Monthly Archives: March 2022

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Free Agent Signings: Andrew McCutchen

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     On March 14th 2022, the Milwaukee Brewers acquired the former National League MVP, Andrew McCutchen. This was a signing that came out of nowhere as he wasn’t a target that most fans thought would come to Milwaukee based on past playing experiences. In this article, I will explain why this signing was solid for the Milwaukee Brewers and how he can become a useful player for the Milwaukee Brewers. Through his hitting statistics versus left handed pitchers, elite veteran presence, and previous experience hitting in Milwaukee, he will be a vital tool for success here in Milwaukee.

Andrew McCutchen on the San Francisco Giants
  • First, let’s talk about the main reason why the Milwaukee Brewers ultimately signed Andrew McCutchen. They signed him due to his strengths of being able to hit well against left handed pitchers, which was an area that was astronomically weak for Milwaukee. In the last three seasons, Andrew McCutchen has a batting average of .291 with an OBP, on base percentage, of .407 and a slugging percentage of .567. All of these statistics are very impressive especially for a player that is 36 years old and has played a very long tenured career. In terms of OPS, On Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage, the Milwaukee Brewers ranked 23rd in Major League Baseball when facing left handed pitchers. Adding Andrew McCutchen will be a big boost for the Brewers as he can play virtually anywhere in the outfield while also being flexible enough to play as a Designated Hitter. His ability to hit efficiently against left-handed pitchers will provide much flexibility within the lineup for the Milwaukee Brewers.
  • Along with his great hitting against left handed pitchers, he also brings in an elite and essential veteran presence for the young outfielders on this Brewers team. To give some background, Andrew McCutchen was drafted 11th by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2005 and made his way up to the MLB a few years later. McCutchen played nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, accumulating five All-Star selections, one Gold Glove, three Silver Sluggers and one Most Valuable Player award. McCutchen was most known for his time in Pittsburgh creating many memories for fanbases in the National League. Growing up and watching baseball, it was hard to root for him since he played for one of the Brewer’s divisional rivals. McCutchen made the postseason as the Pirate’s best player three years in a row from 2013-2015 where they were unable to get over the hump and play in the MLB World Series. McCutchen eventually moved on from Pittsburgh where he played in New York, San Francisco and Philadelphia. McCutchen will be a great presence for young outfielders such as Tyrone Taylor and Garrett Mitchell and could provide some useful insight to the next generation of Brewers outfielders.
  • The last reason why this signing is exciting, is due to the dominance that McCutchen has had playing at American Family Field, the Milwaukee Brewers stadium. McCutchen has tallied 77 total games at American Family Field and possesses a .289 batting average along with a .931 OPS and 23 home runs. These statistics are very impressive regardless of what stadium. Normally when players come to Milwaukee they tend to see an increase in offensive performance due to the stadium being smaller and what is known as a “hitters ballpark”. Normally, a team will play 81 games at home which would almost align perfectly with these statistics above. This would be absolutely incredible if he were able to hit like this and I don’t expect that but based on his presence, I like his chances to break out as a solid hitter for the Brewers.
Andrew McCutchen on the Philadelphia Phillies

This acquisition will provide great efforts for the Milwaukee Brewers as he is able to be a great hitter against left handed pitchers, bring in a veteran presence, and has prior experience hitting well in Milwaukee. While I don’t think Andrew McCutchen will be the best player, he will definitely play a solid role in Milwaukee and should help the Brewers win some crucial ball games later in the season. I expect McCutchen to fit in nicely with the ballclub and understand what it takes to win postseason games. Overall, I like this signing as it brings in more depth which is important when playing a 162 game season and will bring in important attributes that are much needed for the Brewers ballclub.

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2011 Season

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One of the greatest seasons from any Milwaukee Brewers team was the 2011 MLB season. This season was the year that I started watching Brewers baseball and still standouts as some of the best baseball I have ever watched. This season consisted of great team chemistry along with the franchise’s first division title since moving to the National League. In this article, I will highlight the dynamic duo consisting of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, the phenomenal pitching staff, and the greatest walk off hit in franchise history.

Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder Celebration
  • The 2011 season was led by two incredibly talented players, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Ryan Braun was the starting left fielder and Prince Fielder was the starting first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers. Prince Fielder placed third in the MVP, Most Valuable Player voting while Ryan Braun took first place in MVP voting. They had two of the top three players in 2011 and were incredible offensively. Ryan Braun had a batting average of .332 along with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs. Prince Fielder had a batting average of .299 along with 38 home runs and 120 RBIs. Both were offensive threats for opposing pitchers and led the Milwaukee Brewers to one of the best offenses in all of Major League Baseball.
  • While the Milwaukee Brewers were known for their incredibly top heavy offensive talent, they had a group of pitchers that were spectacular for the Brewers. Pitchers such as Yovani Gallardo, Zack Greinke, and John Axford were crucial for their team success. The National League Cy Young Award is given to the best pitcher in the National League. Yovani Gallardo placed seventh and John Axford placed ninth in NL Cy Young voting. Yovani Gallardo was the best starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers throwing a 3.52 ERA, Earned Runs Average, while throwing for 207.1 IP, Innings Pitched. John Axford was the best relief pitcher in the National League as he possessed a 1.95 ERA along with 46 saves which tied for first in the National League. Along with having two of the top ten pitchers in the National League, they acquired Zack Greinke at the trade deadline who was incredible during his time in Milwaukee. Greinke had the sixth most wins by a pitcher and the seventh most strikeouts in the National League.
Photo of John Axford
  • While this season had many memorable moments, there is one moment that tops them all. The Milwaukee Brewers played the Arizona Diamondbacks in game five of the National League Divisional Series. The winner of this game would advance to the National League Championship Series which would determine who would advance to the World Series. Winning this game was very important for the Milwaukee Brewers as they hadn’t had much overall success as a franchise so it was vital they come out on top. The game was very close and low scoring as heading into the ninth inning, the Milwaukee Brewers led the game two to one. Though the Brewers needed only three outs, they were unable to sustain their lead. The Diamondbacks scored one run in the ninth inning which tied up the ballgame. Heading into the tenth inning, the momentum was all towards Arizona but the Brewers held them to zero runs in the tenth inning and had an opportunity to walk it off. Craig Counsell, former player and now manager for the Brewers, led off the inning and flew out to right field. Then Carlos Gomez hit a single up the middle and shortly after, stole second base. Now with a runner in scoring position, the Milwaukee Brewers had a chance to win. Nyjer Morgan, who was having a bad series offensively, came up in the most clutch way possible, with an RBI single up the middle of the field that scored Carlos Gomez and sent the Milwaukee Brewers to the NLCS. This hit is the most memorable and impactful hit throughout the entirety of this beloved franchise. 

The 2011 season is a season that will go down in history as one of the biggest “what ifs” as they ended up losing in the NLCS to the St. Louis Cardinals. While it didn’t end in a World Series appearance, it was still very much a successful season. From having elite hitters to spectacular pitching performances, the Milwaukee Brewers were able to win the National League Central division for the first time since joining the National League in 1998. This season will always hold a special place in my heart and has given fans hope for many years to come.

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1982 Season

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The Milwaukee Brewers are a newer franchise within Major League Baseball and don’t possess many historic seasons. While they are new, the 1982 MLB season was very memorable for Brewer’s fans all across the United States. This was the season where the Milwaukee Brewers made the World Series, which is the championship in Major League Baseball. After a season where they fell short in the playoffs, they finally made it to the biggest stage in all of baseball. In this article, I will highlight the leader of this ballclub, the elite offense, and the ending result of this season.

1982 Team Photo
  • When looking back at the 1982 season, the one player that sticks out more than anybody is Robin Yount. Robin Yount had an incredible season that has stuck out as one of the greatest seasons ever by a player. Robin Yount won the American League MVP that season and included accolades such as the Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, All-Star Selection and more. The MVP, or Most Valuable Player, is given to the best overall player throughout an entire season. The Silver Slugger is an award given to the best overall hitter and the Gold Glove is given to the best fielder at each position, through which he won at the shortstop position. Along with those awards given after the regular season, he also was a participant in the 1982 All-Star Game which is given to the best players during the middle of each season. Robin Yount was a key piece as to why the Brewers went to the World Series which was highlighted by these terrific accolades.
  • The main reason why this ballclub went so far into the playoffs was because of the elite offense that they possessed. Known as “Harvey’s Wallbangers” which was a reference to their manager Harvey Kuenn. This team was known for hitting home runs, which is when a player hits a ball in fair territory out of the stadium playing field. The Milwaukee Brewers had 216 home runs which was 30 more than the next best team in the league. Along with their incredible power, they had the second highest batting average with a combined team average of .279 only trailing the Kansas City Royals at .285. Having a higher average normally means that hitters are getting on base more which means that runs are coming from both power and contact hitters. There is a statistic that combines a metric of power and contact called OPS, On-Base Percentage+Slugging Percentage. The Milwaukee Brewers led the MLB in that category therefore determining them to be the best overall offense in 1982.
  • The ending of this season resulted in a World Series loss, ultimately placing second in the 1982 season. The Milwaukee Brewers faced the St. Louis Cardinals in a seven game series to find out who the ultimate champion would be. The Milwaukee Brewers won game one by a score of 10-0 in St. Louis. Games two and three however went towards St. Louis and the Brewers were down one to two in the seven game series. In games four and five, the Milwaukee Brewers won both and therefore leading the series three games to two with a chance to win the World Series. This dream ultimately fell short as the St. Louis Cardinals won the two remaining games and clinched a World Series victory. This was devastating for Brewers fans, players, and everyone supporting them as they were one game away from being crowned the champions of the 1982 World Series. 
Photo from the American League Championship Series

The 1982 season was a season that many Brewer’s fans will remember as it will go down as the best season in franchise history up to this day. This season consisted of elite play from top tier players, offensive greatness, a cool slogan for the team and so much more. While I wasn’t there to witness this season as I was yet to be born, I have seen highlights and heard from fans who were there to witness and it is regarded as a fond memory all across the state of Wisconsin.