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Some things to read while keeping score.
The Milwaukee Brewers and the rest of the baseball world largely went quiet on Tuesday as everyone’s attention shifted to Game 1 of the World Series. Once the series concludes and the offseason is underway, however, the Brewers have a fair amount of work to do to prepare for 2015. Andrew Gruman of FS Wisconsin tackled several upcoming questions in his recent mailbag, including the following:
- Who’s next for the Brewers at first base?
- Could the organization look to offer Carlos Gomez another contract extension?
- Are the Brewers making the right decision by bringing back Yovani Gallardo?
- Would the Brewers be in a better position if they hadn’t traded Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar and Norichika Aoki to the Royals?
Meanwhile, Carlos Gomez’s rapid increase in value over the last couple of seasons may have sparked the second question above. Gomez is due just $8 million next season and is under team control for two more years before likely getting a major raise as a free agent after the 2016 season. Readers at Brew Crew Ball recently selected Gomez as the 2014 season’s second-most valuable Brewer, and Noah Jarosh has his profile.
With Gomez off the board, the list of candidates for the No. 3 spot in those rankings features Mike Fiers, Kyle Lohse, Wily Peralta, Aramis Ramirez and Francisco Rodriguez. You have until noon today to cast your vote.
In the minors:
- Caitlin Moyer has a guide to getting to know Colorado Springs, home of the Brewers’ new Triple-A affiliate. The Sky Sox had been partnered with the Rockies organization for that franchise’s entire existence before their switch this fall.
- Tom Haudricourt has a piece for Baseball America on the Brewers’ efforts to transition Wei-Chung Wang back to a starting role, but it’s behind that site’s paywall.
- First baseman Nick Ramirez had his third home run of the fall but it was not enough as Glendale lost 7-6 to Scottsdale on Tuesday in the Arizona Fall League (box score). Outfielder Tyrone Taylor also had a hit, walked and drove in a run in that game.
- Farther south, shortstop Orlando Arcia went 2-for-5 with a triple and a home run, driving in three runs in Caribes’ 5-4 win over Margarita on Tuesday (box score). Reliever Greg Holle pitched a scoreless eighth inning in the game for the losing side.
- Back in the states, we have news again on the future of Space Coast Stadium, home of the Brevard County Manatees. County commissioners in Palm Beach County, Fla., voted on Tuesday to approve a financing plan for a new spring training facility the Nationals and Astros would share, given the two teams can find a suitable location within 90 days. Space Coast Stadium is the Nationals’ Grapefruit League facility, so it’s unclear what will happen to the Manatees if the Nats opt to move out.
Around baseball:
Phillies: Re-signed pitcher Jerome Williams to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million plus incentives.
Major League Baseball typically frowns on non-participating teams making major news during the World Series, so we’ll likely have to wait until after the Classic’s completion for our next wave of transactions. The series opened with a rare blowout on Tuesday night, when the Giants scored three runs in the first inning and coasted to a 7-1 win over the Royals. The action continues in Kansas City tonight with Jake Peavy pitching against Yordano Ventura at 7:07 p.m., and you can catch the game on FOX.
Tuesday night’s win may have only been one game, but history suggests that single win tipped the scales heavily in favor of the Giants winning the series. Jayson Stark of ESPN has the details:
How important is Game 1 of the World Series? Only one of the last 10 and 2 of the last 16 Game 1 losers came back to win the WS.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) October 21, 2014
Here’s today’s roundup of notes on former Brewers on the Giants and Royals:
- Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish has a look at how Travis Ishikawa went from being a minor league free agent to a postseason hero for San Francisco. Ishikawa started in left field and went 0-for-1 before being lifted for a defensive replacement on Tuesday.
- Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he doesn’t regret making the trade that sent Royals regulars Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar to Kansas City.
- Cain, by the way, was the first player in almost a decade to be hit by a pitch in his first-ever World Series plate appearance. Plunk Everyone has more on the accomplishment.
- Brad Krause of Miller Park Prospects also has a look at the former Brewers on the Royals.
Elsewhere in former Brewers: Graham Womack of Baseball: Past and Present has predictions for the next 20 years of Hall of Fame inductions, and suggests Trevor Hoffman will be enshrined in 2017 in his second year of eligibility.
The Brewers fell short of the postseason in 2014, but at least they avoided being lumped into this group. Steven Silverman of Beyond the Box Score presents an idea and projected outcome for the “Underworld Series,” the final culmination of a playoff featuring baseball’s 10 worst teams.
However, competing in the NL Central in the coming years is likely to be increasingly challenging, as the Cardinals remain strong and young talent in the Pirates and Cubs organizations continues to mature. Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt recently told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his organization expects its payroll to expand in coming years in an effort to retain its home-grown talent (h/t BBTF).
Finally, with help from the Baseball Reference Play Index, we’d like to wish a happy birthday today to:
- 2003 Brewer Keith Osik, who turns 46.
- 1981 Brewer Frank DiPino, who turns 58.
- 1977 Brewer Jamie Quirk, who turns 60.
- 1971-75 Brewer Bobby Mitchell, who turns 71.
Today is also the 23rd anniversary of the Atlanta Braves beating the Twins 5-4 in 11 innings in Game 1 of the 1991 World Series, their first trip to the Series since doing so as the Milwaukee Braves in 1958. Follow the link for that event’s entry in Today In Brewer History at Brew Crew Ball.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should probably get out there.
Drink up.
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