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The Chicago Cubs have struck out a lot this year. How much? Come inside, dear reader.

Strikeouts aren't the be-all and end-all of why a team loses, but it would seem to me that the Cubs are going to have to cut down on them before they improve in the win column.

The Cubs long ago obliterated the team batter strikeout record (it had been 1,269, set in 2002; they're now at 1,465) and in their 2-1 loss to the Brewers Saturday night, they struck out 16 more times. That's the sixth time they've struck out that many times in a game this year -- but just the third time they'd done so in a nine-inning game.

There have been 47 games this year in which a team has struck out 16 or more times. Only the Marlins, with eight such games, have done this more often than the Cubs. No other team has more than three.

As I said, strikeouts aren't the be-all and end-all. But the Cubs, who are going to lead the major leagues in K's by a significant margin (they lead by 29 with one game to go, and have the third-highest team total in history, behind the 2010 Diamondbacks and 2013 Astros), might have scored more runs if they weren't striking out so much.

Wily Peralta, who had 13 of the K's, had the Cubs handcuffed offensively all night. Anthony Rizzo doubled in the Cubs' only run in the third inning, which Tsuyoshi Wada promptly gave back to Milwaukee in the bottom of the inning on a Carlos Gomez home run. Wada wasn't particularly sharp Saturday night, but did manage to keep his team in the game. Jonathan Lucroy doubled in the eventual winning run for the Brewers in the fifth. It was his 53rd double of the year, 46th as a catcher, which set a major-league record for most doubles in a season by a catcher.

Wada finishes his season with a 3.25 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 13 starts covering 69⅓ innings. Those are decent enough numbers to ask him back; there have been conflicting reports on whether the Cubs will invite him to return for 2015, but I'd say he has at least a chance to become a back-of-the-rotation inning-eater, and given that he's lefthanded, if the Cubs don't give him a shot someone else will.

Rizzo was the only Cub with more than one hit, but five Cubs joined a sad parade of players with more than one strikeout: Chris Coghlan, Jorge Soler, Luis Valbuena, Ryan Kalish and Arismendy Alcantara, who led the list with three K's. Alcantara did give the Cubs a good shot at tying the game in the seventh-inning with a one-out triple, but... well, you could probably have guessed if I didn't write this. Peralta struck out Kalish and pinch-hitter Logan Watkins to strand Mendy at third.

I suppose it's some small consolation that on another big K night, Javier Baez struck out only once.

And incredibly enough, Edwin Jackson made his first relief appearance as a member of the Cubs and threw a scoreless inning, issuing one walk but otherwise retiring his three hitters without incident. I don't necessarily think this means anything other than reducing his season ERA from 6.38 to 6.33.

A few notes: with the Reds' win Saturday afternoon, Cincinnati clinched fourth place in the N.L. Central and the closest the Cubs could finish to fourth is two games, if the Pirates defeat the Reds and the Cubs win Sunday. Since the Cubs finished eight games behind fourth place in 2013 and 18 games behind that spot in 2012, I'll consider finishing closer to fourth progress. Also, the loss prevented the Cubs from having a winning September; the best they could do now, with a win Sunday, would be 12-13, and they also will have a losing record in one-run games, as this one dropped their one-run game record to 19-21.

Finally, Chris Rusin was claimed on waivers by the Rockies Saturday, opening a 40-man roster spot. A tip o' the cap to Rusin, a modestly-talented lefthander who was several times this year asked to "take one for the team" after trades or injuries, rushed in from Des Moines to eat up a few innings. There will no doubt be further moves like this before the November 20 deadline to finalize rosters for the Rule 5 draft.

And so, the 2014 season enters its final day; the Cubs will play once more, with Jacob Turner facing Mike Fiers Sunday afternoon at Miller Park, before heading home for the winter. I'm going to go to this one, to take in one more game before the offseason, and most likely today's recap will be posted Monday morning.

His 2013 nightmare fully behind him, the Milwaukee righty has returned to greatness in 2014. But could he have avoided the whole ordeal to begin with? And what role did traditional stats play in it?

Why do we — the royal we — use advanced statistics? What purpose do they serve, when we have more basic numbers? Well, for one thing, these new figures tell us considerably more than their predecessors about the performance of a given player. Plus, random variation doesn't impact them as much as it does for more basic metrics, so we can put more trust in them. And most importantly, they can grant us a better idea of what will happen in the future.

Nothing epitomizes both sides better than the ERA versus xFIP debate. Proponents of the former will point out that it has a relatively simple formula: Take a pitcher's earned runs, multiply them by nine, and divide the product by his innings pitched. As opposed to xFIP, which utilizes several other variables with weird coefficients and (gasp) a constant, this seems preferable in its simplicity.

