The Brew Crew’s biggest masher has averaged 40 home runs and 113 RBI over the past five seasons and has a .929 career OPS. In the final season of his contract, which paid him $15.5MM last year, Fielder hit 38 taters, drove in 120 runs, and scored 95 more  as the Brewers captured their first division title since the 1980′s. Milwaukee would love to have him back, especially with the black eye it’s currently sporting courtesy of Ryan Braun, but their not likely to retain their former first round draft pick (2002) unless he gives them a hometown discount. So far, there’s been no hint of that from Fielder or his agent Scott Boras, who most definitely does not believe in discounts.

SI’s Jon Heyman reported back in mid-November that Fielder was seeking a deal in the neighborhood of eight years and $200MM. Thus far, he has found no takers. For no particular rhyme or reason, it’s been repeatedly reported that the Seattle Mariners are the front-runners for Fielder’s services. Rumors are that he prefers the east coast, but money said, why would Fielder want to bat in a pitcher’s ballpark like Safeco Field?

The Brewers’ divisional rivals, the Chicago Cubs, were early favorites to sign Fielder, but the Cubs reportedly are not interested in spending the type of dollars it would take to put Fielder in Wrigley Field. ESPN’s Buster Olney expects the Washington Nationals to make a big play for Fielder, but thus far the team has maintained that Adam LaRoche will be their 1st baseman in 2012.

The Baltimore Orioles always have an interest in any free agent, but have shied away from the big money free agents in recent years. The Florida Marlins certainly have the desire to spend big bucks as they have already proven this off-season, but FoxSports’ Ken Rosenthal reported the Fish aren’t interested in Fielder. Rumor has it that the Marlins are expected to go hard after Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, who would be a draw to the large Cuban population in Miami.

So where does the “Prince of Home Runs” end up? My money is still on the Texas Rangers, even if they are able to sign Yu Darvish. Texas has the money and the desire, and believes you can never have enough offense.

Other than the unknown commodity that is Cespedes, the most intriguing player still available (after Fielder), is LA Dodgers’ pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. The soon-to-be 37 year old right-hander was 13-16 last season despite a 3.05 ERA. The AL East’s big spenders, Boston and New York, are said to be in hot pursuit, though ESPN New York’s Wallace Matthews believes the Yankees interest is merely to drive up Kuroda’s asking price. The strategy was successful last off-season when Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman feigned interest in free agent outfielder Carl Crawford.

Then there is the case of veteran Roy Oswalt. When the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Oswalt during the 2010 season and then added Cliff Lee to a rotation that already boasted Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, most observers though a World Series title in Philadelphia was a done deal. But not so fast; Oswalt threw just 139 mediocre innings in 2011, which included the second lowest strikeout to walk ratio in his 11 year career. Oswalt is seeking just a one year deal, and that is what is making him so attractive to prospective buyers, who hope he can do a suitable job as a fourth or fifth starter.

Then there are players whose best days are behind them, but could still add some value to a team. Raul Ibanez, Hideki Matsui, Carlos Pena, and Cody Ross are among those still looking for work.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes. ]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/12/27/prince-of-the-home-runs/feed/ 0 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/12/21/uecker-named-to-nab-broadcasting-hall/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/12/21/uecker-named-to-nab-broadcasting-hall/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:37:31 +0000 Jerry Milani http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=10990 Most of the Hall of Fame talk these days focuses on the baseball writers’ Cooperstown ballots.  But baseball icon and voice of the Milwaukee Brewers Bob Uecker, who was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2001 and honored with the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for broadcast excellence in 2003, has earned another plaque, this time in the National Associaton of Broadcasters (NAB) Hall of Fame.

Uecker will earn the honor during the NAB Show Radio Luncheon, held Tuesday, April 17 in Las Vegas and sponsored by ASCAP.

Affectionately known as “Mr. Baseball,” Uecker is entering his 42nd year calling play-by-play on the Brewers Radio Network and Journal Broadcasting Group’s WTMJ in Milwaukee. The former-player-turned-broadcaster has completed 30 seasons as the club’s lead announcer, and he will celebrate his 57th year associated with professional baseball in 2012.

Bob Uecker (image: BusinessWire)

“Bob Uecker is a cultural icon whose remarkable talent and love for baseball have touched generations of fans,” said NAB Executive Vice President of Radio John David. “We are excited to have him join the many esteemed broadcasters in the NAB’s Hall of Fame.”

The five-time Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year was also inducted into the Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame. Uecker was also a member of the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals World Series Championship team.

Previous NAB Radio Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees include: Gerry House, Ron Chapman, Vin Scully, Jack Buck, Harry Carey, Larry Lujack, Rick Dees, Dick Purtan and Dick Orkin.

With this week’s acquisition of Mat Latos from the San Diego Padres, Jocketty was able to add a top of the rotation starter in exchange for a package built around prospects Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal and disappointing starter Edinson Volquez.

Latos, who went 9-14 with a 3.47 ERA for the Padres last season, is a shining example of a pitcher whose won-loss record reflects little on how well he pitched a year ago. According to Dave Camewron at Fangraphs.com, not only did Latos have an impressive 2011, but for the last two seasons “has been one of the better pitchers in baseball.”

There aren’t that many pitchers in the sport who can miss bats with the frequency that Latos has established while also pounding the strike zone with regularity. Guys who can live in the zone and still avoid contact are generally the best pitchers in the game. This is the one skillset you want in a pitcher more than any other.

According to the Associated Press, the talent given up to acquire Latos was significant:

Alonso, the seventh overall pick in 2008, didn’t have a place to play with Joey Votto a mainstay at first base. The Reds moved him to left field briefly last season, but he struggled defensively. The 24-year-old Alonso batted .330 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 47 games. Byrnes said he’ll be a leading contender for the starting job.

Volquez was coming off a disappointing season, going 5-7 with a 5.71 ERA. The Reds got him from Texas in the trade for Josh Hamilton in December 2007. Volquez went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 2008, when both he and Hamilton made the All-Star teams. Volquez needed reconstructive elbow surgery the following year and has never gotten back into form.

Grandal, the 12th overall pick in 2010, batted .305 with 14 homers and 68 RBIs at Class A, Double-A and Triple-A last season, making a quick rise through the farm system. He was slotted behind catcher Devin Mesoraco, a first-round pick in 2007 who made it to the majors last season and played in 18 games.

Jocketty said Reds were willing to trade Alonso and Grandal because they were stuck behind other players at their positions.

The Reds also gave up right-handed reliever Brad Boxberger, who went 2-4 with 11 saves and a 2.03 ERA last season at Double-A and Triple-A. Jocketty said Boxberger was the final piece in finishing the deal.

“It was very tough giving him up,” Jocketty said. “We feel he was really starting to come into his own in the second half of the year. I don’t think we would have been able to make the deal if he wasn’t part of it.”

On paper, this appears to be a deal that will assist both teams. The Reds traded what Fangraph’s Cameron classified as “redundant prospects” a reclamation project and a RP with some upside for one of the most valuable commodities in all of baseball.

