James P. Gale's Milwaukee Brewers fan blog

The Brewers will soon take the field for their first official October baseball game in over a quarter of a decade. After years of near misses and many more "rebuilding" years, the Brewers have finally seen a gain from their investment. Milwaukee's core of players has stepped up to take the team, and the city to a place never seen by Miller Park.

A rocky September kept the Brewers in a heated playoff race until the last day of the regular season. A historic New York Mets collapse and an even more impressive 5 wins in the last 6 games earned the Brewers and their fans a much deserved trip to the postseason. The city has been buzzing about the team since mid June and the excitement has grown every month. From the aquisition of CC Sabathia in July and a hot September to the final games of the season, the city has been behind their Brewers 100%. 

Continue reading "October Baseball 10/1"

By now the story has been beaten to the ground. Prince Fielder's altercation with Manny Parra in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Reds has turned many heads towards a team trying to break out of a losing slump. So far, everybody in the organization is confident that the scuffle is nothing but a poorly timed altercation during the heat of competition. Teammates have already brushed off the incident as nothing more than Monday's loss as they prepare for Tuesday.

The real problem with this situation is all the optimisim that has risen after the scuffle. Have the Brewers forgotten that they face Edinson Volquez tonight? Last time he faced the Brewers he struck out 10 batters. If anbody in the National League has a suggestion for solving Volquez it usually involves taking opportunity of his mistakes, something the Brewers have had immense trouble with over the past 10 games. If their struggles continue and Volquez is on form, the drama in the Brewers clubhouse could continue to boil beyond repair. 

Continue reading "Disaster Relief 8/4"

The Brewers did the best thing possible for a team coming off of a 4 game sweep at home to a division rival, they blew out a bad team.

The 9-0 victory was a fresh start for the young Brewers, who, after dealing with a momentum killing seven game home stand needed to make a statement. There are two months left in the regular season, which narrows room for error for the team looking too far ahead in their schedule.

The Cubs series was a glaring example of how professionalism and consistency wins ball games. Every error the Brewers made, the Cubs would take advantage. Every opportunity the Cubs provided was squandered by a team that is hitting poorly with runners in scoring position.

In spite of the poor home performance, the Brewers have won 9 straight games on the road and are in place to make that 10 when Ben Sheets pitches on Sunday afternoon.

Continue reading "The Dog Days of Summer 8/2"

It took the national media until the very end of July to hype a series being played in Milwaukee.

Until now, the Brewers have quietly been sitting in third place in a division that in years past has been branded "The Worst Division in the National League". Hidden behind constant coverage of the timeless Chicago Cubs and the professionally consistent St. Louis Cardinals, the Brewers have emerged as a true contender beyond their division rivals.

The biggest factor in the Brewers success has been their ability to win close games. The 2008 Brewers are 22-10 in games decided by only one run, a winning percentage of .688. In 2007, the Brewers were 22-21 in one run games with a winning percentage of .512. The best example of the Brewers' ability to win in the clutch came last week when the Brewers won 6 of their 7 games, 5 of those wins coming on the road.

Continue reading "The Series You Were Waiting to Hype, Brewers/Cubs: 7/28-7/31"