Miller Time - Brew Me A Good One

[endeavor]

This 2007 dynasty will start with Spring Training. The first 2 1/2 weeks I will mostly use prospect players. However, in the latter half, especially the last 10 games of ST I will decide on my lineup and rotation, giving most of the AB's to my "stars"...

Here are the details:

MODS installed: '07 Mod patch # 2, U.R. 8.2, KCC 1.17 x1, Base Mod

DIFFICULTY: ALL-STAR (Sliders are a combo of Superdee's and mine)

YEAR: 2007

FORMAT: Dynasty Manager + I will post BOX SCORES, etc. here

I won't perform any trades unless it happens in real life or I think it would be absolutely necessary. I am starting in Spring Training because of realism and I want my players to have a chance to progress right away. I will mostly be "managing" during Spring Training. However, I will play all 162 games during the regular season manually.

...Enough said, let the Dynasty begin...

[JoeRudi26]

Looking forward to it, endeavor. The Brewers would definately be a challenge to win with this year. It should be interesting.

[RmembrZito75]

The title may foreshadow how this dynasty comes out. I hope you get this thing finished. I'm looking forward to updates and good luck!

[endeavor]

2007 Milwaukee Brewers Dynasty

Rotation and Lineup stands after Spring Training concludes.

PITCHING ROTATION:

1. Ben Sheets

2. Chris Capuano

3. Jeff Suppan

4. Dave Bush

5. Claudio Vargas

BULLPEN:

Francisco Cordero (CL)

Yovani Gallardo (LRP)

Zach Jackson (LRP)

Elmer Dessens (LRP)

Matt Wise (MRP)

Greg Aquino (MRP)

Derrick Turnbow (SU)

BATTING LINEUP:

1. 2B Ricky Weeks

2. SS J.J. Hardy

3. CF Bill Hall

4. 1B Prince Fielder

5. LF Geoff Jenkins

6. C Johnny Estrada

7. RF Kevin Mench

8. 3B Corey Koskie

9. Pitcher

Check out the article @ http://www.dynastymanager.com/dm360.cgi?u=endeavor&s=mlb

I will start the Regular Season tonight!

[JoeRudi26]

As hot as Koskie was during Spring Training, it'll be interesting to follow and see if he moves up in the lineup at some point. I don't question your decisions, it's your team, and I'm sure you have your reasons.

Great article, btw. The writing is very well done, and I'm definately following this one.

Good luck with the Dodgers.

[endeavor]

Since I don't have Photoshop and using Windows "Paint" doesn't look nearly as good, I might not be able to use the Box Score Extractor...I might just pose a short game wrap and a few screenies. The rest will be on Dynastymanager.com.

[endeavor]

GAME 1 of 3: L.A. Dodgers (0-1) @ Milwaukee Brewers (1-0)

Successful Opener at Miller Park

Left: Garciaparra gets hurt in the 1st; MRI reveals a sprained ACL | Right: Ned Yost not happy with an umpire call in the 5th

GAME WRAP:

Rickie Weeks contributed 3 of the 11 hit total for the Brewers on Opening Day. MIL SP Ben Sheets was solid allowing 5 H and an ERA over 6 innings pitched. Phenom Yovani Gallardo pitched his first two MLB innings and allowed two hits as well as an ER. The Brewers broke a tied ballgame in the 4th inning and added two more runs in the 6th. That meant the end for Derek Lowe who did not impress, at all. They never lost that lead and Franciso Cordero got his first save of 2007, although it wasn't pretty. He allowed two hits and got himself into a jam early. With runners on first and second he struck out the next two and forced David Eckstein into a ground out.

Game 2, tomorrow evening @ Miller Park.