Padres GM Josh Byrnes has taken a huge gamble in trading away a top of the the rotation starter who is just 24 years old, but as San Diego appears to be in yet another rebuilding phase, spreading around depth makes more sense at the moment.

“It was a tough trade to make,” Byrnes told Dan Hayes of the North County Times, “but if you put it (with the trades of Adrian Gonzalez and Mike Adams) we have a huge chunk of talent we have put in the system the last couple of years, and ultimately I think that’s our best path to success.”

The Reds still need a closer, and how they acquire one will bear watching.

***

Not really sure what the Milwaukee Brewers are up to these days.

On one hand, there’s no way I’m giving $200 million bucks to Prince Fielder, especially when I have several holes to fill. On the other, giving $36 million to 33-year old Aramis Ramirez?

Ramirez is a very good offensive player, batting .306 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs in 149 games for the Cubs last season. and is of the top five third baseman in the game. But’s 33, and might be an even worse defensive third baseman than Casey McGehee. The Brewers are also talking about making him their cleanup hitter, and with the possibility of Ryan Braun missing the first 50 games of the season to start 2012, makes this signing a very “all in” type of move. For a team that’s going to lose it’s marquee player, it seems a strange way to go.

***

Jennie Finch is best known for being one of the legends of women’s softball, and is also a tiress advocate for worthy charities like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  She recently sent all of us here at BD a holiday greeting.

Happy Holidays to you and yours as well, Jenny. For more info on Finch, her charity work and more, please visit JennieFinch.com

***

The Miami Marlins have an MVP-caliber shortstop in Hanley Ramirez. They liked him so much at short that they went out gave $106 million to Jose Reyes. The question I have is this; did the Marlins speak to Ramirez before going after Reyes? If they didn’t, that’s pretty foolish. If they did, then Ramirez is being pretty selfish.

As for Reyes?

“As soon as I have the opportunity, I’m going to talk to (Ramirez), because we are very good friends,” Reyes said. “We’re both here for one reason — to win the World Series. It doesn’t matter where I’m going to play or where he’s going to play.” – AP

Reyes is ok with playing third base? Or second? As for the former, Alex Rodriguez, a superior talent in every way to Derek Jeter, moved to third rather than displace the incumbent Jeter in 2004. As for the latter, moving to second to accommodate Kaz Matsui didn’t exactly work out too well for Reyes. Some people are saying that Reyes should call Hanley and “work things out.”

Greg Stoda, who covers the Marlins for the Palm Beach Post, says that it “absolutely should be up to Reyes, a Marlins free-agent newcomer displacing Ramirez at shortstop, to make the initial contact.”

It’d be a gesture of goodwill, if nothing else. The club certainly shouldn’t have to back-channel things.
It’s understandable if Ramirez, who’ll switch to third base, doesn’t want to make the first move even though it would demonstrate a heretofore lacking leadership quality should he simply reach out to Reyes and welcome him to the team.

Reyes, however, by now should have made the effort to speak to Ramirez, which he hadn’t done as of Friday morning.

I couldn’t disagree more. As the “team leader”, Ramirez should be calling Reyes to welcome him to the team, and quelling any media speculation that he isn’t happy with the acquisition of Reyes, who is a far superior defensive player. His silence is deafening, and another churlish example of how selfish Ramirez has been his entire career.

As for Reyes, c’mon Jose. You haven’t had the “opportunity” to call your “very good friend” for a week or more? You’re not doing yourself any favors with those kinds of quotes.

And, then the news came down this past weekend. Ryan Braun, the reigning National League Most Valuable Player had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. In the time it took for the news to scroll across the bottom of screens, media outlets began churning out the venomous takes on Braun’s failed test. Social media exploded with angry fans, media members, and bloggers all spewing their shock, dislike, and perspective punishments for such a cheater. There were calls for repealing his MVP Award. The mass was ready for a public trial and possibly a symbolic public hanging. We haven’t had one of those in a couple of years. All of that momentum that Baseball was building seemed to have just stopped.

Of course the news was shocking. Braun is one of the last players anyone would ever expect to be a user. He was so outspoken when Alex Rodriguez was caught. He doesn’t fail the eyeball test either like Bonds did. His statistics have never really fluctuated in any season. Considering that he has been subject to testing since the day he stepped foot on a professional field, the odds of Braun failing a test or using seemed long. His reaction to his outing has also been consistent. He maintains his innocence and seems ready to fight it. While no player has ever won an appeal, Braun’s camp seems optimistic that they will win.

Whether they win or lose isn’t the issue. If Ryan Braun is found guilty, he will simply join a list of players who got caught and moved on. Even the villainous Alex Rodriguez has moved on. David Ortiz is still beloved. Andy Pettitte had no problem endearing himself back to the New York faithful. At this point, Baseball fans easily forgive as long as they get the proper amount of penance. Braun, if found guilty, seems like the type who will handle it well.

The problem isn’t even about the drug testing program. The fact that Ryan Braun was tested in October is a testament to the program and the fairness in which it is implemented. As flawed as the sport once was with drug testing, Baseball is the most vigilant of the major sports now. Minor Leaguers have been tested, punished, and placed into programs. Now, the Major Leaguers are finally being held to the same standards. On that front, it is a positive gain for Major League Baseball that they tested one of their stars.

The real problem lies within Major League Baseball. It lies within an organization that has correctly railed its players into a drug testing problem. This year, they will test for HGH, a product of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The process is based on confidentiality. The CBA explicitly states that all tests will remain confidential through the appeal process. Braun’s result was leaked to ESPN before he has had the chance to put together a proper appeal. His result was leaked before anything was finalized. There is something very wrong with a system that doesn’t allow that system to actually play out. The players reluctantly gave into a testing system. They have even given in to blood testing. Evidently, the process may just play out in public for the world to judge and to get into a frenzy about on just the possibility of someone cheating.

For the Major League Players Association, the issue of confidentiality has to be paramount. Michael Weiner, the MLBPA’s Executive Director echoed those sentiments in his press release regarding Braun’s case. “Our Joint Drug Agreement is designed to protect a player from a rush to judgment before he can challenge a reported positive test result. Fairness dictates that Ryan Braun be treated no differently. I urge all to reserve judgment on this matter until the JDA’s process has played itself out.”

The last statement–the part about reserving judgment–is the problem. Few are actually waiting to see how Braun’s appeal will play out. In most minds, he is a guilty man, just like all of the guilty men before him. Those men asked everyone to believe them before. Everyone did for quite some time. Everyone turned away from what seemed so obvious in 1998. It was right there, but hardly anyone wanted to question it. With the reality of what really did happen and how widespread of a problem we all missed, everyone is now on the witch hunt. Now, the process of drug testing has fallen into modern form of McCarthyism. It is one based on innuendo, fear, hysteria, and hunting. ESPN is not to blame for running the story on Braun. They were presented with a story–a big story–and ran it. All media outlets would have.

