So long, and thanks for all the Mugs.

At this point, I feel like I need to admit to a guilty pleasure. As I cruise the internet for Brewers news to put into each day's Frosty Mug, I'm fascinated by goodbye posts. Nothing stops me in my tracks quite like an author saying goodbye to the community they've built, be it large or small. I bet I've read a hundred posts like that. I've wondered how, someday, I would write a post like that when the time comes for me to move on. In all honesty, I'm still not sure.

With that said, I come to you this morning with an announcement. Today's Frosty Mug will be the final Mug at Brew Crew Ball, and effective today I'm stepping down from my role as managing editor of this space to accept a new assignment. Rest assured I'm leaving this space in capable hands: Noah has been with BCB since nearly the beginning of my tenure and I'm confident he'll continue to make this space as good or better than it ever was. I'm sure you'll be hearing more from him soon.

The Frosty Mug also isn't going away, although it is moving. Starting tomorrow morning it'll be running daily at milwaukeemag.com/blog/FrostyMug. I hope you'll check the Mug out in its new space and hopefully add the new site to your bookmarks. I'm also turning over control of the BCB Twitter feed and Facebook pages, so if you'd like to continue to follow me please add @BrewFrostyMug and Facebook.com/BrewersFrostyMug to your respective accounts.

In addition, I'm still planning on spending a fair amount of time in this space going forward. I won't be writing as much as I have been in recent years but I'll likely still be around filling in, producing occasional commentary and handling Timber Rattlers coverage. Even when I'm not writing, you're still likely to find me lurking in the comments from time to time.

The decision to make this change wasn't made lightly. In fact, I've lost a fair amount of sleep over it. The six years I've spent writing about the Brewers here are the longest I've ever done anything in my life. I'd be remiss if I left without thanking the SB Nation product team, Tyler Bleszinski, Eric Simon, Justin Bopp and all the BCB contributors, past and present, for everything they've done to help this space grow. I wouldn't be here without them.

And, of course, I can't leave without saying thank you to all of you. Your continued readership is one of the reasons I've kept producing the Mug for all of this time, and many of your comments or suggestions have helped shape it into its current form. It's come a long way from its primitive beginnings, and a big chunk of the thanks for that belong to you.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to start a new adventure.

Drink up.

I didn't know steroids made your head *that* big.

It wasn't that long ago the Milwaukee Brewers won 96 games, and the NL Central. The 2011 team featured one of the most dangerous one-two punches in baseball in Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, and a former Cy Young winner in his prime in Zack Greinke. After putting all their eggs in the 2011 basket, only to see them scrambled by the stupid Cardinals, the last two seasons have been pretty rough for the Beermakers and their fans. The face of the franchise was suspended, then acquitted, then suspended again for PED usage, their all-star second baseman has tumbled below replacement level and lost his job to a guy named Scooter, and perhaps worst of all, they brought Yuniesky Betancourt back for a second time, only to see him put up the worst season in his comically terrible career.

Who's New?

The Brewers really only made three moves of note this offseason; signing Matt Garza to a 4-year/$50 million contract, trading Norichika Aoki to the Royals for relief pitcher Will Smith, and finding an adorable dog. The Matt Garza signing seemed a little strange at first glance. But the Brewers have to spend money on something, $12.5 million AAV isn't terrible in this market for a pitcher of Garza's caliber, and at least he didn't cost a draft pick. As an added bonus, every once in a while he does this:

Outfielder Khris Davis had a breakout season in 2013, slugging .596 with 11 home runs in 56 games, allowing the Brewers to move Aoki to Kansas City. In return they received the 24 year-old southpaw, Smith, who looked mighty impressive (11.6 K/9, 6.14 K/BB) after moving to the pen in KC. He'll join Jim Henderson and Brandon Kintzler at the back end of a pretty underrated Milwaukee bullpen. Lyle Overbay and Mark Reynolds were signed to form one of the saddest first base platoons in history.

Who's Gone?

As was previously mentioned, Aoki is in Kansas City, and Yunieski Betancourt is taking his talents to Japan. The Brewers lost Corey Hart, who spent 9 years with the team, and El Niño Destructor was recently cut, to make room for the aforementioned 1B platoon. Also gone are veteran bullpenner Mike Gonzalez, and poor poorMat Gamel.

Storylines:

It's going to be the Ryan Braun circus any time the Brewers hit the road next season. There will be booing, dumb signs, and all the faux outrage you can handle at a baseball game. ZIPS projects Braun to return to his MVP caliber self, slashing .300/.367/.540 with 33 HR and 22 SB. If the 30-year old Braun can put up those kind of numbers, the Brewers will probably be competitive. But it's tough to predict how much of an effect, if at all, PEDs had on Braun's performance.

The other big storyline for the Brewers will be the youngsters from last season trying to avoid the sophomore slump. Jean Segura finished 4th out of qualified MLB shortstops in wRC+ last season, while stealing 44 bases and playing pretty solid defense. Khris Davis, though never being a top prospect, had a .506 career SLG in the minors, so the power he showed last year isn't too hard to believe.

Projected Lineup:

Carlos Gomez CF

Jean Segura SS

Ryan Braun RF

Aramis Ramirez 3B

Jonathan Lucroy C

Khris Davis LF

Lyle Overbay 1B

Scooter Gennett 2B

Rotation:

Yovani Gallardo

Matt Garza

Kyle Lohse

Marco Estrada

Wily Peralta

Bullpen:

Jim Henderson (CL)

Brandon Kintzler

Will Smith

The Gist:

My guess is the Brewers hover around .500 this season, but this is a team that if everything breaks right could compete for a Wild Card spot. There is enough talent on offense with Carlos Gomez, Aramis Ramirez, and Jonathan Lucroy in addition to Braun, Davis, and Segura that the team should score some runs. And if you squint a little bit, the rotation looks serviceable enough, while the bullpen has four potentially above average arms in Hederson, Smith, Kintzler and Francisco Rodriguez.

#Never4Get

The Indians take on the Brewers this afternoon, as Justin Masterson faces off against Yovani Gallardo.

The Indians take on the Brewers this Wednesday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 ET. Unfortunately the game is not available to watch on MLB TV.

Justin Masterson takes the mound for the Tribe today, making his final start of the spring before the season opener on Monday 31st March in Oakland. He has had a terrific spring up to this point, collecting 20 strikeouts over 19 innings, with an impressive 0.95 ERA as well (just 2 earned runs). The thing I've liked most about Masterson this past month has been his control, limiting himself to just 4 walks, which is a positive sign given his tendency to offer free passes to hitters in 2013. If he cuts down his walk rate this season, we could see him potentially take a step up from being a "very good" to "elite" pitcher.

Yovani Gallardo will start for Milwaukee, and like Masterson he is also scheduled to be the Brewers Opening Day starter, his fifth consecutive year doing so. He's had a successful spring, posting a 2.45 ERA in 5 games, over 18.1 innings.

Today's starting lineup:

1) Ryan Raburn (LF)

2) Nick Swisher (1B)

3) Jason Kipnis (2B)

4) Carlos Santana (3B)

5) Michael Brantley (CF)

6) Asdrubal Cabrera (SS)

7) David Murphy (RF)

8) Lonnie Chisenhall (DH)

9) Luke Carlin (C)

Since yesterday's breaking news that Carlos Santana will start the season as the Indians' primary third baseman, today marks his first appearance at the position since his confirmation. As a result, Lonnie Chisenhall will be today's DH, a role many of us expect him to be in when the season starts on Monday. Now that Santana is the starter at third base, it has thrown Chisenhall's future with the club into doubt and it is still unclear exactly where and how often Lonnie will feature early on in the season (Jason takes a look at what might be in store for Lonnie here).

Justin Masterson cruised in his final tune-up of the spring.

Although Masterson's status after the 2014 season is still in doubt, the way he's pitched this spring has left no doubt that he's ready for 2014. He finished off an outstanding spring with another good outing, allowing just one run on 3 hits (all of them singles) in 5.2 innings. Masterson is slated to pitch the season opener next Monday, so he'll his typical in-season rest between now and then.