The Luddites who take this side fail to spot a few crucial flaws in that argument. First of all, ERA doesn't testify to the aptitude of a pitcher, so much as it testifies to the aptitude of the pitcher, his defense, his ballpark, and luck, among other factors. On the flipside, Defense-Independent Pitching Statistics (such as xFIP) look solely at the man on the hill. Second of all, because of its reliance on multiple elements of the game, ERA vacillates wildly: Its year-to-year correlation sits at an uninspired .38. Compare that to xFIP, which correlates between seasons at a much stronger .68. Third of all, xFIP has considerably more predictive power than ERA. That means a pitcher's xFIP will tell us more about how he'll pitch going forward than his xFIP.

People in the game itself know about the many benefits of xFIP, or at least they should. And yet, on a fairly regular basis, instances arise that seem to attest otherwise. In many of these cases, xFIP and ERA told different stories about a pitcher, and the decisions made regarding that pitcher jelled with the tale that ERA spun. If the reverse had been true, things might have gone more smoothly.

Enough of that. How about those Brewers? They...kind of fell apart. So, yeah, Milwaukee won't make the playoffs, but their campaign had its positive elements. Jonathan Lucroy teamed up with several of his team's pitchers to create a formidable umpire-duping tandem. Carlos Gomez eradicated any notions of flukishness surrounding his 2013 breakout, and Wily Peraltamade some strides of his own. And, perhaps most notably, Mike Fiers returned triumphantly.

Remember Fiers? He came up in the middle of 2012 as a nobody. Prospect lists and evaluators all overlooked him, and for seemingly good reasons: In 55.0 AAA innings prior to his call-up, he owned a 4.42 ERA (and 4.45 FIP) as a 26-year-old. He certainly built off that upon arriving at the show, as he finished 2012 with a 3.74 ERA, 3.47 xFIP, and 3.1 WAR in 127.2 innings. The latter mark ranked fourth-best among rookie hurlers. Although he arose from nothing, he was apparently on the track to stardom.

Then 2013 came around. From Fiers's first start, in which the Diamondbacks battered him for six runs en route to a 9-2 loss, it became clear that something was wrong. After that disaster, the club trotted him out as a reliever, with middling results; he had some more subpar starts, went to the minors, and capped it all off with a broken arm. His major-league stats for the season: 22.1 innings, a 7.21 ERA, a 4.41 xFIP, and -0.6 WAR. When he began 2014 in AAA, no one knew if he'd ever reach the major leagues again, much less if he'd regain his 2012 form.

13 appearances and 65.2 innings later, Fiers has, once again, shown himself to be a legitimate major-league starter. Sure, a 1.92 ERA has some luck behind it, but a 3.21 xFIP means he still pitched quite well. With 1.5 WAR in that abbreviated sample, the future once again looks bright for him.

So, what happened in 2013? Why did Fiers's ERA — and, more importantly, his xFIP — take a nosedive? He didn't make any significant changes to his pitch mix, and he actually gained velocity on almost everything he threw. But he did alter something, and examination of his in-game action will prove it.

Here's a still of Fiers, from 2012*:

(via MLB.com)

Then, from 2013*:

(via MLB.com)

And finally, from 2014*:

(via MLB.com)

The delivery looks the same, right? To the best of my knowledge, it is. But look closely at the images — specifically, at his feet. In 2012 and 2014, he stood to the right of the Reds logo on the mound; in 2013, he lined up with it.

*I would have used clips of him at Miller Park, but they moved their mound logo after 2013.

These games weren't anomalies, either, as you can see upon examining his horizontal release points:

Sure enough, Fiers shifted about a foot to the right. Given that his velocity and usage remained mostly static throughout the three-year period, I think we can conclude that this caused his 2013 devolution.

But why would Fiers do this? After such a memorable debut, what would have driven him to divert from what worked? In other words, why did he mess with success? Because I'm not Fiers himself, nor do I have any role within the Brewers organization, I obviously can't say for sure. However, I can say that a greater awareness of sabermetrics probably could have precluded the 2013 debacle.

Allow me to explain. Fiers posted a 3.74 ERA in 127.2 innings in 2012. In terms of ERA-, that translates to a 92 — respectable, but not spectacular. However, at one point in the season, he prevented runs at a truly elite rate. On August 7th, following an eight-inning, one-run masterpiece against the Reds, his ERA sat at an astounding 1.80, 56% better than the MLB average. In his 80.0 innings to that point, everything had ostensibly gone right.

Six days later, Fiers went into Coors Field, and did about as well there as most pitchers do: He allowed eight earned runs, and only accrued six outs. From that loss until the end of the year, he had a putrid 6.99 ERA, "good" enough for a 172 ERA-. Those 47.2 innings changed his seasonal line from otherworldly to mediocre, and possibly led him to think that he needed to change something. After all, he was all but unheard of before that year; maybe hitters — who had no familiarity with him early on — had adjusted to him. In order to survive, he would need to adjust back. Hence, the new location, which begat all of the aforementioned turbulence.