But, that is the problem. With media outlets searching for information and evidently finding it quite easy to ascertain, it has set a tone of uncertainty. Baseball was digging out of that tone. Now, it is, in some way, back. Ryan Braun failed a test. That seems like it is fact. But, there may just be a plausible reason for that. The information given in the ESPN report is certainly damning. It is very easy to jump to a guilty verdict based on that report. Their reporters are some of the industry’s best. There isn’t any doubt that their information is accurate in terms of his failing, what he failed for, and what it could possibly mean.

Braun does have a right to refute this. He is deserving of defending himself. In fact, it is a right granted to him by not only the sport, but the country. The issue is that we are talking about this now. None of this should be known. We shouldn’t know that Braun failed a test. We shouldn’t know that an appeal is underway. He should simply be allowed to fight his case with his dignity and good name intact. If he is innocent, he will forever have the stigma of a failed test. Fans will get over it, but Braun’s legacy would forever have the mention of that failed test, whether it was accurate or not. Major League Baseball is in dereliction of its duties to protect the privacy of the drug testing program. There have been too many leaks. Alex Rodriguez’s failed test should’ve never come out. His test, as with all of those tests, was taken on the condition of anonymity. Baseball’s track record isn’t great. Why would the Players Association even allow their players to take another test? Baseball is, in reality, in violation of the CBA. They haven’t lived up to their responsibilities in the agreement.

This only fuels the paranoia of the guardians of the game. Hall of Fame voting has become a modern day witch hunt. Players with deserving careers are being kept out of the Hall of Fame on suspicion of cheating. Jeff Bagwell was prominently left off many ballots despite compiling one of the greatest careers of the modern era. He was never charged with anything. Yet, suspicion will keep him out. Now, with a testing program that leaks out information before the process is complete will only enhance the same type of blood thirsty mob that wants to hang anyone suspected of modern sports witch craft.

The more that the testing program leaks, the more media outlets will put an emphasis of finding the information. That attention creates an Abigail Williams type of scenario where everyone involved was seen with the devil and punished despite any real due process. If Baseball truly wants to get passed all of this and prove to the world that they are policing their game, the first step should be to ensure that due process can be carried out in private. Baseball’s leaks have caused this negative story to an otherwise sterling offseason. Moving on isn’t about putting on a grand spectacle where there are public trials and hangings. Moving on is doing things the right way and eliminating the problems, not calling attention to more problems and prematurely taking one of your stars and making him guilty without following through.

Baseball’s negligence has caused this problem. First, they were negligent for not having any sort of testing for so long. Now, they are negligent for not having any type of security for these tests. From the problem’s beginning to its current state, the industry of Baseball has failed. Yes, the testing is the best in professional sports. But, their execution is poor.

Hopefully, Ryan Braun can prove his innocence. The sport will be better for it. His innocence would also illuminate just how poorly Baseball is running the program and the need for complete confidentiality. That would help quell the paranoia fire and allow the play on the field to be the sole center of attention.

Commissioner Bud Selig has to be commended on getting the players to agree to the type of drug testing program. But, he should be equally blamed for leading a program that has failed to provide the anonymity and fairness inherent with such a program. This should be his number one priority. Without a proper system to eliminate leaks in testing protocol, this issue will forever haunt Baseball. If it continues, it is also asking for a fight from the players. It would be a fight that they would easily win. Bud Selig needs to act and act quickly while he still can. If not, the sport will forever be mired in a type of chaos that will take most attention away from the field. That would be a shame as almost everyone wants to focus on the game happening on the field.

Our featured bloggers that provided us with the in depth Report Card series that has just concluded are back to give everyone an in depth look at what the off season holds for the major league teams they cover.  A look at what each team needs, what each team has already gained and lost, and some of the youth in each team’s system will be examined in these articles.  You can find all of the author’s information at the bottom of the article.

Much of baseball’s conventional wisdom went out the window in 2011, with the third-worst defense winning the World Series and the best ERA getting ousted in the first round of the playoffs (in the words of Ron Washington, “That’s that way baseball go.”) and it makes it all the more difficult to know what direction the Brewers need to pursue in 2012.  One could argue that the Crew needs to improve defensively – their regular infielders committed 71 errors in 2011– but then again, maybe not.  After all, even with a poor defense, the Brewers won ninety-six games last season, and it’s not unreasonable to think they can achieve similar results in 2012 with a few adjustments.

The Brewers will almost certainly play without Prince Fielder next season, and while this could be considered a blow in some respects, it could also be an opportunity.  The loss in run production will undoubtedly have to be made up, but this is very doable because the Crew had the worst statistical third-baseman (Casey McGehee) and shortstop (Yuniesky Betancourt) in the league.   Even minor improvements at these positions, both offensively and defensively, could take the pressure off of Fielder’s likely replacement at first, Mat Gamel, who’s been waiting in the wings in triple A for some time.

But who will take over at third and short?  It could go a number of ways.  Signing slugger Aramis Ramirez at third is tempting.  Reyes is too expensive and injury prone to be considered at short, but there was talk of veterans Rafael Furcal and (before he was traded to the Pirates) Clint Barmes, not to mention rehiring Betancourt for less money, and/or Jerry Hairston, who played excellent down the stretch as a late pickup for the Crew.  Taylor Green, who came up from triple A in August, could also be considered for the full-time job at third-base (more on him in a moment), or the Crew could take a chance again with McGehee, who played terribly in 2011 after two very good years and who might be trusted to turn things around.

Another possible question is centerfield, though in all likelihood the platoon of Nyjer Morgan and Carlos Gomez will continue, despite the arrangement’s mixed results.  Gomez was terrible at the plate but terrific in the outfield, and Morgan’s impressive offensive numbers were negated at times by his inconsistent defense.  The biggest question mark is whether Morgan’s personality can fit in with the team for another season.

The other position players in the Brewers lineup are set: Braun in left field, Hart in right field, Weeks at second and Lucroy at catcher. Bench players Mark Kotsay and Craig Counsell are both gone, leaving the Brewers with some needs off the bench, and this makes the rehiring of Hairston even more likely, as he can play both outfield and infield.

The bullpen, among the best in the league last season, is also a big question mark going into 2012 with the exception of closer John Axford.  The staff that manhandled the league in innings six through eight – LaTroy Hawkins, Takashi Saito, and Francisco Rodriquez – are all free agents this off-season.  Rodriquez will undoubtedly sign as a closer elsewhere, but the other two could resign despite their aging arms.  Regardless, a few additional arms in the bullpen will have to be on general manager Doug Melvin’s radar.

The open questions in the bullpen notwithstanding, for perhaps the first time in team history the starting pitching is already set, with all five starters returning in 2012.  This fact does open up the possibility of a trade, as the Crew could possibly choose to part ways with one of its starters for a position player.  If this happens, Marco Estrada, who did a nice job in a starting role when needed in 2011, would likely become the fifth starter.  A longer shot would be Wily Peralta, who would have to have an impressive spring to have a legitimate shot.

