Do you think the Brewers will need to trade for a quality starter with the injury to Gallardo?
- Lowell

I don't think the Brewers will do anything as far as a trade just yet. A lot depends on what Dave Bush will do now that he is back and will replace Gallardo in the rotation. Also the progress of both Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra will have a lot say if the Brewers will try to trade for a quality starter. All three, Bush, Villanueva & Parra will have to start pitching better if the Brewers are to contend in the NL Central. Obviously, the injury to Gallardo hurts and everyone will have to step it up a notch.


Why are so many players using Maple instead of ash?
- Red

Talking to a Louisville Slugger representative, it seems that Maple is heavier, harder and denser than Ash. Players are going with bigger barrels and smaller handles; that is why you will see the Maple break a lot around the handle. Ash on the other hand has grains and you will see them splinter more instead of breaking off. If a player orders Maple, the equipment manager will probably order him 18 Maple and if he orders Ash, he would probably order 12. Right now it seems like a novelty and the "in thing" in bats.


Do you see Mike Cameron batting better than his career average this year?
- Brad

Starting the 2008 season, Mike Cameron has a lifetime Major League average of .251; I think Mike will be above his lifetime average but not by much. He had a .268 in 141 games with San Diego in 2006. Last year in a 151 games with San Diego, he hit .242. In 2005 Mike hit .273 in 76 games with the Mets. His season was shortened due to an injury. The one thing about Mike is the fact he's very durable and will get to the plate over 500 times.


Why not use Dave Bush as a close or in middle relief?
- Mick

Since the injury to Yovani Gallardo, Dave Bush will step into Yovani's spot in the rotation. Dave has a very good and resilient arm. He could be used in several ways if he was in the bullpen, including closing some games. The Brewers feel he best suits their needs as a starter in their rotation.

Are the Brewers an improved team over last year? What are their chances on winning the Central Division?
John Gehring

The Brewers are improved over last year. The acquisitions of Mike Cameron & Jason Kendall will help improve a defense which finished 12th in the National League last year. When you look at this year's team, there is more maturity and experience and they have better arms in the bullpen. Yes, they are better and now they just have to go out do it. All the teams in the Central improved themselves on paper including the Brewers. The Brewers can win the Central if they play good defense and our young starters Gallardo, Parra and Villanueva continue to show improvement on what they did last year.

What happens to Gabe Kapler when Mike Cameron comes back?
Lowell Kirchenwitz

Gabe Kapler is playing very well for the Brewers and is swinging a hot bat. He knows what his role is for the Brewers as do Tony Gwynn and Gabe Gross. Their playing will dwindle when Cameron is back. Manager Ned Yost will try to utilize them as often as possible. Braun, Cameron and Hart will have the bulk of the playing time in the outfield.

Will the Brewers ever have Milwaukee on the front of their away uniforms?
Jeremy

Never say Never!!!!! From my understanding the Brewers feel that they represent not only Milwaukee, but the State of Wisconsin. That is why they have Brewers on the front of their road uniforms. However, they do have a "Milwaukee" patch on the left sleeve.

Thanks everyone - keep those questions coming!

Hi everyone.  Figured I'd take this time to share an interview I had with Mark Attanasio. Keep those questions coming!

Mark, you seem to have this wonderful passion for the game of baseball. Where did it all start?
Mark: It started from when I was a kid. I remember, and I think I've told this story, but in 1964 I became a rabid Yankees fan and really being crushed - actually walking around the block crying - because they had lost in seven games to the Cardinals. I was expecting "well, we'll be back next year," and of course the Yankees then went on a little decline. But as far back as I can remember, I've loved baseball.


Well I know you were born in 1957, but that was a little bit before the Dodgers, so you didn't get to see the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants - that was a great era for baseball.
Mark: Yeah, both teams left New York right before I was born.

Mark, what prompted you to buy a ball club?
Mark: I was really a dream of mine from the point that I realized I wasn't going to be able to play major league baseball, which occurred at some point in high school. But it's one of those things that you always dream of but never think you can realize. When I had an opportunity to get close to being able to do it, I really pushed to do it.

Were the Brewers the one choice that you were looking at?
Mark: Well, I started paying attention when a couple of the Los Angeles-area teams, the Angels and Dodgers, sold and watching Arte Moreno and Frank McCourt and thinking, "well, gee, someday I could do that." And the first team that came up for sale after that actually was the Brewers. As it turned out, I have a sister-in-law who is from Milwaukee and I had otherwise had some discussions with the Selig family about making an investment in the team. So I got involved in the auction process.