Situations such as this are where sabermetrics are most useful. As I discussed earlier, because ERA depends on factors outside the pitcher's control, it's rather volatile. Sometimes, it'll rise or fall legitimately, but a lot of the time, its fluctuations come as the result of random variation. By contrast, xFIP (and its contemporaries) isolates those skills that a pitcher determines for himself, and thus will better reflect how he did. So how did xFIP feel about 2012?

For the year as a whole, Fiers possessed a 3.47 xFIP (89 xFIP-). The first sample saw Fiers produce a 3.38 xFIP; in the second sample, it skyrocketed...to 3.62. The former comes in at 13% better than average; the latter, 7%. That's hardly a meltdown, and it certainly isn't a development that necessitates such a drastic change as the one Fiers underwent. Considering that the change gave him an xFIP- of 117, I'd say it was for the worse.

. . .

All data courtesy of FanGraphs and Brooks Baseball, as of Saturday, September 27th, 2014.

Ryan Romano is an editor for Beyond the Box Score. He also writes about the Orioles on Birds Watcherand on Camden Chat that one time. Follow him on Twitter at @triple_r_ if you enjoy angry tweets about Maryland sports.

If you seek Sunday's game threads, you have come to the right place.

Here are today's particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Coghlan LF, Baez 2B, Castro SS, Valbuena 3B, Soler RF, Alcantara CF, Valaika 1B, Baker C, Arrieta P

Cardinals lineup:

Hamilton CF, Frazier 1B, Phillips 2B, Mesoraco C, Bruce RF, Negron 3B, Schumaker LF, Cozart SS, Axelrod P

Today's game is on WGN -- possibly the last game ever on WGN-TV, as we don't yet know where the 2015 TV contract will end up.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball. Be careful over there, though.

For 2014, we are going to have the same game-thread routine as 2013. Here's how it works.

You'll find the game preview -- like this one -- posting as the first link in the StoryStream™, which will then contain all the overflow threads and the recap. The recap will also be on the front page as a separate post; once I post a game recap, the stream for each game will be retitled "Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of Week) Game Threads" so you can go back and find every thread related to that particular game.

In general, game previews will post two hours before game time. Exception: for day games after night games, that will usually be 90 minutes.

You will also be able to find the First Pitch Thread and all the overflow threads in the box marked "Chicago Cubs Game Threads" at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). They will also appear in this StoryStream™. As I've done for each regular-season game for several years now, we'll have the First Pitch thread at five minutes before game time (moved up from actual game time per your requests), then an overflow one hour, two hours and 2:45 after game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

The Cubs finish the 2014 season with a chance to win another series from the Brewers.

MILWAUKEE -- I decided to head up to Miller Park to take in one last game for the 2014 season, and hoping to see the Cubs finish up strong. I had also hoped to see Kyle Hendricks throw one last time, but the brass decided to shut him down after he had a combined 183 innings between Triple-A Iowa and the major leagues this year. Instead, Jacob Turner will be the guy to try to help the Cubs end this year with a win.

Wins are always important, but this one would have particular meaning. If the Cubs win, they will avoid losing 90 games this year. That would be the first sub-90-loss season since 2010, and it would also represent an increase of seven wins over the 2013 total. Progress can come in small ways. A win would also mean the Cubs would have played essentially .500 ball since their 13-27 start. They are 59-62 since then. (Note: the Brewers are 55-64 since that date, May 16, on which they defeated the Cubs 4-3 to open a five-game division lead.)

Site note: I'm contemplating sticking around Milwaukee for dinner tonight, which means it'd be pretty pointless to try to get a recap posted this evening. So -- watch for my game recap and also Heroes & Goats from Game 162, Monday morning.

Here are today's particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Coghlan LF, Baez SS, Rizzo 1B, Soler RF, Valbuena 3B, Alcantara CF, Valaika 2B, Baker C, Turner P

Brewers lineup:

Parra LF, Braun RF, Lucroy 1B, Ramirez 3B, Segura SS, Maldonado C, Schafer CF, Herrera 2B, Fiers P

Today's Starting Pitchers

Jacob Turner Cubs vs. Mike Fiers Brewers vs. Mil -- vs. Cubs

Let's look at Jacob Turner's season this way. Since he came to the Cubs, he has faced the Brewers twice, once in relief and one start. In those two games, he has thrown 8⅔ innings, allowed five hits and one run (a solo homer by Khris Davis in this game), with one walk and seven strikeouts.

That would be an awesome way to end this season for Turner, who I believe still has talent and still could be an impact pitcher in the major leagues. Hope he ends his season on a high note.

Mike Fiers started against the Cubs August 14 at Wrigley Field. He allowed three hits and no runs and struck out 14.

Could we be doomed? Or is Fiers, who has posted a 1.93 ERA and 0.801 WHIP in nine starts since being recalled in August, hittable?

Today's game is on WGN -- possibly the last Cubs game ever on WGN-TV after 66 years, as we don't yet know where the 2015 TV contract will end up. (Speculation: in the end, the Cubs re-up with WGN, local to Chicago only, for five more years.)

