Some athletes welcome pressure. Some hide from it. Some crumble under it.

No matter how they react, professional athletes understand that with success comes pressure. It's so much different than the pressure that losers face. When you are successful, the pressure is on to finish. When you are awful, the pressure is to keep anyone from noticing you.

The Milwaukee Brewers are a very good baseball team this year, just what we'd all come to expect. Along with that status, and the fact that the pennant race is well underway, there is pressure on the Brewers.

The flurry of activity before the non-waiver trade deadline put a lot of teams in position to make their stretch run. And with that run comes the pressure. There are about 50 games left, and each one will take on added importance than the one before it.

I talked to Brewers manager Ron Roenicke Sunday and he said that judging how players react to pressure is an inexact science.

"I've always been surprise by who reacts what way to pressure," Roenicke said. "It's hard to predict. Some players thrive and some don't.

"Pressure is difficult but it can be exciting, too. The pressure on you during a pennant drive is a lot different than the pressure when you are 20 games below .500."

So, let's take a look at where the pressure will be most severe on the Brewers as the season moves into its final days. Here's a look at some of the top pressure points on the Brewers.

Casey McGehee
Pressure level: 10
With Rickie Weeks out, McGehee is the guy who ought to be able to step it up for this team. Sure, there are a bunch of journeymen who have been added to the roster – some to take Weeks' place and maybe some to back up McGehee. But what the Brewers really need is the kind offensive production McGehee had last year and that has been such a missing link this year. He's the top choice to fill the gap left by Weeks' missing bat. If he does, everything becomes much simpler. If not, he'll contribute to this whole organization struggling in scramble mode.

Prince Fielder
Pressure level: 10
Everybody needs Prince to go on a tear. The Brewers need it to put the charge in their offense. Prince needs it to enhance his chances to grab the solid gold ring as a free agent. If he turns out to be an absent force it will kill the Brewers and dim his own free agency luster.

Zack Greinke
Pressure level: 9
A team on its way to a pennant has one or two pitchers who consistently deliver quality starts. Greinke, who was the preordained ace of the staff, has started to string together quality starts. It's during a playoff drive that the big boys make their bones. Everyone expects him to be a star pitcher and those expectations are incredibly high for the playoff drive.

Ron Roenicke
Pressure level: 9
During a playoff drive, every move a manager makes is magnified way out of proportion. Roenicke has been largely free from criticism during his first year as skipper, but the potential is much greater now for mistakes to seem bigger than they really are. If they happen, the criticism will mount and how he responds to that criticism will say a lot about the Brewers' manager.

Francisco Rodriguez and John Axford
Pressure level: 8
The two-headed monster that takes the mound late in the game seems to be an act that works well. Give them each an inning and so far shutdown pitching has been the gift. But if one or the other fails, it will have an impact on the other one and the confidence of being able to handle close games.

Doug Melvin
Pressure level: 6
The non-waiver trade deadline has passed and Melvin has now given the Brewers a pat hand. They are what they are, with few, if any changes expected for the rest of the season. Melvin will keep his ear to the ground, but the idea of a miracle move that provides the spark to make a deep playoff run is unlikely. Now it's time for Melvin to just sit back and see what he has wrought.

Starting Pitchers
Pressure level: 7
Before the season everyone thought all the Brewers needed was adequate pitching and that their high-powered offense would take care of everything else. Well, it hasn't turned out that way and during the drive to the playoffs, they are going to need great pitching. So, now is the time for this staff to step up and lead this team to the promised land. It won't be easy, but nobody said they would get paid millions of dollars to do something easy.

The pressure is already starting, but it's nothing compared to what will be around in another couple of weeks. But, like Roenicke said, this is the kind of pressure you live for.