If anything, the 2006 Milwaukee Brewers have managed to keep things interesting. They've done little to convince anybody of anything, and produce more questions than answers, and an accurate description or explanation pretty much defines logic and the rules of grammar.
At this point during the last dozen seasons, most fans have given up on the team and moved on to the status of the Packers’ third-string long-snapper. Yet, this edition of the Brewers -- while far from impressive -- has managed to stay on the threshold of post-season contention.
A 58-64 record through 122 games isn't exactly what was anticipated heading into the campaign. Injuries, lackluster play and inconsistency can all be blamed for that. But somehow, someway, the Brewers are still alive for an unlikely playoff berth.
Considering the lackluster history that has surrounded the franchise for the last quarter-century, maybe that’s a good sign for a fan base that has been more than patient during some dismal times. Baseball in October would be great, although a winning record would surely suffice. Either way, it’s still impossible to figure this team out.
You want to give up on them, and it’s understandable if you have. It just seems like every time the Brewers find themselves on the precipice of flushing yet another dismal year down the toilet, they pull out a 13-inning victory like the one last week in Pittsburgh.
Still, when they jump out early on an opponent, you get the feeling -- and that feeling is often quickly justified -- that it’s only a matter of time until that lead turns into a heartbreaking loss.
So where, then, does this put the Brewers? Are they contenders, pretenders, underachievers or a bunch of mediocre guys just playing out the string?
There is no question that this team would have fared much better had Ben Sheets and Tomo Ohka been healthy for the first half of the season. At the same time, just how did the bullpen meltdown so badly and what happened to Derrick Turnbow?
The only possible analogy for the Brewers is a Whack-A-Mole game; just when you slam the mallet on one pop-up mole, another one springs out somewhere else. With the Brewers, one problem gets solved, and two more become prevalent.
Fans were promised that the arrival of Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, and J.J. Hardy would usher in a new era of winning baseball in Milwaukee. Many thought that after a break-even season in 2005, this would be the year.
It’s a pleasing and optimistic thought, but incredibly shortsighted. Even before the injury bug and other plagues of 2006 reared their ugly heads, this team was not quite ready for prime time. Carlos Lee’s departure impacted the offense, but is hardly the cause of this team’s woes. Neither can you blame Geoff Jenkins alone for the team’s disappointing offense.
What have we learned then? The only things that are sure are that there needs to be improvement in offensive approach and in the bullpen. Health is always a factor, but there is little way to control that.
This team should be better, and probably would have been were it playing with all of its components for an entire season. Nonetheless, things didn't quite work out that way and instead of a contender; the Brewers are a team still trying to find itself.
And when you sit down and think about it, that shouldn't be a bad thing. Everybody wants to see a winner, and everybody is hoping to see a winner … sometime soon. The fact remains that management has targeted 2007 as the breakthrough season all along; by then the youngsters will have enough everyday experience, the revenue to add some quality talent will be available, and things should finally be in place.
Hearing the words "process," "plan," or anything else that could be associated with rebuilding is difficult in these parts. After years of futility, there is a demand for overnight success but that’s not how it works in baseball.
The grace period for Yost, general manager Doug Melvin, and new owner Mark Attanasio expires in about five weeks. Should the Brewers find a way to get things together by then, it’s a bonus. Come next season, there can be no more questions.
At this point during the last dozen seasons, most fans have given up on the team and moved on to the status of the Packers’ third-string long-snapper. Yet, this edition of the Brewers -- while far from impressive -- has managed to stay on the threshold of post-season contention.
A 58-64 record through 122 games isn't exactly what was anticipated heading into the campaign. Injuries, lackluster play and inconsistency can all be blamed for that. But somehow, someway, the Brewers are still alive for an unlikely playoff berth.
Considering the lackluster history that has surrounded the franchise for the last quarter-century, maybe that’s a good sign for a fan base that has been more than patient during some dismal times. Baseball in October would be great, although a winning record would surely suffice. Either way, it’s still impossible to figure this team out.
You want to give up on them, and it’s understandable if you have. It just seems like every time the Brewers find themselves on the precipice of flushing yet another dismal year down the toilet, they pull out a 13-inning victory like the one last week in Pittsburgh.
Still, when they jump out early on an opponent, you get the feeling -- and that feeling is often quickly justified -- that it’s only a matter of time until that lead turns into a heartbreaking loss.
So where, then, does this put the Brewers? Are they contenders, pretenders, underachievers or a bunch of mediocre guys just playing out the string?
There is no question that this team would have fared much better had Ben Sheets and Tomo Ohka been healthy for the first half of the season. At the same time, just how did the bullpen meltdown so badly and what happened to Derrick Turnbow?
The only possible analogy for the Brewers is a Whack-A-Mole game; just when you slam the mallet on one pop-up mole, another one springs out somewhere else. With the Brewers, one problem gets solved, and two more become prevalent.
Fans were promised that the arrival of Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, and J.J. Hardy would usher in a new era of winning baseball in Milwaukee. Many thought that after a break-even season in 2005, this would be the year.
It’s a pleasing and optimistic thought, but incredibly shortsighted. Even before the injury bug and other plagues of 2006 reared their ugly heads, this team was not quite ready for prime time. Carlos Lee’s departure impacted the offense, but is hardly the cause of this team’s woes. Neither can you blame Geoff Jenkins alone for the team’s disappointing offense.
What have we learned then? The only things that are sure are that there needs to be improvement in offensive approach and in the bullpen. Health is always a factor, but there is little way to control that.
This team should be better, and probably would have been were it playing with all of its components for an entire season. Nonetheless, things didn't quite work out that way and instead of a contender; the Brewers are a team still trying to find itself.
And when you sit down and think about it, that shouldn't be a bad thing. Everybody wants to see a winner, and everybody is hoping to see a winner … sometime soon. The fact remains that management has targeted 2007 as the breakthrough season all along; by then the youngsters will have enough everyday experience, the revenue to add some quality talent will be available, and things should finally be in place.
Hearing the words "process," "plan," or anything else that could be associated with rebuilding is difficult in these parts. After years of futility, there is a demand for overnight success but that’s not how it works in baseball.
The grace period for Yost, general manager Doug Melvin, and new owner Mark Attanasio expires in about five weeks. Should the Brewers find a way to get things together by then, it’s a bonus. Come next season, there can be no more questions.
