Baseball and Tiger Woods returned on the same day. The sports universe is happy.
Oh, and Tiger started his first tournement since the U.S. Open going birdie-eagle. He is pretty good.
Major League News
Tony Gwynn Jr. could be sidelined for up to a month with his shoulder impingement. Gwynn is reporting that it has been getting better and has just plateaued a bit, but Macha reponded:
“It’s going to be a while on his shoulder. The reports are that he is
getting better. The definition of better is nebulous,” Brewers manager Ken
Macha said.
I already like Ken Macha.
This could be potentially devastating for Gwynn's chances at making the big league roster. If the young center fielder is unable to consistently get on the field and perform, Ken Macha and Doug Melvin will be forced to choose from Chris Duffy, Brad Nelson, Hernan Iribarren, and Jason Bourgeois. All four have their strengths and weaknesses, but the nod would probably have to go to Duffy because of big league experience. With that said, Bourgeois could be the wild card if he can recover from his broken finger with enough time to make a positive impression on the coaches. His defensive versatility, speed, and lights-out winter are all intriguing.
UPDATE: According to Adam McCalvy, Tony Gwynn Jr. participated in some throwing drills this morning and expects to miss no more than the next three or four days.
Both David Riske and Eric Gagne are progressing nicely with their throwing programs. The team is particularly excited about Riske. The Brewers new pitching coach, Bill Castro, said that Riske is throwing the ball very well at the moment. The right-hander has said that he is looking to prove his worth to Brewers fans this season. He should be significantly improved from last season, as his elbow is finally healthy. It is hard to get good movement and control the baseball when a pitcher is forced to change arm slots and his mechanics to alleviate pain.
The above article also notes that Mat Gamel and Todd Coffey will be leaving camp to perform their fatherly duties. Both wives are set to go into labor on Friday. Coffey will depart for North Carolina on Thursday afternoon, while Gamel will head out early Friday morning. Neither pitcher is expected to miss more than three or four days of camp.
Finally, a national sports journalist understands that the Brewers have done something this offseason besides lose CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets. Richard Justice of Yahoo! Sports weighs in on Milwaukee's chances at making the postseason once again in 2009.
They’re better than you think. Sure CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets are gone, but free-agent acquisition Braden Looper might be as productive as Sheets. Jeff Suppan needs to have a productive year. Otherwise, the Brewers will have to hang their hats on young starters Manny Parra and Yovani Gallardo getting better.
Given his payroll limitations, G.M. Doug Melvin made the best of a
tough situation. Whatever problems the Brewers have, the back of the
bullpen won’t be one of them because Trevor Hoffman is still an elite closer.
It’s not difficult to project the Brewers returning to the playoffs.
Just as two dozen other teams are, Milwaukee is leaning heavily on its
young players.
I am not certain I would classify Hoffman as an "elite" closer, but he is surely not as awful as many baseball writers have led Brewers fans to believe. Milwaukee has a difficult road ahead to make the playoffs. To assert that this team cannot return to October baseball once more, however, is ridiculous.
Why?
As Brew Crew Ball points out, the Brewers offense is poised to rebound from a down season in 2008. J.J. Hardy can be expected to regress from his 2008 numbers just a bit. Besides Hardy, however, Milwaukee's youngsters should put up bigger numbers. Be sure to check out the whole article for specific quantifications of the offensive incline, but statistical analysis suggests that Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Corey Hart, and Rickie Weeks are all on the brink of a bounce back season. I may even include Bill Hall in that category. I doubt he will return to 2006 form, but he cannot possibly be as bad as he was in 2008, can he?
Speaking of Hall (admire the last couple segues), Ken Macha intends to give Bill every opportunity to earn regular playing time at third base. The Brewers manager stresses that Hall has a track record and that a bounce back year from the young man would be a huge lift to the offense. Macha also notes that Hall has vowed to have a better season in 2009. I would certainly hope so.
Radio has been busy over at The Junkball Blues. Today, he discusses Dave Bush and his incredibly lucky season in 2008. His BABIP was an astounding .238. I am not exactly sure I can quantify how lucky that is. Although Bush benefitted from good luck last season, the article notes that it would be foolish to overlook some improvements that Bush made as well. The right-hander began to throw more changeups and sinkers. He also threw his fastballs and curveballs less frequently. Bush also mixed speeds much better than before and was a more deceptive pitcher on the mound. Expect his luck to regress in 2009, but do not write off his solid second half of the year. The 29-year old found something on the mound and will look to build on that this season.
What do players like Craig Counsell and Mike Lamb have in common? They are veteran bench players who become key contributors to playoff-bound teams down the stretch. Tom Haudricourt talked to Ken Macha about the importance of a quality bench, and the subject of versatility came up again and again. Bench players preferably should be able to handle multiple positions defensively. Counsell can handle any infield position, while Lamb plays both third and first base. This is exactly why it will be an uphill battle for Brad Nelson to make the big league team. As of now, he can only play first base. He must prove he can adequately handle a corner outfield spot before he will be placed on the 25-man roster.
