If you’re not one of those baseball nerds who follows every single thing going on in the Milwaukee BrewersOrganization, don’t worry, because The Sports Bank’s Nick Grays has you covered with what happened in the past week and what’s going on in the future.
And if you are one of those nerds, feel free to join in on some good old analysis of America’s pastime in the Brew City.
This week we discuss Prince Fielder free agent rumors, a final bout with the Cardinals and a huge series with the Phillies!
Standings:
Milwaukee Brewers (84-57) (24-16-5 in series)
– FIRST in the NL Central
– Lead the St. Louis Cardinals by 9.5 games
– Magic Number at 13
– Run Differential at +66 (up 6 from last week)
– 3-3 this past week
Last Week’s Headlines:
New Teams in the Mix For Prince Fielder
I already talked about the likelihood of MVP candidate Prince Fielder landing in the Chicago Cubs laps, but after a successful season in 2011, there are some other teams who will come-a-calling in the off season.
A team which makes a lot of sense is the Toronto Blue Jays who have a nucleus of players who want to win now. They could use a dependable first baseman (Fielder only player in MLB to play every game this season) and the big bat would be really nice. Moreover, the team just locked up Jose Bautista for a while and could use someone to compliment his power.
The Texas Rangers are another team who have popped up when talking about likely destinations in 2012, but a concern there is that they have money to spend on pitching (a top priority in Texas).
Fielder leads the National League with 107 RBI and ranks fifth with 31 home-runs on the year.
In Case You Missed It:
(9/4) “Brewers George Kottaras Randomly Hits For The Cycle”
Looking Ahead:
Final Bout with St. Louis and Phanatic Show-Down with the Phillies
The Cardinals will have one more chance to make a dent in the 9.5 deficit they need to make up by the end of the season if they want to make the playoffs. The Brewers hit the road with a grudge after being swept at Miller Park by the Cards early last week. If the Brewers can win two of three, I think it’s pretty safe to say the pennant is good as theirs.
Thursday marks the beginning of a highly anticipated series and a possible NLCS preview as the Brewers welcome in the Philadelphia Phillies for a four game series. Thursday also marks the beginning of the NFL Season with the Packers playing, but don’t worry because Phillies’ aces Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee will pitch Friday and Saturday respectively.
Monday, September 5th 3:15 PM (@ St. Louis)
Probable Pitchers: LHP Randy Wolf (11-9) vs. RHP Jake Westbrook (11-7)
Tuesday, September 6th 7:15 PM (@ St. Louis)
Probable Pitchers: RHP Yovani Gallardo (15-9) vs. RHP Kyle Lohse (12-8)
Wednesday, September 7th 7:15 PM (@ St. Louis)
Probable Pitchers: RHP Zack Greinke (14-5) vs. RHP Chris Carpenter (8-9)
Thursday, September 8th 7:10 PM (vs. Philadelphia)
Probable Pitchers: LHP Chris Narveson (10-6) vs. LHP Cole Hamels (13-7)
Friday, September 9th 7:10 PM (vs. Philadelphia)
Probable Pitchers: RHP Shaun Marcum (12-5) vs. RHP Roy Halladay (16-5)
Saturday, September 10th 6:10 PM (vs. Philadelphia)
Probable Pitchers: LHP Randy Wolf (11-9) vs. LHP Cliff Lee (15-7)
Sunday, September 11th 1:10 PM (vs. Philadelphia)
Probable Pitchers: RHP Yovani Gallardo (15-9) vs. RHP Vance Worley (10-1)
Did the Brewers getting swept by the Cardinals raise any concern for you or are you surprised that the Jays will reportedly make a play for Prince Fielder in 2012? Let me know by commenting below!
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and Milwaukee Brewers. He also enjoys to share Fantasy Advice from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best.