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball. Be careful over there, though.

For 2014, we are going to have the same game-thread routine as 2013. Here's how it works.

You'll find the game preview -- like this one -- posting as the first link in the StoryStream™, which will then contain all the overflow threads and the recap. The recap will also be on the front page as a separate post; once I post a game recap, the stream for each game will be retitled "Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of Week) Game Threads" so you can go back and find every thread related to that particular game.

In general, game previews will post two hours before game time. Exception: for day games after night games, that will usually be 90 minutes.

You will also be able to find the First Pitch Thread and all the overflow threads in the box marked "Chicago Cubs Game Threads" at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). They will also appear in this StoryStream™. As I've done for each regular-season game for several years now, we'll have the First Pitch thread at five minutes before game time (moved up from actual game time per your requests), then an overflow one hour, two hours and 2:45 after game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

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On the last day of the 2014 season, quite a bit of the Cubs' future was on display at Miller Park.

MILWAUKEE -- Sunday's 5-2 Cubs win over the Brewers was an outstanding example of how this team can (and hopefully will) win games in the years to come.

An early two-run homer from the team's best hitter. A decent outing from the starting pitcher. Then, lockdown relief after the sixth inning.

That's a recipe for success for many teams, and all of it was in evidence on a gorgeous, 75-degree, early-fall afternoon at Miller Park. (Where was this great summer weather all summer?)

Anthony Rizzo homered in the first inning after Chris Coghlan led off the game with a walk, providing the Cubs with a lead they never relinquished. Rizzo had one of his better games of the season, going 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored, the homer and even his only stolen base of the season on a play that must have completely surprised the Brewers, because no throw was made. It happened on the front end of a double steal (!) in which Jorge Soler took second; it didn't really matter because Arismendy Alcantara's double into the right-field corner would have scored both runners anyway. The Cubs added an insurance run in the ninth on a single, a walk and an infield ground ball on which a throw came home wide, and too late.

Great offense? Well, no. But certainly enough to win on a day when Cubs pitching did an efficient job. Jacob Turner threw five solid innings; he was touched for two runs which could have been less if not for a wacky throwing error by Luis Valbuena, who picked up a bunt attempt and made a Matt Garza-like throw in the general direction of Rizzo. Martin Maldonado, the slow-running catcher who bunted, was credited with a hit instead of the play being ruled an error all the way; the run that scored as a result was ruled earned.

Turner was lifted after he allowed a leadoff single in the sixth, but overall, he had a solid outing and showed some of the talent that made him one of baseball's most untouchable prospects just two years ago. At 23, I think he still has a chance to become a good big-league starter. He'll have to show well in spring training, because he's out of options. Either he makes the 2015 Opening Day roster or he'll have to be exposed to waivers. Someone would undoubtedly claim him.

Anyway, after Turner departed, the bullpen took over and gave up just one hit and one walk over four innings. Justin Grimm finished the sixth without incident and Neil Ramirez, Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon (29th save) completed the game. Those three could make an excellent late-inning trio for any contending team. All have been very good this year and Rondon posted that good save total even though he was not officially made the team's closer until mid-May.

Rizzo, for his part, stepped up his already-good game on his return two weeks ago from back problems. In the 11 games he played in September, he hit .395/.521/.684 (15-for-38) with five doubles, two home runs and eight walks. His overall .913 OPS finished third in the National League, behind only Giancarlo Stanton and Andrew McCutchen, pretty good company. Had he not missed 22 games this year, he would almost certainly have hit 35 home runs, with an outside shot at Stanton's league-leading total of 37.

Sunday's game, which had a significant minority of Cubs fans in attendance despite another losing season, was punctuated with cheering at inappropriate times, all of which happened when the Green Bay Packers did something good against the Chicago Bears. I heard reports that many fans spent a good chunk of the afternoon standing on the concourse at Miller Park watching the football game. This makes little sense; you've paid money to come to a baseball park and then spend your time doing something you could have done for free at home?

Odd Miller Park note: the roof was open, but only about halfway; this was done apparently to reduce the shadows in the early innings. Only left field was in sun when the game started, then the field was in shade until the sun came through the first-base side windows about the seventh inning.

Though I usually enjoy quick games, for this one I didn't even mind the three-hour, nine-minute game length, exactly the length of an average major-league game in 2014; I just wanted to savor the final big-league game I'll see in person until next March.

The Cubs, by winning, finish the season 73-89, their first sub-90-loss year since 2010 and a seven-win increase over 2013. That's progress, in my view, especially since they played near-.500 ball for four-plus months, going 60-62 since a 13-27 start. Baby steps, right? In winning this series from the Brewers, the Cubs also posted 11 wins against them this year -- that's the most any Cubs team has ever posted against any Brewers team since the two clubs started playing each other in 1997.

