Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Blog » Dave Bush

2009 Season Preview

newcrewrox08 — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 05:31:25 +0000

Hello Brewershomeplate readers! It’s been a long time since the unfortunate end to Milwaukee’s Postseason appearance, but with Spring Training fast approaching, it is time to provide a little insight into what I believe the Brew Crew will look like this year.

Offense:

First and foremost…NEXT TO NOTHING HAS CHANGED! Every starter 1-8 in the lineup (although the order will probably be shifted) was a Brewer starter in 2008. Although this is great for team chemistry that is many times lacking in today’s free agent era, the offense…well…it plainly and simply was mediocre at best last season. Pitching carried the team through the season and into the playoffs, though the offense probably got a little more of the limelight what with Ryan Braun’s legendary home runs and such. Conversely, the bench will be very different in ‘09. Gabe Kapler (Tampa Bay Rays), Russell Branyan (Seattle Mariners), and probably Ray Durham either have parted ways with Milwaukee or are going to. This is not good news, as those players managed to provide key sparks to the team when it needed it the most. Notably, Branyan’s ability to hit a home run any time he strode to the plate, or Kapler’s hard-nosed defense and offensive saavy. Durham managed to keep the struggling Rickie Weeks motivated at 2nd base and came up with quite an impressive highlight reel himself in the waning months of the 2008 campaign. The bench this year will still feature the ever-dependable vet, Craig Counsell as well as late-season acquisition Mike Lamb, who will probably be a platoon starter with Bill Hall at 3rd base this year. Several wild cards to make the bench are Trot Nixon (the ex-Boston Red Sox outfielder), Tony Gwynn Jr., Casey McGehee, a 3rd baseman plucked off waivers in the off season, and perhaps Matt Gamel, the highly touted 3rd base prospect. Mike Rivera will again be Jason Kendall’s backup at catcher. So look for the offense to be slightly more productive in ‘09, considering the chemistry and new hitting coach, Dale Sveum, who should relate to the players a lot more effectively than the departed Jim Skaalen did.

Pitching:

This is where things could get messy. The two greatest starting pitchers perhaps ever to don a Brewers uniform are leaving. CC Sabathia is a New York Yankee, and Ben Sheets is being courted by the Texas Rangers, and although he hasn’t signed with anyone (there is talk of elbow surgery in his future), he has made it clear being a Brewer is not interesting to him any longer. That throws the young Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra likely to the top of the starting 5. Dave Bush should be number 3, with Jeff Suppan behind him at 4. The 5th spot in the rotation is a little more confusing, as Seth McClung could be a possible answer here, but his flashes of late-inning brilliance may place him in the bull pen. Carlos Villanueva will be the set up man or long reliever, as he never really settled into a groove as a starter. The new member to the pen is Trevor Hoffman, a much safer and predictable new closer than Eric Gagne was, because his best seasons were brought about by his pin-point control and wicked changeup (which he hasn’t lost by the way), not steroids. Guillermo Mota, Salomon Torres, and Brian Shouse are gone as well as Gagne, and that could create a void Trevor Hoffman, Jorge Julio, and Mitch Stetter may or may not be able to succesfully fill. Julio has been unraveling his past couple years, and Stetter is quite young (albeit he certainly has talent). Hoffman is certainly aging, but is definitely serviceable (unfortunately, his mid 80s fastball is a little more hittable than Torres’ low 90s sinkers were) So the pen should be about as good if not slightly better than in 2008. The starting rotation will almost certainly not produce another 90 win season, BUT, there is enough talent there for new pitching coach Bill Castro to perhaps mold into a legitimate Wild Card contending staff.

Coaching

Dale Sveum is still a member of the Milwaukee coaching staff, but not in a manegerial role. He is the hitting coach and Ken Macha, the ex-manager of the Oakland Athletics, is taking the big chair. Willie Randolph, the ex-New York Met’s manager, will be the bench coach. Needless to say Macha should do a better job making the tough decisions than Ned Yost did, and Willie Randolph will probably be a little harder on the players than Robin Yount or Dale Sveum before him were, which could certainly be what the younger players need to keep themselves motivated. Mike Maddux, the wizard of resurrecting pitchers plucked off the scrap heap’s careers is now a Ranger coach, and long-time bullpen coach Bill Castro probably will not do quite as good a job as Maddux did. But he knows his players and their tendencies well, and that is a very good sign. All in all, the coaching staff is miles and miles ahead of where it was at this point last year.

