2009 Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Preview

The Milwaukee Brewers (90- 72) finally broke the drought and managed to earn a Wild Card trip to the playoffs. Although they fell quickly to the Phillies in the division series, fans remained heady. It was a good season. GM Doug Melvin has been on the job since 2002 and has done a fine job. Last season, he brought in number one starter CC Sabathia at midseason and that was a major difference maker.

The Brewers will have their work cut out for them with the pitching staff they'll field this season. Yovani Gallardo (0- 0 W/L, 1.88 ERA, .256 BAA) is trying to come back from a torn ACL. He plays his fastball off both sides of the plate and can change speeds on his curve at will. His changeup will appear at any time. Dave Bush (9- 10 W/L, 4.18 ERA, .234 BAA) features a two-seam fastball with a late break. He has trouble spotting his curve. Veteran Jeff Suppan (10- 10 W/L, 4.96 ERA, .298 BAA) carries an array of pitches that he can throw at will. He's a cagey, durable vet. Lefty Manny Parra (10- 8 W/L, 4.39 ERA, .278 BAA) will win some games if he can stay healthy. Seth McClung (6- 6 W/L, 4.02 ERA, .243 BAA) has a big breaking curve and a two- and four-seam fastball. He may go from starter to reliever. The bullpen is sketchy and a closer is yet to be seen.

The Brewers are a home run hitting team. Last season, they were fifth in that category and eight in total bases. Leadoff man Rickie Weeks (.234 BA, 46 RBI, 14 HR, 19 SB) has a quick bat with some solid pop. J.J. Hardy (.283 BA, 74 RBI, 24 HR), Ryan Braun (.285 BA, 106 RBI, 37 HR) and Prince Fielder (.276 BA, 102 RBI, 34 HR) can knock the ball out of the park at will.

The team's fielding was average. Catcher Jason Kendall is a fine game caller and a skilled receiver. At first, Fielder is out of shape and a defensive liability. At short, Hardy is a fine player, while second baseman Weeks has a good arm but poor footwork. At third, Hall is passable, but his throws are uneven and streaky. In center, Cameron gets a fine jump and closes quickly. Right fielder Hart is an under average defender. Former third baseman Braun played a solid left field in 2008.

Melvin is a smart general manager who knows how to fill gaps. He's willing to go headlong after excellent players. Manager Ken Macha, an intelligent veteran, takes over the club. He knows how to handle players, game situations and weak rosters. He should be a good match for this team.

Although Melvin made a strong effort to retain Sabathia, he lost one of the best starters in the game to the Yanks. The good news is that the roster is filled with a boatload of young, talented hitters. That being said, this team has to learn how to manufacture runs without the long ball and they must somehow get the pitching rotation to overachieve.

Check out the Brewers other NL central division rivals, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros.

For more info on Milwaukee check out the MLB website for the Brewers.