Sports Nirvana

Who Is The Real Carlos Villanueva?

TheRealBrewersGM — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:34:14 GMT

When Trevor Hoffman was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers in the winter, it was thought the biggest benefactor for the Milwaukee Brewers would be Carlos Villanueva.

Villanueva is a similar pitcher to Hoffman and many thought he would turn into a future closer under Hoffman's tutelage. To this point in the season, Villanueva has shown signs of a great future and moments that make him look like a starry-eyed rookie.

This is his fourth season with the Brewers, and everyone is still waiting for him to show signs on either side of the spectrum just who is the real Carlos Villanueva.

To be fair to Villanueva, he has been bounced back and forth between being a starter and a reliever during his first three seasons with the Brewers. 2009 is the first season that he is being used as a full-time reliever and there needs to be time to adjust to a new, defined role.

Villanueva has had two horrible months and one amazing month so far in 2009.

With Trevor Hoffman starting the season on the disabled list, Villanueva started the season as the Brewers' closer. Although he saved two games, he blew three other opportunities and finished April with a 6.17 ERA.

He showed very little control walking six in 11 2/3 innings. At times he looked to have no confidence on the mound and appeared to let any adversity overwhelm him.

The month of May was a polar opposite for Villanueva. He was literally unhittable. In 12 1/3 innings pitched in May, he allowed only four hits, walked just three, and struck out 17.

He did a great job getting ahead of hitters and sent them back to the dugout with a devastating changeup. Talent and confidence was shown that lead many to believe Villanueva is a future closer.

Villanueva reverted to his April form when the calendar turned to June. He pitched a full inning less in June than May but allowed 18 hits and allowed 10 runs for a June ERA of 7.94.

He did a good job cutting down on the walks, but giving up multiple hits in an outing can be just as devastating as walks for a relief pitcher. In 11 appearances in June, he gave up multiple hits in five of those outing, and four of those resulted in multiple runs for the opposition.

Although July has just begun, it appears Villanueva is showing more of his May form. In two appearances, he has allowed only one walk and one hit in 1 2/3 innings.

Great relief pitchers like Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera don't worry too much about their confidence. They can endure a rough outing and bounce back the next day to shut down the same lineup that defeated them only a day earlier.

Pitchers like Carlos Villanueva need to build their confidence over a long period of time in order to become a valuable member of a bullpen.

Everyone knows he has the talent and ability to be a future closer, but Brewer fans are hoping he has the heart and guts to become the complete package and a mainstay at the back end of the Brewers' bullpen for years to come.

The Milwaukee Brewers That Should Make the All-Star Roster

TheRealBrewersGM — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:20:45 GMT

With All-Star fan balloting wrapping up tomorrow, I figured it was time to take a look at which Brewers should be making the trip to St. Louis for the mid-summer classic.

By my estimation, the Brewers will have four players in this year's game.

Rickie Weeks very likely would have made the team if injury hadn't cut his season short on May 17. Mike Cameron also would have been a strong candidate if he would have maintained the numbers he put up in April. Cameron will have to hold out hope for a Gold Glove at the end of the season instead.

Ryan Braun

Ryan Braun currently sits second in National League voting for outfielders, only trailing Raul Ibanez of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Braun is quickly becoming the second best in the National League behind Albert Pujols, and his numbers are backing that up. Prior to today's game, Braun was batting .327, with 16 home runs and 57 runs batted in. He leads the Brewers in hits (93), runs (56), and stolen bases (6).

He is also becoming a Gold Glove caliber left fielder. His athleticism and speed allows him to catch up on balls he misreads off of opposing players' bats.

Braun will make his second straight All-Star game appearance, and fans should start getting used to see him every July in the game. His talents will make him an All-Star mainstay for many years to come.

Prince Fielder

Unfortunately for Prince Fielder, he plays at the deepest position in all of baseball: National League first base. Albert Pujols has that position locked up as a starter for as long as he plays in the National League, especially with the game being held in St. Louis this year.

Fielder is hitting the ball better than at any point in his short big league career. He is currently averaging career highs in average (.306), on-base percentage (.425), and OPS (1.034). His .609 slugging percentage is the second-highest to this point in his career.

While Fielder's power numbers are nothing new, the fact that he has now become a more disciplined hitter is the main cause of his rise in average and on-base percentage. Fielder has already walked 54 times this season and should very easily break his former career-high of 90 walks.

Although he won't be voted in by the fans, Fielder should be a very easy choice for Charlie Manuel as a bench player for the National League squad.

Trevor Hoffman

Despite missing the first three weeks of the season, Trevor Hoffman should make his seventh All-Star game appearance.

