. He had some pretty high standards and was never satisfied. He was pissed off when he did a bad job and not satisfied when he was just average. On days when he pitched great (and not like the "Soup pitched great") he knew he could have done better. So in that regard I would have kept him around on a multi-year contract because there was no way he would let himself become complacent. In that regard he is exactly the kind of player you want on your team.
But just as quickly as they traded prospects for him they traded him back for prospects. Even though we gave up Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jeremy Jeffress, and Jake Odorizzi, I'd do the trade again 100 times out of 100 because we don't win the NL Central without him and we flipped him to Anaheim for Jean Segura, Ariel Pena and Johnny Hellwig. Segura as you know will be the starting shortstop this year and could possibly be the shortstop of the future and if one of the two pitchers pan out then we're gonna be alright. The Brewers had their hands tied like a damsel in distress in an old Western or that time when you walked in on your parents in what you convinced yourself was Cops and Robbers. But they did what any small market team has to do to survive in the baseball world that is still hesitant to administer a salary cap. We can have players like CC Sabathia, Prince Fielder and Zack Greinke but only for a limited time. All superstars not named Ryan Braun will eventually price themselves out of our market. Good riddance though. With a team that has a payroll that can't realistically be pushed beyond $90 million they simply can't afford to play one player $25 million a year. Because that is the going rate for a Sabathia, Fielder or Greinke. So farewell pal. It was great while it lasted. And so was your wife Emily. Mmmm what a tasty treat she was. She can be traded back to the Brewers. I do miss her...
Randy Wolf, SP
Preseason Prediction: 12-9 record, 3.80 ERA, 205 innings pitched, 126 strikeouts, .185 batting avg, and person, not a wolf, meaning that I'll have to go elsewhere to get some pointers on what it takes to be Fat Teen Wolf in time for the movie sequel.
2012 Actual: 3-10 record, 5.69 ERA, 24 starts, 142.1 innings pitched, 96 strikeouts, .150 batting avg and no longer a member of the Wolfpack after being voted out by his fellow wolves.
When the Brewers signed Randy Wolf to a 3 year, 29.75 million dollar contract you knew that this day would come. After all, he put up a decent 2010 (13-12, 4.17 ERA in 215.2 innings) and a better 2011 (13-10, 3.69 ERA in 212.1 innings) so the law of averages just had to come into effect. Everyone who was saying that Wolf was another Jeff Suppan was totally off. Wolf at least had 2 good years for a 66% rating whereas Suppan only had 1 (his first year which wasn't really even that good at 12-12 with a 4.62 ERA in 206.2 innings) for a 25% rating. That's one hell of a difference if you ask me. So all of you making the comparisons can just shut the hell up and go back to trying to compare Captain James T. Kirk to Captain Jean-Luc Picard. There is no comparison. It's not even close. Captain Picard by a landslide. By the time late August came around the Brewers had no choice but to cut Randy Wolf and give one of the kids a chance to prove if they had what it takes to pitch in the big leagues. But in the first half of the season I kind of felt sorry for the old guy. For the most part he pitched alright but he didn't get a win in May or June because the bullpen kept blowing the games when he left with the lead. But he didn't really help himself out much either with a 4.71 ERA in May and a 5.86 ERA in June. July wasn't much better with a 4.40 ERA and when he went 0-3 with a 6.94 ERA in August the time had come for this Wolf to leave the pack.
Cutting him was the only thing that they could have done. It's too bad that baseball contracts are guaranteed because they were stuck paying him the rest of his $9.91 million due in 2012 but also a $1.5 million buyout of his 2013 option. But it could have been worse. If they had held on to him for the rest of the season they would have been on the hook for his Tommy John surgery that he required after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow for the second time, and he'll probably end up retiring. But that's no longer our problem. Most Brewers fans are probably going to remember Wolf only for his last year with the Brewers and that's kind of a shame. I'll admit that he should shoulder his fair share of the blame for the Brewers missing out on the playoffs because you can't have your #3/4 pitcher racking up a near 6 ERA. That's not how you win baseball games. And even though many of the starting pitchers were victims of a poor bullpen Wolf kind of brought this shit on himself. Numbers don't lie man. If this ends up being the last year of his career then he really went out on a bad note. I've seen tons of players come and go in the many years that I have been following the Brewers and I really don't hate any of them. Of course I cheer for them when they are on my team but after they leave I can't root for them professionally but I do wish them well personally. So here's hoping that Randy Wolf has a good rest of his life outside of baseball. Because as far as I'm concerned his life in baseball is over. Ahhhhhhhooooooooooo!!!
Shaun Marcum, SP
Preseason Prediction: 14-9 record, 3.69 ERA, 185 innings pitched, 141 strikeouts, .161 batting avg, 0 HRs, 3 RBIs and earning back some of the respect he lost from the fans due to his abysmal performance in the 2011 playoffs.
2012 Actual: 7-4 record, 3.70 ERA, 21 starts, 124 innings pitched, 109 strikeouts, .105 batting avg, 1 RBI and completely shunned by everyone and his Mother and not welcome back in our homes. Not even on Thanksgiving.
I wish that I had something nice to say about Shaun Marcum. I have a friend on Twitter who is a Toronto Blue Jays fan and was and still is obsessed with him who would kick my ass for saying bad things. My Mother always told me that if I didn't have anything nice to say then I shouldn't say anything at all. If I ever listened to my Mother then I would stop typing right now. Fortunately for you I'm a rebel. I even have a Star Wars Rebel Alliance tattoo on my right shoulder proving that. Disregard the fact that I'm a Star Wars nerd for a second so you can take me seriously as a knowledgeable baseball aficionado. If I could take it back, I would undo the Brett Lawrie for Shaun Marcum trade. Even though I'll be one of the first ones to admit that we might not have won the NL Central in 2011 without him. I didn't always think this way. I used to be on his side. You can't argue that Marcum had a solid 2011 season (13-7, 3.54 ERA) and was one of the reasons why the Brewers won 96 games and made it to the NLCS. But the fans turned on him following his disastrous performance in the playoffs (0-3, 14.90 ERA in 9.2 innings) and weren't terribly excited for his return in 2012. I was willing to give him another chance because despite what it often sounds like I really do love these players and I do love this team. For the most part his 2012 stats aren't that bad but it is what's behind the numbers that really concerned me. It's the lack of numbers that really tell the story of his season.