Ultimately, the Brewers’ success could hinge on Green and Gamel, who both have limited major league experience, and who will likely see action at the corners, either in a starting role (most likely with Gamel) or backup role (Green could platoon with Hairston, backup Ramirez, or possibly even start).  Though Gamel is still unproven, he hasn’t benefitted from the consistent playing time he might require for solid play, and 2012 is likely the year when this question gets laid to rest.  Green was impressive in his limiting playing time late in 2011, not only for his production, but for his poise and attitude.  If either of these young players can produce in 2012, the Crew could end up on top of the NL Central for the second year in a row.

Paul Heinz
www.paulheinz.com

These report cards were written by twenty nine talented individuals across the internet that keep a close eye on the team they cover.  It was the first of our “Featured Blogger” series.  The second part, an Off-Season Outlook, will be brought to you the remainder of this week.  The same writers will return in the Spring to provide a 2012 Season Preview about the teams.

This year’s Featured Bloggers are listed below along with their website and the link to their Report Card:

American League East
Baltimore Orioles - Austin Gisriel, Seamheads
Boston Red Sox – Michael Lynch, Seamheads
New York Yankees – William Tasker, The Flagrant Fan
Tampa Bay Rays – Yossi Feins, The Rays Rant
Toronto Blue Jays – Peter DeMarco, Some Thoughts On Baseball

American League Central
Chicago White Sox – Terry Keshner, Planet Back
Cleveland Indians – David Henderson, Tribe Cards
Detroit Tigers – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Kansas City Royals – Todd Fertig, I-70 Baseball
Minnesota Twins – Von Hendry, Seamheads

American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Bryan Grosnick, Roto Hardball
Oakland As – Jason Leary, Junk Ball
Seattle Mariners – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Texas Rangers – Dan Edmonson, Chicken Fried Baseball

National League East
Atlanta Braves – Andrew Martin, Baseball Historian
Florida Marlins – Eddie Gilley, Eddie Gilley Blogspot
New York Mets – AC Wayne, Mets Public Record
Philadelphia Phillies – Matthew Buesing, Fire And Ice Sports
Washington Nationals – Aaron Somers , District On Deck

National League Central
Chicago Cubs – Robert Harris, Blue Batting Helmet
Cincinnati Reds – Gary Schatz, Full Of Schatz
Houston Astros – Michael Barr, Fan Graphs
Milwaukee Brewers – Paul Heinz, Paul Heinz.com
Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Sendek, Analysis Around The Horn
St. Louis Cardinals – Daniel Shoptaw , C70 At The Bat

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – Patrick Lagreid, Baseball On My Brain
Colorado Rockies – Michelle Hoag, Rockies Woman
Los Angeles Dodgers – Paul F Sullivan, Sully Baseball
San Diego Padres – Michael Metzger, Padres Trail
San Francisco Giants – Julian Levine, Giants Nirvana

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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BaseballDigest.com aims to keep up that tradition.  This season, we bring you a Report Card on each team in Major League Baseball from writers that cover that team directly.  At the bottom of each write up, you will find the writer’s name, website, and any other pertinent information.  

After a shaky start, the Brewers capitalized on a stellar home record and broke away from the rest of the NL Central for their first division title in twenty-nine years, ending with a franchise record 96 wins.  Their at-home success continued against the Diamondbacks in the NLDS, propelling the Crew into the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals, who ousted Milwaukee in six games.

Rotation: A
The Brewers starting staff was a model of consistency, as the Crew only used six starters all season and all five regulars won at least eleven games.  Off-season pickups Shawn Marcum and Zack Greinke, the latter missing the first month due to injury, proved to be the difference, though Yovani Gallardo led the staff with seventeen wins, the most by a Brewer since 2005.  Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson also performed well, and Marco Estrada filled in capably as a starter when needed.

BD Report Cards brought to you by Seamheads

Bullpen: A-
Even with closer John Axford leading the Brewers to a team-record 46 saves, it took the mid-season pickup of Francisco Rodriquez as a setup man to bolster the bullpen into a second-half powerhouse (this despite not having a lefty).  The Brewers didn’t give up a lead after the 7^th inning from July 4^th on, and the return of LaTroy Hawkins and Takashi Saito from injuries solidified the 6^th and 7^th inning roles.  Kameron Loe and Marco Estrada filled in the gaps.

Catcher: C+
Although Jonathan Lucroy only threw out only 21 percent of would-be base stealers, he led the league with one passed ball and his ability to block balls continued to improve.  At the plate, Lucroy excelled for the first half but dropped off substantially in September.  Despite his weaknesses, he’s the closest thing the Brewers have had to a franchise catcher since B.J. Surhoff.  George Kottaras filled in adequately as Randy Wolf’s personal catcher, and in September became the seventh Brewer to hit for the cycle.

Infield: D+
Even though the Brewer infield boasted two all-stars, defensively they were often inept, with the four regulars committing 71 errors.  Offensively, short-stop Yuniesky Betancourt and third-baseman Casey McGehee had the second and third-worst on-base-percentages in the National League, and second baseman Rickie Weeks struck out more than Prince Fielder, despite having 130 fewer at-bats.  Prince Fielder’s offensive numbers buoyed the infield grade, leading the Crew with 38 home runs, 120 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .415.  Mid-season pickup Jerry Hairston, Jr. did a terrific job of filling in during Rickie Weeks’s extended stint on the DL, and Craig Counsell, although a good defensive substitute, struggled at the plate throughout the season.

Outfield: B-
Defensively, the Brewers outfield was solid, with Ryan Braun having improved since his difficult early years in left field. Corey Hart, no longer the speed demon he used to be, was adequate in right, and the platoon of Carlos Gomez and Nyjer Morgan in center gave the Brewers good range and – at times – stunning catches.  It was Morgan, a last minute pick-up before the start of the season, who provided the team with the offensive spark that Gomez couldn’t provide.  Gomez struck out a whopping 26% of his plate appearances, and Hart wasn’t much better, striking out 21% of the time as a lead-off hitter. Braun’s numbers (see below) rivaled the best in Brewer history.  As a backup, Mark Kotsay provided the Crew with left-handed pop off the bench.

Top Offensive Player
Although Prince Fielder’s offensive numbers were impressive, Ryan Braun’s season rivaled that of Robin Yount’s in 1982. Batting .332 with 111 RBIs, 33 home runs, a .397 OBP, and 33 stolen bases, Braun was not only the Brewers’ MVP, but possibly the MVP of the National League.

Top Pitcher
At least six different pitchers could be considered for this category.  The Brewers have had great closers before, but what got them into the playoffs was great starting.  There wasn’t an ace of the staff, but if one had to be chosen, it would be Yovani Gallardo, who led the team in ERA and wins, who had the Crew’s lone complete game, and who continued to pitch well into September and October, unlike Marcum, who up until then was the Crew’s most consistent starter.

Paul Heinz
www.paulheinz.com

Epstein fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday after just a little over one season in Chicago. The Sun-Times has the story.