Hoffman has saved 18 games for the Brewers this season in 19 chances. His 1.93 ERA is the second best mark of his career, and Hoffman didn't allow a run to score until his 19th appearance of the season.

Although he doesn't have the blazing fastball that he did earlier in his career, he has altered his changeup speed to still have a significant drop from his fastball, despite the fact that he usually tops out around 88 on the radar gun.

Hoffman has stabilized the Brewers' bullpen and turned it into one of the best in baseball. Hoffman's appearance in St. Louis will be just as much about the rest of the Brewers' bullpen success as it will be about his own.

Yovani Gallardo

Gallardo was the hard-luck loser for the Brewers today in a 1-0 loss to the Mets, and his record fell to 8-5. Although his record may not indicate an All-Star game appearance, anyone that has seen him pitch this year knows that Gallardo deserves a trip to St. Louis.

Coming into the 2009 season, fans wondered if Gallardo would be able to fill the vacant spots in the rotation left by CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets. Gallardo has more than lived to the hype.

In 16 starts this season, Gallardo has an ERA of 2.75 over 104 2/3 innings pitched. He has struck out 114 batters and opponents are only hitting .193 against him in 434 plate appearances.

He should make two more starts before the All-Star break, so double-digit wins aren't out of the question. Getting to 10 wins won't be an easy task. Gallardo will have to beat the Cardinals and Dodgers to do so. Beating both those teams will likely lock up Gallardo's first All-Star appearance and silent all the doubters that said Sabathia and Sheets couldn't be replaces.

The Brewers are again among the National League leaders in record and currently sit atop the NL Central. Their fans have turned out in droves to get their favorite players to St. Louis and should be rewarded and happy with the four that are likely to make an appearance.

The Unsung Heroes of the Milwaukee Brewers

TheRealBrewersGM — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:56:26 GMT

Trevor Hoffman has received immense praise for his work this year and rightfully so. Hoffman has 16 saves in 17 chances this year with a 1.31 ERA, and he is very likely to make a return trip to the All-Star game next month.

Hoffman would attribute much of his success to four players that usually go largely unnoticed to most fans. Without the great play of Seth McClung, Todd Coffey, Mitch Stetter, and Mark DeFelice, the Brewers' season would have a much different feel than it currently does.

McClung and Coffey are quite the pair. They look like they could be tag team champions in the WWE, not major league relief pitchers. The red-headed duo has overpowered batters all season. They also give manager Ken Macha the ability to rest other arms as each can pitch multiple innings if needed.

McClung will likely be called on to do even more for the Brewers. He is the leading candidate to make a start on Saturday for the Brewers. After Dave Bush was put on the disabled list and with Manny Parra still not ready for a return, the Brewers will likely turn to McClung for a start.

McClung isn't a stranger to making starts having made 49 in his career. In the bullpen, however, McClung is a stud. He has a 3-1 record with a 3.24 ERA in 41 2/3 innings pitched.

Coffey has been the choice for tight situations this season. If there are runners on base late in the game and the Brewers need to hold a lead, you can bet that Todd Coffey will be sprinting in from the bullpen.

Coffey is 2-1, with a 2.83 ERA in 32 games this season. He always seems to make the right pitch to get out of every jam he has encountered this season.

Every great bullpen needs a situational lefty that can get the one or two tough outs in that game. Mitch Stetter has been superb this season. He is 2-0, with a 2.82 ERA in 33 games this season.

His slider has been devastating to left-handed hitters. In fact, the last 11 outs that Stetter has recorded have all come via the strikeout. He has made it quite easy for many fans to forget just how good Brian Shouse was for the Brewers.

No pitcher has been as good for the Milwaukee Brewers this season as Mark DeFelice. He has been so good that many national pundits have called for his inclusion in the All-Star game. Middle relievers are never members of the All-Star roster, and the fact that DeFelice is getting the attention he is speaks to his greatness this year.

DeFelice has largely relied on one pitch this year for his success: a cut fastball. It is the pitch that has made Mariano Rivera a future Hall of Famer, and now DeFelice is experience the greatest success of his 12-year career.

In 27 games this year, DeFelice has pitched 28 innings, has a 2-1 record, and an ERA of 1.61. He has struck out 25 batters and only allowed 18 hits. His workload may increase if McClung has to stay in the rotation for any length of time.

If the Brewers expect to remain competitors for the remainder of the season, Trevor Hoffman will have to hold up physically and continue pitching at an All-Star level. For Hoffman to get those opportunities, the rest of the bullpen needs to continue to be the unsung heroes of the team.

The Reconstruction of the Milwaukee Bucks Continues

TheRealBrewersGM — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:51:02 GMT

The Bucks traded Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday in a move very similar to the one made almost a year ago to the day.