On the offensive side, the Indians battered Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo for four runs in just 2+ innings. Lonnie Chisenhall hit his third home run of the spring in the third inning, while Michael Brantley continued his torrid spring with two more hits, including a second inning triple. Nick Swisher, who seems to be rounding into shape in the last week, hit a home run in the sixth off Francisco Rodriguez. Jason Kipnis had two hits, including a double, while David Murphy, who has struggled all spring, contributed a double.

Following Masterson to the mouind was Josh Outman (1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 SO), Vinnie Pestano (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 SO) and Bryan Shaw (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 SO, 1 BB).

Next Up: The Indians face the Diamondbacks in their final Cactus League game of the spring. Game time in 4:10 PM.

Three more exhibition games left.

Well, uh, that probably wasn't how Yovani Gallardo wanted to end his spring. Coming into the game with a 2.45 spring ERA and 14:2 K:BB ratio over 18+ innings, Gallardo walked four Indians batters, gave up six hits, and wound up with four earned runs in two innings.

Gallardo's next start will be opening day, so the hope is that the one poor start will have gotten that out of his system and he can be set to rock and roll moving forward. Of course, his last couple of seasons haven't inspired a lot of confidence that he'll be anywhere close to an ace again.

Maybe the Indians just had a real good day, though. The Brewers' relief corp wasn't at their best either as Jose De La Torre, Francisco Rodriguez and Brandon Kintzler all gave up runs. Yes. That's it. The Indians were just really, really, good today. One of those days. The Brewers are just fine.

Mitch Haniger had the best day offensively for the Brewers, going 2-2 with a solo home run and two RBI. Nick Ramirez and Tyrone Taylor also picked up hits to give Brewers' prospects half the teams' hits on the day. Stupid Lyle Overbay and his stupid Juan Francisco ejecting ways had the third Brewers' RBI.

But, yeah. Spring training! Only three more games of this nonsense before we can get down to the real nitty gritty.

Welcome to the new daily collection of news, links, and other Brewers activity from around the web. Today's lessons include preparations for Opening Day, the Jean Segura injury situation, and more projections and previews as the start of the season gets closer.

Good morning, and welcome to the new daily collection of links from around the web. For those of you who are unaware, the last day of the Frosty Mug on Brew Crew Ball was yesterday, as Kyle is moving on to a new venture. We wish him luck with that, but we also have to move on here. To fill the hole left by the departure of the Mug, What We Learned is moving from a Saturday feature to weekdays.

While this will have a collection of links from around the web every day, it is not going to be a clone of the Frosty Mug - it will help fill the gap left by it. This will focus mainly on the Brewers and any new news each day. This will grow and evolve as time passes, so what you see right now may not be the final format. If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see, leave them in the comments below.

Let's get started.

Yesterday's Results

Welcome to a refreshed Brew Crew Ball

Noah has a short post about some of the changes you will see coming to Brew Crew Ball. Check it out for more info on what is going on.

Indians 10, Brewers 3

In Yovani Gallardo's final spring start before Opening Day, he got roughed up by the Indians. He only made it through two innings, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks. The rest of the bullpen didn't fare much better, as Jose de la Torre, Francisco Rodriguez, and Brandon Kintzler also allowed runs in their appearances. Mitch Haniger provided most of the Brewers offense with a 2-for-2 day, including a home run and two RBI.

Opening Day is four days away.

We've all been counting the days for weeks now, and it is very close now. Opening Day is a unique tradition, very special to both fans and players (both current and former). Bob Uecker has had his share of Opening Days, and this year will be his 59th since he signed his first baseball deal. Adam McCalvy had a chance to interview Bob Uecker in advance of this year's festivities, and posted a transcript on MLB.com. Uecker reminisced about previous Opening Days, and also gave his perspective on the Brewers this year.

If you're planning to be at Miller Park, make sure to plan ahead so the day goes as well as possible. John and Cait have a breakdown of the Opening Day festivities, which include first pitches from Wisconsin Olympians and the traditional rendition of the National Anthem by Joseph Attanasio, father of owner Mark. When you get to Miller Park, you will also notice several changes inside the park. Some of the highlights include the arrival of AJ Bombers, the Brewers Wall of Honor, new flag poles, redesigned in-game graphics on the scoreboard, and new flat screen TVs in place of the old CRT TVs. John and Cait also have a breakdown of all the changes on their blog. Finally, we can start looking at the weather report for Opening Day, but it's not looking great right now. According to Accuweather.com, on Monday afternoon there will be a high of 51 degrees, with wind from the west at 17 mph and a 35% chance of rain. At least we will have the roof ready to make sure Opening Day will happen.

Jean Segura is at risk of starting the season on the DL.

Jean Segura hasn't appeared in a spring training game since March 20 due to a shoulder injury. While an MRI came back negative, the Brewers are holding him out of major league games for now to let it heal and give them the option of a backdated DL stint if it is needed. He has been appearing in some Triple-A games to get some work, since he can hit but cannot field for now. The Brewers are hoping that he won't need a DL stint, but they are also uncertain if he will be ready for Opening Day.

Cram Session

Previews/Projections

• Curt Hogg of Disciples of Uecker looked at the state of the setup man position entering the season. Also on Disciples of Uecker, Jonathan Judge analyzed Wily Peralta in depth.
• Over on Yahoo, Roto Arcade previewed the National League and put the Brewers fourth in the NL Central. Mike Oz of Big League Stew also has a preview of the NL Central, with a few questions about the Brewers and his projection on how the division will play out.
• Phil Rogers of MLB.com also posted a preview for the NL Central. While the Cardinals are in position to repeat as division champions, the Reds, Pirates, and Brewers are not going to just give up.
• FanGraphs continued their season on positional power rankings with starting pitchers. The Brewers came in at #25 in their rankings.
• Meanwhile, for a perspective from the other side, Red Reporter has their own preview of the Brewers.

Other News

• Yovani Gallardo and Jason Motte are on rival teams, but that's not stopping them from working together. Gallardo has been wearing a "K Cancer" t-shirt to help raise money for cancer research.
• MLB unveiled their new state-of-the-art replay center at their offices in New York.
• Nyjer Morgan earned a spot on the Indians roster, but Tony Plush will not be joining him. Morgan decided to leave his old alter-ego behind in Milwaukee.

Lighter Side of Baseball

• Hank the Ballpark Pup finally signed his contract yesterday, after reading it over and giving it his paw print of approval. He will be a member of the Brewers in "per-PET-uity."
• In response to the NFL's ban on goal post dunks, NotGraphs released their list of 10 rule changes for MLB.

Today's Game

The Brewers finish up Spring Training in Arizona today at home against a split-squad Reds team. Kyle Lohse gets the start for the Brewers, and J.J. Hoover will start for the Reds. First pitch is at 2:05 pm, and it will be broadcast on FS Wisconsin and MLB Network.

More from Brew Crew Ball

Follow @BrewCrewBallFollow @SBNationMLB

• Gallardo goes cold, Brewers lose 10-3 to Indians
• Game Thread #-4: Brewers @ Indians
• A Frosty Mug announcement
• Wednesday's Frosty Mug: Down to 25
• Brewers blow late lead, lose 5-4 to Giants

The final cuts of spring weren't all easy decisions.

This week's Brew Crew Ball Tracking Poll was open from Monday at noon through the day Tuesday, and received 312 responses. Here are some notable results:

• 55% of voters said they do not approve of the Brewers' decision to keep Lyle Overbay and Mark Reynolds over Juan Francisco.
• 65% feel they made the correct decision, however, by keeping Jeff Bianchi over Elian Herrera.
• 38% feel the Brewers made the correct decision by sending down Rob Wooten as one of four candidates for the final bullpen spot, but 34% would've preferred Zach Duke be the odd man out.
• Doug Melvin's approval rating is at 70% this week, down 11% from last week.

Full results are below.

Do you approve of the Brewers' decision to put Juan Francisco on waivers and keep Mark Reynolds and Lyle Overbay on the Opening Day roster?

Assuming only one of these players can be on the Opening Day roster, which one would you keep?