His 124 innings pitched were the fewest of his career since he was a young pup but it wasn't due to poor performance, it was because of injury. Injuries happen in sports. It's a part of the game. With the exception of avoidable injuries like "Air" Greinke's rib-breaking basketball stunt, you can't really be mad at injuries happening. But when an injury happens and there's no explanation from the team or player, no surgery or rehab and a lost season due to mystery. Sometime in June he exited with a right elbow injury and missed almost 3 months with no rhyme or reason as to why he was sidelined. It seemed like he was just broken. Since he didn't necessarily make any friends by fading down the stretch in 2011 he lost whatever friends he had left by not being able to pitch. I get real down on pitchers who suck throughout the year like Marco Estrada and Manny Parra but at least they are out there every 5 days or every other day trying to get better and make up for their past failures. You can't help the team in anyway while on the DL, even if you are opening up a roster spot for another player because an injured player still draws a salary. And spending a 3 month vacation on the DL is enough to get under the skin of even the biggest Brewers fans. So it was no surprise that the Brewers haven't been in any kind of talks with him since October when he became a free agent. So even though his numbers look halfway decent and you could probably get him at a bargain 1 year salary, me and the Brewers have something in common - we want nothing to do with Shaun Marcum.
Chris Narveson, SP
Preseason Prediction: 11-8 record, 4.53 ERA, 165 innings pitched, 121 strikeouts, .201 batting avg, 4 RBIs and the scurviest scallywag of a staaarrr-tarrr in the Major Leagues.
2012 Actual: 1-1 record, 7.00 ERA, 2 starts, 9 innings pitched, 5 strikeouts, 0.00 batting avg, 0 RBIs and walked the plank courtesy of a torn rotaaataaaarrgh cuff in his should-arrrrgh.
Obviously when I do my preseason predictions I don't factor in injuries. That is no way to think. Why be negative and expect for your players to fail or get hurt? That's no way to start the season. So of course I didn't see this one coming. 2 starts and 9 innings is not enough to judge a man. I'll admit that I really like Chris Naaaaaaaarveson, and not just because his name sounds great when you say it like a pirate. I love Narveson like I loved (Dave) Bush. And I really loved Bush. But there's always that one guy that I stand up for when most people try and push him down. I don't think there was a big backlash against Narveson but most people probably wouldn't mind subbing for him with replacement #5 guy because the same results would be achieved. They would probably point out 2012 as a reason why Narveson is expendable. I think he is an above average left hander in the style of Chris Capuano which is pretty damn good if you remember the quality of his work. But the problem was that in 2012 this Chris got injured after only making 2 starts and his replacements (Estrada, Fiers, Rogers, Peralta and Thornburg) all did well in his absence. So well that Narveson isn't guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation if he is fully recovered from his injury. He's going to have to earn it. It should make for a pretty good Spring Training because of the competition. Narveson should have a surgically repaired arm up on the other starting pitchers vying for his spot because of his past performance but let the best man win I guess. Not just the best man with a Pirate sounding name.
Marco Estrada, SP/RP
Preseason Prediction: 3-6 record, 4.12 ERA, 85 innings pitched, 4 starts, 73 strikeouts and the best little brother "CHiPs" star Erik Estrada ever had.
2012 Actual: 5-7 record, 3.64 ERA, 138.1 innings pitched, 23 starts, 143 strikeouts and filled a very important role (and hole) in 2012.
I really didn't give Marco Estrada a lot of credit going into this season and kind of feel like I owe him an apology. Estrada wasn't supposed to be in the starting rotation but was thrust (just like he does to his wife) into that role (hole) when the Narv-dog had his season ending injury. Well all is said and done he didn't really pitch that bad as a starter even though his overall record doesn't indicate that. And this my friends is where wins and loses really don't mean shit when it comes to evaluating a pitcher's performance. But I still didn't give him any credit because he had been in the starting rotation since late April and didn't get his first win until August 21st. Even though I will continue to say the win/loss stat is mostly meaningless it is rather alarming that he didn't earn a win until August. For a starting pitcher to qualify for the win he must pitch at least 5 innings and exit with the lead. Unless the offense busts out and scores some big time runs in the early innings a pitcher is for the most part responsible for his win/loss record by holding the other team at bay. And if he does so successfully and keeps his pitch count down, he should be pitching until at least the 6th inning. So I don't know what Marco did to avoid winning but as long as he scored a W in the right column with his wife then all is good, right? I mean after all - happy wife, happy life.
One thing I will give Estrada credit for is that he threw strikes. He had 143 strikeouts in in 138 innings and only walked 29 batters. That's insane. He had a strikeout to walk ratio of 4.93/1 which would have been good for 2nd best in the NL (behind Cliff Lee's ridiculous 7.39/1 ratio) if he would have qualified for that title but he didn't because of the lack of innings pitched. What that means is what it sounds like - he struck out a shit ton of batters while walking very few of them. I'm no baseball genius, but isn't that what you want in a pitcher? That makes Estrada one of the most valuable pitchers on this staff and could be one of the rare finds out of a lackluster 2012 pitching year which could bode well for the upcoming season if he is able to keep this up. I have yet to ask his wife Janai if he was better in the bedroom but judging by the ear-to-ear smile that she was always wearing when I saw her on the Club Level I'm sure I know the answer. Although it would be nice to hear all of the juicy details. It certainly would be just like those steamy letters to Playboy that my friend Mike and I read after finding his Dad's stash when we were in 5th Grade. Oh what a time of discovery that was. So Mrs. Janai Estrada if you ever need someone to listen to the gory details of the lovemaking you do with your husband I'm all ears babe.
Tim Dillard, RP
Preseason Prediction: 2-3 record, 4.12 ERA, 37 games, 42 innings and continuing the legend in AAA Nashville when he is cut for a younger, better (but less interesting) pitcher who suits the needs of the Major League club.
2012 Actual: 0-2 record, 4.38 ERA, 34 games, 37 innings pitched and the most legendary pitcher that Milwaukee has ever seen even though most people don't even know his amazing story.