Player of the Game:

R. Weeks: 3-4, RBI

[endeavor]

GAME 2 of 3: L.A. Dodgers (1-1) @ Milwaukee Brewers (1-1)

Dodgers take one right back

Left: HR Mascott came out twice for the Brew Crew today | Right: Larry Bigbie had two run saving catches such as this one

GAME WRAP:

Strongly supported by their catcher Russell Martin, the Dodgers came right back and took Game 2. Martin went 3-4, with a HR and 2 RBI. Getting very effective pitching from their ace Brad Penny (7 IP, 4 H, ER) the Brewers simply could not respond. Although they got HR's Number 1 and 2, courtesy of Kevin Mench and Bill Hall, Ned Yost's team seemed tired and sluggish throughout the game. The Dodgers took the lead late (9th inning) but for good. Elmer Dessens got rocked for 3 runs on 3 hits.

Game 3, tomorrow evening @ Miller Park.

Player of the Game:

R. Martin: 3-4, HR, 2 RBI

[endeavor]

GAME 3 of 3: L.A. Dodgers (2-1) @ Milwaukee Brewers (1-2)

Schmidt rocked early - Dodger Bullpen steals win

Left: Fielder out at home; he went 2-4 on the day | Right: Russell Martin is off to a blistering .459 start

GAME WRAP:

Jason Schmidt allowed 4 runs on 4 hits. He also walked four and was yanked after 4.1 innings. However, the "Think Blue" ball club impressed with a stellar bullpen performance. The Brewers rocked Jason Schmidt for four runs early in the contest, but only managed two more hits after that. A complete offensive collapse allowed the Dodgers to stay within reach and they would eventually capitalize in inning # 7, scoring four runs. Jeff Suppan who had been superb up until that point suddenly had lost command over his pitches. He gave up a double to Ethier and a triple to Russell Martin, who continues to stay hot early on. The Brewers are now 1-2 and host the surging Chicago Cubs next. The newly built Cubs are off to a perfect 3-0 start.

Player of the Game:

R. Martin: 2-4, 3B

NEXT GAME: April 6th, 2007 Chicago Cubs @ Milwaukee Brewers

[endeavor]

GAME 1 of 3: Chicago Cubs (4-0) @ Milwaukee Brewers (1-3)

Cubs get 7 runs in final two innings - D. Lee hits Grand Salami

Left: The Cubs had reason to celebrate, winning Game 1 with late surge | Right: Symbolic for the game; always a step too late

GAME WRAP:

Derrek Lee's Grand Slam in the 8th inning marked the beginning of a late surge at Miller Park. Down 3-0 the 1st baseman blasted his Cubs to a 4-3 lead and three more runs in the 9th sealed the Brewers fate. They have now lost three games in a row. Dave Bush pitched outstanding for six innings, however he was relieved by Zach Jackson after experiencing discomfort in his throwing arm. Jackson allowed 5 hits and 4 ER's. Not the way you want to make your first appearance of the year. The only positive aspect was Tony Graffanino. He started in place of struggling Corey Koskie and promptly went 3-4 and scored a run.

Game 2, tomorrow evening @ Miller Park.

Player of the Game:

D. Lee: 1-4, GS, 4 RBI

[endeavor]

GAME 2 of 3: Chicago Cubs (5-0) @ Milwaukee Brewers (1-4)

Cubs bats stay hot, now looking for sweep

Left: Broke Bat: Johnny Estrada's .062 average is worst in the NL-Central | Right: D. Lee went deep twice bringing his total to 5 HR's

GAME WRAP:

Claudio Vargas' debut was one he will want to forget. He lasted a meager 2.2 innings, while allowing 9 H and 5 ER's. He also gave up a home run to Derrek Lee. His counterpart Jason Marquis was not stellar but nevertheless solid, going 7 innings and allowing 3 runs. A shimmer of hope for the Brew Crew came in the third. Already down 5-0 they managed to pile up three runs, but that would be it. Marquis was efficient and got his outs when he needed them, while his offense added a run in the 5th, 7th and 8th to put the game out of reach for good.

Game 3, tomorrow evening @ Miller Park.

