Well a big trade has been made in major league baseball and we'll see if it can help one of the smaller market teams in the league, the Milwaukee Brewers to win and finally make the playoffs for the first time in 26 years since 1982.
The Brewers traded four minor leaguers and top prospects to the Cleveland Indians for 2007 Cy Young winner CC Sabathia. The Indians who came within one game of the World Series are struggling in last place this year while the young small market and somewhat financially stapped Brewers are trying to strike while the iron's hot for success in major league baseball without a salary cap especially for small market teams like the Brewers.
Teams like the Brewers have to build within the farm system and a few small trades. When they pick up a big star like CC Sabathia who they very well might lose to free agency along with the other Brewers pitching star Ben Sheets.
So they're going to try to go for postseason success now. Coming off their first winning season (83-79) last year, the Brewers are trying to see if they can take their young hitting talent All Star Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Bill Hall, Corey hart and JJ Hardy and good, young and veteran pitching to see if they can make their first postseason trip since the 1982 World Series.
The Brewers have the longest postseason drought for a team that has won a playoff spot in a 162 game season.The only team with a longer postseason drought is the former Montreal Expos/now Washington Nationals who made their only postseason appearence in the strike shortened 1981 season which doesn't count as much to me in that regard of acheiving success in a full season.
Anyway you know I also like the Red Sox and Cubs who have had their own championship droughts over the years. The Red Sox finally won 2 World Series this decade after 86 years and they'll never have enough to catch the Yankees who have 26 World Series titles. The Cubs are trying to conquer their own demons of 100 years without a World Series title. But one of the differences between those teams and the Brewers and other smaller market teams like the Brewers, Pirates, Royals and another success story this year the Rays is money.
Without a salary cap things are not even financially and the Brewers 26 year playoff drought is almost similar to the Cubs !00 year drought in that regard I think. Milwaukee is a great and underrated major league baseball town. Before the Brewers arrived Milwaukee had the Braves who now of course are in Atlanta. But from 1953-1965 the Braves had the heart of Milwaukee and went to two World Series led by hitter Henry Aaron and Eddie Matthews and pitchers Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette.
The Braves beat the New York Yankees in seven games in 1957 for Milwaukee's only World Series Championship and lost in seven games also to the Yankees in 1958. Then in 1982 the Brewers then in the American League lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. But since St Louis reliever and now Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter struck out Brewers slugger Gorman Thomas to end that series and give the Cardinals the championship, the Brewers haven't been back in the postseason. Now the Brewers can blame the small market imbalance as some teams like the Pirates or Royals have. Or they can embrace and deal with the system and go for postseason success as other small market teams like the Twins and A's have and the small market Colorado Rockies went all the way to the World Series last year and the Florida Marlins once won the World Series with approximately a 60 million dollar patroll in 2003.
So in conclusion postseason success is possible for a small market team like the Brewers. For long term success the Brewers team management has to be a little craftier and kep retooling the minor league system and talent crop of players. And then every once in a while they can bring in a star pitcher like CC Sabathia even it's only for the short term and they might lose him after the season to free agency. But at least they're trying while the iron is hot and see where it goes from there. So Good Luck Brewers and we'll be following your progress and success and I hope the can win along with teams like the Rays for smaller market teams in baseball.
The Brewers aren't guaranteed success with getting CC Sabathia and I think the bullpen is still shaky. Blowing a 5-0 lead in the ninth inning last week at Arizona didn't help confidence, but if they keep working at it maybe they'll find their way and their first postseason appaerance since 1982 whether it be the wildcard which they're currently tied with the Cardinals or the NL Central where they're 4 back of the Cubs at this point.
Take care friends and have a great and productive day. Best wishes and talk soon. fenfan
fenwayfan'
And one can now once aginunderstand how disilluioned George'll become as they've missed out on another opportunity vis a vis .
I don't know that it'll push the Brewers over the top. And also whether or not this is meant to be a long term arrangement on their part.I'd certainly like to think this'd be the case. But one can never tell in the case of the owners, players and managment.
What the Brewers really could have needed was a closer. The back of their bullpen is soft as tissue paper. Sabathia is a good pick up, but they are still looking up at 2 teams in their division. The NL is wide open, so I guess take the shot while they can.
thesupposedbuckles
It's not the NL that's wide open a such it's the premium that's placed on a wildcard playoff berth. You win your division you're in . However if you don't then you're in the trenches fighting amongst the others for that lone spot. And tht's not easy by any account.
justan' aka tophatal ......
Last edited by justanotherfan on July 8th at 10:37 AM.
I don't think you really answered your question. We all know that the Brewers operate on a tight budget and can only acquire big name players by flipping their stud minor leaguers. CC obviously helps the team, what team wouldn't be better with CC Sabathia? This team has more problems than just it's rotation. It's offense isn't deep or patient enough and they ave too many dead bats playing daily. Braun, Hart, Fielder and Hardy are all nice players but the former two don't get on base nearly enough and they have no legitimate top of the lineup guys. The rest of the offense is almost punchless. The only guy that really takes his walks is Rickie Weeks, but he can't hit a lick.
The bullpen stinks and unless CC goes the distance in each of his starts, he will most likely not end up with nearly as many wins as he should.
I posted a blog about the state of the central post the CC acquisition. Check it out.
Nice comments friends,
Thank you. I like the CC Sabathia trade and he looked good in the Brewers 7-3 win last night. But as I said and you've said I'm concerened about the bullpen and the bats are mainly power or strikeouts or in other words hot or cold. They need to play some more small ball to advance the runners but they don't want to lose the power as well. We'll see. Take care and talk soon. Best wishes. fenfan
I love taking about all sports in general although I tend to follow team sports more because I tend to follow teams more than individuals. That's why I don't have any favorite players listed at this time. Feel free to talk about most anything in sports with me. I don't know everything about sports, but I wish I did because maybe then I'd be in the sports profession. Anyway sports is my passion and I'd love to talk about it with you and become your sports friend so stop by anytime and we'll talk sports!
