Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Blog » Jeff Suppan

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

Burrell’s Two Blasts End Milwaukee’s Playoff Run

newcrewrox08 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:07:50 +0000

Jeff Suppan was roughed up for 5 runs in 3.0 innings of work, not exactly living up to his playoff hero billing. Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a home-run, Pat Burrell hit a 3-run blast in the 3rd, and Jayson Werth hit one of his own right after, giving the Phils an insurmountable 5-0 lead. The Brewers offense did next to nothing against Joe Blanton, and Prince Fielder’s solo blast in the 7th (Milwaukee’s only round-tripper of the Post Season) and Ryan Braun’s RBI single in the 8th provided the only runs. Ever the battlers throughout 2008, the Brewers’ hopes finally died on Sunday afternoon at Miller Park before an energetic, but obviously stunned, crowd 43,934. CC Sabathia made likely his last appearance in a Brewers’ uniform, pinch-hitting in the 3rd inning and striking out. Burrell hit another off of Guillermo Mota in the 8th, putting any hope of a Milwaukee comeback to rest. Brad Lidge didn’t earn a save, but shut down the Crew in the 9th, sending his club to the NLCS.

Offensive MVP: Phillies LF Pat Burrell (3-4/2R/2HR/4RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Phillies SP Joe Blanton (6.0IP/5H/1ER/0BB/7SO/1HR/Win-1st)

Alex’s Take:

This was an ugly game, but 2008 was a tremendous step forward for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball club. Jeff Suppan should shoulder a lot of the blame for the loss, but the offense had been hand-cuffed all series long, and couldn’t come through when they needed to. The Crew is a very young team, though, so there is a good amount of hope on the horizon, providing the starting pitching, which should be very young, comes through.

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.

Unlikely Heroes Seal Monumental Victory for Brewers over Cubs

newcrewrox08 — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 05:35:37 +0000

Jeff Suppan had been knocked around again and again in September (with an ERA over 10 in the month), and he was hit hard again on Friday by the Cubs. The difference? He pitched his heart out to keep the game in control, and managed to do just that in 5.0 solid innings. Jim Edmonds, who has dominated Brewer pitching all year, hit an opposite-field solo blast in the 2nd to put Chicago ahead 1-0. It could have easily been 3-0 if not for Mike Cameron. In the 1st, Cubs’ powerful rookie Micah Hoffpauir crushed a two-out pitch from Suppan to the gap in right center. The savvy center fielder read the ball perfectly off the bat, but to catch the ball, it took a spectacular diving play to retire the side and save two sure runs.

Catcher Jason Kendall, who gunned down a potential base-stealer and Hoffpauir trying to stretch a single into a double later on, hit a huge two-out RBI double to knot things firmly at 1-1 in the 2nd. Suppan gave up more hits after Edmond’s homer, but settled down mightily, and even recorded 5 strikeouts along the way; four to some of the best Chicago had to offer (Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Micah Hoffpauir). He did not record his 11th win of the year, for the game was tied going into 6th. Ray Durham started things with a booming double off lefty Sean Marshall that bounced over the wall in left, and Ryan Braun worked his way on with a walk. But Prince Fielder struck out swinging and J.J. Hardy was retired on a harmless pop-out. This set the stage for a game-changing bloop single by Corey Hart that scored Durham and put the Crew ahead for good. In the 7th, reliever Seth McClung, who had just pitched a pair of sparkling innings, was allowed to hit, and he reached on catcher’s interference. The Cubs’ Chad Gaudin then balked, letting the huge flamethrower get to second.

Mike Cameron then coaxed a single between third and short, putting runners at the corners for Rickie Weeks, who had replaced Durham due to an injury. Weeks, criticized by many (including myself) all year long, wasted no time in giving Milwaukee another boost in their run for the playoffs. He lined a three-run home run to left to give his club some more breathing room, and he was even prompted to a curtain call by the deeply appreciative crowd of 44,804 (mostly Brewer fans by the way). McClung did the rest, finishing things off with a fiery demeanor that made the night even more amazing for Brewer fans, who cheered raucously once they saw the final from Shea Stadium: 6-1 Marlins over the Mets. Milwaukee is now 1.0 games ahead of New York in the Wild Card chase.

Offensive MVP: Rickie Weeks (1-1/1R/1HR/3RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Seth McClung (4.0IP/1H/0ER/1BB/6SO/Win-6th)

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.

Despite Heroics by Durham, Brewers Lose Again in 11th

newcrewrox08 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:55:20 +0000

Jeff Suppan wasn’t great, but his bullpen was, at least until it mattered most. Suppan went 5.1 innings and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits, including 2 homeruns. Prince Fielder drove Rickie Weeks in from second in the first, but Milwaukee found itself playing from behind late. Then in the seventh, Bill Hall walked and Jason Kendall was hit by a pitch to set the stage for pinch hitter Ray Durham. He blasted a three-run, game-tying homer to right field to wake up the crowd, but sadly, the hit did not wake up his teammates’ bats. They went on to strand scoring opportunity after scoring opportunity in the ninth and tenth innings. They even got solid relief pitching, but it didn’t matter. The Reds won 5-4 on an RBI single by Brandon Phillips, and Milwaukee lost their 7th game of this absolutely pitiful homestand. They are now 2-7 on it.

