Land of Confusion

The title of the 1986 hit song from the super group Genesis seems very appropriate to describe the state of the Brewers and their fans this evening after a number of troubling events took place. First, Ryan Braun missed another game due to his ailing back which is related to the nagging intercostal strain he developed late last year and re-emerged while playing in the World Baseball Classic this Spring. This could be a season long problem, and that would be devastating for the Brewers. Does anyone remember how poorly Braun played down the stretch last year? Hopefully that is not a sign of things to come.

With Braun out (he didn't even travel with the team, instead he had an MRI which apparently showed no structural damage), manager Ken Macha made an interesting move to fill the void in left field by placing every day third baseman Bill Hall there. Prior to last year, Hall had been a jack-of-all-trades for the Crew playing numerous infield and outfield positions (was the Brewers everyday centerfielder in 2007). However, some speculated that Hall's lack of a permanent position contributed to his troubles at the plate. Last season, Hall platooned with Russell "the Muscle" Branyan, due to the fact that he struggled against right-handed pitching. This off-season, however, Hall got into great shape, had Lasik surgery on his eyes, and vowed to have a stellar season playing full-time at third.

Although hindsight is 20/20, I disagreed with the decision to place Hall in left field. Hall has been contributing tremendously this year both offensively and defensively at the hot corner. I am sure this maneuver was just a short-term fix, but I for one wouldn't mess at all with Hall's fragile psyche. Remember last year when Hall was talking to the media and requesting a trade? He claimed he had done everything the Brewers asked of him, and many of those things seemed detrimental to his long-term value and marketability. I just hope that this experiment doesn't cause Hall to backslide into his old ways.

Another reason Ken Macha may have made this move was to get some playing time for Spring Training masher, Casey McGehee. Claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs in late October of 2008, McGehee tore up the Cactus League batting .339 in 26 games with 20 hits, 6 home runs, and 16 RBI's. McGehee played so well that the Brewers cut Mike Lamb who they had picked up last year from the Twins. It was almost a certainty that Lamb was going to platoon with Hall at third base due to his defense and left-handed bat, but the Brewer's brass obviously weren't able to ignore McGehee's stick. McGehee even spent time at second base during Spring Training in case things didn't materialize with Rickie Weeks (and we all know how well Rickie is materializing...WOW!). With Hall and Weeks playing so well, McGehee has seen little playing time at all.

Well, as luck would have it, Hall got injured in the bottom of the first inning, diving for a sinking liner. Hopefully it is nothing serious, but I do know he missed 29 days in Spring Training with a calf injury.

So, where do the Brewers stand? Braun is injured (although he flew to Pittsburgh and blooped a 2-run double to tie the game in the 8th inning) and is probably playing at a mere 80% or so. Hall could also miss some time with this new ailment. Gallardo wasn't himself today, but he did throw a quality start (at least 6 IP and 3 earned runs or less). I hope that these blips on the radar screen don't derail the continuity and momentum the Brewers have developed recently. They are on fire.

The Brewers win 7-4 over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park

Notes:

-The Brewers have beaten the Pirates 16 straight times
-Trevor Hoffman recorded his 4th save as a Brewer and has yet to give up a run for Milwaukee
-Unlike last year, the Brewers seem to be able to come from behind and win
-Matt LaPorta had his first hit with the Cleveland Indians, a 2-run homerun in the 7th

BCBB

What else can you say about Mike Cameron?

During the offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers suffered a huge loss when pitcher CC Sabathia signed an enormous free agent deal with the New York Yankees despite the efforts of Brewer's owner Mark Attanasio and GM Doug Melvin to keep him in a Milwaukee uniform. Of course nobody blamed CC for taking the deal which was one of the richest contracts in the history of Major League Baseball. However, whether it was real or disingenuous (I don't think anybody can say for sure), it seemed as though CC enjoyed his stay in Milwaukee. The fans treated him like royalty, the Brewers contended and won the NL Wildcard when he was here, and most of all, he enjoyed the players and their carefree, upbeat attitudes. So, when rumors of Mike Cameron being traded to the Yankees started popping up all over the media, it came as no surprise because Cameron was one of CC's closest friends on the Brew Crew. The thought was that CC was intimidated by all that is New York (media and fan scrutiny, fast-paced lifestyle, etc), and the addition of Cameron might make the transition a bit easier for Sabathia. Makes sense, right? However, a deal never came to fruition, and it was perhaps one of the best non-trades that the Brewers were ever part of.

Milwaukee blogs and radio stations had Cameron going to the Yankees for Melky Cabrera, the Yankees centerfielder who had fallen from graces due to underperformance. It was thought that the Brewers could shed Cameron's big salary and pick up the younger, cheaper, and left-handed Cabrera (the Brewers were and are short on left-handed hitting). With the dollar savings, the Brewers expected to have money available to bolster their pitching staff which at the time was unproven. Apparently Brewer's GM Doug Melvin and Yankee GM Brian Cashman had talked, and a deal was all but inked. Speculation was that perhaps Bill Hall would be included in the deal, and Brewers fans were somewhat livid that it was only Cabrera coming back and not additional pitching help. As it turned out, Doug Melvin stated that Cashman simply never got back to him, and the deal just "died". Melvin seemed ok with that, and who knows if the two ever spoke again regarding Cameron. My readings indicated that Melvin was a bit upset that Cashman treated him so poorly.

Today, Mike Cameron leads the NL in Extra Base Hits with 16, leads the NL in Doubles with 10, 5th in NL Total Bases with 55, 5th in NL Slugging Pct. at .655, is hitting .321, is providing formidable protection batting fifth in the Brewer's order behind Prince Fielder, and as always is playing gold glove centerfield.

The word on the street is that Mike Cameron was relieved that the trade did not go through because he enjoys it here in Milwaukee. He likes that the Brewers allow his kids to be on the field during moments in Spring Training (great family man), and from this he was instrumental in helping the Brewers acquire Trevor Hoffman who also happens to be a great family man (is Hoffman pitching great or what?). In addition, Cameron has a great relationship with the players which is evident in his various handshakes with the likes of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder.

Mike Cameron is a class act. He leads by example with a tremendous work ethic, he is a clubhouse leader, and a veteran worth having on the Brewers today and for a few more years to come (I hope).

BCBB