|
ESPN.com: Baseball | [Print without images] |
|
|
|
IN OF Ben Grieve C Gary Bennett INF Craig Counsell 2B Junior Spivey 1B Lyle Overbay C Chad Moeller LHP Chris Capuano Jorge De La Rosa
OUT |
|
|
 Ricky Weeks, first-round pick in the '03 draft (No. 2 overall), will be the starting 2B by late summer.
FICTION -- Weeks has some adjusting to make because of the competition he played against in college last season. He didn't see very dominant pitching in college, and I think he realized that when he played in the minors last summer. I believe Weeks is the Brewers' second baseman of the future, but I don't see it happening in 2004. -- Tony Gwynn |
|
|
Junior Spivey may be just a one-year wonder -- remember Arizona, 2002 -- but he may not be. Spivey is also a guy who did hit for power in the minors and will play every day, and a 20 home run season is not out of the question. Spivey holds the job until Rickie Weeks is ready, but don't let that dissuade you. Spivey will play somewhere.
Ben Sheets has managed to win 11 games each of the last three seasons, which shows consistency, but what else? Is that the best he can do? The Brewers will likely struggle again, but Sheets improved his WHIP a great deal last season, a nice portent of future success. This could be a 15-win season, no matter how much the Brewers lose.
-- Eric Karabell
 TOP 10 PROSPECTS 2. Prince Fielder, 1B 3. J.J. Hardy, SS 4. Manny Parra, LHP 5. Brad Nelson, OF/1B 6. Mike Jones, RHP 7. Corey Hart, 3B 8. Ben Hendrickson, RHP 9. David Krynzel, OF 10. Jorge de la Rosa, LHP Complete list |
 Manager: Ned YostHome: Miller Park (41,900) '03 record: 68-94 (6th in NL Central) Team page | Schedule | Roster |
|
|
||
| NO | PLAYER | POS |
| 20 | Scott Podsednick | CF |
| Burst onto the scene in 2003, leading the Brewers in average (.314), hits (175) and steals (43). He finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Podsednik had eight hits (four doubles) in his first 30 at-bats (.267) this spring. | ||
| 30 | Craig Counsell | SS |
| Counsell missed some workouts this spring due to a stiff neck. He played second, third and short last season for the Diamondbacks. The 33-year-old Counsell has a .266 career average and a .349 on-base percentage. | ||
| 37 | Junior Spivey | 2B |
| Battled rib-cage and ankle injuries last season, hitting .255 with 13 homers and 50 RBI in 106 games for Arizona. Spivey and his $2,367,000 salary might soon be headed elsewhere. | ||
| 5 | Geoff Jenkins | LF |
| If he can stay out of the trainer's room and off the DL, Jenkins is capable of a .300-30-100 season. He's never topped 100 RBI. This spring, Jenkins - the cleanup hitter -- had 13 hits (2 homers) in his first 42 at-bats. | ||
| 18 | Wes Helms | 3B |
| Started spring by going 10-for-48 with 10 strikeouts. Helms had 23 homers last season but struck out 131 times. | ||
| 11 | Lyle Overbay | 1B |
| Has a shot to get his career on track. In 86 major-league games, Overbay has a .271 average with four homers and 29 RBI. Not much pop in his bat yet: He's got a .391 slugging percentage. | ||
| 12 | Ben Grieve | RF |
| Has been on a downward slide since 1997, when he was named AL Rookie of the Year with Oakland. Grieve missed half the 2003 season, having surgery to remove a rib because of a small blood clot in his upper right arm. | ||
| 21 | Chad Moeller | C |
| Gets his first chance to be an everyday catcher. Moeller has a .989 career fielding percentage and throws out 28% of would-be base stealers. In 78 games last season, Moeller hit .268 with seven homers and 29 RBI. | ||
| Bench: Brooks Kieschnick, Keith Ginter, Bill Hall, Brady Clark, Gary Bennett. | ||
|
|
||
| NO | PLAYER | POS |
| 15 | Ben Sheets | No. 1 SP |
| Has won 11 games in each of his first three seasons with the Brewers. The 25-year-old right-hander worked a career-high 220.2 innings last season, allowing 29 home runs in 34 starts. | ||
| 49 | Doug Davis | No. 2 SP |
| Wowed the Brewers this spring, allowing just one earned run in his first 13 innings. The 28-year-old left-hander, who pitched for the Brewers, Rangers and Blue Jays last season, has a career record of 28-29 with 4.79 ERA. | ||
| 50 | Matt Kinney | No. 3 SP |
| Makes the rotation because he's out of minor-league options. Kinney, who went 10-13 with a 5.19 ERA last season, hasn't done much this spring to deserve a spot. Through March 25, the 27-year-old right-hander has allowed a team-worst 13 earned runs and 19 hits in 14 innings. | ||
| 39 | Chris Capuano | No. 4 SP |
| Capuano and Wayne Franklin, both left-handers, are competing for one spot. Loser goes to the bullpen. Through March 25, Capuano (1-1, 4.15) has outperformed Franklin (0-1, 8.31). Capuano, 25, who went 2-4 with a 4.64 ERA in nine games (5 starts) last season, has 11 strikeouts and five walks in 13 innings. | ||
| 33 | Wes Obermueller | No. 5 SP |
| Has just 13 career major-league starts. The 27-year-old right-hander went 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA in his first five spring appearances. | ||
| 41 | Danny Kolb | CL |
| Converted 21 of 23 saves in 2003. His spring debut was delayed until March 20 because of shoulder soreness. | ||
| Bullpen: Leo Estrella, Brooks Kieschnick, Luis Vizcaino, Wayne Franklin. | ||
| The fallout from the starter's competion for the last three spots will likely determine the rest of the bullpen - unless the Brewers make some deals. Ben Ford and Adrian Hernandez will considered as long relievers. | ||