My Projected Lineup by Position:

1B: Prince Fielder
2B: Rickie Weeks
SS: J.J. Hardy
3B: Bill Hall/Mike Lamb/Casey McGehee
C: Jason Kendall
LF: Ryan Braun
CF: Mike Cameron
RF: Corey Hart

My Projected Season Numbers

Final record: 87-75
Standings: 2nd place, NL Central, NL Wild Card runner up

Bush Dazzles, Brewers Win First Playoff Game Since ‘82

newcrewrox08 — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 06:24:52 +0000

The Dave Bush-led Brewers were believed by 100% of TBS analysts to be swept by the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday evening in Milwaukee. Good thing they’re analysts and not prophets. The Brewers jumped out to a 1st inning 2-0 lead thanks to some tremendous patience at the plate against the 45-year-old Jamie Moyer. Mike Cameron and Bill Hall walked to start things off and took 2nd and 3rd on a wild pitch. Ryan Braun struck out, but Prince Fielder drove in Cameron with a sac fly. With two gone, J.J. Hardy ripped a single into left that gave the Crew another run. Braun hit a sac fly in the 5th to make it 3-0, but his offense stranded the bases loaded in that frame.

Bush threw 5.1 innings, yielding 5 hits, no walks, struck out 3, and gave up only 1 run. In the 6th, Jayson Werth hit the ball out to deep right, where Corey Hart tumbled into the wall with the ball in his glove, but lost his grip on it when he came crashing to the ground. The play turned into a triple, and Bush was pulled in favor of the young lefty Mitch Stetter, who induced an RBI groundout to big Ryan Howard. Carlos Villanueva then retired Pat Burrell for the final out. The pitcher was allowed to hit for himself with one out in the 6th, and singled. Mike Cameron and Bill Hall did likewise, but Ryan Braun struck out and Prince Fielder flew out to shallow left. Villanueva proceeded to throw a flawless 7th.

Two veterans chipped in in the 7th to provide a little insurance. J.J. Hardy led things off with a single and made it to second on a beautiful sac bunt by Corey Hart. Craig Counsell (owner of two World Series rings) then hit a tough chopper on the right side of the mound and dove headfirst onto the first base bag for an infield single. Another vet, backstop Jason Kendall lined a run-scoring single to left right after. Eric Gagne worked around a Jayson Werth double for a scoreless 8th (he retired former Brewer outfielder Geoff Jenkins, who finally got his Milwaukee Post Season appearance, for out number 1).

In the 9th, things got very interesting for Salomon Torres, who surrendered singles to the first three men to greet him. The bases were juiced with nobody out, but Torres threw a sharp slider that Pedro Feliz chopped into a double play. A run originally scored on the play, but due to the fact that Shane Victorino bowled over the fielding Counsell at second without sliding, interference was ruled, and Ryan Howard had to return to third base. The next batter, Carlos Ruiz, bounced back to Torres, who flipped the ball to Fielder at first to seal the 4-1 victory. Not since Game 5 of the 1982 World Series had the Brewers won a Post Season game.

Offensive MVP: J.J. Hardy (3-4/1R/1RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Dave Bush (5.1IP/5H/1ER/0BB/3SO/0HR/Win-1st)

Alex’s Take:

This was a much-needed win. It forced a Game 4 featuring Jeff Suppan squaring off against Phillies’ righty Joe Blanton. The offense looked very patient at the plate on Saturday, and that is the only hope the Crew has of winning tomorrow and giving Sabathia another shot on Tuesday. Suppan will have to prove that he is truly an October pitcher as well, and that Doug Melvin was wise to invest so much money in him.