Assuming three of these four pitchers can be on the Opening Day roster, which one would you NOT keep?

Francisco Rodriguez has appeared in just four games this spring and Jim Henderson has a 7.71 ERA over seven appearances. Are you comfortable with these two as the primary relievers in the bullpen?

Do you approve of the job Doug Melvin is doing as general manager of the Brewers?

Do you approve of the job Ron Roenicke is doing as manager of the Brewers?

For more from Kyle, check out the new Frosty Mug at Milwaukee Magazine, follow him on Twitter @BrewFrostyMug and like his new Facebook page.

After ending his cactus league on a sour note, Yovani Gallardo looks to put that and his worst season behind him as he eyes opening day. Can he do it?

Yovani Gallardo made his last spring training start yesterday and is set to pitch next Monday as the Brewers’ opening day starter. Last year he threw 183 innings across 31 starts to a tune of a 4.18 ERA. If the Brewers are going to make a legitimate run at the postseason they'll need him to be better. But is that possible? To answer that we first have to ascertain exactly what went wrong in the first place.

Gallardo’s issues were mostly due to a sharp drop off in his strike out ability. His 7.17 K/9 and 18.6 K% were both career lows. His previous lows (ignoring 07-08 which weren’t full seasons) were 8.99 K/9 and 23.7 K%. Looking at his first-pitch strike percentage (F-strike%) and swinging strike percentage (SwStr%) might give us an answer.

Both were among the lowest in his career. That tells me that he wasn’t getting ahead of hitters early and he wasn’t inducing a lot of swings and misses. This suggests hitters were able to wait for the pitch they wanted and make better contact (it could also indicate batters weren't swinging as often, but that's not the case). Career highs in contact rate (82.8%) and batting average against (.256) are evidence of this. For context, his career contact rate and BAA are 79.4% and .239 respectively. Basically, he was striking guys out less and giving up more hits.

That answers what went wrong. To get an idea if he can get better, we have to figure out how things went wrong. That is a more difficult puzzle to solve. The first thing I notice when looking at Gallardo’s trends over the years is his velocity. It’s no secret at this point that he’s losing it. According to FanGraphs, Gallardo’s average velocity in 2011 was 92.6 mph. Last year it was 90.7 mph. That might not seem like much, but a mile loss in velocity in each of the past two years is pretty significant and it shows a trend in the wrong direction.

There's more to it than just the velo decline. Gallardo’s fastball, slider, and change-up are separated by only 4 mph. That might not be a stark enough contrast. If hitters only have to focus on one general speed it makes it that much easier to hit any of those pitches. Unfortunately for Gallardo and the Brewers, velocity isn't typically something guys can get back. It sometimes happens when there's an underlying injury that gets resolved or a mechanical change. An injury doesn't seem to be the issue and I'm not sure Gallardo's mechanics have changed over the last 3 years. Velocity isn't the only factor in play though.

I noticed something interesting thing about Gallardo’s pitches. Per Brooks Baseball, Gallardo began throwing a sinker (also called 2-seam fastball) in 2011 but didn’t really start using it until 2012. It was a pretty good pitch for him that year. Batters hit .245 with a .372 SLG% off it. The pitch was particularly brutal for right handed hitters. They only hit .199/.255. For whatever reason though, in 2013 it was by far his worst pitch. Batters teed off on the pitch, hitting .322/546. The advantage versus right handed hitting was gone as well. They hit .301/.466. Judging by his spring training starts, Gallardo is not abandoning the pitch. Fixing whatever went wrong would go a long way towards regaining at least some of his form. Short of that, perhaps he should just use it less.

When Gallardo has two strikes on a batter the pitch he uses most is his four-seam fastball. It used to be his most dominant out pitch. That's not really the case anymore. Based on pitch outcomes since 2009, Gallardo’s curveball is arguably his best pitch. Except for 2012, the lowest batting average and slugging percentage came off the curveball (in 2012 his slider was marginally better). The pitch also gets the highest whiff rate. Over the last three years he has thrown the curveball less and less to the point where last year he threw it almost as infrequently as his sinker and less than his slider and four-seam fastball. He can't throw it in any count because it gets a lot of balls, but maybe Gallardo should throw his curveball more. Specifically in two-strike counts.

This brings us back to the original question: Can Gallardo return to form? Honestly I don't know. But, there are enough things for me to look at that I'll allow myself to be cautiously optimistic. If can can't be as good as he once was, I think he can be better than 2013. If you need some help getting there, look no further than Gallardo’s FIP in 2013. At 3.89 it was more in line with his career numbers than his ERA was. That suggests he might have been a tad bit unlucky. Again, ignoring 2007-08, his 3.29 BB/9 and 0.91 HR/9 were each the second lowest of his career. Another positive sign was his career high ground ball rate. If that persists, perhaps a modest upgrade in defense at second base and a major one at first base could help him. ZIPS seems to have some faith in him. It has Gallardo projected for a 3.89 ERA. That’s not great, but it is better than last year. If our offense, and a couple other guys on the pitching staff, can stay healthy it might just be enough for a Wild Card.

*Information about pitch outcomes/usage courtesy of Brooks Baseball.

**All other statistical information courtesy of FanGraphs.

With the 2014 Season upon us, BCB's Danny Rockett has a few thoughts on how we fans can help the Cubs turn the corner and win the World Series.

After reading Al's recent article Why the Cubs Will Win the Pennant, where he lays out a scenario in which the Cubs will be a .500 team at best, I became instantly overcome with despair. Why? Because I agree with him. How, after two disappointing seasons could the Cubs continue to justify fielding a team full of scrap-heap signings, unproven potential "stars," and injury-prone players hoping to bounce back to form? Our only bragging rights as Cubs fans have been to a now top-ranked farm system and a ballpark centennial birthday celebration.

I've honestly done nothing but complain about the Cubs since 2008. I never liked Dale Sveum. I was disappointed that the billionaire Ricketts family didn't swoop in and buy us a team, and I thought signing players like Carlos Zambrano and Milton Bradley were mistakes from the get go. I've been disheartened by this slow rebuilding process, and frankly quite weary of being asked for further patience.

But while clearing off a shelf to make room for 2014's bobblehead extravaganza giveaway at Wrigley this year, I came to the conclusion that no matter our personal projections of the Cubs 2014 season, it is downright un-American to not hope that this season the Cubs can be better, or dare I say it, good. As fans, we have the responsibility to project upon our players an environment of positivity. Sure, booing a player like Carlos Marmol last year seemed justified and even fun for those of us with schadenfreudistic tendencies. But we must not give up or give in to negativity. Why? Because it doesn't help.

Can you imagine if people came to your job and booed you every time you underperformed even though you were trying as hard as you could? It would make it harder the next time out wouldn't it? You'd be nervous to fail and scared to get booed again. You'd be unfocused to the task at hand. And even if you're not the type who outright boos a player, the attitude at Wrigley the last few years has been depressing. Low attendance and quiet crowds. Half the Cubs players don't even enjoy a smattering of applause during the lineup announcements. It's been kinda sad.

I understand. I've been guilty of being a bad fan saying things like, "I just go to the games to find out in which new and interesting way we're going to lose." We've all sat through some grueling baseball for a while now. We've lost our big-name bragging rights to stars like Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez whose jerseys remain ubiquitous within the friendly confines. We've traded every decent player that made it worth showing up to a Cubs game for the hope of young talent. It's hard to watch your team lose. But what's done is done. They've stripped it down to the bones and now it's building time.

Every team will experience devastating losses this season. Even the team that wins the World Series will lose some heartbreakers. The difference between the winners and the losers is simple. The winners don't give up in the face of adversity. We Cubs fans can't give up either. The winners believe they can win. The losers are always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting to lose. Sound familiar?

I remember watching Game 1 of the 2008 NLDS at Blondies sports bar in New York with a bunch of Cubs fan friends. When the Dodgers took a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning, the camera panned around the crowd and to one woman in particular who had her face in her hands. She had already given up, and was now projecting her lack of belief in the Cubs, the best team in the National League during the regular season, to the entire country on national TV. In the fifth inning! In game freaking one!