Tim Dillard isn't a very good pitcher. But what he lacks in the baseball department he makes up for it in the life department. Tim Dillard has lived more in his 29 years than the entire population of Myanmar (last estimated at 48,336,763) combined. The Legend of Tim Dillard is a fascinating tale that has been adding new stories every day since July 19,1983. This is one of those tales that is passed on from person to person until I started writing some of it down in March when I did my 2012 Milwaukee Brewers Season Preview on the Pitching Staff. But I knew at that time it was far from over. When the season started I decided that I would tell one story in The Legend of Tim Dillard through my Twitter account every time that he came in to pitch. Since there is nothing that I have to say about the way that he pitched in 2012 please read the following Tim Dillard facts:
Tim Dillard in for the brewers. Did you know as a volunteer firefighter he put out a 5-alarm fire on his own? Did you know Tim Dillard learned how to operate a backhoe before he could walk + started his own business at age 5? In the offseason Tim Dillard circumnavigated the globe in a paddleboat... in just 3 days. Tim Dillard achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at age 9, becoming the youngest Boy Scout to ever do that. While studying vulcanology in Hawaii, Tim Dillard discovered an ancient civilization of fish people. Tim Dillard betrayed his home state of Florida + fought for the North in the Civil War, earning the rank of General. Tim Dillard died climbing Mt. Everest in 1963. Who you see now is his clone from the future made from frozen DNA. Tim Dillard took his children's college funds and bet it all on black. It landed on green, but Dillard still won. Tim Dillard can speak fluent French, German, Latin, Hittite and also communicates with C3P0 in Bocce. Tim Dillard once jumped over Evel Knievel while he himself was jumping 14 Greyhound Busses. Tim Dillard doesn't dream at night. He is living his dreams by day. But that's also because he doesn't sleep. Tim Dillard won the Kentucky Derby in 2000 but was disqualified post-race when they discovered he falsified his age. Tim Dillard doesn't have a birthday. He was never born and will never die. He is eternal. The roof of Miller Park was never repaired years ago. When they need to open and close it, he does it with his mind. Tim Dillard invented a secret menu at 31 flavors and gets as many choices as he wants. No one limits Tim Dillard. Tim Dillard invented the first clock. That's why Tim Dillard is the only one who can tell you what time it is. When God said, "Let there be light" Tim Dillard said, "Thank you." and started writing his autobiography. Tim Dillard once performed surgery on himself. Not because he needed it, but because he just felt like it. Tim Dillard is an acclaimed stage actor and his role on Broadway as a baseball player impressed the scouts. Tim Dillard doesn't throw up, he throws down. They can remove HIM, but his legend remains in the game. Tim Dillard once bit a rattlesnake in half. But it didn't die, it just formed 2 new mini snakes. Tim Dillard and his family settled the Wild Wild West in 1743, where he became the first prospector. Tim Dillard invented formal wear. Before he debuted slacks and a vest, everyone just wore jeans and polos. Tim Dillard is a deep sea diver in the offseason. He uses that time to search for gold on the ocean floor. Tim Dillard stowed away on Apollo 13 inside the panels, causing the now famous abandonment of the mission. Tim Dillard said "Tails Never Fails" and flipped for his drinks... and never paid for another drink. Tim Dillard was asked to call Heads or Tails. He said no, and he was right. Tim Dillard doesn't need a passport to enter Canada. He gets in on reputation alone. Everyone knows the legend. In 1945 Tim Dillard ended a no-hitter by punching a Nazi in the face, almost single handedly ending World War II. Tim Dillard is the bastard son of George Lucas, conceived on Tattooine in a galaxy far, far away. Tim Dillard started the Colorado wildfires when one of his fastballs hit the dirt... and he wasn't even in CO. The Brewers are afraid to cut Tim Dillard. The last time they did, the stock market fell 635 points. Tim Dillard asked to go down to Nashville to start his Country Music career. He's gonna be a star.
On July 11 he was sent down to AAA Nashville and did not return to the Brewers for the rest of the year. Since I am focused entirely on the Major League Club I lost track of Tim Dillard in the final few months of the season. Someday I hope to reconnect with this man because he is the most interesting person of all time. But that appears unlikely because Dillard elected free agency and most likely will never return to the Brewers. Whatever team signs him gets his Legend as well so I hope they appreciate it as much as I have. The Legend of Tim Dillard was one of the most entertaining things that I have been a part of but at the end of the day it is all about results. And the 83-79 finish was a direct result of one of the worst bullpens in the Major Leagues. That having been said the bullpen was subject to an overhaul and no one was safe, not even if they are legendary.
Manny Parra, RP
Preseason Prediction: 3-3 record, 3.99 ERA, 58 innings pitched 72 strikeouts and make Brewers fans remember why they were so high on him years ago. And it wasn't the weed.
2012 Actual: 2-3 record, 5.06 ERA, 58.2 innings pitched, 61 strikeouts, 35 walks, 1.65 WHIP and you would have had to be high to think that Manny Parra lived up to his expectations.
Manny Parra ended his Brewers career as a disappointment. I'm sure that his Mother still loves him but his Father has probably disowned him. His Father has asked him to use his Mother's maiden name of Lopez so as not to bring down the Parra name as he continues his quest to be an average Major League Baseball player. General Manager Doug Melvin stuck with Parra more than he probably should have but with his "natural talent" Manny was destined to be a star. He may someday figure it out but it won't be as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. He was drafted in 2001, making him the longest tenured member of the Brewers behind Corey Hart (drafted in 2000) but after the season he had in 2012 it was time to let him go. Yes, I know that he pitched a perfect game with the AAA Nashville Sounds in 2007 and was named Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Year. But that was in 2007 - FIVE FUCKING YEARS AGO! We can't wait around for him to figure it all out and in the meantime have a 5.06 ERA with a 1.65 WHIP. That's insane. You'd have to be a mental case all tied up in a padded room to think those stats are alright out of the bullpen. I'll admit I was pretty high on Manny too. I have a Parra #43 jersey (which he wore from 2007-2008 before switching to #26 in 2009) so I'm an old-school fan. I was willing to give him a chance year after year and gave him one last shot in 2012 considering the past 2 years. In 2010 he sucked balls as a starter but flourished in the 2nd half when he was used solely in relief. In 2011 he was projected as a full time reliever but didn't throw a single pitch thanks to back and elbow injuries. In 2012 it was his time to nut up or shut up. And Parra shut the fuck up. That's why they are prospects. Some get traded and do well (Brett Lawrie), some get traded and suck ass (Matt LaPorta) and some are held on to for far too long (Manny Parra). Sometimes players just need a change of scenery. Parra is probably one of those players. I'd like to say that we'll see but I'll leave it up to you to follow the rest of his career. I've invested far too much with 0 payoff and quite frankly, I'm done. Have at it pal.
Kameron Loe, RP
Preseason Prediction: 2-4 record, 3.48 ERA, 66 innings pitched, 54 strikeouts and the tallest man in the Midwest that I care about since Robert Wadlow.
2012 Actual: 6-5 record, 4.61 ERA, 68.1 innings pitched, 55 strikeouts and he found out that even at his 6'8" frame he could be easily replaced by someone of similar stature.
Kameron Loe was a lot better than people gave him credit for. At the end of the 2012 season they ran him out of town with pitchforks and torches. It was probably because at 6'8", 245 pounds and with bolts in his neck he looked similar to Frankenstein's Monster. Although he is not a hodgepodge of body parts reanimated with lightning by a crazy mad scientist he was still treated as unjustly as if he were. The townspeople probably don't remember the 2nd half of 2011 when he was lights out because he was used effectively. In 2012 he was used too much and in the wrong situations but I don't blame Manager Ron Roenicke because he didn't have a choice. Every pitcher in the bullpen was God awful which forced him to play his pitchers out of their comfort zones. There wasn't a single pitcher in the bullpen who had a good year and Loe was just a victim of circumstance. I tend to stand up for a lot of players (if you've been following this blog for more than a year then you already know about my undying support for Rickie Weeks) and I certainly will stand up for Loe as well. But the fact remains that if the bullpen was anywhere near what it was in 2012 we would have made the playoffs. Just think about it - we were an 83 win team with the worst bullpen in the NL that had a 4.66 ERA and 29 blown saves. If you take away 10 of those blown saves and reduce the ERA to around 4.00 you easily have a 90 win team which would have won the 2nd Wildcard spot. The bullpen was the biggest issue with this team in 2012 and they had to clean house to prove to the fans that they were addressing the issue. Kameron Loe was a big (literally) part of the bullpen from 2010-2012 but there's a revolving door out in the left field of Miller Park. The door keeps moving but there are always different people coming out of it. Most Brewers fans will be happy that the GM Doug Melvin declined to tender him a contract but I still think he got the short end of the stick here. If I was GM I would have done the same thing so I can't really be too upset but I still think people were too harsh on him. Well that's just my opinion, but what the fuck do I know?