Broken-down Sheets Coughs up Brewers’ Wild Card Lead

newcrewrox08 — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:37:17 +0000

Give the injured Ben Sheets credit for starting Saturday afternoon’s critical game against the Cubs (likely his last ever in a Brewers’ uniform). Just don’t look at his final line. The All Star starter is probably done for 2008, but his shaky start made it all the more hard for the Crew to reach the “Promised Land.” He gave up a 2-run blast to backup first baseman Daryle Ward in the 1st, and two more on a Mike Fontenot single in the 3rd. Mark DiFelice, Dave Bush, and Manny Parra pitched 5.2 solid, scoreless innings that set the stage for a Brewers’ rally that just fell short. In the 8th, down 4-1, the Crew rallied to score 2 runs and load the bases with 1 out for J.J. Hardy, who chopped out into a force play at home plate. Then Corey Hart, the struggling outfielder who did manage to collect a big hit the night before, could not keep the magic going, as he grounded out harmlessly. Salomon Torres was pounded by Kosuke Fukudome, the light-hitting Cubs’ outfielder who hit a two-run home run to put the game out of reach. Kerry Wood closed the door in the ninth. With a Mets’ 2-0 win, the Brewers found themselves tied for the Wild Card lead with one to play, setting up perhaps the most important game in club history. A win guarantees at least a one game playoff with the Mets, but a loss could very likely shatter the season.

Fielder Delivers, Brewers Keep Pace with Mets

newcrewrox08 — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:47:37 +0000

Dave Bush was shaky on Tuesday night, going 5.0 innings and giving up 3 runs. After going up 2-0 early on a Ryan Braun triple (he scored on the play off a throwing error in the outfield), the Crew slipped behind 3-2 after an inning in which Bush, normally a pitcher with good command, walked two batters, walked the pitcher, then surrendered some run-scoring singles with two outs. Milwaukee rallied back to take the lead in the 7th when Mike Cameron lined a two-run double into left with runners on the corners and 1 out. Disaster struck in the 8th, when recently-consistent reliever Guillermo Mota gave up a booming 2-run home run to the Pirates’ Steve Pearce. Down by one with a slip in the Wild Card race imminent, Jason Kendall provided one of his biggest hits of the year when he coaxed a two-out, game-tying double right over the right fielder’s head to score J.J. Hardy from second. After Salomon Torres battled through a scoreless 9th, the Crew came to bat. Reliever T.J. Beam struck out Mike Cameron and got a pop out from Ray Durham to start things off, but Ryan Braun managed to hit a tricky infield single, setting things up for the big man. Prince Fielder looked at two pitches, and with a 2-0 count, he crushed a rocket home run to ignite the 30,000+ fans and cued the Brewers to celebrate raucously at home plate. They won 7-5.

Offensive MVP: Mike Cameron (2-5/1R/22B/2RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Salomon Torres (1IP/1H/0ER/1BB/0SO/Win-7th)

Brewers’ Offense Starts to Return as Sveum Gets 1st Win

newcrewrox08 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:53:35 +0000

This one looked great in the first inning, and much less good in the third. Ben Sheets had gone a mere 2 innings when he exited with right forearm tightness, and this put tremendous pressure on the oft-criticized Milwaukee bullpen as well as new manager, Dale Sveum, to hold on for the last 7 innings against the deadly Chicago lineup. They did. In perhaps their greatest collective performance of 2008, seven relievers combined to throw 7 one-run, 5 hit (all singles) innings and seal a huge 6-2 victory on Wednesday night at Wrigley. Prince Fielder ripped a double down the right field line off Jason Marquis in the first to unload the bases and put his club up 3-0. Sheets yielded a home-run to Cubs’ third baseman Aramis Ramirez, and went down with an injury he probably received while taking a swing in the top of the third. Enter Mark DiFelice, who hurled 2 scoreless. Then new acquisition Todd Coffey for the 5th, Carlos Villanueva for 2/3 of the 6th, and Mitch Stetter to retire Jim Edmonds for the final out of that inning. J.J. Hardy hit an RBI double in the 7th, and Corey Hart lined a single to left that scored a pair of Brewers and put his club up a commanding 6-1. Even Eric Gagne pitched in, throwing a flawless 7th inning. Guillermo Mota did give up a single and a walk, but got through the 8th unscathed. In the 9th, Salomon Torres struggled, but should have gotten out of it without a run scoring, but Prince Fielder, who had otherwise had a spectacular night, failed to field a low throw from Ray Durham that would have completed a game-ending double play. A run scored on the play, but Torres came right back to retire pinch-hitter Daryle Ward to wrap it up.

