This Is The Year

As any regular reader of this blog (assuming there are some) knows, I'm a Cardinals baseball fan. I don't exactly bleed Brewers blue (and certainly not that awful baby blue and yellow from the 1980's). But I'm a baseball fan and I enjoy taking in some games in Milwaukee. I bought one of the 9-packs last year and plan to do so again this year. It's a good deal as you get ten games for the price of nine and the marquee games at regular price.

As a quasi-objective observer I am excited about this year's team. The Brewers have a real chance to win the division. First of all, the NL Central isn't all that tough despite having the Cards, Astros, and Cubs in it. The Red Birds won it with 83 wins last year (and went on to win the World Series).

The Brewers improved their starting rotation by adding Jeff Suppan and, to a much lesser extent Claudio Vargas. The 5 starters of Ben Sheets, Chris Capuano, Suppan, David Bush, and Vargas is the best in the division. They also improved their defense with Bill Hall and Corey Hart replacing Carlos Lee and Brady Clark in the OF. They get JJ Hardy back. Their young hitters, like Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks should continue to improve. They added a good hitting catcher in Johnny Estrada. And they have more depth than at any time I can recall.

They have a major weakness at 3B unless Corey Koskie comes back and he's not that great, concussed or not. And maybe more than most teams they are subject to injuries. But Ben Sheets only seems to get hurt every year - if you look he's actually had three years of full heavy-duty service - but they are also better able to withstand a short absence by him or Cappy without a collapse like last year.

Yes, the Cubs added Lou Pinella, Alfonso Soriano and get a healthy Derrek Lee back , but they also have the horrible Jason Marquis as their third starter and they are the Cubs after all.

Anyway, Opening Day is upon us!