Now your regularly scheduled Trevor Hoffman programming.
- "Hells Bells" rang out over the PA system at Maryvale Baseball Park when the All-time Saves leader entered yesterday's Cactus League opener against the Oakland A's. After the game, Hoffman requested the song did not play again until the regular season. He is the consumate professional and does not want to embarrass or upstage anyone in an exhibition game. Brewers fans will have to wait until the Chicago Cubs come to town in April to hear AC/DC again.
- Hoffman is grateful for the receptiveness of the Brewers training staff and Ken Macha in adapting their schedules to his own training routine. After 16 consecutive seasons with the Padres, he has gotten used to his own timing and his own routine. It is very specific and very effective. We have already read articles about how Hoffman is already doing resistance and weight training at 7am during Spring Training. The guy is a machine.
- Chuckie Hacks notes that Hoffman is already off to a better start as a Brewer than Eric Gagne was last season. Good.
Wrigleyville23 is searching for players to hate in the NL Central. He may find some Brewers fans who may join in the hatred, as the site chose Corey Hart. The site then goes on to make the obligatory remarks about Hart's "hick" upbringing in Bowling Green and his ungratefulness to fans. Nice job with the cultural sensitivity on that one.
Have you ever tried to create an "all-time homegrown" Brewers team and an "all-time acquired" Brewers team? Sully Baseball undertook the task and compiled very interesting teams. It is very difficult for me to see Ryan Braun sitting on the bench, however. Greg Vaughn was a great player, but Braun is pretty good himself. I am not saying he should take the spot. It is just difficult to see Braun's bat on the bench. I would also give Geoff Jenkins in his prime the right field spot over Corey Hart. Jenkins would play superior defense and could carry a team for a week at a time when he got on one of his hot streaks. Be sure to check out the rest.
Justin from The Brew Town Beat says that he could not care less that Spring Training games have started for the Brewers. I cannot find the exact words to describe how I feel at that statement from a "Brewers blogger," but I am upset. Oh well. Every man is entitled to his own opinions. Right?
Minor League News
Mat Gamel's shoulder impingement is not progressing as quickly as the team had hoped. The prized prospect is still able to take batting practice and play DH in games, but Gamel is still not close to being cleared to throw. That is disappointing. The young man desperately needs to practice his different throws and arm angles to first base. This all but cements his assignment to Nashville.
Other Baseball News
The Dodgers and Manny Ramirez could finally be close to an agreement. Tony Jackson is reporting that the Dodgers offered Manny a two-year, $45MM contract. The second year would be a $20MM player option, meaning that Ramirez could opt out of the contract if he feels he could make more money on the open market next offseason. Interestingly, the contract stipulates that the second year becomes guaranteed if Manny is injured in the first year. I am not sure the contract could be any more player-friendly.
Alex Rodriguez was able to put all the steriod hoopla behind him and slugged a homer in the Yankees first Spring Training game yesterday. The Yankees third baseman has seen his fair share of negative attention throughout his career. I doubt this season will be anything different. He will simply go out and produce at a high level like he always has done. Like I have repeatedly said, steroids does not improve hand-eye coordination. Yes, he is stronger now than he would be without steroids, but he is still a great player.
In the best article of the day, Time.com has an excerpt from Joe Torre and Tom Verducci's new book, The Yankee Years. Former Brewer, Rick Helling, apparently stood up in front of all baseball officials and attempted to warn Major League Baseball of the steroid problem before it became a public hot-button issue. Unfortunately, the MLB did not heed Helling's words. What Helling did was brave and controversial. Give it a read.
Everyone pays taxes. Everyone will eventually die. Those are both certain. So is Kerry Wood getting hurt. He is complaining about a sore back.
Minnesota pitcher Boof Bonser has a torn labrum and a torn rotator cuff. He will undergo surgery and will likely be out the entire season. That will be an intense rehab program from those injuries. Best of luck to him.
Continuing with Twins news, they have officially ended discussions with Juan Cruz, ending speculation of a sign-and-trade deal with the Diamondbacks. The right-hander rejected the contract offers the Twins put forth. Many relievers are still holding out for lucrative deals. Quality relievers like Will Ohman, Joe Beimel, and Cruz are still on the market. Could Cruz play in Japan this season?
Ozzie Guillen would like to die on the field. More specifically, he hopes he will be walking out to change the pitcher and he just drops dead. Ozzie is always good for a few laughs.
The Washington Nationals may finally give up on GM Jim Bowden and make a change. All I have to say about that is that it is about time. How many mistakes does one GM need to make before getting canned?
Florida is keeping an eye on both Will Ohman and Chad Cordero. I will focus more on Cordero, as the Brewers are also monitoring his rehab and are considering offering a contract down the road. Joe Frisaro writes that Cordero still has far to come in his rehab. In his recent workout, the right-hander was only throwing about 80 MPH.