{image1} With new ownership, and some new talent, the Brewers might not break their streak of losing seasons in 2005, but they should climb closer to breaking even.
Damian Miller makes the team stronger behind the plate. Carlos Lee will provide some pop in the line-up. Brady Clark should handle center just fine.
Geoff Jenkins will probably make himself into a topnotch right fielder, just like he did in left. Lyle Overbay should finish around .300 again.
Ben Sheets' back is fine. He should sign a long-term contract and truly become the ace of the staff. Jeff Cirillo and Bill Hall should provide some good depth in the infield and outfield.
But, there still are question marks about the Brewers. Will rookie J.J. Hardy hit enough to be able to stay at shortstop? The Brewers aren't asking for much offense from the slick-fielding Hardy, but he has to at least hit above .200. He struggled to do that for much of spring training.
Will Russell Branyan and Wes Helms get it done at third base? Can Junior Spivey stay healthy at second?
What about pitching after Sheets? Doug Davis is solid, but he had some back problems in spring training. Chris Capuano looked good, but Victor Santos has been inconsistent. Jose Capellan, the flame thrower acquired from Atlanta for Dan Kolb, looks like he needs more seasoning at AAA. Ben Hendrickson has struggled and was sent back to AAA along with Capellan. The bullpen is still questionable, although Mike Adams looks capable of handling the closer role.
The kids are good, but Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, David Krynzel and others are not ready to take over yet. They might provide depth and work into the scheme of things as the season goes on; but most will start at AAA.
The NL Central leaders have all suffered big losses. Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou are no longer patrolling the corners of the outfield for the Cubs. Kerry Wood and Mark Prior had shoulder and elbow problems in the spring.
St. Louis will miss Edgar Renteria and Mike Matheny. The Astros no longer have Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent. How long can Roger Clemens pitch before he starts looking like a senior citizen?
But, the Brewers still don't look good enough to crack those top three teams in the division, or even finish with a winning record. Perhaps fourth place and 75-80 wins are more realistic expectations.
Pompous Prognostications
Here's this writer's predictions for the division winners in the big leagues: NL East -- Braves; NL Central -- Cardinals; NL West -- Diamondbacks; NL Wild Card -- Mets; AL East -- Yankees; AL Central -- Twins; AL West -- Angels; AL Wild Card -- Red Sox.
Look for the Yankees to beat the Cardinals in the World Series.
The Name Game
Ed McCants and Joah Tucker, who combined to lead UWM to the Sweet 16, share the Sports Buzz Athlete of the Month honor for March ... Other candidates included the UW Badgers' Alando Tucker and the Brewers' Carlos Lee.
Beyond Milwaukee Sports
Former Milwaukee sportscaster Len Kasper joins former Brewers radio play-by-play man Pat Hughes as the TV and radio voices respectively for the Cubs this season ... Jason Kaslow and Amanda Nechuta of UW-Stevens Point were named national basketball Players of the Year by their respective coaches associations. Kaslow averaged 19.1 ppg for the national champions Pointers. Nechuta set a school scoring record with 1,801 points over the last four seasons.
Hot Tix
The Brewers open the regular season at Pittsburgh Monday and play the Cubs at Wrigley Field before coming home for their April 11 opener at Miller Park. Look for an advance on the series in Wrigley and the home opener in next Thursday's column.
Before they open the regular season, the Brewers host the White Sox Friday and Saturday at Miller Park in what actually are the teams' last two spring exhibition games.
While March Madness ended with the elimination of the UWM Panthers and UW Badgers, the Bucks continue their season by hosting Memphis at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Bradley Center.
The Admirals host Edmonton at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the B.C., as they march toward their American Hockey League playoffs.
Whether the Wave is in the game or not, the U.S. Cellular Arena will be the site for Game One of the MISL Championship Finals on May 14. The announcement was made last week.