Jose Veras, RP
Preseason Prediction: 2-3 record, 4.08 ERA, 61 innings pitched, 64 strikeouts and better than the hodgepodge collection of old bowling shoes, miscellaneous board game pieces and Nerf ball assortment that he was traded for.
2012 Actual: 5-4 record, 3.63 ERA, 67 innings pitched, 79 strikeouts, 40 walks, 1.51 WHIP and not as useful as (or as fun as) the collection of old bowling shoes, miscellaneous board game pieces and Nerf ball assortment that he was traded for.
Jose Veras is a curious case. His stats show that he wasn't all that bad but here is a case where the eye test is a better way to evaluate his performance in the 2012 season. If there is one thing that I'm really good at is the eye test. I watch close to 150 of the 162 Brewers games in a season. I miss a few when I'm up at Afterglow and on some other random days of the year but for the most part I'm so obsessed with this team that I can't stand to miss a game. So believe me when I say that Veras was frustrating to watch. I'll admit that I wasn't expecting too much from Veras because his career stats showed that he was a workhorse type pitcher who would give you a high 3 ERA with a ton of appearances/innings. He did that as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. But the eye test showed that he walked a lot of batters (40 in 67 innings) and was allowing 1.51 walks or hits per inning pitched (WHIP). If you need that spelled out for you instead of in stat form let me be your professor for a minute. Just make sure that you take notes or else you will not pass my exam. Unless you are a hot coed who is willing to come in during office hours for some extra credit if you know what I mean. Veras gave up a lot of hits and walks. There always seemed to be a man on base when he was pitching and he rarely had a "clean" inning (3 up, 3 down). If he walked the first batter, struck out the 2nd then gave up a hit, there would be runners on 1st and 3rd with only one out. Because of this .Roenicke would be forced to bring in another pitcher because Veras had already thrown close to 30 pitches trying to record that one out. It seemed like he could never get out of the mess he created and always had to be pulled from the game. When relievers can't pitch a full a full inning that taxes the bullpen and forces the Manager to use a guy when he should have had a day off. I'm sure the Roenicke was pretty frustrated with Veras but at 56 years old I'm sure that he is getting used to being frustrated. Sexually. I do hope that Roenicke and his wife still get it on in the twilight years of their marriage but I know that he doesn't need any extra frustration. That's probably why he personally went to GM Doug Melvin's office and asked for Veras to not be tendered a contract for 2013. I know Melvin agreed with him because at 60 years old he can't take any more frustration either. I know that they make a pill for that but that is only supposed to be for people who are in good health. I don't claim to be a physician but I do know that Jose Veras was bad for both Roenicke and Melvin's health.
Francisco "KRod" Rodriguez, RP
Preseason Prediction: 3-2 record, 2.57 ERA, 67 innings pitched, 76 strikeouts, 5 saves and part of the best one-two punches since Chris Farley and David Spade.
2012 Actual: 2-7 record, 4.38 ERA, 72 innings pitched, 72 strikeouts, 31 walks, 1.33 WHIP, 3 for 10 in Save Opportunities and resembled David Spade's career post-Black Sheep (hint: it wasn't that good).
The Brewers offered KRod arbitration at the end of the 2011 season to to secure a draft pick when he did sign with another team. The whole arbitration/draft pick compensation thing is a concept that few casual fans really understand. I think it was the right move because KRod did have a really good half season after his trade to the Brewers and it looked like he was primed for a big (if not multi-year) free agent contract. But he surprised everyone by accepting the arbitration offer essentially signing a yet to be determined 1-year contract for the 2102 season. When that contract ended up being for $8 million dollars fans were a little skeptical because that's a lot of dollars for a set-up man. I'll admit I was excited about having him back for a entire season because he really was that good in 2011. But as good as he was in helping them win the NL Central and advancing to the NLCS he was also a huge reason why they couldn't repeat that in 2012. Even if you didn't watch every game like I did you simply need to check out his stats to see how bad he was. He was responsible for 7 losses and blew 7 saves. As a veteran reliever who has 294 career saves (including a MLB record 62 as a member of the Los Angles Angels in 2008) he was insurance in case Axford slipped up. Axford did falter in 2012 and KRod was as a good of a backup plan as there in in the league but he didn't take advantage of the opportunity.
You could even say that he was a whole lot worse. As much as I blame guys like Parra, Loe and Veras for the bullpen failure of 2012 it's hard not to ask KRod and Axford to shoulder the majority of the blame. When you give up the lead in the 5th or 6th inning there is still plenty of time for the offense to come back and win the game. When you give up the lead in the 8th or 9th inning you are asking the offense to rally from behind when the game is on the line. The Brewers offense is good enough to put up some runs late by stealing bases or hitting home runs, but even the best offense in the NL isn't good enough to come from behind every night. I was expecting better things from from KRod in 2012. His track record certainly couldn't have predicted this outcome. Before 2012 his highest ERA was 3.71 in 2009 with the New York Mets. But that year he also saved 35 of 42 games so it still wasn't that bad. He picked a really bad time to have the worst year of his career. Bad years happen. That's part of the game. But when you are making $8 million dollars and have had success in the past fans are expecting a lot out of you. I don't know if it was the lack of goggles (he experimented with contacts in August) or complacency late in his career but Francisco Rodriguez really screwed us over this year. I don't like the point fingers but I've got one of those big ol' "We're #1" foam fingers pointed right at him and John Axord. Sorry pals, but it is kind of your fault why we were sitting at home watching the playoffs instead of at Miller Park. Thanks for 2011, fuck you for 2012 and good riddance in 2013 and all future years.
John Axford, RP
Preseason Prediction: 2-3 record, 2.48 ERA, 69 innings pitched, 81 strikeouts, 41 saves in 46 chances and an inspiration to every man, woman and child who has ever wanted to grow a Mustache.
2012 Actual: 5-8 record, 4.67 ERA, 69.1 innings pitched, 93 strikeouts, 39 walks, 1.44 WHIP, 35 for 44 in Save Opportunities and the wearer of the greatest mustache on a man not named Rollie Fingers, Bernie Brewer, Tom Selleck or my Dad Mike in the 70/80's.