Offensive MVP: Prince Fielder (3-4/1R/22B/3RBI/1BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Mark DiFelice (Win-1st), Todd Coffey, Carlos Villanueva, Mitch Stetter, Eric Gagne, Guillermo Mota, Salomon Torres (7IP/5H/1ER/3BB/6SO/0HR)

Alex’s Take:

The offense seems to be clicking again, Prince Fielder is crushing nearly everything he sees, and the bullpen turned in a great (not just good, but great) performance! This happened against the Chicago Cubs of all teams! Dale Sveum, though I don’t know if it was something he said or just his calm demeanor, really managed his pen well tonight, in a game that the Cubs could’ve easily charged back against the Achilles’ heel of this 2008 Milwaukee team. The key to this series is obviously the rubber match tomorrow, and a tough match up it is. Dave Bush will be pitted against Rich Harden, a spectacular pitcher who dominated the Crew the last time he faced them. The offense will probably need 5 runs or more to win tomorrow’s critical game, but the good news is, it seems like they are capable of doing it now.

Brewers Lose Game One 7-3, Lose Game Two 6-1

newcrewrox08 — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 03:33:46 +0000

So much for that Wild Card lead. Once Philadelphia wrapped up an unsurprising 4 game sweep, they are tied with the spiraling Crew, but shouldn’t be for long considering the Cubs host Milwaukee for three games at Wrigley next. Nothing about the games is worth mentioning, just the fact that Philadelphia played with heart and fire, something Ned Yost just doesn’t understand, and probably never will. Dave Bush pitched decently, 6 innings and 3 runs, but the bullpen could not hold the 3-3 game in the eighth. Brian Shouse got pounded, for 4 runs, and then the team totally fell apart for the Nightcap. Jeff Suppan was laughable, 3.2 innings and 6 runs surrendered. The Brewers offense did nothing, and 2008 is nearly finished as a result.

Brewers’ Playoff Chances Slipping Away

newcrewrox08 — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:27:13 +0000

Dave Bush turned in a fine performance on Monday evening, when all eyes were probably on the Packers. He went 8.0 innings and gave up only 2 runs. The offense backed him thanks to a Prince Fielder RBI groundout, a rare two-run homer by Jason Kendall, and a solo shot by J.J. Hardy. The Crew fared well against the Reds’ ace Edinson Volquez, and were looking to hold their Wild Card lead over the red-hot Phillies at 4.0 games when disaster struck. Salomon Torres seemed to take a leaf out of all the other relievers’ books when he promptly blew a 4-2 game in the ninth. He gave up 5 hits and 1 walk in an ugly performance. The Brewers were hapless against their old teammate Francisco Cordero in the bottom of the ninth, so they lost their 6th game of this abysmal homestand.

Offensive MVP: Reds SS Jeff Keppinger (1-5/0R/12B/2RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Reds CP Francisco Cordero (1IP/0H/0ER/0BB/0SO/0HR/Save-28th)

Alex’s Take:

After getting nearly no-hit on Sunday, the Brewers managed to break out offensively somewhat against a great pitcher, but they shut down late when they desperately needed insurance. I’ll say it right now: no lead is safe for any Brewer reliever in 2008. They are all shooting blanks this month, have blown so many games lately it seems unbelievable, and are dashing all postseason hopes against a stone. Going up against a newcomer pitcher tomorrow, someone the Crew will almost definitely struggle against, and another ace pitcher, Milwaukee will be lucky to escape from a Cincinnati sweep. Then who knows what will happen in Philadelphia, in what looks to be a decisive series. Milwaukee has to play solid baseball sooner or later, or they will without a doubt miss the playoffs again.

