What Can We Expect of Zack Greinke in 2012?

More than we got in 2011? After joining the team in May last year Greinke put together a pretty solid year for the Brewers. All told he finished with a 16-6 record, 3.83 ERA, 1.2 WHIP, 201 strikeouts and a league-leading 10.5 K/9 while pitching only 171.1 innings over his shortened season. He gave up long balls at a higher rate and underperformed in the postseason but for the most part was the co-ace the Brewers hoped for when they sent a slew of prospects to the Royals in December of 2010.

A Princely Sum

Last year I previewed what I expected to be Prince Fielder's final season in Milwaukee. In that post I said most of what I could possibly say about his career with the Brewers. Basically, he's a very good player, and we've been privileged to have him on our team for as long as he has.

Despite the fact that we knew it would never, could never happen, many Brewers fans held out hope that he might somehow end up back with the Crew this season. A slow-to-develop market for the slugger this offseason didn't help, but any such hopes were finally dashed Tuesday when he signed a $214 million nine-year deal with the Detroit Tigers -- a Princely sum, to say the least. We now must come to terms with the fact that Prince Fielder, a pillar of the Brewers' resurgence over the last five years, will never again wear a Milwaukee uniform.

I want this much money

Let me first say -- it could be worse. A lot worse. He could have signed with the Yankees, Red Sox, or any other large market, big spending team. He could have signed with the Cubs or even the Cardinals after Albert Pujols landed with the Angels. Let me also say -- good for him! Our very own Prince Fielder went and signed the fourth largest contract in MLB history, behind only A-Rod (twice) and Pujols. I somehow knew he would get the deal he was looking for, and just yesterday morning said to a colleague that we shouldn't rule out a mystery team jumping in on him.

Yes, I'm sad to see him go. We knew this day was coming but it's still sad that it's finally here. But we've been spoiled as Brewer fans. We've enjoyed watching MLB's most dynamic and productive hitting duo for the last several years. Prince will probably retain that title now that he's joining Miguel Cabrera in Detroit.

I'll always enjoy watching Prince Fielder and I'll probably keep cheering for him now that he's a Tiger. He's the type of hitter that you think just might hit a home run every time he comes to the plate. His plate discipline has improved steadily over the past few years and he should now be considered one of the best sluggers of his time. Plus, the dude missed one game over the past three seasons and only thirteen in six years! What's not to love about that?

Fare thee well, Prince Fielder. May you continue perform the way we've come to expect and may you end up more worthy of that ridiculous contract than A-Rod and Pujols by the end of theirs!

I will miss that smile

Happy New Year, Brewers Fans!

No, this site has not joined the wealth of abandoned Brewers blogs littered across the net. I took some time off following the season but am looking forward to writing here again in 2012. A lot of Brewers news has occurred this offseason: MLB's leak of Ryan Braun's failed drug test, the ongoing speculation about where Prince Fielder might land, the signing of Aramis Ramirez and the subsequent shipping-off of Casey McGehee to name a few of the top stories. I intend to explore these topics and more, even if I'm incredibly late to the party. I hope my readers will again enjoy visiting Milwaukee Brewin' and I know I will continue to savor writing it. Happy New Year, Brewers fans, and GO BREWERS in 2012!

Reflections on the Brewers Postseason

Yes, the Brewers season ended about as disappointingly as possible, limping through the NLCS and losing to the division rival St. Louis Cardinals in six games. Even worse, the games they lost, aside from Gallardo's start against Carpenter, weren't even close, with a run differential of 10-31. The Cardinals all but destroyed the Brewers' pitching and the Crew's hitters somehow never cracked Tony La Russa's bullpen.

Do or Die For the Wolfman

The Brewers fell to the Cardinals two games to one yesterday after their bats couldn't quite overcome a deficit created by what can only be termed a horrible first inning. Moving on, the Brewers send Randy Wolf to the mound tonight versus Kyle Lohse for game four. Wolf comes off one of his worst starts of the year when he threw three innings of seven run ball in game four of the NLDS. Lohse, on the other hand, has not thrown since game one of the NLDS in which he allowed six runs (five earned) in 5.1 innings.

Your National League MVP

The competition for the NL MVP seemingly comes down to two candidates, with two others receiving honorable mention. Prince Fielder and Justin Upton, in my view, don't quite make the cut. Fielder has the power and RBI numbers, but little else. Upton lags behind the front runners, slightly, in most of the important statistical categories. Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp have been the two most outstanding players in the league with regard to the completeness of their game. They hit for average, they hit for power, they steal bases. They're not the best defenders at their positions, but they hold their own. The question then arises, who most deserves the award?

Rickie Returns

The Brewers enjoyed an incredible run during the month of August and have mostly limped into September with a record of 3-4 to start the month. They owe much of their success over the past month and a half to their pitching staff, who mostly pitched brilliantly over that stretch. It's a good thing they did, too, because the Brewers offense has certainly felt the absence of Rickie Weeks.