That, my friends, is loser talk, and I for one am sick to death of it. Five years of complaining is long enough. It's time to start believing in ourselves. Whether we win this year or in 100 years.

Let's believe in Starlin Castro's bounceback season. He was a hitting savant when he first came up. He can be again. Let's get behind him and cheer him on towards the perennial All-Star we know he can be.

Let's believe Anthony Rizzo will lead the league in doubles and have 113 RBI. Maybe he'll win the gold glove.

Let's believe Junior Lake will hit 32 home runs and be the kind of player that will take his opportunity in the big leagues to become a surprise star.

Let's believe Mike Olt was a steal for Matt Garza and will be our third baseman for the next decade.

Let's believe in Darwin Barney hitting .270.

Let's believe in our veterans by default like Emilio Bonifacio and Nate Schierholtz.

Let's believe in our bullpen which has added depth and some great young arms.

Let's believe that Travis Wood will continue pitching like an All-Star; Jeff Samardzija is the ace he thinks he is; Edwin Jackson can do more than eat innings; Chris Rusin will break through and be a solid major league lefty, and Carlos Villanueva will pitch so well, that Wrigley is inundated with fans wearing tribute curly mustaches -- not the ironic kind worn by the hipster set.

Let's believe in our new manager and a retooled staff.

Let's believe that when our players are injured the Triple-A guy will come up, over perform, and earn himself a spot on the team.

Lets believe that we can beat the Brewers! (They really aren't that good.)

Let's believe I can finish this post without including a selfie.

Let's believe in the Cubs. Let's believe that everything that could possibly go right, goes right. It's not magic. It's just baseball and confidence.

I'm certainly guilty of not believing. I've questioned the Cubs' ability to ever field another contending team again! But as we inch closer to the 2014 campaign, I'm personally deciding to go in with a sense of optimism. Otherwise it will be a very very long season. Every hope I've listed above could happen. These are not impossibilities. What if all those great things happened at the same time? It would be a fun summer!

On paper, I agree. This is a young team with zero proven stars. The Cubs will be picked to finish last by just about everybody, but that's none of my concern. I am a fan of the Chicago Cubs, and no matter who is standing out there in blue pin stripes, this year, they have my support. If Veras blows a save. We'll get em tomorrow. If Rizzo strikes out with the bases loaded in the eighth. Well, we've got one more inning to come back and win it. If the Pirates can score seven runs in the first inning, so can we.

Did Daniel-San give up after Johnny swept the leg in Karate Kid? No. He crane-kicked that blonde jerk in the face!

Paul Simon didn't quit after he lost Garfunkel. He went to Africa and rocked it!

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!

Gauntlet thrown. I am no longer riding on the lovable losers train in which disappointment is worn by Cubs fans like a cloak of honor. I will see our cup not as half full, but overflowing with possibility. It's time to take some fan responsibility for our century plus of baseball futility, and realize that our expectations are actually projections. Let's project winning. Not next year, or three years, or when Javier Baez and Jorge Soler are ready. But now. With this team. We need to help our Chicago Cubs build the winning culture they are working daily to accomplish. Eyes on the prize.

Call it Kool-Aid drinking. Call it foolish. Call it a pipe dream. But I believe that the Cubs have a chance to win every one of their 162 games this year. Of course they won't win all of them, but they do have a chance. Day to day. Moment to moment. Pitch by pitch. Play by Play. We have a chance.

Why not go on Stubhub right now and buy yourself a $6 seat? What do you have to lose? Let's go cheer on our Cubbies who just might be young and inexperienced enough to not know they're supposed to lose. You never know what can happen if your team gets hot. Momentum and belief in yourself is tantamount to success in any aspect of life. Magic doesn't happen. It is created, fomented, and harnessed. 2014 could be the year when the balls start dropping in for us, when our young talent starts to shine, and when Wrigley starts rocking again.

That last hope, that's on us. Let's rock this season out.

Just one request. No waves at Wrigley.

The Milwaukee Brewers had a disappointing season in 2013, highlighted by their star player's suspension for PED use. There is some hope for optimism in 2014, with Ryan Braun's return and a solid rotation backing a potential surprise team this season.

A baseball team never wants its season to be known more for a player who is not playing than the players who are on the field. For the 2013 Milwaukee Brewers, Ryan Braun's admission of PED use and suspension generated far more attention than the rest of the team in a disappointing season. In addition to losing its best player, the team also had injuries to Aramis Ramirez, Corey Hart, and Mat Gamel (again) to go along with a step back from ace Yovani Gallardo and a huge step back from second baseman Rickie Weeks. Solid seasons from Johnathon Lucroy and Norichika Aoki were mixed in with breakouts from Jean Segura and MVP-candidate Carlos Gomez. Even with the suspension, injuries, and struggles, perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the Brewers season was this: Yuniesky Betancourt started 46 games for the Brewers at first base.

Despite a generally poor season, the Brewers have been labeled by some as a dark horse contender in 2014. The only significant departure for the Brewers during the offseason was Norichika Aoki, departing in a trade to the Royals. While Aoki is a solid player, his hitting line of .286/.356/.370 with solid defense in right field yielded just 1.7 fWAR. To replace Aoki, the Brewers will be moving Braun from left field to right field and installing Khris Davis as a regular after Davis filled in for Braun during his suspension last season. Expecting a full season of Davis' 2013 line of .279/.353/.596 would be extremely optimistic, but getting a full season from his ZiPS projections of .249/.330/.450 would put him right in line to replace Aoki's production.

Carlos Gomez put together an incredible season in 2013, hitting .284/.338/.506 to go along with 40 steals (caught just seven times) and stellar outfield defense. Another great season and the return of Ryan Braun for a full season should give Milwaukee two of the top ten players in the National League. Lucroy is solid at the plate and abehind it. Aramis Ramirez has always hit when healthy, and Jean Segura parlayed an excellent first half into a solid first season in Milwaukee after coming over in the Zack Greinke trade. Segura may not reach double figures in home runs like he did in 2013, but if he can continue to reach base at league average levels, run well, and play an average shortstop, he will be an above average player for the Brewers. Including Segura, the Brewers could have six lineup spots with above average production.

Rickie Weeks cratered in 2013, hitting .209/.256/.307 for a wRC+ of 86 and striking out more than 26% of the time. He eventually lost playing time to Scooter Gennett at second. Gennett played very well in limited time last season, posting .324/.356/.479 in 230 plate appearances. This performance is not likely repeatable. His last two seasons in the minors he did not have an OBP above .330 or a slugging above .400. It is not quite clear how playing time will shake out at second base, but unless Rickie Weeks rediscovers his stroke from a few years ago, the position is likely to be below average. First base is even worse, where Milwaukee is projected to platoon Juan Francisco and Mark Reynolds. Fangraphs recently rated the Brewers first basemen as 27th out of 30 for this season, beating just the Pirates, Phillies, and Marlins.

After bringing in a mid-range starter each of the past two seasons, this year Matt Garza, the Brewers should have a solid, deep rotation in 2014. Yovani Gallardo had a disappointing 2013, with an ERA of 4.18, and a FIP of 3.89 in 180 2/3 innings. While his FIP was actually slightly improved from 2012 due to a drop in homers, his 7.17 K/9 (18.6 K%) was the lowest of his career by a wide margin. If the Brewers are to contend in 2014, Gallardo may be the key to a surprising season. Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza should be right around league average. Marco Estrada only made 21 starts in 2013, but he pitched well, striking out 8.3 hitters per nine innings (23.1 K%) while walking just 5.7% of batters. His ERA (3.87) and FIP (3.86) were both good, but his xFIP (3.63) indicates he could be even better in 2014 if he can do a better job keeping the ball in the park. Wily Peralta is the sort of low-risk, medium reward guy that is good to round out a rotation. In 183 1/3 innings last season, Peralta looked a lot like Joe Kelly. He does not strike out a lot of players, he walks too many hitters, but he is a high velocity, ground ball pitcher who lacked the same results as Kelly despite pitching the same way. Nobody on the staff is overwhelming, but having five average to above average starters will win a team a lot of games over the course of the season.

