Brewers Predictions

I am finding it more and more difficult to deal with all the praise the Brewers have started getting in the media these days. Everywhere I turn, someone is picking them to win the National League Central or at least make the playoffs as a possible wild card. I don't know how to deal with this. This has never really happened in my lifetime and at least not in the time I can remember (I don't remember the season of 2000, too many concussions. But, the concussions were probably a direct result of my concrete dorm room wall and the Brewers performance). As far as I've always known, the Brewers are always expected to finish near last if not dead last in everything. They've always been like the Indians team from Major League, without of course, the ability to rally together against their owner and win ball games.

Now they have a strong rotation, good arms in the pen, and possibly a very solid line-up from top to bottom. It seems like their the it pick this season to do great things. Maybe the Tigers have something to do with this. Like the Brewers this year, they started last year with good pitching and a fairly young, but possibly strong offense. The only difference is that no one picked them to do anything. Now all of the media experts don't want to make that mistake twice, so they are going with the team most likely to be this years Tigers. I can't abide this. For one thing, I hate when people start to make stretches like this and go for "Fad" teams. Whether I like it or not, right now its popular to cast your vote for the Crew. The fact is, the Brewers still have to prove themselves in what should be a tough division. The Cardinals are the reigning champions with most of their firepower back for another run. The Astros have a very good line-up and if Roger Clemens decides to comes back sometime after the season starts, they will have one of the best rotations in baseball. The Cubs just finished spending 300 million bucks in the off-season (not that it will help them, cause they're the Cubs) and the Pirates and Reds look like they will be better as well. I know not every team can be better than they were the year before in one division. Someone will be bad (hopefully the Cubs again), but at least the Astros and the Cardinals shouldn't disappoint. I love what this team can do, but they still need to prove that they can do it. Sheets, Weeks and Hardy need to prove they can stay healthy. Braun and Hart need to show that they can get it done at the highest level and everyone else needs to play better than they did last year. I think they can do it, I just think people on ESPN.com should pick someone else and not jinx us.

With all that said, here are my picks for the NL Central.

1. Brewers
2. Cardinals
3. Astros
4. Pirates
5. Reds
6. Cubs

Hey, I'm a Brewers fan. I can say they're going to win it without jinxing them, its just the experts that I worry about. The truth is that I really believe we can win the NL Central and go to the playoffs this year. I love this team, and I no longer have some of the doubts I once had about our third base situation. I think Counselnino will do just fine until Ryan Braun can get his feet beneath him (or better yet, his arm) on defense. Whenever he's called up, opposing pitchers beware. He will add a lot to a potentially potent offense. I also firmly believe the Cubs will suck once again.

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Also in Brewers news, here's a pretty good article by Jim Caple about our suffering as Brewers fans.