Jefferson was acquired by the Bucks on June 26, 2008, for Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian in a move that was, in part, a salary dump to get rid of Simmons' big contract.

The Bucks now move Jefferson to the Spurs to get his salary off their books, and in return they get Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and Fabricio Oberto. Of the three, only Kurt Thomas is thought to be sticking around Milwaukee for any length of time. Bowen and Oberto will likely be released and save the Bucks an additional $6.35 million on their salary cap.

This trade was made, in large part, for the Bucks to get under the salary cap and try to resign Charlie Villanueva, Ramon Sessions, or both.

The Bucks are slated to draft number 10 in the draft on Thursday night and most mock draft and experts have them taking point guard Jonny Flynn.

If Flynn isn't on the board, there are still several other point guards that will be available that the Bucks could take.

For that reason, I see this trade primarily being made to free up money to bring Charlie Villanueva back to the Bucks.

Villanueva is coming off a great season that saw him attain career-highs in points (16.2), rebounds (6.7), and assists (1.8).

Villanueva gives the Bucks versatility and depth in the frontcourt. Although he will never be confused for a great defensive player, he causes match-up problems for other teams, and gives the Bucks a great inside-outside tandem with Andrew Bogut.

Retaining Kurt Thomas will also add depth to the frontcourt and give coach Scott Skiles another option off his bench.

Bowen and Oberto would have been great depth for the Bucks, but saving on their salaries is more important for the development of the roster.

The trading of Jefferson may seem like Bucks' management is already giving up on the 2010 season. However, Bucks' General Manager John Hammond and his staff are continuing to rebuild a once proud franchise to bring it back to prominence in the NBA.

Three Weeks for the Milwaukee Brewers to Determine Their Fate

TheRealBrewersGM — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:35:27 GMT

The Brewers finished up a six-game road trip Sunday in Detroit by being swept by the Tigers. This came after a sweep of the Cleveland Indians earlier in the week.

After a day off on Monday, the Brewers will return to Milwaukee to start a homestand on Tuesday. They now start a three-week stretch with most of their games in Milwaukee. This could very well determine whether or not the Brewers will be contenders for the playoffs again in 2009.

The Brewers have 19 games before the All-Star break and 15 of them will be played at Miller Park. In fact, traveling will not be an issue at all for the Brewers. The four games away from Miller Park will be played only 90 miles down I-94 at Wrigley Field in Chicago against the Cubs.

The Cardinals have overtaken the Brewers for first place in the NL Central, but the Brewers are primed to make their dip to second a short stay.

The bats are starting to come alive again. JJ Hardy and Jason Kendall have been swinging the bat well lately. Although both are still hitting under .230 for the season, they have been hot recently. Hardy's bat is key to the Brewers lineup as he can give the Brewers another power bat in the order.

Mike Cameron is playing a great centerfield but is struggling at the plate. Actually, to say Cameron is struggling is paying him a compliment. He is hitting .140 in June, with 25 strikeouts in only 57 at bats. He has lost the plate discipline that he showed earlier in the year and has reverted back to the free-swinger that he has shown in the past.

The starters have had their hiccups lately but are still a solid unit overall. Yovani Gallardo was outdueled by Justin Verlander on Sunday, but Gallardo is still having an All-Star caliber season.

Jeff Suppan has pitched well so far in June. Suppan is 2-0, with a 2.74 ERA over 23 innings pitched.

Dave Bush and Braden Looper have had no success lately. Neither pitcher has won a game in June or made it past the sixth inning in eight starts. Both need to raise the quality of their outings for the Brewers to have success.

The bullpen has been the most solid part of the team all season.

Even though Trevor Hoffman blew his first save of the season this past week, he is still pitching well and makes everyone in the bullpen better. Names like McClung, Coffey, Stetter, and DeFelice are becoming household names due to their outstanding work getting leads to Hoffman.

The Brewers may have the home field advantage over the next few weeks but there are no cupcakes on their schedule.

The Brewers will host the Twins, Giants, and Mets before traveling to face the Cubs in Chicago. The final two series before the All-Star break will see the Cardinals and Dodgers make their way to Miller Park.

Now that those bats have come alive, they will need to carry a starting pitching staff that is beginning to show signs of weakness. Dave Bush is likely to see his next start pushed back due to arm fatigue. The Brewers will likely call up an arm from Triple A Nashville to start for the team this week.

Don't expect that pitcher to be Manny Parra. He still needs to sort out his control issues before returning to the majors.

The Brewers are 7-12 in June, but all that can be forgotten with a solid next three weeks. Any sort of a winning record in the next 19 games should see the Brewers go into the All-Star break no worse than where they sit currently.

That will give Doug Melvin the chance to go out and acquire talent to take the Brewers into the second half of the season that will hopefully lead to another playoff appearance.