What has been your biggest challenge as an owner?
Mark: There have been a number of challenges. You know, Wendy Selig-Prieb had told me that baseball was unlike any business that I would have ever seen. And you know, as an investor, I've studied all kinds of businesses. At any given time, we have over 300 investments in our portfolios and I can honestly say it is unlike any business I have ever seen. So just getting my arms around it and getting up the learning curve to understand that we're in the business of running a baseball team was probably my biggest challenge.

When you bought the ballclub, you made four cornerstone pledges to the fans and the community. One, you said, is that one of the things you want to do is have a perennially competitive ballclub. How do you feel about where it's at now?
Mark: Well, I think we'll see if it is perennially. I think we've been competitive two years of the three that I've been here, since we went deep in September those two seasons. If we can do that over the next several seasons with this young nucleus of talent we have, I think we'll have achieved it. There is no doubt that we're competitive right now. The desire is to take it to the next level and make it to the postseason.

Number two was that you wanted to have the best fan experience possible at Miller Park and that seems to be happening.
Mark: Yeah, we really have tried to create the best fan experience and that's what sources the team on the field. But, besides that, every year now we have made some changes to Miller Park. This year, you'll see some changes: New retail store, renovated .300 Club - now the Metavante Club - and some additions to the Kid's Zone and kid's play areas. Every year we're going to try to do something fresh at the ballpark.

Number three was that you said you wanted to redouble the efforts to make the ballclub a leader in the community.
Mark: Yeah, I do. And it's interesting because every year I get briefed on what we've been able to achieve and while we've achieved a lot, I want to do more. We've made a lot of progress through our S.C.O.R.E. program. We made some progress in some things similar that the ball players have done with the Negro League tributes. But I think we're just scratching the surface in what we can do in the community.

And number four was an organization in which people want to work, whether on the field or behind the scenes.
Mark: That was a very important day. I remember all the nervous faces the first day I took over ownership and now that's been replaced with a lot of smiling faces. That's very important to me, because it's the folks behind the scenes who really make everything go.

With the team finishing two games out in the Central Division, it was a tough, tough, tough last week of the season. But what was the high point of the season for you?
Mark: Well, I'll just mention a number of owners told me, owners with more experience, that those seasons when you're that close are always the toughest seasons. But with that, coming from and growing up in New York, going back to play the Mets in May and just seeing these headlines about "Baseball's Best, Brewers Coming to Town." In fact, I saved some of those headlines. And who could have imagined three years ago that you'd be seeing that?

That was quite a run too. Going on your fourth year of ownership, has there been any unexpected surprises?
Mark: Well there have been a lot of unexpected small surprises. Chief of which is the warmth and support of the community and how they've reached out to me and my family. I knew from when I came here that people were warm, but everyday I'm reminded about what a great community this is. And it's probably been, not the biggest, but the most heartwarming surprise.

Spring Training is winding down and Opening Day is right around the corner for the Brewers. Are they all set for the opener against the Cubs on March 31^st?

Well, the roster questions have been answered - for now. The infield is set with Fielder, Weeks, Hardy and Hall. As is the outfield with Hart, Cameron and Braun as starters; Gwynn, Gross and Kapler round out the outfield. Jason Kendall will be the starting catcher with Mike Rivera for the backup position.

As for the pitching, the rotation seems to be set with Sheets, Suppan, Bush, Villanueva and Parra. With the surprising release of Claudio Vargas, that opened the door for both Villanueva and Parra. Don’t forget that Yovani Gallardo will be ready to get back in the rotation by mid April.

That means someone will have to go to bullpen or back to Triple A.

The bullpen with Gagne, Turnbow Riske, Torres, Shouse, McClung and Mota seems to be pretty well set. Craig Counsell and Joe Dillon will be on the bench as the utility players.

Here are some decisions GM Doug Melvin and MGR Ned Yost will have to make:

- M ike Cameron will miss the first 25 games of the season due to suspension. Centerfield looks like it will be Tony Gwynn handling most of that duty while Cameron serves his suspension. What happens when Cameron comes back? Someone has to go. The decision will be whether to stay with 6 outfielders and 1 utility player. They will probably go with 5 outfielders and 2 utility players. Joe Dillon a utility infielder has been used in the outfield.

- Another decision will be made when Yovani Gallardo moves back in the rotation. Someone will again have to go. Villanueva has pitched out of the bullpen and could be moved there. Manny Parra could be sent to triple A depending on how he is doing. They could also move someone out of the bullpen depending on need. They seem like tough decisions, and they are, but the players involved will help make those decisions for Melvin and Yost.