Player of the Game:

D. Lee: 2-5, 2 HR's, 3 RBI

[endeavor]

GAME 3 of 3: Chicago Cubs (6-0) @ Milwaukee Brewers (1-5)

Brew Crew swept off their field - Cubs unstoppable

FINAL RESULT: CUBS 8 @ BREWERS 4

GAME WRAP:

The way the Cubs are playing early on this season one realizes who the division favorites are. Their big offense is dangerous at any point in the game enabling them to rally even late. Mark Prior getting his first start of the season after a brief stint in the Minors demonstrated old strenghts. The Brewers managed two hits off the veteran pitcher and the Cubs bullpen handled the rest. Again Milwaukee looked sluggish and slow out on the field. Easy throwing errors and untimely steals have been an inadvertent help to their opponents. It is still early on but a 1-5 start causes some eyebrow raising

NEXT UP FOR MILWAUKEE: 9 game road trip starting in Florida

NOTE: Unfortunately I had a problem with the Box Score Extractor in this particular game. Expect it back for the next series in Florida.

[endeavor]

GAME 1 of 3: Milwaukee Brewers (2-5) @ Florida Marlins (3-4)

17 hits onslaught fries Fish

Left: Prince Fielder's 431 F. blast marks the longest of the season | Right: CF Bill Hall joined in on the fun - homerun # 5 of the game was his

GAME WRAP:

With only their second win of the season the Milwaukee Brewers enjoyed one of those rare days in a season. Everything was nearly perfect with six batters recording at least 2 hits. The Brew Crew also drilled a franchise record six homers with Prince Fielder and Geoff Jenkins each hammering two. A fantastic outing for this club and hopefully this will spark some life into their drooling season. Florida in all categories outplayed dropped to 3-4 on the year. Their team batting average is now a lousy .195. Chirs Capuano notched his first victory of 2007. He struck out 5 batters looking and felt very much in control. Forecast for tomorrow night is rain, so we'll have to wait and see how that pans out.

Game 2 tomorrow evening in Florida. 7:30 P.M. EST

Player of the Game:

P. Fielder: 3-5, 2 HR's 4 RBI

[endeavor]

GAME 2 of 3: Milwaukee Brewers (2-6) @ Florida Marlins (4-4)

Good things don't last for Brew Crew

Left: Upside Down: Weeks gets the worst of things following a Mike Jacobs slide | Right: At least Jenkins got to show his defensive skills

GAME WRAP:

The Milwaukee Brewers can't seem to string to wins together. After an offensive explosion in yesterday's game, the Brewers bats were silenced. 23 year old Josh Johnson spoiled the 2nd game of this 3 game series. Nearly untouched the hurler went through eight scoreless, allowing only 3 hits. Tankersley would ensure it stays this way, adding a scoreless ninth and earning his first win of the year. Corey Koskie had another 0 for night and Tony Graffanino might get to start in his place the next time up. Koskie was moved from the 8th batting spot to the third to no avail. He is batting .100, 1 HR, 2 RBI.

Game 3, tomorrow 1.15 P.M. EST @ Dolphin Stadium

Player of the Game:

M. Cabrera: 1-3, Walk Off HR, 2 RBI

[endeavor]

GAME 3 of 3: Milwaukee Brewers (3-6) @ Florida Marlins (4-5)

Brewers survive late rally and win series

Left: In the end it was enough: Brewers take series 2-1 | Right: Contributing offensively as well: David Bush gets an RBI single

GAME WRAP:

While they haven't won two games in row yet, Ned Yost's Brewers finally won their first series of the year. Dave Bush took the mound for the visitors and he had his stuff right. He struck out 7 over 7 innings and allowed only one run. A four run sixth inning, courtesy of a base clearing Bill Hall double was nearly spoiled in the bottom of the eighth when reliever Zach Jackson gave up three runs in 0.2 innings pitched. However, his replacement Derrick Turnbow and an inning later Francisco Cordero (2 saves) ensured that the 2 run lead was enough. Milwaukee travels to Busch Stadium tomorrow where they will face the defending World Series champs St. Louis.

NEXT UP FOR MILWAUKEE: Three game series vs. defending champion St. Louis Cardinals @ Busch Stadium

Player of the Game:

B. Hall: 1-3, double, 3 RBI

[endeavor]

GAME 1 of 3: Milwaukee Brewers (4-6) @ St. Louis Cardinals (3-7)

All they need is one - Brewers crawl to victory

Left: Always very reliable: Brewers catcher Estrada (GW HR) | Right: Traveling restlessly from game to game: Could it be their year?

