Brewers Recap of First Three Weeks of 2012 Season

We are three weeks into the new Brewers season, and I thought that I would check the current stats.  Let's see if anything pops out at us, shall we?  The Brewers are one game under .500, and have the day off.  They are on the road for a while, and I would like to use this "quiet time" to reflect. 

Who has the hot bat right now?  Carlos Gomez.  Gomez is batting .371 right now.  His at bats number 35, but you still have to say that he's seeing the ball very well.  Corey Hart has been playing well for the past three games.  During the series against Houston, he had five hits, and five RBI's.  His batting average jumped 36 points in three days.  He hit a home run in each of the past two games.  Good job Mr. Hart!

Matt Gamel is swinging the bat well.  His batting average is currently .281, with nine runs on the books.  All eyes have been on the first baseman, as we look to see if he can fill Fielder's shoes.  With just one single home run on the books, we have to say that he's more of a "get on base" guy, when compared to Prince. 

Finally, Ryan Braun is putting up fair numbers.  He's hit four home runs, and is batting .275.  He had a pretty nasty flu bug last week, but got five hits of Houston's pitchers.  He hit a pair of home runs during the series, and scored four RBI's.  Braun has just one stolen base so far this season.  The Brewers need Braun to keep up the pace, and peform.  They hit the road tomorrow, and play at St. Louis.  Brewers fans will have to wait until May 7th before the team comes home to Miller Park. 

Ryan Braun and Corey Hart Both Working Their Way Back

Ryan Braun is in a slump. As of this post, he's had only one hit during spring training. He's also had three walks, so it's not as if the guy isn't getting on base. Still, the Brewers outfielder might be struggling to concentrate after the crazy off season he had. He had to weather some harsh cat calls during a "road" game against the Angels. He says that kind of stuff doesn't bother him at all. One would think that if you are going to weather a slump, you might as well do it when the games don't count.

All reports about his batting practices are good. He is not converting those times in the batting cage into productive hitting in game situations just yet. Some say that he's avoiding the media, and that might be true. He's got to get his head together and the rest will follow.

Corey Hart Opening Day Preparations

It looks like Corey Hart will be healed by opening day, but he's got some things to work out before he's in the lineup. First, Hart needs to stay on track with practices. A perfectly healthy knee is fine, but if he doesn't get enough time at the plate and on the field, Hart may have to sit out the first week of the regular season. The surgery itself is not very invasive. It's more about the time needed to ramp up to playing speed. The first few games are away from Miller Park. Perhaps he will be swinging the bat in Milwaukee by April 6.

Milwaukee Brewers At Miller Park Lose All Three VS Phillies

The Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park have been struggling. They lost three in a row, VS the Phillies. I realize that Philadelphia is a great team but to get swept at home is not cool. Why didn't Ken Macha just use up the bullpen in an effort to pick up a win on Saturday? The team had a chance that night, but Ken was thinking too much about Sunday.

Rickie Weeks is Mr. Hot and Cold. Right now, he's Mr. Cold. I think Rickie is having trouble seeing the ball right now. Perhaps he's got to get back to basics. Learn to love the ball Rickie, and hits will follow.

Corey Hart doesn't want to take a walk. You won't see that guy at the plate with a 2-2 count on the jumbo tron. He's just swinging away. Meanwhile, Macha is thinking way too far ahead. Sometimes you have to do what it takes and use up the pitching staff. We're going down in flames here Kenny.

If I'm going to spread a bit of blame, let's talk about Ryan Braun. He went 2-12 on this home stand. Yes, he was hit by a pitch last week. I'm sure that hurts. He's gutsy to stay with it, and get in there to play against the Phillies. But Ryan, if you need some time to heal, take a seat. The pitching staff will probably blow any lead you help create. You might as well let that elbow ge back into shape. Prince Fielder didn't do much better, going 3-12, but he hit two home runs in the series. In his past ten games he bat .350. That's great, but Prince had only four RBI's in those ten games. Guess who's not getting on base?