Brewers ready to start anew
MILWAUKEE -- Give the Brewers this: At least they are not standing pat.
After another tough season, the team got busy at baseball's Winter Meetings, an
d kept on wheeling and dealing after that gathering broke up. In less than a we
ek, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin filled his two major offseason prioriti
es while opening plenty of holes elsewhere, making the Brewers one of the teams
to watch as baseball rolls into the new year.
Gone from 2004 are the Brewers' home-grown shortstop, their leadoff man and per
haps most popular player, their All-Star closer and his reliable setup man, and
their top bench threat. But with the departure of Craig Counsell, Scott Podsed
nik, Dan Kolb, Luis Vizcaino and Keith Ginter come some intriguing newcomers. A
mong them:
New left fielder Carlos Lee brings a much-needed power bat from the right side
of the plate, and his arrival means a new position for Geoff Jenkins, who may m
ove across the field to right.
Catcher Damian Miller returns to his native Wisconsin, where the Brewers hope h
e emerges as the team's first legitimate No. 1 catcher since All-Star David Nil
sson in the late 1990s.
Right-hander Jose Capellan will get a chance to win a job in the starting rotat
ion. If he does, he will immediately become one of baseball's hardest throwers.
Right-handed reliever Justin Lehr will be relied upon at the back of an overhau
led and unproven bullpen, perhaps even serving as Kolb's replacement at closer.
Outfielder Brady Clark looks like the new starting center fielder and leadoff m
an. He will be a defensive upgrade over Podsednik but still has big shoes to fi
ll; Podsednik was the Brewers' cover boy and led the Majors in steals last seas
on.
Shortstop J.J. Hardy and center fielder Dave Krynzel will get a chance in 2005
to shed their "prospect" labels and become Major Leaguers. The team is talking
about Hardy as its starting shortstop despite the fact he is coming off shoulde
r surgery and has only limited experience above Double-A. Krynzel is a prototyp
ical leadoff man and an outstanding defensive player, but he has to improve his
plate patience before he moves into the starting lineup.
Then there is the most intriguing newcomer of all. Los Angeles investor Mark At
tanasio bought out Major League Baseball's longest-tenured ownership group this
fall and promised to run the team like he runs his investments. That means the
ultimate measure of success will come in the win-loss column.
Offseason report card: Active and Aggressive (10). But will the Brewers' flurry
of moves translate into wins?
Arrivals: Miller (free agent), Lee (trade), Capellan (trade), Lehr (trade), RHP
Derrick Turnbow (waivers), RHP Sam Narron (waivers), RHP Andy Pratt (trade), L
HP Rigo Beltran (minor league contract), LHP Tommy Phelps (minor league contrac
t)
Departures: Counsell, Ginter, Kolb, Podsednik, Vizcaino, C Gary Bennett
Did you know? The Brewers batted .221 with runners in scoring position last sea
son, the lowest such average since the 1988 Orioles hit .217 in the clutch. It
was the fourth worst of any Major League club since 1970. The team hopes the ad
dition of players like Miller (.324 with RISP in 2004) and Lee (.299) helps add
ress that problem.
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