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Some of you are concerned whether the Brewers will sign Prince and some of the other young players who they consider the core of the team. Owner Mark Attanasio has made it known that he would like to not only sign Prince but the other players like Braun and Hart. I believe he will do whatever he can to sign these players and keep them in the fold for as long as possible.

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A lot of you emailed me asking about Damian Miller; Damian is retired and living in La Crosse. He was a class act and will be missed both on the field and in the clubhouse.

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I also received emails concerning Tony Graffanino; Graff is still recovering from his knee injury and feels once healed he can help a team out.

Pitchers and Catchers have reported to the Brewers spring training home in Maryvale, Arizona and the Brewers spring training is underway! Manager Ned Yost and GM Doug Melvin are happy with the players they have in camp. Was it a productive off-season for the Brewers? Well let’s answer some of the question marks from last year.

Let’s start with defense; the Brewers finished tied for 12^th in the NL with the Nationals. Defense has been a problem for the Brewers and GM Doug Melvin felt he had to make a few moves to tighten up the defense.

Melvin felt the Brewers needed to be stronger in center, third and catcher. Did he solve the problem in center? Bill Hall did an adequate job in center, given more time I’m sure he would have been an above average in center.

Centerfielder, Mike Cameron was available and that gave Melvin and opportunity to sign a quality centerfielder. By signing Cameron, gave Melvin a chance to solve what he thought was a problem at third.

Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun made an immediate impact when he was brought up in late May. There was no question about his offense, it was his defense at third that was troubling (35 errors). Most of his errors were on throws. Melvin and Yost decided to move Braun to left and move Hall to third. Hall a natural infielder had been the Brewers shortstop in 2005 and also played quite a few games at third and second.

Melvin felt he needed to sign a catcher; Johnny Estrada was basically an offensive catcher and had trouble throwing runners out. He had the worst caught sealing percentage in the NL. In comes Jason Kendall; a better defensive catcher whose offense has slipped the last couple of years. He also has trouble throwing base stealers out. The majority of the Brewers pitchers do not do a good job in holding runners and this is something that really needs to be addressed in spring training. If it isn’t,  we will see the same results as last year with maybe a tad bit more success with Kendall behind the dish.

I believe with those changes the Brewers will be better defensively.

Now the pitching: Starting pitching is strong. It will really help if Ben Sheets stays healthy all year, he anchors the starting rotation along with Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush, and Yovani Gallardo. Chris Capuano, Claudio Vargas, Manny Parra and Carlos Villanueva will be competing for the number five spot in the rotation. The bullpen, which wore out in the second half,, will still have some question marks. The Brewers lost closer Francisco Cordero to the Reds, Melvin signed closer Eric Gagne along with relievers David Riske, Solomon Torres and Guillermo Mota. The starters are the key for the bullpen; the starters need to go deeper in the ballgame. Too many times a starter only went 5, maybe 6, innings and not pitching deep into the games will wear out your bullpen. The one good thing with Riske, Torres and Mota is that you have arms that can throw more than one inning in relief and can be used on back to back days.

The other question: Can Gagne come back to the form he has a few years ago when he was one of the premier closers in baseball? If not, Derrick Turnbow will do the closing.

All in all the Brewers did improve themselves for the upcoming 2008 season. It should be a very competitive Central Division. The Cubs, Reds and Astros all made improvements during the off season. There are high expectations for the talented Brewers. With Prince Fielder, Bill Hall, Rickie Weeks and JJ Hardy anchoring the infield, Ryan Braun and Corey Hart in the outfield, you have the core of the team.

Now, the Brewers will have to stay healthy and play solid defense along with solid pitching, to help out a strong offense. This could be the year the fans have been waiting for since 1982!

I am back online and will be taking your questions.

Go Brewers!!

 

Is Matt Wise having a harder time pitching since he hit Pedro Lopez of Cincinnati in the face?

- Mindy

Matt Wise seemed to have a problem with his control after hitting Pedro Lopez. When hitting someone in the face it can affect certain pitchers in different ways; It certainly did have a negative effect on Matt. It has taken him awhile to get over it and now he seems to be back on track.

Who was the last Brewer to steal home?

-Joe R

According to The Brewers Director of Media Relations Mike Vassallo, Bill Hall was the last Brewer to steal home. It came on May 2nd against the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the back end of a double steal. Corey Hart was the runner at first. Manager Tony LaRussa told me he was caught off guard and blamed himself for letting that happen.

Capuano and the Rotation

For all of the countless emails I received addressing Chris Capuano status in the rotation, that question has been answered after Chris's last start against the Reds on August 19th at Miller Park. Although he did pitch a respectable 6 1/3 innings, leaving the game in a 5-5 tie. Manager Ned Yost decided it would be best for Chris to work out of the bullpen to try and regain his earlier form. I believe that Chris will come back to his All-Star form and be inserted back in the rotation down the stretch.

