One of the disadvantages of cutting back on media in your life is that you might miss a few things…or at least just be a bit behind on them.
So suddenly it’s baseball season, and I’m fine with that. It’s just that I’m not really prepared for it. There was no spring training run up to it – there were summer camps and intra-squad games, but not a lot of hoopla.
But it’s time now, and I’ve got to get caught up.
My favorite team is the Milwaukee Brewers. They’ve been OK for the past couple of years, especially since management made some moves in 2018 to include picking up my favorite player (even when he was with Miami), Christian Yelich. He and Lorenzo Cain made 2018 a good year, and seeing them both with the Brewers has been extremely satisfying. Also, I see they got Eric Sogard back this season. I always liked him – lots of hustle, lots of scrap. They lost four regulars from last year: Eric Thames, Travis Shaw, Mike Moustakis, and Yasmani Grandal (the last two being all-stars). With the talent they picked up, I can’t say yet if they’ve had a big drop-off in that department. I personally don’t know what anyone was seeing in Moustakis and Grandal for a lot of last season. They were consistent, but not necessarily lights out. I guess what will really show is how their presence helped people like Yelich. If opposing teams couldn’t pitch around him because he was surrounded by other hitters who could do some damage, maybe their departures will be felt more acutely.
They’ve still got Ryan Braun, and maybe since they’re going with DH across the board this season, he’ll be alright. I’m not a Braun fan really. He was a good player, but injury-prone (I really think that’s why he was taking the PEDs). Now I think they’re just holding onto him because, well, who else is gonna want him?
But they do have their problems, and I think the biggest of them is their new uniforms.
Yeah. I really don’t like them. I remember first seeing them and thinking “They look like the Pittsburgh Pirates in blue.” Nothing against the Pirates – I like their uniforms…when they’re on the Pirates. But not in blue on the Brewers.
In the end, I guess anything I can get this season will be a bonus. Low expectations and all. Three games into the season and they’ve got some work to do. I’m sure they’ll be exciting once the clutch hitting warms up. I’m just glad baseball is back. It’ll help.
And speaking of baseball being back, I did get to hear a good exchange between the announcers of Milwaukee’s second game against the Cubs. When one remarked that the Dodgers were coming out of the gate hot, outscoring the Giants 17-2 in their first three games, the other announcer replies “I think that’s a combination – the Dodgers are really good, and the Giants are not.”
These boys are in mid-season form already…
