BATTER UP! Who Will Lead Brew Crew at Opener?

Dear Reader --
Since a number of us are scheduled to catch the flu at around 11:30 a.m. on April 3rd, our friend the Brewer Babe, Tamra Reynolds, tells us what to expect when the first pitch is thrown on opening day at Miller Park.
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BREWER BABE

By Tamra Reynolds

March 22 -- Hello again Brewer fans. Opening Day is getting closer and closer, so I thought I’d give you a summary of the news coming out of Spring Training Camp.

It looks like Ben Sheets will start the 2006 season the same way he ended 2005 – on the disabled list. The latest reports say that Sheets will be a long shot to pitch the opener against Pittsburgh, due to soreness associated with his injured latissimus dorsi muscle from last season. He’s pitched a total of 2.1 innings in camp this year, and already is on the DL? What’s wrong with this picture? This guy stands to make over $11 million this season and he can’t even stay healthy through spring training.

I guess it’s lucky his contract is insured, meaning that the Brewers won’t be on the hook for the entire amount, should Big Ben not be able to perform for a large part of the season. The question is, what exactly does this insurance cover, what is provided, and for how long does he have to be out before it kicks in? Sheets was out for about 3 months last season with two different injuries. Calls to the Milwaukee Brewers to verify the specifics of his contract and insurance are as yet unreturned.

Sheets’ negative prognosis for opening day could bode well for Doug Davis. Davis is the next logical choice to open the season, although Davis was quoted as saying he’d rather earn the spot than get it because of injury. Davis was scheduled to pitch in a minor league game on Monday, while the rest of the team enjoyed a day off. Ned Yost is expected to make an announcement sometime this week regarding the Opening Day starting pitcher.

In other pitching news, word out of Maryvale is that Dave Bush, the 26-year-old right-hander acquired in the Lyle Overbay trade, seems to be a lock for the 5^th starting position. He’s competing for that 5^th spot against veteran Rick Helling, and Dana Eveland. Rather, he was competing against Eveland. Eveland reported to camp a little heavier than Yost would have liked, and has struggled with his control. He pitched in four games, and got severely knocked around, posting an ERA of 15.75 before getting optioned to AAA Nashville. So that left just Bush and Helling.

Helling has been sidelined for most of camp with elbow soreness, and has pitched in only one game. He was impressive in that one game, allowing only one hit, walking one and striking out one in the two innings he pitched. Unfortunately for Helling, that one game was back on March 3, and it’s hard to win a starting spot if the managers don’t see you pitch. Time is running out for Helling to show Yost what he can do. If not the starting spot, Helling still has a good chance to earn a spot in the bullpen pitching long relief.

A check of the Brewers website this morning found Adam McCalvy answering questions about the Brewer lineup, minus Ben Sheets. Adam seemed to think that Sheets will not open the season on the DL, and also went so far as to discuss how Yost could work with only four starting pitchers until April 17. The pitchers mentioned were Davis, Capuano, Ohka and Bush. Wonder if Adam knows something we don’t, or if he’s just assuming Bush will win that coveted 5^th starter spot? The way the days off fall in the first two weeks of the schedule, these four pitchers could handle every start, and still manage to get in their required days off. This could be very convenient for keeping Sheets off of the DL, while still allowing him time to fully recover. Adam also mentioned that Sheets had finally thrown some curveballs off the mound. This was the pitch that snapped that muscle last season, and from which Sheets has shied away during spring training.

I really haven’t heard anything coming out of camp about Chris Capuano, so I’m taking that as no news is good news. The only thing I’ve heard is that Chris is trying to master the cut fastball that seems to work so well for Doug Davis and Tomo Ohka.

Brady Clark is out to prove he’s not a one-hit wonder. As of Sunday the 19^th, he has hit safely in 6 straight games. He’s also improved his base stealing abilities, getting the best of Mike Piazza three times in Saturday’s game against San Diego. That brings his spring training total up to 6, and he’s been caught only twice so far.

JJ Hardy is looking to be 100% by Opening Day. He was sidelined for a week by back spasms, but he’s thinking if he can get in two weeks before April 3, he should be just fine.

The outlook isn’t so good for Rickie Weeks right now. As of Sunday, he was saying he’s still not close to 100%. He’s been out with a strained oblique muscle.

The rest of the team seems to be in good spirits and good shape, and anticipating Opening Day, as am I. I will have a little spy in camp this weekend, so I’ll be able to get some first hand information for you all. Until then, only 12 more days! Go Brewers!