Incidentally, I never did make it to dinner in Milwaukee. Both places my friends and I wanted to go to were closed! Really? Restaurants closed on Sunday? Guess they roll up the sidewalks on Sunday in Milwaukee. So, instead, we went to The Silo in Lake Bluff, on the road home.

One final note on this game. Before 2014, the last time I had seen the Cubs' final regular-season game on the road was in 2007, when I traveled to Cincinnati to see them clinch the N.L. Central. I'd like to take more trips like that one in the future.

And so, another season is in the books. And yes, I do feel cautiously optimistic about the Cubs' future. Some of it was on display Sunday in Milwaukee. More of it will be coming, in the form of Kris Bryant and others, next year and in seasons to come. They'll have to supplement the prospect pipeline with judicious free-agent or trade acquisitions. I'll have more about that in the days and weeks to come, and also, there will be plenty more here at BCB as we enter the Cubs' offseason.

First, there will be game threads for every playoff day. I love playoff baseball, no matter who's involved, and we surely have rooting interests here (read: any team that plays the Cardinals). Watch for those beginning Tuesday.

Second, there's a Wrigley Field construction project that's set to begin Monday with the commencement of the demolition of the bleachers. We'll have photos of the progress as often as possible.

There will be other news, of course. Sunday's game might have been the last Cubs game televised on WGN-TV -- ever. The team has no deal yet in place for the 70 games that were carried on WGN this year and it's strange to think that a 66-year relationship could have ended with no formal farewell. In the end, I suspect the Cubs will re-up with WGN (local only, not WGN America) on a short-term renewal, maybe not the entire five years that remain until they have their entire TV package available for sale. That's strictly my own speculation, nothing more.

And, I've got some offseason series in mind, too.

With that, I'll put the 2014 season to bed as is my tradition, with this quote from the late Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti's "The Green Fields of the Mind":

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.

Today's lessons include a disappointing end to the season, the beginning of offseason reviews, and the departure of the longest tenured Brewer.

This Weekend's Results

Cubs 6, Brewers 4
Brewers 2, Cubs 1
Cubs 5, Brewers 2

Well. at least the Brewers finished the season with a winning record. If you had said that 10 years ago, that would have been a major victory for the team. Now, it's a pretty empty statement. The Brewers had a chance to finish hot and salvage something out of this season. Instead, they basically just played out the last few games. On the pitching side, at least Wily Peralta finished the season strong. He allowed only one run in seven innings on Saturday, while striking out thirteen Cubs. Jimmy Nelson and Mike Fiers weren't as lucky, as Nelson allowed five runs on Friday and Fiers allowed four on Sunday. The offense was again lacking in the series, though Jonathan Lucroy did collect enough hits for a .300 batting average and to tie Lyle Overbay for the Brewers doubles record, as well as take the MLB record for doubles by a catcher in a season. Overall, though, it was a disappointing end to a disappointing season.

The first decision to make this offseason is the fate of Ron Roenicke.

With the season now in the books, the offseason planning must begin. The first question will be about the fate of Ron Roenicke. Mark Attanasio was in Milwaukee over the weekend and he held an extensive press conference on Saturday. Adam McCalvy has several quotes from the press conference in his Brew Beat blog. In it Attanasio did confirm that Doug Melvin will remain the GM, but did not confirm anything about Ron Roenicke's status. Noah did note that the Brewers will perform an extensive review this offseason, and what that could mean for Ron Roenicke is anyone's guess.

Ron Roenicke may be the best manager for the Brewers right now. However, after such a major collapse, he could lose his job just because someone has to answer for it. Mike Bauman of MLB.com notes that the manager is usually the one to take the blame in a bad season, but also that this collapse shouldn't be on Ron Roenicke. Was Roenicke given a team that was destined to collapse? Could Roenicke have done more to prevent it? Yesterday morning, Roenicke had some extensive remarks on his thoughts about the season. He thought he did the best he could do this season. Is that enough to keep him around, or is it time to make a change?

The longest tenured Brewer spent what was likely his last game with the team on the bench.

Rickie Weeks' career as a Brewers has likely come to an end. Despite how he has played, many people have positive feelings about his time in Milwaukee. Over the weekend, Nathan Petrashek looked back at Weeks' career as a Brewer and what we will be losing this offseason. He's one of the last players remaining from a core group that was brought up to turn the franchise around.

Entering this weekend, most people assumed that Rickie Weeks would get a big moment in his final game with the team on Sunday. It seemed like a start by Weeks would be a given. However, on Sunday morning, the lineup came out with no Weeks in it (and Elian Herrera at second base). This was confusing, but hope remained that he could be a late replacement or pinch-hitter. However, neither of those things happened and Weeks remained on the bench for his last game with the team. While the blame originally went on Ron Roenicke, it was revealed after the game that Weeks decided he didn't want one more start or at-bat in the final game. He would have played if Ron Roenicke had put him in the game, but didn't make a special request for it. Instead, he is looking forward to his future, and that's just the way he wants to look at it now.