These words I'm writing about Axford is the last thing I am doing before posting this article. I kind of did that on purpose. That's because he's the closer of your Milwaukee Brewers and is counted on to go out there and finish the game. Axford had an incredible 2011 season so I guess it was a little unfair of me (or anyone for that matter) to expect him to repeat that. Even if he would have slipped a little bit I'm sure that Brewers fans would have cut him some slack. But he slipped a lot. Like he was on a god damned slip n' slide. Fans quickly turned on him because it stings so much more when you blow a lead in the 9th versus the 6th. And there were a couple of stretches where he couldn't buy a save if he was Uncle Scrooge McDuck and had to be removed from the closer's roll. Looking at his numbers now makes me realize that they could have been much worse if he hadn't rebounded with the team in August and September. He still did manage 35 saves and 93 strikeouts but his 8 losses, 9 blown saves and high WHIP really tell the tale of his season. He just wasn't that good. And that's no secret man. I'm sure if you asked him about his 2012 season he'd probably say it was a disappointment. For as much as we hate to see them go out and fail they hate it more because it costs them future money, respect and a chance at a World Series Ring. Besides, it's no fun to go out there and suck at your job. It feels terrible whether you work in a cubicle, fast food restaurant or on the pitching mound for the Milwaukee Brewers. It hurts to let yourself, your family, your teammates, your bosses and your fans down. And because John Axford is so active on social media sites like Twitter, he probably got some pretty awful attacks from fans hiding behind their avatars that would constantly berate him after a poor performance. I bet he'd like to forget 2012. But something can be learned from this. Hopefully something that will prevent it from ever happening again.
I bet you're wondering why I'm being so nice to Axford and not giving him his just due for his season. That's because 1 little thing can change your entire perspective. Because I have waited until deep in the offseason to write this (and have been writing this entry off and on for over a month at this point) a lot has changed since the season ended. The biggest thing that happened was the Brewers on Deck event at the Delta Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee on Sunday January 27th. I'll get into more details as soon as I have gathered more pictures and video from the event but long story short I got to meet John Axford and compete alongside him on a Family Feud type game show. While waiting backstage I chatted with him about playing for Canada in the World Baseball Classic and what it was like to be a baseball player. I also got my picture taken with him and he retweeted my Tweet about my experience. Of all the other players I met that afternoon (Yovani Gallardo, Mat Gamel, Chris Narveson, Victor Roache, Scooter Gennett, Jimmy Nelson and Josh Prince) Axford was by far the nicest, most genuine person I met. I shouldn't lump Scooter Gennett in with those other guys because he was outstanding as well, but this is really about the Axman, who is now my 2nd favorite Brewers player behind Rickie Weeks. Because of the few minutes I spent talking with him he has earned a lifetime pass from me as far as negative criticism goes. Sure he might get me all riled up at times but I just think about how much I want him to succeed not only in baseball but also in life because I got the impression that he was one of the Good Guys. And you always cheer for the Good Guys to win. Unless you're an asshole. I'm going to consider Axford's 2012 season a tough one, but also one that can be used as a learning tool for him going forward. If this is the worst year we see from him then you may very well be looking at the greatest closer that this team has ever seen. Yes, even greater than Fingers, Plesac and the World's Greatest Superhero Derrick Turnbow.
Mike Fiers, SP
Preseason Prediction: N/A
2012 Actual: 9-10 record, 3.74 ERA, 22 starts, 127.2 innings pitched, 135 strikeouts and had an interesting tale in 2012 and not the kind that hangs from the rears of animals. I'm talking about the one that is a story.
This guy was so hot for May, June and July that one could say he was on Fiers. Couldn't resist even though it doesn't really make sense. And speaking of things that don't make sense let me present Mike Fiers and the tale of two seasons. He made his first career start on May 29 and got his first career win by going 7 innings giving up only 1 run. In June he was 2-2 with a 2.51 ERA. In July he was 1-2 with a 1.01 ERA. August was when his season started to turn. Even though he had a 4-2 record courtesy of the Brewers' offense and their incredible hot streak that month Fiers didn't really help himself out as evident by his 4.89 ERA for the month. September was where he really bottomed out with 1-4 record and a 7.09 ERA. Everyone insisted it wasn't fatigue but his number of innings between AAA and the Brewers was 177.2 which was by far a career high. In previous years in the Minors he had topped out at 127.2. The Minor League season is shorter than the Majors and therefor can't fully prepare a young player for the Majors. Plus there is better talent up there or else it wouldn't be The Show. The fact that Fiers was able to do as well as he did for the majority of the season proved to me that he is ready to be a part of the rotation next year. I like what I saw from him and if he keeps it up he could be kind of a gem seeing as he was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2009 draft. How much of a success story would that be? Mike Fiers was one of the bright spots in an otherwise dim season. Seeing as how he came out of nowhere to be a #3 pitcher made me feel better about next year. If he pitches like he did in the first half of 2012 he's going to a real solid middle of the rotation starter. Let's just hope that August and September was due to fatigue and he has learned to properly condition himself so that it doesn't happen again next year.
Mark Rogers, SP
Preseason Prediction: N/A
2012 Actual: 3-1 record, 3.92 ERA, 7 starts, 39 innings pitched, 41 strikeouts and the new Mr. Rogers of this Neighborhood seeing as how the Aaron one lives in Green Bay and the Fred one has unfortunately passed.
Mark Rogers shouldn't have been on the Brewers this year but we're all glad that he was. I can almost guarantee it was a big deal for him seeing as he seemingly has been struggling with staying healthy for his entire Minor League career. He would have likely finished out the season in AAA and called it a year but he was brought up to the Majors when Zack Greinke was traded to the Angels. With every ending there is a new beginning I guess. But this was a really good thing because Rogers essentially proved that he could have success up here and put his foot in the door for 2013. Rogers looked good on the mound. Real good. He looked like the pitcher the Brewers drafted out of High School with the 5th overall pick of the 2004 draft. Wow. It took him that long to reach the Majors. Getting hurt is a real bitch as multiple shoulder injuries delayed his ascension through the system. Aside for Yovanni Gallardo, the Brewers have had some real trouble (oh trouble) drafting and developing pitchers. But all that looks like it is starting to change. Rogers is a hard throwing righty who can bring it in the mid-90's and also features a slider, changeup and curveball. When this guy is right he's a damn fine pitcher and he certainly passes the ol' Iceman eye test. I like what I saw from him this year and I share GM Doug Melvin's vote of confidence in Mr. Rogers. It's good to have another Rogers in the state of Wisconsin because you know what they say - you can never have enough Rogers! Roger that pal!
