MILWAUKEE BREWERS
| The Brew Crew are about as bland a team as you can get. They look the same every year; they're even back in the same ballpark, thanks to construction delays on the new one. They have lost their best player, Jeff Cirillo, and don't have many exciting young players. Belliard and Barker are sort of interesting, and Burnitz and Jenkins are a good combo in the outfield. Jamey Wright might be a surprise on the mound. But any team that needs to take a chance on Jaime Navarro can't be serious about playoff contention. Borinnnngggg.....zzzzzzz |
| JUAN ACEVEDO (30, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 NYM 3 1 25 2 0 0 0 48 52 22 33 359 1998 STL 8 3 50 9 0 0 15 98 83 29 56 256 1999 STL 6 8 50 12 0 0 4 102 115 48 52 589 |
| He did a solid impersonation of a closer in 1998, but wasn't so good last year. His control was off, and he is not good enough to succeed if he doesn't throw strikes. Acevedo has been dealt to Milwaukee; I expect that he will bounce back and have a decent season in middle relief. |
| BRIAN BANKS (CA/OF, 30, S) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 MIL 105 219 53 7 1 5 34 22 25 59 242 317 352 6 1 |
| I could be wrong, but I think that the Brewers are the only club in baseball who would give Banks 200 at bats in a season. I mean, he might be okay as a backup catcher, but he also played 44 games at first base, which is crazy because he is not a very good hitter. His future is very limited. |
| KEVIN BARKER (1B, 25, L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 AA 65 238 66 15 6 10 37 63 28 40 277 352 517 3 3 1998 AAA 124 463 128 26 4 23 59 96 36 97 276 330 499 2 5 1999 AAA 121 442 123 27 5 23 89 87 59 94 278 363 518 2 2 |
| The Brewers used a whole bunch of first basemen last year, including Barker, Brian Banks, Sean Berry, and Mark Loretta. Barker is the youngest of that group, and the one with the most potential. He has hit for good power at all levels in the minor leagues, and did a solid job last year against major league pitching. Assuming that the Brewers play him every day, and they should, Barker will hit around 20 home runs with a batting average around .260. I don't foresee him as an All-Star one day. |
| RON BELLIARD (2B, 25, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 AAA 118 443 125 35 4 4 80 55 61 69 282 379 406 10 7 1998 AAA 133 507 163 36 7 14 114 73 69 77 321 408 503 33 12 |
| After two outstanding seasons in Louisville, Belliard got a regular job with the Brewers, and had an outstanding rookie campaign. In view of his age, he should continue to play well; he may also develop more power and steal some more bases. One of the best young second basemen in baseball, and a better young player than Warren Morris. Of course, as long as he plays in Milwaukee, no one will ever hear of him. |
| JASON BERE (29, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 CHW 4 2 6 6 0 0 0 29 20 17 21 471 1998 CHW-CIN 6 9 27 22 0 0 0 127 137 78 84 565 1999 CIN-MIL 5 0 17 14 0 0 0 67 79 50 47 608 |
| Bere was once one of the hottest young pitchers in baseball, before arm injuries slowed him down. He's gotten lots of chances to become a quality pitcher, but he can't throw strikes, and I don't know how he can succeed until he does. 2000 could be his swan song. |
| SEAN BERRY (1B, 34, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 HOU 96 301 77 24 1 8 37 43 25 53 256 318 422 1 5 1998 HOU 102 299 94 17 1 13 48 52 31 50 314 387 508 3 1 1999 MIL 106 259 59 11 1 2 26 23 17 50 228 281 301 0 0 |
| He is an awful defensive player who didn't hit in 1999. He will get one more chance to get his swing back, and he better make the most of it. |
| HENRY BLANCO (CA, 29, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 AAA 91 294 92 20 1 6 38 47 37 63 313 388 449 7 4 1998 AAA 48 134 36 11 0 4 19 23 22 27 269 367 440 2 0 |
| Blanco persevered in the minor leagues for ten years, and finally got a dream chance with Colorado. He didn't hit. My philosophy is that if you can't hit with Colorado, it's time to get a job in the real world. |
| JEROMY BURNITZ (RF, 31, L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 MIL 153 494 139 37 8 27 85 85 75 111 281 382 553 20 13 1998 MIL 161 609 160 28 1 38 92 125 70 158 263 339 499 7 4 1999 MIL 130 467 126 33 2 33 87 103 91 124 270 402 561 7 3 |