The end of the bullpen should be strong, with Jim Henderson continuing the role he had at the end of 2013 as closer and Francisco Rodriguez ably setting him up in eighth. The bench is not a strong one, and any injury or other prolonged absence by one of their better players would really hurt the Brewers. The cautious optimism surrounding the Brewers is understandable. With Gomez and Braun along with Segura, Lucroy and a decent rotation, the Brewers could be primed for a run at the playoffs. The most likely outcome is a few injuries here or there or some players not performing to expectations resulting in a record somewhere around .500.

Miguel Cabrera agreed to a pretty hefty deal with the Tigers on Thursday. Meanwhile, Ryan Braun's contract is looking better than ever.

In case you haven't already heard the news, the Detroit Tigers and slugger Miguel Cabrera agreed to a monster extension Thursday that could see the first baseman earn up to $352 million over the next 12 years.

Mike Trout still has yet to sign a new deal with the Angels. When he does, the guy might very well get $400 million at the rate things are going. One more huge year and it's all but certain he'll receive the biggest contract ever. Mike Trout is going to get a deal that will see him worth around 4/5 the value of the Tampa Bay Rays franchise.

Ryan Braun, who has won one MVP and is still one of the best players in the game and is still just 30 years old (one year younger than Cabrera) is locked into a contract with the Brewers for another seven years with an option for an eighth. If he plays all eight years, he'll make another $128 million.

This is the remainder of his contract breakdown:

2014: $10 million
2015: $12 million
2016: $19 million
2017: $19 million
2018: $19 million
2019: $18 million
2020: $16 million
2021: $15 million*

Miguel Cabrera's new deal will see him take home an average annual value of $31 million. Ryan Braunmaxes out at $19 million, or $12 million lower than Cabrera's average.

Obviously Cabrera was never suspended for steroids and yada yada yada. But Cabrera's deal puts into perspective just how incredibly amazing Braun's contract looks. At the time he signed it, it was a huge deal. The Brewers still had him signed through 2016 (on an even better deal) anyway. Braun is, in essence, a Brewer for life. The only way he won't be is if the team trades him or if he signs somewhere else when he is 37 years old. Had the Brewers waited a few more years to sign him, there's pretty much no way they could have afforded him.

Here's the thing: Miguel Cabrera is probably better than Ryan Braun. Most people would say so, to be sure. At their respective contracts, though, which would you rather have? If I'm, say, the Dodgers and can afford to buy a small planet, I would likely say Cabrera. If I'm any team with any sort of reasonable payroll expectations? It might be tough, but I would have to go with Braun. The 2011 NL MVP is going to make less than half what the two-time reigning AL MVP will over the course of their contracts, and his deal won't look as bloated in the later years.

Every time these monster deals happen, it makes me appreciate Ryan Braun and his contract more and more. I love you Ryan Braun, and I don't care what anyone else says.

*Could be $20 million based on performance stuff

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• Baseball's Minor League Labor Problem
• Yovani Gallardo Opening Day Starter: Can he return to form?
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• Jean Segura injury: Brewers SS might need a DL stint

What are the prospects for the 2014 Brewers?

Intentional or not, there are several development paths baseball teams find themselves on. Some like the Red Sox and Cardinals are ready to win as constructed. Other are works in progress ready to blossom, such as the Cubs (hopefully) or the Royals. Still others can be in flux and difficult to pinpoint like the Astros or Marlins. Or they could be the Brewers and defy description.

2013 Season in Review

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The Brewers had reason for optimism as 2013 opened. After making the playoffs in 2011, they lost Prince Fielder in free agency to the Tigers and still managed a winning record in 2012. They expected solid pitching from Yovani Gallardo and new additions Kyle Lohse and Wily Peralta, but lost first baseman Corey Hart to injury before the season began. They tried to replace Hart with the old "let's use two light-hitting past-their-prime shortstops" approach. The platoon of Yuniesky Betancourt, Alex Gonzalez and Juan Francisco combined to rank 30th in hits and OPS among first basemen. It was a harbinger of a less-than-successful season that saw real improvements by Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez along with the continuing development of Jonathan Lucroy, but it wasn't enough as they finished 74-88, fourth in the NL Central.

Key Offseason Acquisitions

Clearly the first base situation had to be addressed as Gonzalez was jettisoned during 2013 and Betancourt not retained. After letting Hart sign with Seattle, they're attempting another one-two-three punch with Mark Reynolds, Lyle Overbay and Francisco. This chart compares the production of the 2013 Brewers first basemen with their replacement's projections:

I can see the marketing poster already--"They can't be worse!"--a true rallying cry if ever there was one. Anything improving a combined fWAR of -3.9 is better, but this solution significantly debases the meaning of "solution." And "better." And "improving."

The other key acquisition was Matt Garza, signed for $50 million through 2017 with a 2018 option. This is the second time the Angels have helped the Brewers in less than two years:

1. Trading Jean Segura and two other players for 3-month rental Zack Greinke at the 2012 trade deadline
2. Garza not looking at the Angels offer this past offseason because he was on vacation

Garza is 30 and on his fifth team--four other teams had multiyear looks at him and passed. With the premium placed on quality pitching, it's possible the baggage Garza brings exceeds the value he delivers, and he's reached the point in his career where promise has to translate into production.

One to Watch

Khris Davis is slotted to play left field. Baseball Prospectus PECOTA projections have him with 20 home runs, 65 RBIs and batting around .260, and if he can do that he'll add production to a lineup that needs it. If he can't, the Brewers will have a hole in right field with little available. They traded Norichika Aoki with the expectation that not only would Davis be ready, but that Ryan Braun would be able to successfully switch to right. Braun wasn't exactly a good fielding left fielder, so this move is by no means guaranteed.

Brewers by the Numbers: 30

30 is the rank the Brewers were given in the Baseball Prospectus Under-25 rankings (available to BP subscribers only), so when a team is running out a lineup filled with 30+ players like Reynolds, Overbay and Ramirez it's important to know who's in the wings. According to BP, not much, as they have exactly zero prospects listed in BP's Top 101 Prospects.

30 is also the rank of the number of pitches Brewers hitters saw in 2013. They saw 22,583 pitches, compared to league leader Boston (25,668). This was partially due to fewer plate appearances (6,394 to 6,085) but also selectivity at the plate, as they were also 30th in pitches seen per plate appearance. To place this number in perspective, the 3,000 extra pitches the Red Sox saw were the equivalent of around 20 full games of pitches. A hat tip to fellow Beyond the Box Score contributor Ryan Morrison for noting this in a post last month.

2014 Team Outlook

My wife is from Wisconsin, our older daughter went to college 20 miles north of Milwaukee and we've attended Brewers games with her. It's a good time--ample parking, modern stadium, a tailgating tradition and sausage races! Bernie Brewer will probably go down the slide after a home run 150-160 times, and between June 25th and July 6th you can make a side trip to Summerfest and catch a show (Bruno Mars! Lady Gaga! Paramore with Fall Out Boy! Maybe even someone good!).

Unfortunately, I suspect the atmosphere will be the highlight of 2014. It's not written in stone, since any team with decent pitching has a chance at making an expanded playoff slate, and if it all comes together with Lucroy, Davis, Gomez, Segura and Braun, and if Ramirez can return to 2012 form, it can happen. But that's a lot of "ifs," no matter how good they've looked in spring training. They have no left-handed starters and a pretty thin bench if any of these players are injured. Baseball Prospectus projects them with 80 wins, and if they can make it to 85-87 wins they'll be in the hunt for the wild card. It can happen, it just probably won't.

...

Data is from Baseball-Reference.com, FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus.

Follow Scott on Twitter @ScottLindholm.

In just the first week of the season, the Brewers will face two teams that won over 90 games last year, including the reigning World Series champions. That seems like a tough break. But might it be a good thing?