I'm going to write something in here to see how many people actually read this crap. It's a little embarrassing. When I was in my young teens I stayed up late watching the Playboy channel at my Grandparents house (where my Uncle was also living). They had every cable channel (all the premium ones too) even though they only paid for basic cable due to some glitch. So when I would stay over I'd watch movies and shit and when everyone went to bed I would switch it to the naughty channels. Don't judge me. I was a young man going through puberty. We're just wired that way. But what does this have to do with Roger? That name will always make me laugh. One of the first scenes I remember is this girl doing things to herself with some ice cubes while fantasizing about this guy Roger. While writhing on top of the sheets she moaned out his name in ecstasy Over and over and over again. And even though I had the volume down low as to not get caught, the name Roger will always be connected with that image. Roger. Oh Roger. And that my friends is why you choose my blog as your source for all things Brewers. I dare you to show me another website that will tell you things like that interspersed with coverage of your favorite baseball team. And I wonder why I could never make it as a sportswriter. I don't think ESPN, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel or The Sporting News wants their readers to know how female masturbation relates to a baseball player. That's why I have my own blog. I can do anything I want on here. And if left unchecked I tend to get a little wild. Just like that chick did for Roger.
Livan Hernandez, RP
Preseason Prediction: N/A
2012 Actual: 3-0 record, 7.68 ERA, 36.1 innings pitched, 29 strikeouts and older and more useless than dirt. I don't know if you've noticed, but dirt is pretty damn old and basically serves no purpose.
Sometimes I don't understand what GM Doug Melvin is doing. I agree with about 90% of the things that he does and I put my trust in him when it comes to putting together a team with the payroll restrictions of a small/mid market. He can't afford to make mistakes and has to take chances on low risk/high reward guys. So I get trading for a guy like Jose Veras who should have been a solid addition to the bullpen. But I have no idea why he acquired Livan Hernandez. My best guess was at the time the time they signed him (June 22nd) the bullpen was in complete disarray. There was this mass shuffle of players being sent down to AAA and others being recalled in an effort to find someone who could just go out there and pitch without giving up 4 runs late in the game. Hernandez had just been released by the Braves and the Brewers picked up him up at a bargain price that is normally regulated to the DVD bin at Walmart that includes Chill Factor and Along Came Polly. So in that regard I the Brewers really didn't pay a lot of money for his services.
They decided to take a chance that this 16-year veteran could stabilize the bullpen and at least eat up some innings. Hernandez is so old that he played for the Montreal Expos (2003-2004). Remember them? Canada's other MLB team? That's how long he's been in the league man. But he didn't work out. You need only to look at his 7.68 ERA to prove that. He was about as helpful as your Grandpa when you need to move a couch up 3 flights of stairs. I bet he just stood around and regaled Josh Stinson of how he was doing it wrong and back in his day they had to pitch 6 innings in each game of a doubleheader on back to back nights while walking uphill both ways from city to city on a roadtrip. Stinson probably just shook his head and tried to stay off Old Man Hernandez's lawn. Look, I get trying to improve the bullpen but they should have recognized the mistake and cut Hernandez in August when things started clicking. He barely pitched in the last month of the season which led fans and sportswriters to wonder why he was even on this team. I'm all for a veteran presence in the pen and in the clubhouse but at some point the results need to be on the field and Livan Hernandez just didn't perform. So good riddance Hope you don't go dying on us though. Because Senior Citizens, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, still can serve a purpose.
Jim Henderson, RP
Preseason Prediction: N/A
2012 Actual: 1-3 record, 3.52 ERA, 30.2 innings pitched, 45 strikeouts, 3 for 7 in Save Opportunities and showed why some players are just career Minor Leaguers.
Look I really don't have anything against Jim Henderson. I don't have anything against Harry and the Hendersons. John Lithgow was great in that flick and Kevin Peter Hall (who also played the Predator Monster) made the bigfoot Harry a rather sympathetic creature. But all the people who appointed him as the bullpen savoir and rallied for him to be the new closer when Axford faltered were out of their minds. He was an average Minor League pitcher with a 40-35 record and a 3.96 ERA. But there is a reason why he spent 10 years in the Minors before making his Major League debut here in 2012 - he was an average Minor League pitcher with a 40-35 record and a 3.96 ERA. That's nothing to get excited about. He's just a guy. He was really only brought up by default seeing as how every other reliever sucked balls.I don't mean to talk shit about Henderson but I do think he is getting some unnecessary praise. I mean the guy had 3 losses and 4 blown saves in only 30 innings. Could he be a decent setup guy? Sure. Is he closer insurance? No. Is he reliable in the bullpen? Maybe. He's all but guaranteed a spot in 2013 despite the Brewers cleaning house out there like a Spanish maid. By the way we need more lemon Pledge. I don't get the love for Henderson but the only explanation was that there was so much hate for Axford and KRod that the fans were begging for anyone except those two knuckleheads. But I'll tell you what - I'll take a bad Axford or KRod over a good Henderson any day. Call me crazy but I just don't understand the love. After all, Henderson is just a guy.
Wily Peralta, SP
Preseason Prediction: N/A
2012 Actual: 2-1 record, 2.48 ERA, 5 starts, 29 innings pitched, 23 strikeouts and cemented his place in the 2013 rotation due to his poise and natural talent.
When I see the name Wily I can't help but think about Wile E. Coyote. That's because Wily is pronounced Willy even though it is missing one L. That's the kind of shit that confuses me like Mat (Gamel) with one T instead of two. It's just not right. But Peralta more than makes up for it with his natural ability and his thoughtful aversion from all ACME products. That's what makes Wily Wily. Along with Tyler Thornburg he is at the top of most Brewers Prospects lists and will continue to get better because he is just 23 years of age. Other "young" players (at least by experience) like Fiers (27), Rogers (27) and Estrada (29) have 4-6 years on him so you have to expect some growing pains with this kid. And we're not talking about the Kirk Cameron/Alan Thicke Growing Pains but if you'd like to talk about that then email me at biggestgrowingpainsfan@gmail.com. Out of all the players who should be on the 25 man roster for the 2013 season I'm most excited to watch Peralta work his magic. 2nd on that list would have to be Jean Segura. But Peralta headlines a pitching staff behind Gallardo that will make or break the season for the Crew. If he pitches anywhere near like he did in September then we'll have a really good #2 to put behind Gallardo and everyone else can fall in their respective places. If he falters then Estrada is your #2 and the Brewers are in for a world of hurt. But I have a good feeling about this kid because we are simply due for another pitching prospect working out. It's the law of averages. We've had so many position players that we've drafted (Braun, Fielder, Weeks, Hart, Hardy and Lucroy) in recent years succeed but really only two pitchers (Gallardo and Sheets). Here's hoping that Peralta will help even that out and bring a few of his friends with him (Rogers, Thornburg and Hiram Burgos).
Tyler Thornburg, RP/SP
Preseason Prediction: N/A
2012 Actual: 0-0 record, 4.50 ERA, 3 starts, 22 innings pitched, 20 strikeouts and the backup plan in case Peralta, Rogers or Fiers don't work out.