How do you explain JJ Hardy's torrid home run pace during the first two months of the season and now his power has gone stone cold? Is it due to an injury or is it psychological?

-Scott

JJ certainly got off to a hot start and was on pace to hit 50 home runs this season. As of this posting, JJ is hitting .276 in 116 games with 23 home runs and 70 rbi's. If the season was to end today, everyone would say thay JJ has had a great year. It's not that he has gone "stone cold" or he has an injury, or even something psycological; JJ is where everyone in the Brewer front office and Major League Staff expected him to be.

I learned from a great Manager, Whitey Herzog, who told me to watch players who are in territory they have never ventured before and see where they are in August and September. He said that over the course of the season they will be at the level they have always been. This will be JJ's first full season in the Majors, and maybe we're starting to see where his level will always be.

Where is Matt LaPorta playing?

-Bill

Matt LaPorta is playing rookie ball with Helena Brewers in the Pioneer League.

He has played in 3 games as of this posting; he is hitting .364 with 2 HR's. He started late because of a slight quad muscle pull. He will probably go to West Virginia in the South Atlantic League after he has had a few more games under his belt.

Is Prince overswinging since the All-Star break?

-Jeff

I asked Prince if he felt he was overswinging and his answer was he did not think  so. I asked hitting coach Jim Skaalen about Prince's swing and he said that Prince was not overswinging, but felt he was trying to do too much and did not have good pitch selection.

The way Jeff Suppan has been struggling, do you think Ned will move him to the bullpen?

-MC

Yes, Jeff has been struggling but the Brewers will not move him to the bullpen. He will work out his problems and we will see the Jeff Suppan that started the season for the Brewers.

He has been working hard to correct his mechanics and it showed in his last start against the Mets on Tuesday. He pitched 6.1 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs both earned and 2 walks with no strikeouts.

Has Bill Hall's ankle fully healed?

-Randy

I asked Bill if his ankle is fully healed; he said it is sore at times but no pain at all.  When he first came off the disabled list he was a little tenative. He is now showing no signs of the ankle sprain.

What is a five tool player?

-Mary

When a player is referred to as a five tool player; that simply means that he is well above average in all aspects of the game.  So you look for a player that has speed, power, strong arm, hits for average and is a great fielder.

Why doesn't Johnny Estrada take off his mask when catching a pop up?

-Jo

Johnny says he feels he sees the ball better and it takes too much time to flip off his mask. He said he has always kept his mask on ever since becoming a professional baseball player.

When a player is traded does he share his inside knowledge of his former team with his new team? Is it an unwritten rule that you don't tell secrets about your former teammates?

-Karen

No, it is not an unwritten rule! When a player is traded to a team in the same league he will share what knowledge he has with his current team. It may be sharing what his former team's signs are or certain tendencies the manager has; for example the manager likes to hit and run on a certain count or the signs he gives to the third base coach,

Do you have any updates on Corey Koskie? He's been on the disabled list for so long! -Ali

Corey is still recovering from post-traumatic concussion syndrome. When the team played in Minnesota this year he came to the park and had a nice visit with his teammates. He is far from being able to play and hopefully he will be over his concussion and will be ready for next year.

Update on Sixto Lezcano

The Brewers will be honoring Sixto on Ceverceros Day July 15th at Miller Park prior to the game against the Colorado Rockies. He is currently working for the Atlanta Braves Organization.

Will Doug Melvin make a significant trade? -John

I am not sure that Doug Melvin will be able to pull off a significant trade unless it involved one of our young players and I don’t think he wants to part with any of our young guns just yet.  He may try to package players like Mench, Gross, Shouse or a Matt Wise. I think we need another lefty in the pen. You may not see much action until later in the season when teams determine if they have a shot at the play offs.

What ever happened to Pat Listach AL rookie of the year with the Brew Crew in 1992?

- Gerald

Pat Listach is managing the Cubs' Double AA Team, the Tennessee Smokies in the Southern League. Pat edged out Kenny Lofton for Rookie of the Year, but his playing career ended a few years later.

Several seasons ago, I recall the Brewers bringing up a Class AA pitcher to face the Cardinals.  He was effective, but was soon returned to the minors.  I cant recall his name, but I am curious as to whatever happened to him. Can you help me out?

-Jim G.

After beating the Cardinals, Chris Saenz was sent down to the Minors the next day. Shortly after that season, he developed arm problems and was never the same pitcher. He is currently pitching for the Angels' Double AA team, the Arkanas Travelers. And he is 1-5 with a 7.29 ERA.