Heading toward the Home Stretch

There is a little more than one month of the season left to play.

The Brewers are in first place in the National League Central Division.

Go Brewers, Go!

Many things can happen between now and the end of the season, most of them bad.

Just one wrong step can sprain or tear an ACL, MCL, or PCL.

It can be an ill-timed hitting slump or a problem throwing a baseball to first base.

Legendary are the teams that infamously blew leads in their division when it seemed everything was going the right way.

Yet, all those nagging doubts and worries aside, I think these Brewers can win the division - make the playoffs and win more than a few games once they get there.

It will be another week or two until I can see the Brew Crew in person, but in listening and watching from afar this season, I have to admit I like what I see.

First and foremost, is a reliable starting rotation of pitchers.  Only seven pitchers have started games this year which means they are playing well enough to remain starters, and major injuries have been avoided.  The pitchers generally pitch into the sixth or seventh inning, and that takes some of the strain off the bullpen.

A strong bullpen (although the beginning of the season was better than the last couple of months) has done a good job of shutting down opponents and preserved leads and victories for the home-town nine.

The line-up has had it's ups and downs during the year, but what is striking to this observer is that there seems to be an inner confidence in their ability individually and as a team.

Manager Ron Roenicke leads with an even keel attitude where the highs aren't too high or the lows too low.  That's made a difference for a team that started off 20-7 and stumbled a bit in May and July.

There is also something to be said for the team's quick start.  You occasionally will hear folks talk about how important it is for teams to win in September.  It's true - you need to win in September.  But in a regular season that stretches 162 games - victories in April are games you don't need to make up in the fall.

Finally, general manager Doug Melvin and owner Mark Attanasio have stood by decisions to promote young players from the minor leagues and are unafraid to pull the trigger on off-season moves to improve the team.

Those moves might not work, but making decisions with the best information available is all a fan can ask.  These two and their administrative team have changed the attitude of the plucky small-market Brewers into a team than can compete.

There are still games to go before the play-offs, but this life-long Brewer fan is happy with the product on the field and excited to see where the team takes us this year.  Go Brew Crew!