| Wow. Burnitz is a late-bloomer, a guy given up on by two organizations (the Mets and Cleveland) before he found a home in Milwaukee. He had big power numbers in 1998, but last year was even better; more power, with an on-base percentage 60 points higher. Only an injury kept him matching his home run and RBI totals from 1998. He is already in his 30's, so I wouldn't expect a long career, but as long as he continues to make positive adjustments at the plate, he will have success. |
| ROBINSON CANCEL (CA, 24, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 A 81 261 74 14 0 1 34 20 20 49 284 345 349 9 5 1998 AA 58 158 51 10 0 1 17 30 22 32 323 403 405 2 2 1999 AA-AAA 105 340 99 18 1 10 57 60 37 66 291 365 438 14 7 |
| A young catcher in the Brewers system, Cancel has hit well the past two seasons. Dave Nilsson has gone to play in Australia, so there is an opportunity for Cancel to catch some games with Milwaukee. I think he will be solid, and is young enough to develop a little more power. |
| LOU COLLIER (SS, 27, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 PIT 18 37 5 0 0 0 3 3 1 11 135 158 135 1 0 1998 PIT 110 334 82 13 6 2 30 34 31 70 246 310 338 2 2 1999 MIL 74 135 35 9 0 2 18 21 14 32 259 325 370 3 2 |
| Collier isn't much of a hitter, and last year did not play well at shortstop. I'm not sure if his career will survive another season. |
| ROCKY COPPINGER (26, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1999 BAL-MIL 5 4 40 2 0 0 0 58 60 42 56 540 |
| Coppinger was once a great prospect with Baltimore, and was a regular starter with them in 1996 when he was 22 years old. Injuries have since derailed his career; he came back last year, but didn't throw strikes. He is still young enough to be a good pitcher, but it is more likely that he will become Jason Bere. |
| JEFF D'AMICO (24, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 MIL 9 7 23 23 1 1 0 136 139 43 94 471 1998 INJURED 1999 INJURED |
| D'Amico was very impressive in 1997, when he was just 21 years old. He missed all of 1998; last year he made four starts in the minors, then appeared in one game with Milwaukee. He is still very young; we will have to wait and see how strong his arm is, and how durable he will be. If he is healthy, I think he will be good. |
| VALERIO DE LOS SANTOS (24, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 AA 6 10 26 16 1 0 2 114 146 38 61 575 1998 AA 6 2 42 4 0 0 10 67 81 25 62 392 |
| De Los Santos looked good in 1998, but missed most of last season with a sore back. He is certainly young enough to come back, and a sore back isn't as bad as a shoulder tear. I would look for him to re-emerge sometime this season and pitch well. |
| HORACIO ESTRADA (24, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 AA 8 10 29 23 1 0 1 154 174 70 127 474 1998 AA-AAA 5 0 10 10 0 0 0 62 60 26 41 423 1999 AAA 6 6 25 24 1 0 0 132 128 65 112 567 |
| A young Brewer prospect who looks like he might be a good pitcher one day. Estrada needs another year in the minors before he tries to get major league hitters out. Don't look for him to do much this year. |
| CHAD FOX (30, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 ATL 0 1 30 0 0 0 0 27 24 16 28 329 1998 MIL 1 4 49 0 0 0 0 57 56 20 64 395 1999 MIL 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 7 11 4 12 1080 |
| Fox pitched very well as a setup man in 1998, but last year had his elbow operated on and missed almost the whole season. At his age, a successful comeback seems like a longshot. |
| MARQUIS GRISSOM (CF, 33, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 CLE 144 558 146 27 6 12 74 66 43 89 262 317 396 22 13 1998 MIL 142 542 147 28 1 10 57 60 24 78 271 304 382 13 8 1999 MIL 154 603 161 27 1 20 92 83 49 109 267 320 415 24 6 |
| He's not much of a player, really. He doesn't get on base, and he doesn't have much power; he was once a great base stealer, but not any more. His positives are that he is durable, and can still run and catch the ball. An average player at best, Grissom is well suited to play for a team like the Brewers, who are generally indiscriminate about player quality. |
| JIMMY HAYNES (28, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 OAK 3 6 13 13 0 0 0 73 74 40 65 442 1998 OAK 11 9 33 33 1 1 0 194 229 88 134 509 1999 OAK 7 12 30 25 0 0 0 142 158 80 93 634 |
| Once a top pitching prospect for Baltimore, Haynes' career had been adrift until 1998, when he solidified his spot in the Oakland rotation. Unfortunately, his position quickly liquefied in 1999 when he stopped throwing strikes, and ended up in the bullpen. Haynes is young, and appears to have talent, but he hasn't pitched well and he is not improving. I don't expect him to ever be a consistently good pitcher. |