Dodgers fans are ecstatic that the McCourts are selling. The LA Times has the full story.

Then Tony LaRussa arrives in the League Championship Series and proves that you cannot predict the actions of a managerial genius.

LaRussa has approached each game of the LCS as if it were a “bullpen start”.  Looking to get four innings to five innings out of his starters so he could lean on the part of his team that has recently as July 1 was the weakness.  The relievers.

It was the days leading up to the trading deadline that the Cardinals made some moves to shore up a bullpen that had failed them to that point.  Left handed relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Arthur Rhodes were brought in alongside veteran Octavio Dotel.  Jason Motte became the pitcher that would be called on in the ninth inning, though LaRussa still refuses to call him the team’s closer.  Mitchell Boggs, Lance Lynn and Kyle McClellan found their roles a bit more defined and were used in situations that better fit their strength.  LaRussa had a bullpen full of arms that he could utilize to matchup against hitters that would struggle against each of them.  Because of that, he changed the  strategical game in a short series with scheduled off days.

To this point, it has worked remarkably well.  The bullpen has shown very little sign of fatigue, has been called upon early and often in high leverage situations, and the Cardinals enjoy a three games to two lead as they pull into Miller Park looking to take one of the next two games and punch their ticket to the World Series to face the Texas Rangers.  In fact, many believe that the only reason the teams return to Milwaukee in this series is because LaRussa did not go to the bullpen earlier in a very win-able game four.

The Brewers send struggling starter Shaun Marcum to the mound with their backs firmly against the wall.  Marcum’s track record at the end of the season, not to mention the postseason, would suggest that he may be on a very short leash here in game six.  If the Cardinals jump out to an early lead, Ron Roenicke will be questioned repeatedly about this choice.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, send a fairly steady Edwin Jackson to the mound opposite of Marcum to try to nail down the pennant and head home to St. Louis to prepare for Texas.  EJax, one of the players added at the trade deadline that allowed for McClellan’s return to the bullpen, is pitching in his first postseason and is thrust into a high pressure situation in a ballpark that easily plays to the mantra “home field advantage”.

Strange Tidbit: The Brewers and Cardinals will play today in Milwaukee while the St. Louis Rams visit the Green Bay Packers.  Should the Cardinals advance to the World Series, next Sunday will provide game four of the fall classic from Arlington, Texas while the Rams will face off against the Dallas Cowboys.

Game six and seven (if needed) are always an “anyone’s ballgame” moment.  The Cardinals appear to have the upper hand, but it is hard to discount the Brewers and what they have done this season.  Both teams will look to keep the other’s offense in check, but this one has all the makings of a high scoring affair.  The roof will be closed at Miller Park for the first time this series leading to a loud and crazy playoff environment.

That’s the way it should be.

The travel day occurs during game six of the American League Championship Series and the teams may know which team is headed to either St. Louis or Milwaukee before they step on the field tomorrow.  The series is seeing an impressive run from players such as Ryan Braun, David Freese, Albert Pujols and Yuniesky Betancourt.

There seems to be a lot of chatter out and about the internet concerning this series.  Here’s a roundup of some thoughts….

A lot of St. Louis fans are chattering about the seemingly strong pro-Brewers analysis in the series due to the presence of Brian Anderson in the booth.

Bob Netherton from On The Outside Corner takes a look at the reason Anderson is in the booth and why fans are feeling the way they are in a straight forward article that you can read by clicking here.

The Brewers Rickie Weeks has been playing through an injury and there are some interesting matchup opportunities available to Ron Roenicke.

Tom Haudricourt breaks down the options and possibilities, complete with thoughts from the Brewer manager, at the Journal Sentinel blog.  Read his in depth thoughts by clicking here.

The Cardinals seem to have the upper hand in the pitching matchups the rest of the way out in the NLCS.  With the Brewers going with a struggling Shaun Marcum and the Cardinals throwing their ace Chris Carpenter if needed in game seven, the Redbirds are happy with where they sit.

Old friend Daniel Shoptaw breaks down games five, six and seven at his site.  While game five is in the books, game six and seven are going to be competitive and the “Godfather” of the United Cardinal Bloggers has some good insight that you can read by clicking here.

I will be back in the saddle with a look at game six prior to first pitch on Sunday.  Until then, thanks for reading…

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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That might be just how they like it.

The Cardinals have spent the last six weeks or more facing must win situations.  They have known, almost nightly, that a loss could destroy the entire fabric of the season they have fought so hard to extend.  Their opponents have often looked into their dugout and thought today was the day the dream would end, only to see the phoenix rise from the ashes yet again.

So they sit, backs firmly against the wall, preparing for battle with their division rivals.  Game five poses a possible final game at Busch Stadium this season.  It yields the story line of Albert Pujols, who may take his last swing as a Cardinal on that very field.  Immediately, however, it poses a game that the Cardinals simply must win.

The Brewers have been the epitome of home field advantage this season.  They have won more games in their own home ballpark than any other team in Major League Baseball this season.  The Cardinals will face the task of having to win at least one of the last two games there in order to advance.  A loss in game five would leave the Cardinals needing to sweep the Brewers in Miller Park to advance.  It may not be impossible, but it is improbable.

The Brewers will look to take the big advantage of a three-to-two series lead home with them and will turn to former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke to achieve that.  Greinke got the game one nod in this series and was less than effective, yet able to secure a victory.  He would surrender six runs on eight hits in six innings.  His outing in the Division Series was not much better, surrendering four runs in five innings, receiving a no decision in that game despite the Brewers getting the victory.  Greinke’s postseason earned run average is 8.18 and one would think he is either: a) due for a breakout game or b) playing with fire.

The Cardinals will ask Jaime Garcia to get them back on track and put them in a position to win the series.  The Cardinals young, left handed pitcher seems to pitch much better when on his home turf throughout the season and seems to rattle easy if his defense or the officiating let him down at any point.  He put a solid performance together in the Division Series, allowing only three runs in seven innings against the Phillies.  His offense let him down that night, however, and he took the loss.  He took his second loss of the post season earlier in this series, giving up six runs in just four innings of work.

The two teams are remarkably close in all categories in 2011, as pointed out in a tweet by Fox Sports Midwest’s B.J. Rains. Per Rains:

• The teams are tied 11-11 in 2011 games played
• Brewers lead the Cardinals 90-88 in runs
• Both teams have hit 23 home runs in the series
• Both teams have identical 6-5 home records

Fans and players of the Cardinals have become adamant about the term “Happy Flight”.  The term refers to a team winning the final game of a series before having to get on a plane.  The Cardinals have won 15 straight games prior to the team needing to board a plane, dating all the way back to a loss to the Brewers in the first week of August.  They put that streak on the line in game five.

In seven game League Championship Series, the team winning game five has gone on to win the series in 11 of the 13 series played.