GAME WRAP:

Johnny Estrada's HR in the second inning proved to be enough for win # 4 of the year. Kip Wells, starting for the home side Cardinals making only one mistake to Estrada lasted 7 strong innings and only allowed 4 hits. Claudio Vargas notched his first win of 2007 (1-1). He lasted only 5.2 innings during which allowed 6 hits. While the Cardinals seemed to get timely hits and were able to put runners in scoring position, they never capitalized on their chances. The Brewer defense was aided by two spectacular defensive plays, courtesy of Johnny Estrada as he threw out Eckstein twice at second base, while the latter attempted to steal. With their second win in a row Milwaukee is certainly out for more.

NEXT GAME: Tomorrow night @ Busch Stadium

Player of the Game:

J. Estrada: 1-3, GW HR, RBI

[endeavor]

GAME 2 of 3: Milwaukee Brewers (5-6) @ St. Louis Cardinals (3-

Another one run game - same result

Left: Fell to an 0-3 start: Cardinals SP Chris Carpenter | Right: Kevin Mench went 2-3 with a two-run shot off Carpenter

GAME WRAP:

The defending World Series Champs suffered another loss in this young season. It was also the fifth time that they had more hits than their opponents and just could not capitalize on scoring chances. They also slipped into last place of the division. Quite the opposite, well at least over the last three games, that's how long the Brew Crew's winning streak currently is, are these very Brewers. Getting great pitching from their bullpen, with not a single pitcher allowing a hit, they compensated for a "so-so" outing by their ace Ben Sheets. Sheets allowed 8 hits, two earned runs and was pulled after six. With three wins in a row, the Brewers are looking to break to an even .500 for the first time since Day 2.

RUBEBR MATCH: Tomorrow night @ Busch Stadium

Player of the Game:

K. Mench: 2-3, HR, 3 RBI

[endeavor]

GAME 3 of 3: Milwaukee Brewers (6-6) @ St. Louis Cardinals (3-9)

Brew Crew sweep Division Rival

Left: Jenkins hits a "pinch hit" double in the 9th | Right: Man of the Match: C. Capuano: 8 IP, 2H, 10 K's

GAME WRAP:

Chris Capuano is the story of this game. A picture perfect performance, nearly unhittable over eight exceptional innings. On his way to win # 2 he fanned 10 batters. Dicky Lawton and Albert Pujols got the only hits off the Brewers starter. John Rodriguez added a "pinch hit" in the 9th bringing their total to a meager 3. But Cordero would make that a final as he earned his fifth save of 2007. He has yet to allow a run. The Brewers struck late. It took a pinch hit double from Geoff Jenkins earlier in the ninth inning scoring Bill Hall for th game winning run. Another one run game decided in favor of Milwaukee. But one gets the feeling that they need to score more runs

NEXT UP FOR MILWAUKEE: Two game series @ Cincinnati Reds

Player of the Game:

C. Capuano: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 10 K

[endeavor]

GAME 1 of 3: Milwaukee Brewers (6-7) @ Cincinnati Reds (4-9)

Encarnacion long ball lifts Reds

Left: Encarnacion's 2nd dinger of the year was the GW run | Right: Milton went eight scoreless, allowed 5 H and struck out 5

GAME WRAP:

The Brewers suffered a little dent in their recent rise to the top, losing away to the Cincinnati Reds on an Encarnacion homer. Eric Milton stunned the Milwaukee lineup with eight scoreless innings. Brewers OF Bill Hall kept his 5 game hit streak alive, doubling twice. However, the visitors failed to capitalize on opportunities. The continued lack of offensive production is now a real concern.

NEXT GAME: Tomorrow night 7:05 EST @ Cincinnati Reds

Player of the Game:

E. Encarnacion: 1-3, GW HR, RBI

[Pokeys]

This looks good, need to get Estrada and Fielder going though. At the plate that is.