| JOSE HERNANDEZ (3B, 31, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 CHC 121 183 50 8 5 7 33 26 14 42 273 323 486 2 5 1998 CHC 149 488 124 23 7 23 76 75 40 140 254 311 471 4 6 1999 CHC-ATL 147 508 135 20 2 19 79 62 52 145 266 339 425 11 3 |
| Hernandez has emerged as a regular late in his career. He spent most of the season at shortstop, but can play all over. He has some power, and is a better defensive player than either Weiss or Guillen. If he stays in Atlanta he should be their regular shortstop, and he should have 1-2 solid seasons left. |
| TYLER HOUSTON (CA/3B, 29, L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 CHC 72 196 51 10 0 2 15 28 9 35 260 290 342 1 0 1998 CHC 95 255 65 7 1 9 26 33 13 53 255 290 396 2 2 1999 CHC-CLE 113 276 62 10 1 10 28 30 31 78 225 275 377 1 1 |
| The Indians acquired him because both Fryman and Sandy Alomar were ailing; as far as I can tell, his versatility is his only asset. He provides no offense, and isn't getting any better. Houston will hook up with another team in 2000, but I doubt he will ever get 200 at bats again. |
| BOBBY HUGHES (CA, 29, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 AAA 89 290 90 29 2 7 43 51 24 46 310 376 497 0 0 |
| A backup catcher who can't hit, Hughes should continue to play in the same role he was in last year. |
| GEOFF JENKINS (LF, 26, L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 AAA 93 347 82 24 3 10 44 56 33 87 236 308 409 0 2 1998 AAA 55 215 71 10 4 7 38 52 14 39 330 381 512 1 1 |
| Jenkins is a bit of a slow developer; it takes him a couple of seasons to adjust to each level of ball he reaches. Now that he has established himself as a big-league hitter, he should have a good career. 1999 was probably his best season; I wouldn't expect him to hit .300 very often. But he has power, and can drive in 100 runs. |
| CURTIS LESKANIC (32, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 COL 4 0 55 0 0 0 2 58 59 24 53 555 1998 COL 6 4 66 0 0 0 2 75 75 40 55 440 1999 COL 6 2 63 0 0 0 0 85 87 49 77 508 |
| Leskanic is an unsung hero, a guy who has pitched well every year for Colorado in their bullpen. He was very good again last year, though his control started to suffer. He has now been dealt to St. Louis, where the Cardinals are desperate for bullpen help. Leskanic should be solid in middle relief; I wouldn't expect him to thrive as a closer, but you never know. |
| LUIS LOPEZ (SS, 30, S) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 NYM 78 178 48 12 1 1 19 19 12 42 270 330 365 2 4 1998 NYM 117 266 67 13 2 2 37 22 20 60 252 312 338 2 2 1999 NYM 68 104 22 4 0 2 11 13 12 33 212 308 308 1 1 |
| Lopez is a utility infielder who is a poor hitter. His defense may be solid, and he can keep a job as the 25th man on someone's roster if he hits better. |
| MARK LORETTA (IF, 29, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 MIL 132 418 120 17 5 5 56 47 47 60 287 354 388 5 5 1998 MIL 140 434 137 29 0 6 55 54 42 47 316 382 424 9 6 1999 MIL 153 587 170 34 5 5 93 67 52 5 9 290 354 390 4 1 |
| Loretta is an outstanding utility man who got regular playing time last season. He split the year between shortstop and first base. He could be a good regular shortstop, but obviously does not hit well enough to play regularly at first. He should continue to get lots of playing time, and will play well. |
| LYLE MOUTON (OF, 31, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 CHW 88 242 65 9 0 5 26 23 14 66 269 308 368 4 4 |
| Mouton is a big man, and when he was with Chicago he looked like Frank Thomas. Unfortunately, he doesn't have big Frank's power, and his career has stalled. He played well last season at Louisville, and may get a job as a pinch hitter. I don't expect him to get much of an opportunity. |
| JAIME NAVARRO (32, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 CHW 9 14 33 33 2 0 0 210 267 73 142 579 1998 CHW 8 16 37 27 1 0 1 172 223 77 71 636 1999 CHW 8 13 32 27 0 0 0 160 206 71 74 609 |
| He is consistently bad in all areas, which appeals to teams who like consistency. Apart from the fact that he doesn't get anybody out, there is no reason to think that he won't have a job next year. |
| KYLE PETERSON (24, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 A 4 7 17 17 0 0 0 96 99 33 109 355 1999 AAA 7 6 18 18 1 1 0 109 90 42 95 355 |
