Mailbag: Third base proposals
Adam McCalvy answers fans' questions
I'm so excited about the trades that general manager Doug Melvin made that I bo
ught a 20-game package online! I was just wondering if manager Ned Yost may try
Carlos Lee at third base. He played third in the minors and that would give Co
rey Hart or Nelson Cruz a chance in left field. What do you think? -- Shane W.
With the struggles of Wes Helms at third, has there been any talk of moving Har
t back to third? The addition of Lee and the possible callup of Dave Krynzel an
d Hart seems to have suddenly produced a crowded outfield. -- Mike H., Eau Clai
re, Wis.
Do you think Bill Hall will get a shot at third for the Brew Crew? I think he i
s a good ballplayer with a strong arm and a decent bat. He might be a little st
reaky but I am almost sure he is better than Helms. -- Brooks R.
I tried to write a mailbag this week without any of your e-rips on Helms and/or
Russell Branyan. I swear. But after browsing through your messages, it's just
not possible. The Brewers' third base situation is by far the most thought-abou
t and complained-about issue facing the team as we wait for the start of Spring
Training (Ben Sheets' contract is a distant No. 2).
So here we go again. Everything that Melvin and Yost have said this offseason i
ndicates that Helms and Branyan will contend to be the Opening Day third basema
n. Yes, Helms is coming off an awful and injury-plagued season and Branyan stri
kes out more often than Randy Moss does something to tick off Packers fans. Mel
vin and Yost see things they like; Helms worked with a trainer this winter and
said he plans to show up at Spring Training with a chip on his shoulder. Branya
n strikes out a lot, but he also does some good things when he makes contact. G
ive him 450 at-bats and see how many 450-foot home runs he hits.
Still, the three e-mailers presented some intriguing alternatives. Hall has the
arm strength for third base, but perhaps not the consistent accuracy. His natu
ral positions are shortstop and second base, and if an injury situation arose I
think the Brewers would more likely dip to the minors for someone like Kevin O
rie or Trent Durrington before giving Hall the job.
The other proposals were very intriguing. The Brewers moved Hart to the outfiel
d partly because of Helms' arrival and the thought that he fit into the team's
long-term plans, and because the franchise was short on outfield prospects. Tha
t may be changing with the continued development of Krynzel and Brad Nelson, an
d the promise offered by players like Tony Gwynn Jr. and Cruz (who was acquired
from the A's and tore it up in the Dominican Winter League). But Hart, who was
drafted as a first baseman, never really dazzled at third, and he probably is
a better fit as a corner outfielder anyway. I expect him to stay there.
Lee is also very interesting. He came through the White Sox minor leagues as a
third baseman before the team decided it needed an outfielder. Lee says he play
ed four Triple-A games in left field before suddenly finding himself in the Maj
ors. The Chicago media quickly labeled him a defensive liability, a reputation
that has stuck and may have prompted Brooks to e-mail about a move back to thir
d. I don't see it happening, because Lee has actually turned himself into a pre
tty decent left fielder. He was the only full-time outfielder in the Majors not
charged with at least one error last season (Geoff Jenkins was among only five
Major League outfielders who committed just one error). And Lee threw out 11 b
aserunners last season, tops among big league left fielders along with San Fran
cisco's Barry Bonds (Jenkins was among three left fielders tied with 10).
Bottom line, the stats say that Lee is pretty good. Assuming Jenkins adjusts we
ll to the move to right field, the Brewers' outfield defense should be upgraded
this year with the additions of Lee and center fielder Brady Clark, one of the
game's most underrated defenders.
OK, no talk about third base in next week's mailbag. I promise.
Do you think that we could see a guy like Prince Fielder on the roster on Openi
ng Day? And could he replace Lyle Overbay by September? -- anonymous e-mailer
I would be very surprised to see Fielder in the big leagues before September. G
iven the relative inexperience in the bullpen, Yost may decide to begin the sea
son with 13 pitchers on staff. That leaves room for eight starting position pla
yers and four backups (perhaps Chad Moeller, Hall, Helms/Branyan and Krynzel or
Hart?). The jump to Double-A was a learning experience last season for Rickie
Weeks and Fielder, and the team has been consistent in recent seasons about mak
ing prospects earn their way up the organizational ladder.
More than any other offseason, I see this winter's moves by the Brewers as maki
ng great strides toward building a quality team for years to come. Because my w
orry is that I am going to be so excited that whatever happens in 2005 will be
a disappointment, what are reasonable goals for this year? Is .500 within the r
each of this club? What about a playoff berth? Could they be the greatest team
ever? GO BREWERS! BRING BACK THE GLOVE LOGO! -- Al S., Waupun, Wis.
Greatest team ever? I think the '27 Yankees might have a slight edge on the '05
Brewers. Unless J.J. Hardy really goes off.
Seriously, this franchise needs to win more games than it loses before thinking
about winning a World Series or being the best team in baseball history. The t
eam had so much promise in 1992, only to watch the Blue Jays win the division b
y four games and go on to the World Series. Had the Brewers won the American Le
ague East that season and gone on to the playoffs, would the last 12 years have
been any different? Tough to say.
Yost has said a ton of times that he and everyone else in the clubhouse is awar
e of the Brewers' long losing streak. Yost thinks that the pressure of that str
eak contributed to the Brewers' second-half slide last season because players w
ant so badly to give Milwaukee a winner. It all starts with pitching, so we sho
uld all focus less on Helms and more on Sheets & Co. With respect to the upgrad
ed offense, if the Brewers reach .500 this season, it will be on the arms of th
e starting pitchers.
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