It’s kind of hard to look at an opening week with opponents like the Braves and Red Sox as anything but bad luck. Indeed, when I saw the first week of the schedule I groaned. I won’t tell you what I said when I saw the schedule over the first two months. But things can change and they did. The Braves ran into a little bad luck of their own. A lot of bad luck actually. Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy are both out for the season. Mike Minor and Ervin Santana are both behind schedule and won’t pitch in the opening series. And maybe worst of all the Braves were forced to sign Aaron Harang. You never wish injuries (or Aaron Harang) on anyone and this isn’t an article indulging in schadenfreude. But, the reality of the situation is the Braves bad luck is the Brewers good fortune.

Instead of facing the likes of Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy the Brewers will face Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, and Aaron Harang. I mean, really I could have just mentioned we’re facing Harang and ended the article there. It’s still not going to be a cakewalk though. The first game is going to be the toughest match-up. Teheran is a strikeout pitcher who doesn’t give out a lot free passes or home runs. He’ll face Yovani Gallardo who doesn't have my confidence just yet. I like Gallardo and I think he can still be good. I just need to see it before I believe it. The Braves did have the third highest strike out rate last year, so perhaps that will help.

The second game of the series is the one I’m really excited about. Lefty Alex Wood will face the Brewers top pitcher Kyle Lohse. Wood is good, but the Brewers best players are right-handed hitters who can mash lefties. As far as run potential and run prevention, this looks like the best match-up for the Brewers on paper.

Last up is Aaron Harang and Matt Garza. I like this match up too. Aaron Harang is not a very good pitcher. He wouldn’t be on the team if it weren’t for all the injuries. If he pitches like he did last year, the Brewers might end up spending a lot of money on fireworks that day. This time Brian McCann won't be there to stop anyone from crossing home plate. I’m looking forward to seeing Garza pitch. I'm confident that his effectiveness will be there as long as he can stay healthy, which shouldn't be a concern in his first start. He should also be helped by the Braves’ strikeout tendencies.

I was hoping to include the Red Sox series as part of the Brewers’ lucky break, but things could have worked out better. Unfortunately they will miss lefty Felix Doubront. And instead of facing Boston’s number 4, 5, and 1 pitchers, the Brewers will (tentatively) face Boston’s 3, 4, and 1 pitchers. That would be Jake Peavy, Clay Buchholz, and Jon Lester. The Brewers have said they’ll send Marco Estrada, Wily Peralta, and Yovani Gallardo to pitch for them. They have the opportunity to skip their fifth starter but have chosen not to. I’m not sure if that is a wise decision. It’s not that I don’t like Peralta. I do, quite a lot actually. I just think Estrada, Gallardo, and Lohse would give them a better shot at winning the most games. Maybe I’m just over-thinking it. I like the Brewers' rotation and even though it has some blemishes, it's not like they can't win with it.

If the Brewers are to make the post season everything is going to have to go right for them. You’ve heard that all winter. I know I've said it a lot. I absolutely believe it's possible for that to happen. At least against the Braves and at least on paper, things look like they’re starting out right. There was a time when I thought the Brewers would be happy to walk out of that first week with a 2-4 record. Now a 3-3 record seems pretty realistic and better is possible. I know a .500 record isn’t an exciting prospect, but these are two elite teams we’re talking about. The first two months are going to be the toughest of the season. So picking up even one game that they were supposed to lose will be big. I’m going to feel pretty good if that’s what happens.

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Ryan Braun's three-run home run provides most of the offense, but it wasn't enough for the Brewers.

WP: Jason Vargas (2-0)
LP: Matt Garza (1-3)
SV: Greg Holland (1)

HR: Ryan Braun (3), Billy Butler (1)

Box Score

I was at the game, so I didn't get the full perspective of everything, but here is what I took from the game:

• Ryan Braun made his first appearance there since his suspension and the crowd was generally positive towards him.  It also helped that he smoked his first hit into right center field for a double and then crushed a home run out to center field for three of the Brewers four runs.
  
• The fourth inning was the key inning for the Royals, as they responded to Braun's home run with some small ball and a little help from the Brewers.  They scored three runs from on three singles, a walk, a RBI groundout, a wild pitch, and an error.  It ended up being a 39-pitch inning that took a while (not sure how long, but long enough for me to walk for a while, get some food, and get back to my seat in time to see the pitching change).
• Matt Garza didn't have a horrible game, but didn't get a lot of help from the defense either.  In 3.2 innings, he allowed four runs (only two earned) on six hits and two walks.  He only had one strikeout.
• In the bullpen, Tyler Thornburg also allowed a run on a home run, and also allowed a hit in the fourth that scored an inherited runner.  The rest of the bullpen pitched well, led by Wei-Chung Wang's two perfect innings on 19 pitches.
• Beyond Braun, the rest of the offense was pretty stagnant.  The only other run was scored in the eighth inning, when Logan Schafer got a gift double on a routine pop-up (not scored as an error), and Elian Herrera drove him in with a single.
• AJ Bombers has some good food.  I got a great burger for $7, well worth the cost.  Also got some tots that were cooked well but nothing special, and a concrete mixer that was small but good.  It's definitely worth trying if you get the chance at Miller Park.

Thirteen of the 25 players appeared for the Storm Chasers during the 2013 season, including five returning position players and eight returning pitchers

The Royals released the preliminary 2014 Omaha Storm Chasers roster today and there weren't any big surprises on the list. Thirteen of the 25 players appeared for the Storm Chasers during the 2013 season, including five returning position players and eight returning pitchers.

Obviously, this list is subject to change before opening day.

Pitchers

Chris Dwyer

Danny Duffy

Justin Marks

John Lamb

Brett Tomko

Buddy Baumann

Spencer Patton

Donnie Joseph

Ramon Troncoso

Cory Wade

P.J. Walters

Aaron Brooks

Michael Mariot

The pitching staff contains a lot of question marks. Will Dwyer and Mariot build on their successful 2013 seasons? Will Duffy regain his pre-Tommy John form? Will Lamb's velocity return? Will Tomko find his way back to the big leagues? How will Brooks fare against Triple-A hitters after being named the 2013 Northwest Arkansas Pitcher of the Year in 2013?

Catchers

Jesus Flores

Francisco Pena

Flores was the starting catcher for the Durham Bulls last season when the Storm Chasers played and defeated them in the Triple-A National Championship Game. He also played for Albuquerque last season, hitting a collective .174/.213/.241 with 2 HR and 11 RBIs.

Pena is the son of Tony Pena, the former Royals manager. He spent time in Double-A Binghamton in 2013 as well as Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting a collective .254/.300/.429 with 9 HR and 43 RBIs.

Infield

Christian Colon

Johnny Giavotella

Matt Fields

Jimmy Paredes (who can play the middle infield and outfield)

Brian Bocock

Giavotella seems to have run his course with the Royals, who wanted him to work on his defense over the past few seasons. But after making clear strides defensively in 2013, he still didn't get a long look at second base with the big league club. If he can put together a solid 2014 campaign with the Storm Chasers, maybe he'll get a shot with another big league club.

Fields will be interesting to watch. The 28-year-old first baseman led Double-A last season with 31 home runs while playing for Northwest Arkansas, so he'll provide a little punch in manager Brian Poldberg's lineup.

Outfield

Gorkys Hernandez

Brian Fletcher

Paulo Orlando

Brett Eibner

Melky Mesa

Notable Players Moving On

David Lough (traded to the Baltimore Orioles)

Irving Falu (signed with the Milwaukee Brewers)

Anthony Seratelli (signed with the New York Mets)

Manny Pina (signed with the Seattle Mariners)

Brian Sanches (retired)

TOP 20 BASEBALL PROSPECTS FOR 2014 BY ORGANIZATION

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Baltimore Orioles  (January 26, 2014)
Boston Red Sox  (January 1,2014)
New York Yankees (March 12, 2014)
Tampa Bay Rays (March 29, 2014)
Toronto Blue Jays   (January 18, 2014)

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox (March 1, 2014)
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals   (December 16, 2013)
Minnesota Twins   (October 15, 2013)

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Houston Astros (February 18, 2014)
Los Angeles Angels   (January 11, 2014)
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers (March 21, 2014)

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Atlanta Braves (December 4, 2013)
Miami Marlins (March 7, 2014)
New York Mets  (January 13, 2014)
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Chicago Cubs   (January 8, 2014)
Cincinnati Reds   (January 22, 2014)
Milwaukee Brewers (January 30, 2014)
Pittsburgh Pirates (March 25, 2014)
St. Louis Cardinals

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
Arizona Diamondbacks (February 24, 2014)
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers (March 18, 2014)
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants  (December 28, 2014)

Following the roller coaster ride of an unpredictable offseason, Opening Day 2014 is upon us.