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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The man the St. Louis fans have come to call “Batman” had his most successful, and healthy, season to date in 2011.  Hitting low in the lineup in the postseason, Freese normally hits seventh, he has found a way to produce and keep the Cardinals on the top of the scoreboard in the postseason.  As a matter of fact, David Freese leads the Major Leagues in runs batted in this postseason.  Not Braun.  Not Fielder.  Not Pujols.  Not even Neslon Cruz.  David Freese has been the reliable and, dare I use the word, clutch player on the field.

The 2011 Postseason for David Freese

While Freese is the unsung hero of the Cardinals’ offense thus far, the bullpen may be the main reason they continue to overcome the odds.  At the open of the postseason, the bullpen had a meltdown in Philadelphia, surrendering five runs in 2 2/3 innings pitched.  Since then, they have surrendered five runs in 24 2/3 innings pitched.  Most notably has been Jason Motte, the guy that is “not” the Cardinals’ closer, nailing down a four out save in game three.

It appears that the pitch that hit Berkman, coupled with Randy Wolf starting game four, will see Allen Craig play in right field.  The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported this first, which you can read by clicking here.

That game that the bullpen had the meltdown?  That was game one and featured Cardinal starter Kyle Lohse on the hill.  Lohse will take the ball for the first time since that game twelve days ago, as he starts game four for the Cardinals.

Lohse is typically a much stronger starter on the road than within the confines of Busch Stadium.  In addition, Lohse has pitched well against the Brewers, but his offense has not exactly backed him up.  Despite a 2.37 earned run average and 15 hits, 10 strikeouts, 8 walks over 19 innings pitched in three games against the division rivals, Lohse sports one win and two losses in the series.

Jim Breen of Bernie’s Crew takes an in depth look at game three, including moves that paid off and gaffes that should be noticed.  You can read his article by clicking here.

The Cardinals have seen Brewers’ game four pitcher Randy Wolf frequently this year.  Wolf has started five games against the Redbirds and has two wins to three losses to show for it.  The Cardinals are hitting .274 against the Brewer lefty and have reached him for 32 hits and five home runs over the 32 innings he has pitched.

Albert Pujols may once again be the hitter to watch against this pitcher.  In 42 at bats, Pujols has three home runs and 13 runs batted in against Wolf.  On the other side of the field, Ryan Braun handles Lohse well.  Braun has two home runs, seven runs batted in and a .310 batting average against the Cardinal hurler.

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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Game three of the National League Championship Series will take place at 7 pm CDT in St. Louis.  The Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers split the first two games in Milwaukee and the Cardinals will now try to take advantage of games on their turf.

Cardinal postseason hero Jim Edmonds visited the MLB Fan Cave recently and shared his emotional journey, and his desire to simply be a father, with the guys there.  You can read more about Jimmy Ballgame by clicking here.

Starting for the Brewers will be Yovani Gallardo.  The Mexican born right hander has enjoyed the most successful season of his career in 2011, pitching himself to a 17-10 record with a 3.52 earned run average.  Most impressive may be his 207 strikeouts against his 59 walks (3.51 SO/BB).  He has been a much more effective pitcher at home in Miller Park than he was on the road this season.

Yovani Gallardo’s Home/Away Splits:

Despite his strong season, his success has not carried over to games with the Cardinals.  The division rivals have handed Gallardo three of his ten losses, hit .233 against him, and Gallardo sports a 5.70 earned run average against the Redbirds.  Despite two losses and only one victory on his record for games at Busch Stadium, he does have a lower earned run average (3.32), batting average against (.179) and has struck out 14 Cardinal batters in 19 innings pitched.

The rivalry between the Brewers and the Cardinals has been something that the players claim is more media driven than anything else.  It appears that rivalry has made it to the front offices as the Cardinals appear to be playing a bit of gamesmanship with the other team.  Read MLB’s report on the ticket contraversy by clicking here.

On the heels of a three hit shutout that put his team in the League Championship Series, Chris Carpenter will take the mound for the first home game for the Cardinals.  Carpenter has split his four decisions with Milwaukee this season, winning and losing two games.  The Brewers hit Carpenter for a .250 batting average while striking out 19 times over 28 innings.  Carpenter has been effectively the same pitcher both at home and on the road.

Carpenter’s Home Away Split

As for the offense, Rickie Weeks has only seen Carpenter for ten at bats this season, but in those ten at bats, Weeks has six hits.  Three of those hits have cleared the outfield fencing and he has driven in six runs.  This leads the Brewers in all of those categories against Carpenter.

Ryan Braun has put together quite the offseason in 2011.  However, Cardinal third baseman David Freese has quietly matched Braun in most categories.  The St. Louis Post Dispatch ran an in depth story on David Freese and why he believes it was his decision to walk away from the game that allowed him to be here today.  Read that article by clicking here.

On the offensive side of the Cardinals, beware the suddenly hot Albert Pujols.  The Cardinals first baseman has reached Gallardo for twelve hits in twenty seven at bats (.444 batting average) with four home runs and eleven runs batted in.  After the show he put on in game two in Milwaukee, everyone will be watching Pujols tonight anyway.

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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Is there anything that unites our country’s deep political divides more than post-season baseball? The traditional, and ceremonial bunting of red, white and blue stripes that adorn the ballparks of the teams participating in the playoffs serves as a symbolic reminder of our common goals, interests and passion for the game of baseball.

With the arrival of Major League Baseball’s post season, it means that October is here and the imaginative uncertainty of what these games have in store, has fans giddy in anxious anticipation of untold heroics. The saying, turned, cliche, “You can’t script October”, is true but there are certainly things you can expect, such as the certainty that a new set of elite players will have their names forever etched in the history books.

The post-season has been host to some truly memorable events, from Bobby Thompson’s “shot heard round the world” to Reggie Jackson’s 3 consecutive home runs, moments like these are forever immortalized in time. And with the recent remembrance of the 10-year anniversary of the tragedy of 9-11, who can forget former President George W. Bush, throwing out the first pitch of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium? As he took the mound and threw a picture perfect strike that galvanized a packed stadium to a standing ovation, reminded all of us that in the lights of the post season, we aren’t Republican or Democrat, but baseball fans and Americans first and foremost. The iconic images of our country’s leader walking into, what at the time, we all viewed as harms way, was captured atop a cardboard canvas by baseball card manufacturer Topps. Over the summer, the New York based card manufacturer paid tribute to this indelible memory in card #147 of their Allen and Ginter Set. It was easily one of the most poignant baseball cards produced by any company in recent memory. No where was this more evident then the secondary baseball card market. A shortprinted autograph variation of Bush’s 2011 Topps Allen and Ginter card sold on eBay for a whopping $1,393.88.

So, is there really anything more American than baseball? Family, God, love of country and apple pie are all worthy contenders but when it comes to making memories and uniting a country, nothing can compete with the boys of summer playing under the bright lights and the grand stage of the post-season. So let the kids stay up late, pop some popcorn and set the DVR, because unforgettable moments await as we countdown the hours to game time of the 2011 MLB Playoffs.