Cram Session

More from BCB

• With four good outfielders on the roster entering 2015, the Brewers have a decision to make this offseason. One possibility that has been discussed is moving Ryan Braun to first base, and Noah has some notes about this discussion.
• If this season had happened in reverse, would we be viewing it in a more positive way? Jordan compared this season to 2012 and looked at how it would be viewed if inverted.
• Reports came out about the Brewers picking up Yovani Gallardo's option for 2015.  Derek noted that this would be the right decision for the Brewers if true. (It was later confirmed that the option had been exercised.)

The Collapse

• How did the Brewers collapse happen? Sean Lindholm of Beyond the Box Score takes a look at what happened to the 2014 Brewers.
• Meanwhile, on Reviewing the Brew, Michael Trzinski has his own review of the season and how the Brewers went from on top to fighting for .500.

Bud Selig

• On Friday, the Brewers announced that they will retire #1 next season in honor of Bud Selig.
• Despite the debates that come up about Selig's time as Brewers owner and as MLB commissioner, it cannot be denied that Selig is responsible for bringing baseball back to Milwaukee.

Ryan Braun

• On Thursday, Ryan Braun will undergo a procedure that will hopefully help his hand issues and allow him to get back to where he was as a player. Adam McCalvy has some quotes from Braun and notes on the procedure.
• Ryan Braun may have had a bad season this year, but Christian Espinosa of Reviewing the Brew says that Braun's abilities are not something that can just come from PEDs.
• While talk about moving Braun to first is starting, Steven Jewell of Reviewing the Brew notes some good free agents for first base this offseason and that Braun shouldn't be moved to first base just yet.

Other Notes

• Attendance has still been good at Miller Park despite the collapse. The Brewers put together an attendance figure just under 2.8 million in 2014.
• How much does sabermetrics play in the success of a pitcher? According to Ryan Romano of Beyond the Box Score, Mike Fiers is a perfect case to use as proof of the usefulness of sabermetrics.
• Over on his blog, Tim Dillard finishes his story about one of his most prized possessions.

Minor League Update

• Brad Krause of Miller Park Prospects has a review of the 2014 Huntsville Stars.
• Michael Trzinski of Reviewing the Brew continued their series of the top farm teams in Brewers history with the 1985 El Paso Diablos.

Division Update

• Cardinals @ Diamondbacks
  Friday:Cardinals 7, Dimaondbacks 6
  Saturday:Diamondbacks 5, Cardinals 2
  Sunday:Cardinals 1, Diamondbacks 0
• Pirates @ Reds
  Friday: Pirates 3, Reds 1
  Saturday: Reds 10, Pirates 6
  Sunday:Reds 4, Pirates 1

Today's Action

There's no more action for the Brewers on the field this year. Today begins a long offseason where we are left asking a lot of questions. We will probably find out the fate of Ron Roenicke in the next day or two, as well as get some quotes as players clear out their lockers and head to their offseason homes.

Of course, if you like keeping track of countdowns, Opening Day 2015 is only 189 days away.

Alex Anthopoulos had a press conference yesterday. As usual, he talked a lot, while working very hard not to say anything. I guess it is a skill. The little bits of information that did make it through included:

• He says that the team is close to being a playoff team. But then he isn't going to say anything else, you want him to say 'hey, potential season ticket buyers.....don't bother'.
• They want to sign Melky Cabrera. Alex suggested that Melky does want to stay, but he didn't suggested that the team and his agent had talked numbers or anything beyond him saying that Melky understands their 'no more than 5-year' and that Melky is ok with that.
• Asked about improving the defense and Jose Reyes part in our less than impressive defense, Alex talked about health, saying that keeping Brett Lawrie on the field would help. He talked about studying oblique injuries, trying to come up with a way to keep him from falling victim to the same type of injury. I don't think the can train harder, but perhaps they can come up with a way that he could train smarter.
• About Reyes, Alex talked about how important it was to keep him healthy. That he needs more rest, that he could DH some, especially on our home turf (wonder why it took so long to come put with that). Alex suggested that with Lawrie playing, using his range to lessen the area Reyes has to cover,  and with Reyes healthy, Jose would be a reasonable SS.
• He talked about health as a skill set that the team would factor into player evaluation more, saying that a player that might not be an outstanding talent that stays healthy (say Mark Buehrle) is of more value than a player with a higher upside, who misses time with injury, because you have to average the player's value with the replacement player who fills in when he's injured.
• There was a fair bit of talk about using the DH spot to rest guys, maybe suggesting that Adam Lind wouldn't be back, though they could pick up his option and use him as a trade chip.
• As always, Alex said that if the team decide they need a high priced free agent, there would be money for it, providing, of course, the free agent wasn't wanting more than a 5 year contract. This has always been Alex's line, but it tends to ring a little hollow.
• Alex talked for length on the need to improve the bullpen. They did have some bad luck with the bullpen, who expected Steve Delabar to lose it so badly or Sergio Santos to fall off a cliff. And Janssen's illness was bad luck. And there were some bad decisions. They didn't show much patience with Jeremy Jeffress and then he goes on to post a 1.88 ERA with the Brewers. Nor did they show any patience with Esmil Rogers.
• Asked about Aaron Sanchez and the chance he might be the next closer, Alex said that they would rather Sanchez be a starter, but he did mention that it would depend on how things shake out over the winter. And he didn't tlk much about the possibility of Brandon Morrow staking the job.
• He pretty much said that Janssen wouldn't be back. When talking about the need for a closer, he gently made fun of of the 'proven closer' idea, saying that all closers weren't closers until they became one. They just have to find the right guy and make closer.
• Alex didn't talk much about the need for a second baseman or outfielders, other than to say they had some idea about who might be available.
• Asked if the team would be trading from their 'surplus' of starting pitchers, Alex said he would rather horde starters if he can, knowing that you never make it through a season using just 5 starters. Unfortunately, you do have to trade something to get something.