The 2014 Braves have a new look with some fresh faces in the midst with Ryan Buchter and Gus Schlosser both being chosen for the 25-man roster. With new faces, however, we had to say goodbye to some familiar ones: Brian McCann and Tim Hudson elected to play elsewhere, leaving the starting rotation as a patchwork group of relatively inexperienced hurlers. That, in addition to season-ending surgeries for Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, leads some to question whether or not this Braves team can compete in the NL East.

That being said, the Braves draw the Milwaukee Brewers for Opening Day at Miller Park. Atlanta has won four of its last five Opening Day games, but Miller Park has been a house of horrors for the Braves in recent years. The Braves dropped seven straight in Milwaukee from 2011 to 2013, winning only twice.

The last time these two teams faced each other wasn't a pleasant one in the least. If you remember, in the last game between the Braves and Brewers last year, Carlos Gomez took it upon himself to be a jerk after homering in the first inning, mouthing off to Paul Maholm and Freddie Freeman during his leisurely stroll before Brian McCann stood as a roadblock in front of home plate, giving Gomez what for.

Gomez set career highs across the board last year and was among the league leaders in WAR, leading to his first All-Star selection. Since June 19, 2012, he's one of only two players (Trout) with 130 runs scored, 40 home runs, 40 stolen bases, and 115 RBI. As long as there's no repeat performance of last year's incident, I'm confident the Braves won't retaliate against Gomez, but mouthing off at pitchers isn't foreign to him.

Now for the elephant in the room: this series also signifies the return of Ryan Braun, who was suspended for the final 65 games of the 2013 season after an investigation revealed his affiliation with Biogenesis and a violation of MLB's drug policy. I'll be interested to know how the home crowd will react when his name is announced for his first at-bat. Yes, he's a homegrown superstar, but he also lied to everyone about his drug use. A mixed reaction wouldn't surprise me, nor would him being booed from first pitch to the final out.

During Milwaukee's offseason, Matt Garza was the most notable of several acquisitions, being signed to a four-year, $52 million contract. The team also added Mark Reynolds on a minor-league deal after Corey Hart signed with Seattle and will likely serve a platoon role at first base with Lyle Overbay while Aramis Ramirez is entrenched at third. Reynolds, Ramirez, Rickie Weeks and Overbay are all defensive liabilities; in fact, the 2013 Brewers committed 114 errors, third-worst in MLB, so there could be a few adventures in the infield.

In regards to Rickie Weeks, he's in the final year of a four-year deal, but has an option for 2015 that would vest if he accumulates 600 plate appearances. Considering how poorly he played last year in addition to his hamstring injury,  that may not happen with the way Scooter Gennett performed in his stead. Weeks, however, hit .282 in 16 Spring Training games.

The emergence of Khris Davis led to Milwaukee being able to trade Norichika Aoki to the Royals for lefty reliever Will Smith, who struck out 43 batters in 33.1 innings as opposed to issuing just seven walks in 2013. Smith held lefty hitters to a .157 avg. and joins fellow lefty Zach Duke in Milwaukee's bullpen. Jonathan Lucroy has quietly gained a reputation as a solid hitting catcher. His slash numbers dropped from 2012, but set career highs in homers (18), RBI (82) and walks (46). Overall, he's a .279 career hitter with a .331 OBP. Defensively, there's room for improvement, as he threw out just 22% of base stealers.

Happy Opening Day! Today's lessons include why Ryan Braun's contract is team-friendly, an analysis of the schedule, and if the Brewers can improve their franchise value ranking.

This Weekend's Results

Royals 5, Brewers 4 (Friday)

Ryan Braun returned to Miller Park and was well-received, though it also helped that he had a double and a three-run home run. However, outside of Braun, the rest of the Brewers offense was stagnant, and a small-ball fourth inning from the Royals led them to a 5-4 win.

Brewers 7, Royals 2 (Saturday)

On Saturday, the offense performed much better. Led by Logan Schafer's 3-for-4 day with two RBI in the leadoff spot, the Brewers scored seven runs on ten hits. Meanwhile, Marco Estrada was on his game, pitching five shutout innings and allowed only two runs. Overall, it was also a well-pitched game, with the exception of Francisco Rodriguez, who allowed both Royals runs in the ninth inning.

Ryan Braun's deal is very team friendly.

At the end of last week, the two players that finished 1-2 in the AL MVP race the last two years signed massive deals. It started with Miguel Cabrera signing an eight-year, $248 million extension. It was followed up by a six-year, $144.5 million extension for Mike Trout. Miguel Cabrera will earn an average of $31 million a season, and Mike Trout will get $33.25 million in each of the last three years of his deal. Noah took the opportunity to look back at Ryan Braun's deal, where his max salary in a year is $19 million. Considering what recent MVPs and MVP candidates are getting, the Brewers got Ryan Braun locked into a deal at the right time.

With the regular season here, it's time to really analyze the schedule.

Game 1 of 162 is today. When you look at the schedule, game 1 is just as important as game 162. Getting a good start is important as a good finish, but the Brewers could have a tough time getting that start. The first week of the season features tough opponents with the Braves and Red Sox on the schedule. Derek analyzed these first two series and wonders if the Brewers caught a break with the matchups they will face. Some factors breaking in the Brewers favor may help their season out, and even collecting one extra win this week could be critical.

Of course, that's just 6 out of the 162 games this year. With so many games, it can be hard to plan your life so you can watch/listen to as many games as possible, and then do enough to enjoy the rest of your life. Yesterday, we posted a quick primer for the season, breaking down the schedule and how it will affect your plans. While it's not a complete look at the season, it should help you plan out which days of the week you can watch games and which days you can plan to do something else.

The Brewers will probably never be one of the most valuable franchises in MLB.

While investing in a MLB team still appears to be a good investment, the Brewers probably won't be one of the most valuable franchises anytime soon. With Forbes releasing their franchise values, Noah took the opportunity to analyze the Brewers chances of improving their ranking. His conclusion was that with the state of baseball, their ranking won't improve anytime soon. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that Mark Attanasio is getting a great return on his investment.

Jean Segura avoided the DL and will start on Opening Day.

Jean Segura missed the final spring training games, and there was serious concern that he would have to start the season on the DL. The Brewers were waiting until the last minute to decide if Segura would go on the DL or not, and after having a good infield practice session, it looked like he would avoid the DL. That was confirmed on Sunday when the Brewers 25-man roster was finalized, with Jean Segura on the roster instead of the DL. Hopefully he is ready for the first game, though some rust may be expected in the first games.

As Opening Day arrives, we have some final notes for the Brewers.

Yovani Gallardo will make the start on Opening Day, and it will be his fifth consecutive Opening Day start. However, this year, his mind will be clearer as the season begins. Few people were aware as last season began that Gallardo's mom had died the previous Thanksgiving. This revelation may explain some of Gallardo's struggles last year, including his DUI arrest in April. As he enters this year, his mind is clearer and his curveball is more effective than ever. With a potential contract year here, Gallardo could be set for an improvement in 2014.

There are a few last-minute notes we have to go through as Opening Day arrives. First of all, Plunk Everyone has a list of all of the Opening Day plunks in franchise history. Not surprisingly, Rickie Weeks leads the list with six. However, if he wants to add to that, he will need to do it in a pinch-hit appearance as he is not projected to be in today's lineup. Also, in a bit of news for the site, Prognostikeggers is returning to start the 2014 season. It took the 2013 season off, but a refined version of the game is back for the new season. Go check out the first post and how you can get involved in the game.