By Rob Bertrand

Out of 81 games, the Milwaukee Brewers posted 57 wins in their home ball park.  Five more wins than any other team in Major League Baseball could muster on their home field.  Their victory in the Division Series, winning all three games at home, showed more of the same.  The opening contest in the League Championship Series showed they were not about to let up.

Jaime Garcia, the Cardinals game one starter, looked sharp at times and flat at others.  Struggling to keep the ball down, he finally got into enough trouble that it cost the team four runs in the matter of a few seconds.  The major culprit in game one, and in this entire postseason, was Ryan Braun.

Braun has been dominant so far this postseason, to the tune of a .500/1.000/1.577 slash line (Average/Slugging/OPS) with two home runs, eight runs batted in, and seven runs scored.  Beast mode, indeed.

Our friends at Bernie’s Crew take a look at the Cardinals and Brewers defensive support today.  Read that article by clicking here.

The Cardinals turn the ball over to Edwin Jackson, a by product of the Colby Rasmus trade, to try to get them back on the winning track in the second game of the series.  Jackson pitched in game four of the division series, throwing six innings and surrendering two runs while striking out four.  Since the trade that sent him to St. Louis, Jackson has produced a 5-2 record with a 3.58 earned run average, and a 1.462 WHIP.  In August, Jackson would face off against Milwaukee three and the games would be a tale of two different pitchers.  On August 3rd, Jackson would surrender 10 runs in seven innings pitched during a game in which he struggled with his command.  Less than a week later, Jackson would only surrender 3 runs in a six inning outing and he would close out the month with a one run in seven innings against Milwaukee.  Jackson would record a win and a loss in games at Milwaukee and a no decision in St. Louis.

The talented folks of Fungoes take a look at why they believe the Cardinals can still win this series.  Read their thoughts by clicking here.

Jackson will be opposed by Shaun Marcum, who was acquired in an off season trade from the Toronto Blue Jays.  Marcum was rocked in his game three start during the Division Series, surrendering seven runs to the Diamondbacks and not being able to get out of the fifth inning.  Marcum pitched against the Cardinals on June 12th in St. Louis, pitching seven innings of three run baseball to earn a victory.  Remarkably similar to Jackson’s starts for the Cardinals, Marcum would face the division rivals three times in August, earning two no decisions and a loss, despite his performances improving each time out.  Milwaukee would lose two of the three Marcum started games to the Cardinals that month, both losses coming at home in Miller Park.

This game proves to be a key for the Cardinals as they look to get back into the series with a victory and, it would appear, they have the right hurler on the mound for the opposition.  Despite Milwaukee’s overall success this season at home, Marcum is a much better pitcher on the road.

Marcum’s Home/Away Split

Notable Thoughts:

• It will be interesting to see if the roof is open for tonight’s game.  During the Arizona series, it was kept closed for consistency throughout the series.  Game one of this series featured an open roof and, by all accounts, the ball carried because of it.
• Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday continues to struggle with a hand issue and I would not be surprised to see the Brewers coaching staff start challenging him to throw runners out on balls hit his way.
• Nyjer Morgan, the subject of much scrutiny in the St. Louis area, gets the nod to start in game two and it will be of interest to see the interaction between him and the various Cardinal players he has bumped heads with.

This postseason, we have reached out to four featured bloggers to give us a run down of their team’s path to the League Championship Series and asked them to share with our readers some thoughts about the team they cover.

Batting cleanup for our series is Jim Breen of Bernie’s Crew is one of the most respected bloggers on the internet.  His work and dedication to his site show through and he has been a “go to guy” for our staff for a while now.  He shares his thoughts on the Brewers.

This postseason, we have reached out to four featured bloggers to give us a run down of their team’s path to the League Championship Series and asked them to share with our readers some thoughts about the team they cover.

Our next blogger comes to us from the Cardinals site Pitchers Hit Eighth.  Dennis Lawson writes for the site on a regular basis, helping to mix humor with a brilliant knowledge of the game and agreed to give BD.com some insight into the team heading into the League Championship Series.  You can also follow Dennis on Twitter by clicking here.

The Cardinals crashed the playoff party by closing the regular season with a 23-9 run to erase a 10 ½ game deficit in the wild card race. They were rewarded for their monumental comeback with a date in the NLDS with a Philly team that had just set a franchise record for wins in a season (102).  Sure.  Play what seems like a month’s worth of elimination games, and make it through only to find Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, and Hamels waiting for you.  Why not?

Undaunted, the Cardinals went to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies in the NLDS, and the Redbirds beat the NL East champs in a race to 3.  All that took was an odds-defying comeback against Cliff Lee after spotting him a 4-run lead, a victory against longtime nemesis Roy Oswalt, and a 3-hit complete game shutout by Chris Carpenter in an epic pitcher’s duel against Roy Halladay.  Carpenter’s  1-0 victory in the winner-take-all game 5 propelled the Cardinals into the NLCS for the first time since 2006.  Much like the end of the regular season, the Cardinals showed that they had just enough of everything (starting pitching, offense, relief work) to get the job done.

While the team ERA of 3.74 and batting average against (BAA) of .261 may not impress anybody, it is worth noting that the Cardinals managed to squeeze over 900 innings out of their 5 original starters.  The combination of Carpenter (3.45 ERA), Garcia (3.56 ERA), and Lohse (3.39 ERA) pitched over 600 innings collectively.  That represents a lot of games that the starters kept “close enough”.  Just ask that Phillies team that managed a total of only 10 runs in the final 4 games of the series.

As for offense, the Cardinals have a really good one led by Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, and Lance Berkman.  The team’s 762 runs scored was tops in the National League and 5^th best in all of MLB.  That kind of offense was exactly what fans hoped to see when the Cardinals added Lance Berkman to a lineup that already included Pujols and Holliday.  Teams can go ahead and pitch around Pujols (.299, 37 HR, 99 RBI, .366 OBP, .906 OPS) and take their chances with Holliday (.296, 22 HR, 75 RBI, .388 OBP, .912 OPS) or Berkman (.301, 31 HR, 94 RBI, .412 OBP, .959 OPS).  Make it past those 3, and pitchers still have to face some high average hitters like David Freese, Jon Jay, and Yadier Molina who possess occasional power and the ability to take the ball the opposite way.  There are no free passes in this lineup.

Cardinals’ GM John Mozeliak deserves a lot of credit for making both bold and subtle moves to improve the team around the trade deadline.  Moving Colby Rasmus for Edwin Jackson, Corey Patterson, Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski helped reshape the pitching staff while simultaneously eliminating an ongoing distraction.  Obtaining Rafael Furcal for a bucket of baseballs and a prospect filled a defensive hole at shortstop, and the signing of 41 year-old Arthur Rhodes was a low risk, questionable reward move that has paid off many times over.  Rebuilding the bullpen helped right the ship, and the Cardinals have been rolling ever since.

