|
|
|
|
 |
| MLB |
|
Scores Schedules Standings Statistics Transactions Injuries: AL | NL Players Weekly Lineup Message Board Minor Leagues MLB Stat Search Clubhouses |
| Sport Sections |
|
|
| Monday, July 17 | |||||
| Midseason report: Milwaukee Brewers ESPN.com | |||||
The Milwaukee Brewers are, well, the Milwaukee Brewers. They're still a small-market team with few big-name players. And some of those key guys have failed to perform this year. That's why Milwaukee is 37-51 at the All-Star break. That's only 14½ games behind St. Louis. Ouch! It's time to take a look inside the Brewers' first half.
First-half MVP: Jeromy Burnitz
is batting just .218. Marquis Grissom
has been nothing special (.254, 9 HR, 44 RBI). Jimmy Haynes
leads the pitching staff with nine wins through 88 games. One of the only bright spots for the Brewers has been closer Bob Wickman. He has 13 saves and a 2-2 record. He has appeared in 38 games and has a 3.07 ERA. Plus, he's an All-Star.
Biggest disappointment: A slugger who the Brew Crew was expecting to build their lineup around, Burnitz has been in a season-long slump. His .218 average simply stinks. He does have 17 home runs but just 53 RBI. Manager Davey Lopes was expecting much more from a player who was an All-Star in 1998. Burnitz, who hit 98 homers over the previous three years, has struck out 62 times. Does Burnitz look like a foundation to build on? Not at all. Second-half goals: Just like any other sub-.500 team, the Brewers will play young talent to give them major-league experience. Building young talent for the future might be the only way a small-market team like Milwaukee can hope to contend one day. Grade:  -- They're not in last place. For this team, that's an accomplishment.(Scale: 1 to 4 baseballs; 1 = worst, 4 = best) We told you what we thought of the Brewers' first-half performance, now you've told us. Here is what you had to say about what the Brewers have to do in the second half. | ALSO SEE Midseason Feedback: Brewers MLB midseason reports ESPN.com's All-Star Game coverage Kurkjian: Stories of the first half Ten second-half questions for the AL Ten second-half questions for the NL | ||||