Cram Session

Projections/Previews

• SB Nation's MLB Preview came out on Friday, and Kyle has a piece in it about the Brewers. He notes that the Brewers have a shot to win the pennant this year.
• Enrique Bakemeyer of The Brewers Bar has ten questions about the Brewers as the 2014 season begins.
• Also, Justin Schultz of Reviewing the Brew has five things that he thinks will happen in the 2014 Brewers season.
• Kevin Kimmes of Cream City Cables previews the shortstop position as part of their position preview series.
• Nicholas Zettel of Disciples of Uecker finishes up their position preview series with a look at the long-relief situation.
• David Grant of Reviewing the Brew previews all of the Brewers prop bets, along with how he would bet on each of these.
• FanGraphs has a preview of the National League, though doesn't see much for honors for the Brewers.
• JSOnline has a list of ten things to watch in the National League. They also have a review of how the Brewers stack up against other NL Central teams. There is plenty of other articles previewing the Brewers season on their website.
• For a preview of the Brewers from the view of a Cardinals writer, Viva El Birdos has a preview for the 2014 season.
• Mike Oz of Big League Stew on Yahoo has thirty things you need to know entering the 2014 season, which includes a couple of things about the Brewers. Mark Townsend also ranks the thirty Opening Day pitchers, ranking Gallardo at #20.
• The ESPN SweetSpot blog has a list of fourteen questions entering the 2014 season.
• Gernaro Armas of the AP has a preview of the Braves-Brewers series, noting the preparations that the Brewers grounds crew has been doing to prepare the field for the season.

Power Rankings

• Justin Schultz of Reviewing the Brew puts the Brewers at #16.
• Tim Brown of Yahoo starts the Brewers out at #24.

Minor League Notes

• Marcus Young of Miller Park Prospects has a preview of the Nashville Sounds.
• The Brewers signed catcher Connor Narron to a minor-league deal. Connor Narron is the son of Brewers bench coach Jerry Narron.
• They also released outfielder Greg Golson.
• The Brewer Nation continued their series of (Brewers By the Jersey) Number with a look at Elian Herrera.
• Over on JSOnline, Tom Haudricourt runs through a list of the top prospects currently in the Brewers system.

Other Notes

• MLB and the MLBPA released their enhanced testing and new penalties as part of the performance-enhancing dug testing program. Nathan Petrashek looks at this new system on Cream City Cables, and concludes that is better to be a Marlin under the new system.
• FanGraphs looks at ballpark factors for the strike zone. Inspired by the Brewers catchers, the article focuses partially on how Miller Park affects strike calls.
• Nick Michalski of The Brewers Bar has an interview with Rob Deer. In the interview, he talks about his hitting style, his new project, and the Brewers logo.

Lighter Side of Baseball

• Brandon Kintzler lost a bet, and as a result, he served as the Brewers batboy on Friday. John and Cait have some pictures of his experience on their blog.
• It's also the time of year where soda displays are built to represent different things about the Brewers. John and Cait found a creative one featuring the racing sausages and Hank the ballpark pup.

Today's Action

Nothing important today, just the first game of the regular season. The Brewers will face the Braves at 1:10 pm today. Yovani Gallardo will make his fifth straight Opening Day start, and he will face Julio Teheran. Roof status has already been announced, it will be closed today. Tom Haudricourt has the projected lineup for the game as well. For those of you who aren't going to the game, make sure to have the game going on your TV, and come to Brew Crew Ball and join us in the Gamethread. (Also, don't forget to make your predictions for Prognostikeggers.)

We'll see how it turns out, I suppose.

The Brewers already have their lineup posted for today's season opener against the Braves:

Today's Opening Day #Brewers lineup vs. Atlanta at Miller Park. First pitch 1:10 CT on @fswisconsin and @620wtmj! pic.twitter.com/2C9XmU8gSr

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) March 31, 2014

Lyle Overbay is going to make me a very conflicted man this year, particularly at the beginning of the season. On the one hand, he is/was a fan favorite and a real nice player for the Brewers years ago. He's also supposed to be the left-handed guy in this first base platoon, so he should be starting against right-handed pitching like Julio Teheran. He also hit .258/.317/.432 against righties last year vs. Mark Reynolds' .218/.298/.386 line against the same. So, sure, play the splits and all that.

On the other hand, I am just not at all excited to see Lyle Overbay in 2014 getting any sort of significant playing time. This 37-year-old Overbay is not the same player as he was in 2004. He had a 688 OPS last year. He had a 670 OPS two years before that. He couldn't hit worth a lick in spring training for the most part, either! The Mark Kotsay comparisons have been made enough already, but they are apt. The Brewers had a decent platoon option in Juan Francisco and they threw him away. Now we're stuck with Overbay. I hope he makes me eat these words and has a renaissance season, but I kind of doubt it.

The other notable decision today: Scooter Gennett is already getting the nod over Rickie Weeks. I guess the Brewers are trying the straight righty/lefty split at second base, too. Gennett did destroy right-handed pitching to the tune of a 946 OPS last year, but I don't think the Brewers will stick with a strict platoon all year. My guess is Rickie Weeks either plays himself into or out of more playing time as the season progresses.

Carlos Gomez leading off is a little weird to me. I know the Brewers had been saying they might do it and all, and the whole getting your better players more at-bats thing is true. But he's kind of a strange lead-off hitter. He has the speed, yes, but until 2013 he never got on base well. Counting on him to maintain last year's pace may be asking for a lot, though we all hope it wasn't an aberration. It's not like it's a big deal and can't be changed later if he can't handle it. And it was probably either him or Jean Segura. I'm curious how it will turn out.

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Have you ever thought about why Opening Day is special? Let's stop for a minute today to consider the answer to this question.

As Opening Day got closer, I asked myself a question: Why is Opening Day special? What about the day is so special? To a normal person, Opening Day may just look like another game. If you think about the other major U.S. sports, none of them have the same excitement about the first game of the season. The NFL has some excitement, but not the same level as Opening Day. The NBA and NHL each also have more excitement around game one of the season, but nowhere near the level of baseball. In fact, the only other sports day that gets discussion about becoming a national holiday is Super Bowl Sunday. So, why do people take this day off of work or school, camp in the cold, or pay high amounts of money to make it to this one day?

I asked this question to some of the other writers. Noah had a great response to the question:

To me, Opening Day is basically an indication that summer has arrived. It's why the mythos surrounding it is often "The fresh cut grass, the cloudless blue skies, the smell of the grill!"

Baseball is a uniquely summer sport. Football is fall, Basketball is winter, Hockey is winter. Baseball is the only thing we get during summer, so people come to associate it with summer. I know I think summer and I think Uecker on the radio in the back yard while I horse around with my brother and my parents did yard work or grilled up some brats or whatever.

Opening Day is the beginning of that. It's more than just a sport, it's the celebration that winter is finally over and the nice weather is coming in.

There's a lot of truth in this statement. When baseball starts, it means that spring is here. The long winter is done, and we get warmer temperatures, green grass, and outdoor activities. The other two leagues going on right now (basketball and hockey) are coming to the end of their seasons, and soon baseball will be the only sport in progress.

Overbay, Gennett in Brewers' Opening Day lineup

The Brewers released their Opening Day lineup earlier Monday

There also may be a psychological aspect to it. Scientific studies have shown that sunlight can help people avoid depression, and the increased amount of sunlight associated with baseball leads to better moods. The association with this could create a positive association with the game. (No real scientific evidence behind this, just speculation.)

There's also something about being at an Opening Day baseball game that is just special. As Brewers fans, there are several traditions we look forward to on each Opening Day. There's the first tailgate of the season and first grilled brats of the year. There's the introduction of the Opening Day rosters. There's the first performance of the Star-Spangled Banner by Joseph Attanasio. There's the first pitch of the game that signifies the start of the season. There's the first slide from Bernie and the first sausage race. It all represents the start of a great time of year.

At the end of the day, there's no one reason for why Opening Day is special. Everyone has their own reasons for why they enjoy it. It's all about what is important to you.

What do you think? Why is Opening Day special to you?

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