To keep it rolling against the Brewers in the NLCS, the Cardinals need production throughout the lineup.  Guys who struggled in the division series need to step up and find their regular season swings.  So Allen Craig (1 for 10), Yadier Molina (4 for 19), Matt Holliday (2 for 9), and Lance Berkman (3 for 18) are needed, especially if the Cardinals hope to improve on the 3.8 runs per game they scored against the Phillies in the NLDS.

In addition to improving their offensive production, the Cardinals must play solid situational baseball.  If that means using 4 pitchers in a single inning, starting a former second baseman in CF, or using a pitcher for pinch running/hitting duty, then the Cardinals have the right man at the helm.  If a game gets really crazy, there might even be a double steal or even a bunt or two.  While double plays have plagued the Cardinals this season, it is the team’s ability or inability to turn the double play that may prove the difference maker in the NLCS.  The team committed the 2^nd highest number of errors (116) in the NL, and the Cardinals can ill-afford to give away extra outs.

Key stat:   Cardinal pinch hitters hit a disappointing .228 during the regular season, but they are 3 for 6 in the playoffs.  Pinch hitters for the Brewers are only 1 for 7 this postseason.

Finally, home field may not be much of an advantage for the Brewers in this series.  The Redbirds took 5 out of 6 games against the Brewers during the mad dash to the finish, and that run included a 3-game sweep in Milwaukee.  If the Cardinals can keep that trend going, then St. Louis fans could soon be partying like it’s 1982.

Baseball changed the rules in 1969.  After years of two leagues and a World Series being played between the winner of each, the game evolved and adopted two divisions in each league.  At the conclusion of the 1969 season, the leagues would each play the first League Championship Series with the winners advancing to the World Series.

The League Championship Series was a best-of-five series from 1969 until 1984 when baseball would make another adjustment, moving it to a best-of-seven.  That change would remain in effect until 1994 when the current format of playoffs would be introduced.  Under the current format, there are three divisions in each league and the winner of each division, as well as the team with the best record of any of the other teams in that league, advance to the postseason.  The first round is a best-of-five series known as the League Division Series and is followed by the best-of-seven League Championship Series and then the World Series.

The history lesson on the postseason now over, let me examine why all of that was important.

On Friday night, the Cardinals and the Brewers advanced to the National League Championship Series by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively.  Both League Division Series would need to go the distance, all five games, before a winner was determined.

Normally, as exciting as it is to see your favorite team advance in the postseason, when they have to go the distance in a series, it tends to handicap them going into the next round of the playoffs.  When a team plays a fifth or seventh deciding game, it can wreak havoc on the pitching rotation, the bullpen and even the bench players.  When the opponent also has to go the distance in their series, the advantage is seemingly erased.

The postseason has had multiple rounds since 1969 (see: history lesson, above).  Over the course of the 42 years in which it was possible to play multiple rounds, how many times have two teams faced off after both of them had to go the full distance in the previous round?  Glad you asked…

1972 World Series
Our first occurrence came just a few years after the expansion of the playoff system.  The Oakland A’s would need the full five games to put the Detroit Tigers on the shelf in the American League.  Meanwhile, in the National League, the Cincinnati Reds would take five games to dispose of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The World Series would offer no rest as it took Oakland the full seven games to emerge victorious, overcoming the Reds home field advantage.

1973 World Series
It would not take long for history to repeat itself as the following season would see the Oakland A’s, this time with home field advantage, defeat the New York Mets in another seven game World Series.  The path to that one was also a long one with the Baltimore Orioles stretching Oakland out for five games and the Cincinnati Reds forcing the Mets to go the distance before they were allowed to advance.

1981 National League Championship Series
This was the strange one on the list.  The league’s first League Division Series was introduced due to a strike-interrupted season in 1981.  Due to the strike, the owners elected to declare a first half and second half division winner and a wild card from each division as well.  The League Division Series would be played prior to the League Championship Series and it produced an addition to our list.  The Montreal Expos would defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in this extra playoff round, though it would take them the full five games to do so.  Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers would also need the full spectrum to remove the Houston Astros names from contention.  By the time these two teams faced off, it would take the Dodgers a full five games to move past the Expos.  (Coincidentally, after going the full five in both rounds, the Dodgers would go on to defeat the New York Yankees in the World Series).

2001 American League Championship Series
After a twenty year gap in our pigeon-holed statistic, it would reemerge in the American League.  This time, the New York Yankees would need the full five games in the Division Series to dispatch the Oakland A’s while the Seattle Mariners would go the full five against the Cleveland Indians.  This time would see the Yankees victorious and move on to the World Series where they would lose to the Diamondbacks, in seven games.

2003 World Series
It did not take long for the series to be drawn out to full capacity again.  Once again we find the New York Yankees making our list, advancing to the Fall Classic by beating the Boston Red Sox in seven games in the American League Championship Series.  Not to be outdone, the Marlins would take the Senior Circuit Pennant by defeating the Chicago Cubs in seven games as well.  When the dust settled, it was the Marlins who would take the crown in six games over the Bronx Bombers.

2004 World Series
The very next season, the National League’s most victorious club (as measured by World Championships), the St. Louis Cardinals, would find themselves in the World Series after defeating the Houston Astros in the League Championship Series after seven games.  The tables were turned in the American League Championship Series this time as the Boston Red Sox would take the New York Yankees to a seventh and final game and win.  It would be a shame to not mention the fact that the Red Sox lost the first three games of that series before winning the next four, and the first four of the World Series to win a World Title.

So, there you have it.  Six times in history a series has been played by two teams that had to go the distance in the series before it.  What has history taught us that we can take away from all of this?  Not a whole lot, I am afraid.  I suppose you can take away the fact that in half of the series examined, the teams would have to play the entire series against each other as well.  That simply leaves a 50/50 chance of that happening again, however.

Sometimes, we don’t need to learn the future by reading the past.  Sometimes, we just need to know that it has happened before.

Class dismissed.

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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On the mound for Milwaukee, first-year Brewers Shawn Marcum may not be a rookie like his Game 3 counterpart Josh Collmenter, but he is pitching in the postseason for the first time.

No problem, says rookie manager Ron Roenicke.

“This is a guy that can stop a big-time offense,” Roenicke said. “He certainly did it a lot of times in the American League East. Those lineups there, with Boston and New York, you don’t get any better than that. I have a lot of confidence in what he does.”

Meantime, the Diamondbacks are doing little to prove they can turn things around in this series, having struck out 23 times in two games.

But some in Arizona, like Dan Bickley of the Arizona Reblic, can’t wait to start blaming it all on the manager:

In a Game 1 loss, he left Ian Kennedy in too long, leaving the decision in his pitcher’s hands. In Game 2, he took out Daniel Hudson too soon, just two batters after taking a chainsaw through the heart of Milwaukee’s lineup. ,,,

Gibson waited too long to remove imploding reliever Brad Ziegler. He waited too long to issue the first intentional walk of the series. Some think he waited too long to put Paul Goldschmidt in the lineup. And the desire to challenge Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun isn’t working out so well, is it?

In any event, it’s do or die for the Diamondbacks on Saturday.