Tuesday, September 16, 2008

More Playoff Talk: What's Going On In Milwaukee?



(pictured, Milwaukee Brewers Braintrust jumps into action to save season.)


Milwaukee Brewers Fire Manager, Ned Yost, on Eve of Decisive Series In Wrigley Field with Cubs, Hire Dale Sveum; Red Sox win First Game Against Tampa Bay, Draw Even


Nothing is more inevitable in a baseball manager's career than he will be fired some day. September is a cruel month as many teams cut their losses, discard skippers twisting in the breeze to prepare for new leadership in the year ahead, but for a team to ditch their manager in the heat of a pennant race tied for the Wild Card lead beginning the last two weeks of the season?


The message in Milwaukee is desperate times call for desperate measures as Ned Yost was sent packing to bring in former Brewer, Dale Sveum, to serve as acting field general through the bitter end. Clearly, the Brewers are operating in a "win-at-all-cost" mentality as they have pulled out all the stops to make this their year. They cannot stockpile and retain big name players like big market teams can. Adding players like C.C. Sabathia showed their commitment to win this year. It's all about this year. The team will face some tough decisions about mapping its future in a few weeks.


Beginning September, Milwaukee was stood strong with an 80-56 record having won eight out of their last two games with a strong five and a half game solid lead in the Wild Card chase. Since then, they've won three and lost eleven currently at 83-67 tied with the Phildelphia Phillies, who are playing superb end-of-the year baseball locked in to take the division lead from the New York Mets. Be it New York or Philadelphia, one of these teams is poised to take the Wild Card leaving the "Brew Crew" out in the cold.


Not knowing the internals of the Milwaukee clubhouse, this seems like a very strange move especially going right into red hot action against the toast of the league, Chicago Cubs. By Friday, the baseball world will know if this was a necessary shot-in-the-arm or a mindless panic. The team was in free fall and needs a new mind-set to carry on.


Regardless of outcome, Milwaukee will fall back into the pack of also-rans next year as the money of baseball will mean players leaving for big fat contracts elsewhere. If the sport were designed to work that way as the salary cap imposes in the NFL and NBA, that would be one thing, but for teams like Milwaukee and others to work so hard to get to this point only have to start over due to their success is mighty tough to deal with when teams like Boston, both New York and Los Angeles teams can buy just about any player they chose. The Yankees show this year it takes more than a checkbook to make it to post season, but it's a huge advantage over the rest of the sport.


In game one in Tampa between the Rays and the Red Sox, experience and cunning beat youth and enthusiasm putting the Red Sox with the Rays in a virtual tie for the AL East lead. The Rays have a one game lead in the loss column. They're seven games up on the Twins for the Wild Card, regardless. So with two weeks to go, both these teams are locked into the playoffs. Right now, this is a batte for which team starts the Wild Card round at home, a proven advantage for both teams. The other battle is to pick up a few games and surpass the Angels for the best record in the American League for home field rights into the World Series.


This will be one fine week of September baseball to be sure. Sit back and enjoy.

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