Bush Blown Away by Mets in Series Sweep

newcrewrox08 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:40:39 +0000

Dave Bush yielded a first inning grand slam to Ryan Church, and things just kept getting worse for the reeling Crew, who lost their third straight home game against New York and were swept for only the second time at Miller Park all year. Bush settled down somewhat, but still gave up a total of 6 runs in 5.0 innings. The bullpen coughed up 3 more, and that was more than enough for the Mets behind Oliver Perez and their recharged bullpen. Corey Hart hit an RBI double, and J.J. Hardy added a solo shot, but the Brewers offense was basically put to sleep.

Offensive MVP: Mets RF Ryan Church (1-4/1R/1HR/4RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Mets SP Oliver Perez (6.2IP/5H/2ER/5BB/5SO/1HR/Win-10th)

Alex’s Take:

The Brewers are in trouble now. Three games into September and still they do not have a win. They will need to bounce back and probably will against San Diego and Cincinnati, but what does it matter if they can never find out how to beat teams on and above their level?

Offense Propels Brewers to 79th Victory of 2008

newcrewrox08 — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:22:28 +0000

Jeff Suppan tossed another great game on Saturday evening in Pittsburgh, but Corey Hart and the offense stole the spotlight. With his 20th homerun of 2008 in the second inning, Hart became the first Brewer in history to have two 20 homerun, 20 steal seasons. Mike Cameron unloaded on his 24th round-tripper of the year, driving in three runs off of it, in the sixth. Jason Kendall and Rickie Weeks hit RBI doubles in that inning as well, to put the Crew up 7-0. They just kept pouring it on the Pirates bullpen, and finished with 11 runs on 16 base hits. Suppan threw 7.0 2-run innings, striking out 2, walking 2, and giving up only 3 hits.

Offensive MVP: Mike Cameron (2-4/2R/2B/HR/4RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Jeff Suppan (7.0IP/3H/2ER/2BB/2SO/1HR/Win-10th)

Alex’s Take:

August has been a great month for Brewers baseball. They’ve won 19 games, with one very winnable match-up to go. Although it appears Chicago is simply too good to be caught at the top of the NL Central, the Crew have managed to solidify their Wild Card lead this month, and as it stands now, they are up 5 and 1/2 games on their St. Louis rivals. Though there are 6 remaining games against the Cubs, it would take a monumental collapse for the Brewers to vault into first. But the good news: they will get to the playoffs anyway, as long as they can fend off Tony La Russa’s Redbirds and the Phillies and Mets for the next thirty days or so. Mike Cameron deserves a lot of credit for what he has done this month. He’s hit .360 in 89 at-bats, with 9 homers and 22 RBIs. Add that to the superb defense he brings every day, and that is one heck of a month. Oppositely, Prince Fielder did very little in August, hitting a mere .219 with 6 homeruns and 19 runs batted in. If Fielder can heat up in September, and Cameron and the rest of the Crew keep hitting the way they’ve been hitting, postseason baseball should become a reality for Milwaukee. Oh, and by the way, the pitching has been stellar too…just ask the “bottom of the rotation,” Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush, who’ve gone a combined 9-0 this month.

Braun, Bush Push Crew to 78-56

newcrewrox08 — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:45:47 +0000

Ryan Braun hit an opposite field, three-run blast in the first inning, and that was it for the Milwaukee offense. They only managed 4 hits the rest of the way, and Pittsburgh’s Tom Gorzelanny pitched extremely well, but Dave Bush was better. He threw 6.2 innings, only giving up a run on a Nate McLouth solo shot in the fifth. Brian Shouse and Eric Gagne bridged the gap to Salomon Torres, who picked up his 26th save of 2008 on Friday.

Offensive MVP: Ryan Braun (2-4/1R/12B/1HR/3RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Dave Bush (6.2IP/6H/1ER/2BB/2SO/Win-9th)

Alex’s Take:

Though it wasn’t particularly good that Milwaukee’s offense shut down after scoring in the first, the bullpen pitched very well, and Dave Bush continued to impress, and he is now at 9-9.