Offensive MVP: Reds 2B Brandon Phillips (1-5/1R/1RBI/1BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Reds CP Francisco Cordero (1IP/0H/0ER/0BB/1SO/0HR/Save-29th)

Alex’s Take:

I believed before the game that a loss tonight would almost definitely break the Brewers’ morale and send them spiraling into weeks of more bad baseball that would knock them out of the playoff hunt. The game I saw tonight, though the outcome stung mightily, did not look like a team that was ready to fold. Ned Yost really didn’t make a bad decision at all in managing his bullpen, though putting in Eric Gagne might’ve been a little questionable. Seth McClung blowing the game, well, Yost didn’t have a lot of experienced guys to pitch in a pressure situation, and unfortunately, the big righty couldn’t keep the game tied. As for the offense, things still look pretty bleak in the middle of the order, but hopefully Durham’s emphatic homerun will spark something, though it didn’t Tuesday. It’s strange to me, because I thought for sure I would totally give up on 2008 with a loss that eventually did happen, but the Phillies and Cubs both lost, CC Sabathia is pitching tomorrow in a game the Brewers desperately need to win, and who better to have on the mound in a game you desperately need? The thing is, they are up 3.0 games in the Wild Card with 17 games remaining. A ten game monster road trip is right around the corner, and these are the cold, hard facts. The Crew must simply SURVIVE the trip, go 5-5 (4-6 with wins against the right teams could cut it) that would most likely keep their heads above water with a home stand against not-so-great team after the trip. The Crew have been downright awful at home lately, yes, but a 5-5 road trip would probably inspire the team to powering into the post season. I’m as harsh a critic of the Crew as anyone, but I STILL HAVE HOPE!

Brewers Lose Again, Padres Win 5-2

newcrewrox08 — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:09:59 +0000

Jeff Suppan ended his streak of good starts with an ugly one on Thursday. He gave up 4 runs in 5.1 innings, and was saddled with his 8th loss of 2008. Leading the charge for San Diego was young catcher Nick Hundley, who had 2 RBIs, and starter Shawn Estes, who threw 6.0 1 run innings. The Crew managed to tie it in the 2nd when Mike Cameron tripled and Bill Hall drove him in with a groundout. But the Padres vaulted into the lead and did not look back. Young Will Venable hit his first major league homerun off of Suppan sixth. The Brewers had their chances, but left a small village on the basepaths (9 runners). J.J. Hardy hit his 22nd homer of the year in the seventh.

Offensive MVP: Padres C Nick Hundley (2-3/1R/2B/2RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Padres SP Shawn Estes (6.0IP/7H/1ER/1BB/1SO/0HR/Win-2nd)

Alex’s Take:

The Brewers need to win a game in September for goodness’ sake! They are looking sloppy on offense, defense, and even their pitching has been far from stellar. Their bullpen did pitch pretty well, but considering they were trailing, it’s not that great of an indicator that they will be any more reliable in games where the Crew has a late lead.

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, Brewers [75-55] Handle Pirates in Game 2

newcrewrox08 — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:31:19 +0000

Jeff Suppan pitched another good game, going 7.0 innings and only gave up 3 runs. He struck out 3, didn’t walk a batter, and surrendered 8 hits. Up 6-2 when he exited in the eighth, the bullpen allowed one Suppan-charged run to score (on a groundout), but nothing else in a solid 6-3 victory. Ryan Braun paced the offense with two hits and three runs batted in. But Prince Fielder initiated the scoring in the bottom of the first with an RBI single, bringing in his good friend Rickie Weeks. Then, Corey Hart, still looking for that elusive 20th homerun of the season, did drive in his 79th run of 2008 with a sac fly. Braun crushed a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, but in the next inning, the Crew jumped all over Pirates’ starter Tom Gorzelanny, and knocked him out of the game. With two outs, Weeks walked, Hardy singled, and Braun came through again with a two-run double. He later scored on Fielder’s second RBI single of the game. Brian Shouse handled the eighth, and Salomon Torres nailed down the ninth for his 25th save of the year.

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

Pitching MVP: Jeff Suppan (7.0IP/8H/3ER/0BB/3SO/Win-9th)

Alex’s Take:

It is great to see Ryan Braun mashing the ball again. It appears as though he is feeling little to no residual effects from his earlier back and side problems, and this should come as a big relief to the Brewers, as they close in on a possible postseason berth.

Streaking Crew Takes 7th Straight by Topping Padres

newcrewrox08 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:12:45 +0000

Jeff Suppan continued the streak of stellar starting pitching by the Milwaukee Brewers as he tossed 8.0 innings, yielding only 2 earned runs off of two solo homeruns. He struck out 3 and walked 2. The Brewers offense relied on the homerun ball themselves, using a solo shot by Mike Cameron (the former Padre) in the third and three-run blast by Prince Fielder in the fourth. They scored one run in the seventh off of a fielding error by San Diego third-baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff (it was actually Suppan scoring, who had walked earlier in the inning). Salomon Torres threw a perfect ninth for his 23rd save of 2008.

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

Pitching MVP: Jeff Suppan (8.0IP/4H/2ER/2BB/3SO/2HR/Win-8th)

My Take:

It is good to see the Brewers winning on the West Coast. Last year, there struggles there were well documented. Suppan has been every bit as reliable as Doug Melvin hoped when he originally signed him, and is probably pitching as good now as he ever has as a Brewer. The offense wasn’t great in the clutch today, but they took advantage of the hits they got. The Crew is now 4.0 games ahead of St. Louis and only 3.0 games out of the divisional lead. They’ve bounced back nicely from the Cubs’ debacle.