What did you take away from the press conference?

Reviewing Alex Kantecki's bold predictions for 2014. Warning: They are not good.

It's in the fantasy baseball writer's unwritten rules that if you write 10 bold predictions, you must review your horrible, no good picks after the season concludes. I couldn't resist the temptation to make foolish predictions, too, so here I am to review just how stupid I am or was.

1. Ian Kinsler finishes as the No. 1 second baseman.

Not a bad start. Even though Kinsler finished fourth at the keystone, according to the ESPN Player Rater, he made good in a bounce-back season, while also making the Rangers look even dumber for taking on Prince Fielder's contract. It took him until Game 162, but Kinsler hit the 100-run plateau while adding 17 home runs, 92 RBIs and 15 steals -- all with a solid .275 BA.  I bought into Robinson Cano's fantasy decline in Seattle, and I stayed far away from Jason Kipnis. Of course, I didn't see Jose Altuve coming. But he's just so gosh darn small, can you blame me?

My preseason prediction for Kinsler:

Batting leadoff in a strong Tigers' lineup, 100-plus runs are attainable. He's only three years removed from 32 long balls, and I wouldn't put it past Detroit's new keystone to approach 25 home runs with 15-20 steals.

So, yeah, I was well off on the home runs, but everything else was pretty close.

Yay or Nay? Nay (0 for 1)

2. Junior Lake outperforms Khris Davis.

Hey, look! It's another stupid Cubs prediction. This was more about me not believing in Krush than being a fan of Lake. Still, Davis clearly was the superior fantasy play.  The Brewers outfielder finished as a top-100 bat (and top-50 OF), but was inconsistent and finished with a .244 BA and 22 home runs. He hit only .239 against right-handed pitchers, however, and was pretty much what I thought he would be: a player who strikes out often and hits the occasional home run. Davis really tailed off in the second half, hitting .229 with seven home runs in 56 games. I'm not any more optimistic on Davis after seeing a full season.

Yay or Nay? Nay (0 for 2)

3. Fernando Rodney and John Axford combine for 70 saves.

I bought into Axford's strong finish to 2013, but once he left St. Louis I guess his throwing ability did, too. Never again. Rodney was just fine, however, never coming close to losing his gig in Seattle. He finished with a league-leading 48 saves and a sub-3.00 ERA, but his 1.34 WHIP dragged him down among the ranks of closers. Axford finished with 10 handshakes, so I was only 12 saves away.

Yay or Nay? Nay (0 for 3)

4. Wilson Ramos hits more home runs than Brian McCann.

When McCann signed with the Yankees, the love for the former Brave was deafening. The short porch made people say crazy things, like how McCann would absolutely hit 30 bombs in pinstripes. Well, he finished with 23 home runs -- one short of his career high -- in 140 games while hitting a career-worst .231. Ramos, however, only hit 11 taters and couldn't stay on the field (88 games). I remain confident that a full season of Ramos would bring 25ish home runs, but it's becoming harder and harder to see it happening. A strong showing in the postseason could really balloon his 2015 stock.

Yay or Nay? Nay (0 for 4)

5. Justin Morneau outperforms Brandon Belt.

This was perhaps the bold prediction I felt most confident in, and Morneau came through. Yes, Brandon Belt was injured most of the year, but I don't think he would have caught up to Morneau's fantastic year in Coors. He finished just outside the top-12 at first base with a .319 BA, 17 home runs, 62 runs and 82 RBIs. Belt, meanwhile, labored his way to .243 and 12 homers. Belt was overhyped, but he'll at least be a good value pick for next year.

Yay or Nay? Yay! (1 for 5)

6. Carlos Gomez goes 25/40 and scores 100 runs.

Gomez was a constant on my fake teams, but fell just short of my lofty expectations. The Brewers outfielder belted 23 home runs and added 34 steals and 95 runs while matching last year's total of 73 RBIs. It was another awesome year from Gomez, who finished No. 4 in the outfield. I think it's safe to say now: Gomez is for real.