| Peterson had a solid rookie season with the Brewers last season. He is young, and has looked overpowering in the minor leagues. He has moved quickly through the Brewers' system, and still has some learning to do. Expect his strikeout rate to shoot upwards this year; if it does, he should turn into a very fine pitcher. |
| RAFAEL ROQUE (28, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AA-AAA 10 8 25 24 1 0 0 144 155 54 113 413 |
| Roque has struggled with his control, and hasn't pitched too well the past two seasons. There are worse pitchers in the league, so he will probably be back in some role; he might be better off to give up starting. |
| JOHN SNYDER (26, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 AA 7 8 20 20 2 1 0 114 130 43 90 464 1998 AAA 7 3 15 15 1 0 0 97 112 34 63 436 |
| Snyder got off to a hot start, winning his first five decisions, but got pounded after that. His record also included 27 gopher balls served up. Though he has proven that he can string together some good starts, I'm skeptical about him. He has not pitched well at any level above Rookie Ball; his success early last year was a surprise, and any success he has in the future will be a surprise. |
| MARK SWEENEY (OF, 30, L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 STL-SD 115 164 46 7 0 2 16 23 20 32 280 358 360 2 3 1998 CIN 122 192 45 8 3 2 17 15 26 37 234 324 339 1 2 1999 CIN 37 31 11 3 0 2 6 7 4 9 355 429 645 0 0 |
| Sweeney spent most of the season at Indianapolis, hit very well, then stayed hot after joining Cincinnati. He is a good bet to have a job in April. His lifetime batting average is .265, and that is what I would expect from him; he has no power, not much speed, not much defensive value, but will take a walk. |
| DAVID WEATHERS (31, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 NYY-CLE 1 3 19 1 0 0 0 26 38 15 18 842 1998 CIN-MIL 6 5 44 9 0 0 0 110 130 41 94 491 1999 MIL 7 4 63 0 0 0 2 93 102 38 74 465 |
| A veteran journeyman, now with his seventh team, Weathers posted the lowest ERA of his nine-year career. He is not a good pitcher, but he is also not the worst in the league, and can make the occasional start if needed. Will be back in a similar role in 2000. |
| BOB WICKMAN (31, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 MIL 7 6 74 0 0 0 1 96 89 41 78 273 1998 MIL 6 9 46 0 0 0 25 82 79 39 71 372 1999 MIL 3 8 71 0 0 0 37 74 75 38 60 339 |
| Wickman now has three straight outstanding seasons under his belt, and has emerged as a decent closer. He is probably better suited to a setup role; he gives up a lot of hits, and his control is not all that good. But he is a solid, underrated pitcher, should have another good year in 2000. |
| STEVE WOODARD (25, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 MIL 3 3 7 7 0 0 0 37 39 6 32 515 1998 MIL 10 12 34 26 0 0 0 165 170 33 135 418 1999 MIL 11 8 31 29 2 0 0 185 219 36 119 452 |
| I remember this guy making his debut against the Blue Jays, and striking out about a dozen guys. Since then, his career has stalled. Pitching for the Brewers isn't quite like pitching for the Braves, but Woodard is very young, and his K/BB ratio is outstanding. He has some very good years ahead of him. |
| JAMEY WRIGHT (25, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 COL 8 12 26 26 1 0 0 150 198 71 59 625 1998 COL 9 14 34 34 1 0 0 206 235 95 86 567 1999 COL 4 3 16 16 0 0 0 94 110 54 49 487 |
|
A few years ago, this guy was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball.
Things obviously haven't worked out too well... see, if I were Colorado's
GM, I would trade all of my best young pitchers as soon as they reached the
majors. There's no hope of the Rockies ever producing a good young pitcher of
their own; they can try, but IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN. The only pitchers who have
any success in Colorado are retreads like Armando Reynoso, Steve Reed, Bruce
Ruffin, and Pedro Astacio, guys who are used to failure, and aren't bothered
when they give up 10 runs in an inning. There's no point in Colorado keeping Wright, just like there's not much point in keeping Dante Bichette in the outfield. They should trade Wright, who still has a chance to be very good, and get a good young outfielder in return. Then they can find an old retread to take Wright's place in the rotation; Paul Wagner or somebody. ADDENDUM: Wright has been traded. I wish him well. |