What Went Wrong With The Brewers?

As of August 11th, the Milwaukee Brewers are 11 1/2 games out of first place in the National League Central Division and the season can't end fast enough. At the beginning of the year, Brewer's fans had high hopes that the Brew Crew could repeat it's 2008 season and make it to the playoffs again. What went so terribly wrong that the Brewers were never really in contention?

Only weeks into the season it was evident that the Brewers had a few flaws that would make reaching the playoffs extremely difficult. Anyone who watched the Brewers this season realized that their pitching staff was nowhere near the quality needed to have a successful season. Besides ace Yovani Gallardo, the Brewers rotation is made up of average, at best, starters. The off-season signing Randy Wolf was supposed to help solidify the top of the rotation, but his 4.81 ERA is not what the Brewers were hoping for out of the veteran lefty. Free agent signing Doug Davis got knocked around all year until he landed on the disabled list with inflammation of the lining of his heart. Young pitchers Manny Parra and Chris Narveson have been inconsistent all year and a rotation made up of four or five inconsistent pitchers makes for a long season. When the starters did pitch well, it seemed that the bullpen struggled finishing it out; evidenced by all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman blowing multiple saves to start the year until he was replaced by rookie John Axford. The entire bullpen, which was supposed to be a strong unit this year, has been a let down. Overall, the entire Brewers staff has been one of the worst in the majors which has resulted in a below .500 record.

In contrast, the Brewers offense has continued to be one of the best in baseball, hitting the third most home runs and scoring the fifth most runs. Prince Fielder has had a below average year and even though Ryan Braun was a starter in the All-Star game for a third straight year, his numbers are slightly down compared to the last few years. Corey Hart, on the other hand, has been one of the Brewers best hitters all year, hitting .290 and being near the top in home runs and RBI's in the majors. His breakout year has landed him a three year contract extension.

The Brewers have been a huge let down this year, but the positive is that they are still one of the youngest teams in baseball and have signed many of the core young players like Braun, Hart, and Gallardo to long term contracts. It looks as though Prince Fielder will be traded in the off-season for much needed pitching and hopefully the Brewers can get optimal value in return for one of the best power hitters in baseball. Although this year is almost over (thank goodness), the Brewers still have a bright future. It all comes down to pitching and that will determine if the Brewers will be able to return to the playoffs or continue to frustrate fans who have watched far too many runs cross the plate this year.