Tyler Thornburg is the Brewers #1 or #2 (with Wily Peralta being the other) prospect depending on which list you are reading. He's got some damn good Minor League stats (21-10, 2.77 ERA in 51 starts with 311 strikeouts to 106 walks) to back up his placement at the top of those lists and his Major League debut was eagerly anticipated even though one could argue that it happened too soon. Seeing as he was only drafted in 2010 and hasn't spent a full year at AA or AAA he might have not been ready for the big leagues. On June 19 Thornburg made his debut in place of Shaun Marcum who just went on the DL. It was only meant to be for one start and then sent back down to the Minors. Even though Thornburg would probably say that he was happy to get his feet wet in the Bigs and he will always remember his first start, it was less than stellar. I was at the game as a fan and I'll admit I was jazzed up because of all the hype. For the first 2 innings he looked real good but then gave up a 2 run homerun to former Brewers prospect Brett Lawrie (who you may remember as the guy we traded to get Shaun Marcum) and it kind of went downhill from there. In the 6th inning he gave up back-to-back-to-back solo homeruns and was pulled from the game. After that game he was sent down to AAA to continue what was already a great Minor League season (8-1, 3.00 ERA at AA in 13 starts).
I would have been totally fine if they left Thornburg down there all season to continue to develop and mature. Estrada and Fiers were doing just fine in the rotation and Wolf for whatever reason was still allowed to be a part of it. Thornburg was brought back up for 2 weeks in July but they goofed around with him and gave him 1 start during that stretch while using him as a reliever the rest of the time. He didn't fare any better and was sent back to AAA Nashville. He was brought back up in September and barely got to pitch. I even kind of forgot that he was on this team. He got one last start on the 2nd to last game of the season headlining an all youth team that saw Schafer, Bianchi, Green, Segura and Maldonado getting starts. He was a little better that day but all in all his season with the Brewers was kind of a wash. His Minor League season was another step in the right direction but toying with him as a starter or a reliever seemed like a mistake. There's no doubt that he will start the season in AAA as Gallardo, Estrada, Fiers, Peralta, Rogers and Narveson fighting for 5 spots. Thornburg will provide some good insurance and it's could be a good thing that he experienced some failure in the Majors to get that out of his system. Hopefully he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder and has something to prove next year as he profiles as the 1st starter called up in case of injury or poor performance. 2012 wasn't a great year for Thornburg while wearing a Brewers uniform but he certainly will have plenty more opportunities to make up for it.
Brandon Kintzler, RP
Preseason Prediction: N/A
2012 Actual: 3-0 record, 3.78 ERA, 16.2 innings pitched, 14 strikeouts and on the short list of 2012 relievers welcomed back in 2013.
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I don't write this article all at once nor do I do it in a linear fashion. There is way too much information in here to write it all out in one session. When I come back here I pick out a player and go to town. The reason I bring that up is that a lot that I have to say about Brandon Kinzler was already said about Mike McClendon. If you read left to right, top to bottom like a normal person then you wouldn't have read that yet which makes it weird that I reference it. But Kintzler is a lot like McClendon in so many ways except for one - he most certainly will be a part of the Brewers bullpen in 2013. Except for that (which is a pretty big deal around these parts because I only care about players on this team) they are pretty similar - neither were drafted by the Brewers, both had good minor league numbers and they also had success with the Brewers in 2010 and 2011. But the difference with them was the 2012 season. Kintzler did well while McClendon sucked balls. Literally. I SEEN HIM! Kintzler was limited in 2011 due to an arm injury and spent 2012 working back to full strength. When he came back to the Brewers he did well which put him on the radar for the future. As everyone knows there were some wholesale changes made when they parted ways with Parra, Loe, Veras, KRod and all the other losers but one of the names who wasn't on the list was Kintzler. He is expected to be back along with Axford, Henderson and the assortment of new faces. How long he will last in the bullpen is up to his performance but he certainly does have the talent and the eye of the GM to last as long as his numbers allow. We saw just a smidgen of his potential in 2012 (because you really can't judge anything off of 14 innings) but I'm guessing you'll be hearing his name again.
Mike McClendon, RP
Preseason Prediction: N/A
2012 Actual: 0-0 record, 6.43 ERA, 14 innings pitched, 4 strikeouts and remembered as nothing more than a pretty face even though he's not that handsome.
There are 25 men on the active MLB roster. Over the course of the season that roster is going to change due to injury or lack of performance. The bullpen is an area where there will always be a rotating spot. You typically have 8 players out there - closer, setup man, long reliever, specialist and 4 other randoms that fill in the rest of the blanks. Those 4 roles that I mentioned generally don't change (although in 2012 they fluctuated more than I have ever seen before) but the other 4 spots are occupied by guys like Mike McClendon. He was pretty good in 2010 (2-0, 3.00 ERA in 21 innings) and 2011 (3-0, 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings) with solid Minor League numbers (career 38-32, 3.56 ERA in 541 innings) to warrant another shot in 2012. He couldn't be any worse than the clusterfuck that was already perpetrating the bullpen so far, right? Turns out he was just as bad and only lasted 14 innings in the Majors before being sent back to to the Minors. When all seemed like it was going to hell he had a chance to step up and establish himself once again as a good bullpen arm and earn himself a spot on the 2013 team. But in 2012 any member of the bullpen ended up succumbing to the same sickness. There must have been some kind of disease infested monster out there because even guys who showed success in the past (at both the Minor and Major League levels) fell apart. After the season McClendon was released by the Brewers and has since signed with the Colorado Rockies. I'm sure most people out there will hardly remember him. And why should they?
Josh Stinson, RP
Preseason Prediction: N/A
2012 Actual: 0-0 record, 0.96 ERA, 9.1 innings pitched, 3 strikeouts and may get an opportunity to stick around as part of the 2013 bullpen.
Josh Stinson put up some pretty good numbers at AA Hunstville (11-9, 3.16 ERA in 24 starts but did have an alarmingly high WHIP courtesy of 71 walks in 145.1 innings) that earned him a September call-up. For those not well versed in baseball there are 25 players on an active roster that are eligible to play in any given Major League game. Then there is a 40 man roster which contains the 25 members of the active roster plus 15 other players from the Minor Leagues that can be called up at any given point in the season to the active roster. One of the reasons you see the same players brought up and sent down is because they are on that roster. I know it's boring and technical but it explains why players like Mike McClendon and Tim Dillard kept getting chances while some of the kids lighting up AA or AAA weren't brought in. People were crying for change but not much can be done if that player isn't on the 40 man roster. Doug Melvin's hands were tied because adding a player no on the 40 man would mean removing someone else and burning up a Minor League option if he was put on the active roster. If you understand that then you realize nothing really could be done to fix the bullpen this year if every player was pitching poorly. If you don't understand why there wasn't an easy solution to the black hole out there then you have no choice but to take my word for it.
