2008 Woodie Awards
New faces propel Brewers to Opening Week success
Chris Callaway
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Sports
Through the first week of the season, the Milwaukee Brewers were 5-1 after taking two out of three from the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and sweeping the San Francisco Giants at Miller Park.
While the familiar faces of Ben Sheets, Prince Fielder, and Rickie Weeks have been consistent throughout the first six games, it is the new faces that have really stood out for the Brew Crew. Centerfielder Gabe Kapler is making his case to be the everyday guy, hitting over .400 with two home runs, including a 3-5, two RBI afternoon last Friday at the Home Opener. What makes Kapler's hot start even more amazing is the fact that he didn't even play in the MLB last year, as he was in a semi-retirement managing in the minor leagues.
The most obvious upgrade from last season is at the catcher position, where Jason Kendall is providing the hustle, consistency, and leadership that the Brewers never saw from Johnny Estrada. Like Kapler, Kendall is batting over .400. In a move that is becoming more common around the Major Leagues, Kendall is batting ninth in the order, a position that would be normally occupied by the pitcher. However, Kendall has some experience batting leadoff in his career and has a high on base percentage that will result in more RBI's for the big boppers as the year progresses. His offensive abilities were seen right away as Kendall went 2-2 on Opening Day and 3-4 with 2 RBI's in game two. During Sunday's shutout win over the Giants, the broadcast team made a big deal of Kendall's leadership behind the plate and the work he puts in to make the pitcher look as best as possible.
The bullpen also received an off-season revamping for 2008. Newcomers David Riske, Salomon Torres, Guillermo Mota, and Eric Gagne have looked drastically better than any of their 2007 counterparts. Riske earned the save on Opening day, and pitch another two scoreless innings in game two. Gagne continued his late 2007 struggles on Opening Day, but redeemed himself last Saturday earning a one-run save. Salomon Torres has really shined out of the pen, and his velocity and intensity will be a welcome sight throughout the season.
All and all, it was about as successful an opening week that a Brewer fan could have hoped for. Kapler, Billy Hall and Ryan Braun have been leading the offense with two home runs apiece. Milwaukee has also been getting help from the likes of Gabe Gross, Mike Rivera, and Craig Counsell. The Brewers seem to be more well rounded out of the gates, and fans only hope they can keep up their .833 pace.
While the familiar faces of Ben Sheets, Prince Fielder, and Rickie Weeks have been consistent throughout the first six games, it is the new faces that have really stood out for the Brew Crew. Centerfielder Gabe Kapler is making his case to be the everyday guy, hitting over .400 with two home runs, including a 3-5, two RBI afternoon last Friday at the Home Opener. What makes Kapler's hot start even more amazing is the fact that he didn't even play in the MLB last year, as he was in a semi-retirement managing in the minor leagues.
The most obvious upgrade from last season is at the catcher position, where Jason Kendall is providing the hustle, consistency, and leadership that the Brewers never saw from Johnny Estrada. Like Kapler, Kendall is batting over .400. In a move that is becoming more common around the Major Leagues, Kendall is batting ninth in the order, a position that would be normally occupied by the pitcher. However, Kendall has some experience batting leadoff in his career and has a high on base percentage that will result in more RBI's for the big boppers as the year progresses. His offensive abilities were seen right away as Kendall went 2-2 on Opening Day and 3-4 with 2 RBI's in game two. During Sunday's shutout win over the Giants, the broadcast team made a big deal of Kendall's leadership behind the plate and the work he puts in to make the pitcher look as best as possible.
The bullpen also received an off-season revamping for 2008. Newcomers David Riske, Salomon Torres, Guillermo Mota, and Eric Gagne have looked drastically better than any of their 2007 counterparts. Riske earned the save on Opening day, and pitch another two scoreless innings in game two. Gagne continued his late 2007 struggles on Opening Day, but redeemed himself last Saturday earning a one-run save. Salomon Torres has really shined out of the pen, and his velocity and intensity will be a welcome sight throughout the season.
All and all, it was about as successful an opening week that a Brewer fan could have hoped for. Kapler, Billy Hall and Ryan Braun have been leading the offense with two home runs apiece. Milwaukee has also been getting help from the likes of Gabe Gross, Mike Rivera, and Craig Counsell. The Brewers seem to be more well rounded out of the gates, and fans only hope they can keep up their .833 pace.
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