Look at those Brewers.. and Hank!

Last year was kind of a forgotten season for the nine playing ball inside Miller Park.

Rumor was, the roof was kept closed so fewer had to watch the games!

I kid... I still watched as many as I could in person and was blessed to attend six in a season that no one will remember fondly.

We are not yet a full month into the 2014 version of the Crew, and things are much more promising.

There's an old saying in baseball that you can't win the pennant in the first month, but you can lose it.

Last year, it was the month of May that doomed Milwaukee's fortunes - a cratering month of losses from which they couldn't climb back out of the hole they had collectively dug for themselves.

Today, they sit at 18 - 7.  They lead the National League Central division after taking 4 out of 6 on the just concluded home stand as they play St. Louis for the first of three.  So, nothing is lost and nothing's been won - and I always like to think that games won in April are games you don't need to makeup in September!

The pitching is the primary reason for the turn-around - as they are able to send to the mound everyday a legitimate starting major league pitcher:  Gallardo, Lohse, Garza, Estrada, and Peralta. 

The relief corps is doing its job when called upon... to limit the damage and keep the other team off the board when one of their number is handed the ball with a lead.  Rodriguez, Henderson, Duke, Kintzler, Thornburg, Smith and Wang is not a law firm, but they are winning most of the cases to come before their bench in the bullpen.

It's too early to make any declarations - May, June, July, August, and September are still to be played.

There is a good feeling among Brewer fans though, since during their opening 18 games, 15 had them facing teams in last year's playoffs - including division rival Pirates and Cardinals.

They are a fun team to watch and the solid pitching so far has kept them in every game, and allowed them to get some Ws when they really didn't play so great.

A break here and a break there, and it will be the kind of season that keeps Brewer fans tailgating before games in Miller Park and packing the seats inside.

It's shaping up to be a fun ride... if you don't have a team of your own consider adopting the Brewers.

The team itself was in adoption mode back at spring training camp in Arizona.  A coach found a stray dog in the parking lot, brought it in and fed it, gave it some water, and took care of it.

Eventually the team's general counsel adopted it and brought him back for her family in Milwaukee.  The stories about the dog caught the attention of fans back here in Wisconsin and a star was born.

Hank (named for Hank Aaron who played for Milwaukee Braves and Brewers and broke Babe Ruth's all-time Home Run record) even has a second dog-house in Miller Park and all kinds of memorabilia with his face on it.

I'll admit to not being the biggest dog lover in the world (bitten twice, but not by Hank)... but having Hank on hand for a playoff run would certainly be fun.   If I get a shirt with Hank it would need to be something like "Raise the Woof!"  (Miller Park has a retractable top.)

Go Brew Crew!