Beginning September 1st the rosters expand to 40 and any of those players on the 40 man roster are allowed to join the Major League team. Besides costing the team more on their dinner bills and overcrowding the locker room these September call-ups can give the regulars some much needed rest as they prepare for October (playoff) baseball. In the Brewers' case they were still in the fight for the 2nd Wild Card and couldn't afford for any of their starters to sit out. Because of that Stinson only saw action in 9 innings. In previous years when the team was eliminated from the playoffs with 2-3 weeks remaining in the season it gave these call-ups a chance to prove themselves ready for the big leagues. It would give them an opportunity to impress the Coaching Staff and GM in a real game as opposed to Spring Training where the stats and results can be a little misleading. So why did I talk about this shit instead of Josh Stinson? Even though writing about a player despite not knowing anything about him has never stopped me before I decided that this was an opportune time to bring up September call-ups and the roster issues which contributed to the bullpen woes this season. I'm willing to give Stinson a shot at the bullpen in 2013 but seeing as he has yet to pitch in AAA for the Brewers he's probably going to pitch down there awaiting his chance to jump through the revolving door.
Vinnie Chulk. RP
Preseason Prediction: N/A
2012 Actual: 1-0 record, 10.00 ERA, 9 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts and notable for one reason only - by earning a victory, on that night you could Chulk up a Win for the Brewers.
I don't think I could really say anything about Vinnie Chulk without feeling like my soul is burning in hell. That's because he looks like a retarded kid who should be pitching in the Special Olympics instead of for a Major League team. There's something about his face (I think it's that his eyes are too close together) that suggests Down Syndrome or Mental Retardation. You can't make fun of a kid for being a little slow. Instead you are supposed to support him by standing up and clapping at even the most mundane of accomplishments and pat him on the back saying, "Nice work pal!" and "Go get him champ!" That's how I feel about Vinnie. He's just a big kid with a heart of gold. He goes out there and gives 100% effort but he's just not as good as the other kids. But no one, not even the umpires, have the heart to tell him that he'll never be as good as the other Major League pitchers. But we're all willing to let him think that he has a chance. Even though the clubhouse attendant had to tie his shoes and make sure he was wearing pants, Vinnie thought he was a big boy and that he did it all by himself. Hooray Vinnie! I hope that Gold Medal around your neck doesn't give you a bigger head than you already have. Seriously, why do people with mental retardation have such big heads? And why do midgets have normal sized heads on miniature bodies? That creeps me out man. And now excuse while I enter the witness protection program or flee the country because I made fun of midgets and retards. Apparently you're not supposed to do that in the politically correct World of 2013.
Juan Perez, RP
Preseason Prediction: N/A
2012 Actual: 0-1 record, 5.14 ERA, 7 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts and fallen off of the map like the god damn World was flat.
Where can you find Juan Perez? Let's brainstorm for a minute as to possible locations - on the back of a milk carton, in the corner with a lampshade on his head, hanging by his neck in his fucking closet, traversing the world with Carmen San Diego, pixelated in one of those seeing eye portraits that you need to relax your eyes to decipher, doing voice-over work in Japanese Anime, coaching 4-year-olds in T-Ball, ascending to the summit of K2 in Pakistan, in the crowd hoping to be the next contestant on The Price is Right, in line at the bank trying to cash in those savings bonds his Grandmother gave him for his 12th birthday, evading U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard as a Fugitive on the run, eating his weight in summer sausage at the Waukesha County Fair, counting all the bees in the hive and chasing all the clouds from the sky in Pooh Corner, applying for citizenship in Canada, pawning his Grandfather's gold teeth to pay rent, singing "Livin' la Vida Loca" in a dive bar in Tijuana, chasing after those Lucky Charms, feeling the need... the need for speed at Mach 3 in the Danger Zone, unwillingly dropping his loose change in the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese's, working for slave wages in Willy Wonka's factory, training with the Jamaican Bobsled Team as the 5th member to provide backup, closing his eyes and make believe so he can be anywhere but he's probably sitting at home in Villa Rivas in the Dominican Republic. Truth be told I don't know where the hell he is nor do I care. I don't even remember him being on the Brewers in 2012 and I don't think he'll ever make an impact on a Major League team. Considering that he is 34 years old and has pitched a total of 27.2 innings in his big league career really shows how desperate the Milwaukee Brewers were in 2012 to try just about anyone out of the bullpen. Seeing as how they gave Juan Perez (a career Minor Leaguer with 771 innings over 12 seasons) a chance pitch shows how desperate they were. I'm surprised that they didn't start grabbing kids who were throwing at the fast pitch game in the Associated Bank Kid's Zone out in right field and putting them in for a few batters in the 6th inning. That's how bad the bullpen was this year man. If Juan Perez gets a shot, then shouldn't we all get an opportunity to toe the rubber?
I hope you were able to read all of this shit about the Brewers pitching staff without having crazy 'Nam-like flashbacks to the 2012 season. How many times do we need to be reminded that the game begins and ends with pitching? Without quality arms out there on the mound we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over and over again. I've been on this ride for my entire life and eventually I'm going to get off because it's just not fun anymore. But amid all of the murkiness and doubt there were a couple of bright spots. The bullpen exposed itself and forced Doug Melvin to make some changes instead of holding on to bums like Manny Parra forever. And then guys like Fiers, Peralta and Rogers proved that they have what it takes to be Major League starters. And then there is John Axford. He had such an outstanding 2011 that where everything seemed to work out in his favor. By dealing with adversity and bouncing back you got to see his true character and that he is a player that can handle the bad time and the good. And that my friends is exactly the kind of pitcher I want closing games.
The offense, as I pointed out last month, was one of the best in baseball but as we all witnessed this year that it really doesn't mean jack shit if we can't stop the other team from scoring. Baseball, like life, is all about balance and when you couple the best offense with one of the worst pitching staffs then you are left with a team right around .500. That might have been good a few years ago when we had something like 12 consecutive losing seasons, but fans around here just don't accept that anymore thanks to Playoff appearances in 2008 and 2011. Brewers fans fill up the stadium to an unbelievable 3 million + considering the market size so it is understandable that they expect big things from the owner and management to give them a competitive team. And despite some of the inexperience on the pitching staff this will be a competitive team again in 2013. Of course we're hoping for better results than the 2012 team but at least they made it interesting right down to the last week of the season. And a lot of that was courtesy of guys like Peralta, Fiers and Rogers. That and a nice comeback by Axford and his other bullpen mates. If not for the late season surge then we may have had a pretty sour taste in our mouths. What a difference a month or two makes, right? But it all comes down to pitching. That has always been a make or break with this team and it will be no different in the coming years. But that's something we'll talk about real soon as the page has already turned from 2012 to 2013. I'm just a couple of months late. Sorry pal. But I've got a suggestion for you - deal with it. But make sure you come back. I doubt this will the last time I have something to say about the Milwaukee Brewers.
- pookon -
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