Yay or Nay? Almost yay, but a nay (1 for 6)

7. Mike Olt outperforms Nick Castellanos.

Ha! A Cubs fan can dream, can't he? Next year, I'll have real Cubs prospects to make bold predictions on. As far as Castellanos goes, I was mildly disappointed. I expected much more in the batting average department (.259 BA), and his plate discipline in his rookie year wasn't encouraging (140 strikeouts and 36 walks in 148 games).  Still, he's a rookie, and I have high hopes for him going forward. He'll never mash it like Miggy, but Castellanos still has appeal in long-term formats.

Yay or Nay? So much nay (1 for 7)

8. Homer Bailey is the NL Central's best starting pitcher.

Ugh. I jumped on the Bailey train a year too late. He just couldn't find any consistency, finishing with a 3.71 ERA across 23 starts. That doesn't mean I won't take a chance on a discounted Bailey in 2015. His control wasn't as sharp and his strikeouts were down, but it's not like he was horrible. Bailey finished with a 3.53 xFIP and 3.60 SIERA. Next year, look for Bailey to find a middle ground between his 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Yay or Nay? Nay (1 for 8)

9. Alexei Ramirez finishes outside the top-20 shortstops.

ALEXEI!!! finished the year as the No. 4 shortstop, doing it all with a .273 BA, 82 runs, 15 home runs, 74 RBIs and 21 steals. I didn't expect the 33-year-old to keep running, nor did I his power returning to the mid-teens level. I was just flat out wrong on this one and didn't give Ramirez enough respect.

Yay or Nay? Nay (1 for 9)

10. Matt Adams outperforms Matt Holliday.

I really thought this one would come true, but a strong second-half push from Holliday put him over the top. The veteran outfielder finished with 20 home runs for the ninth straight season, belting 14 in the second half. He also added 83 runs and 90 RBIs. Adams finished with a batter batting average (.288 to .272), but that was about it. With Allen Craig struggling, Adams found 563 plate appearances, but simply didn't do enough with them. He hit 15 long balls (compared to 17 in 34 fewer games in 2013), and struggled down the stretch. After hitting .329 and 11 home runs in the first half, the husky first baseman batted .235 with four home runs after the All-Star break. It will be interesting to see how Mike Matheny uses Adams next year, considering he only hit .190 against southpaws.

Yay or Nay? Nay (1 for 10)

So there you have it. I converted one bold prediction out of 10, which is one worse than my showing in 2013. But you better believe I'll be back next year, foot in mouth.

Today's lessons include the positives of the 2014 season, increased attendance, and thumb surgery.

There were many positive things to come out of the 2014 season.

As tough as it will be to look back at 2014 after the collapse, it wasn't all bad. There were many positive things that came out of the team this season. Yesterday, Derek looked back at the 2014 season and remembered some of the good and bad moments. New free agents, positive trades, the development of young players, and more happened during the season. It may not be much consolation, but it could bring some hope to the possibility of the Brewers competing in 2015.

One of those is increased attendance at the home games.

With a strong start to the season, the Brewers were able to get attendance up this season after a couple of seasons where it dropped. Yesterday, attendance figures were released for the league, and the Brewers had the largest increase in attendance in the league. Their overall attendance was also the eighth highest in the league. Most of that was helped by a strong start and staying in the playoff race until the last week of the season. The Brewers need good attendance to be able to afford the free agent contracts they have. Hopefully this will allow them to continue building the team.

Ryan Braun will have surgery on his thumb.

One of the reasons behind the Brewers collapse was an injured Ryan Braun. With his thumb bothering him all season, he was only a shell of his former self this year. Braun finally decided to take care of the issue and will have surgery on the thumb Thursday. It's not a guarantee to work, but the procedure selected should minimize risk to Braun's ability to play. Hopefully the procedure is a success for Braun, because the Brewers need him healthy if they are going to compete in 2015.

Cram Session

• The Brewers are taking emotion out of the equation on the Ron Roenicke decision and will not make one until next week. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel looks at the decision Melvin has to make, as well as other pending decisions this offseason.
• On Brewers.com, Adam McCalvy has his review of the 2014 season, as well as a preview to the 2015 offseason.
• Voting is underway for the Hank Aaron Award, which is given to the best offensive player in each league. Jonathan Lucroy has been nominated for the Brewers, and you can vote on MLB.com for who you want to win.
• The Brewers offense struggled at the end of the season, but was it just the Brewers that had a decrease in offense? Nicholas Zettel of Disciples of Uecker looks at offensive outputs around the National League and if they favored the hitters or pitchers.
• There were definitely some great moments in 2014. Enrique Bakemeyer of The Brewers Bar put together a top 10 list of his favorite moments from the 2014 season.
• In the minors, Michael Ratterree won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the top defensive right fielder in all of the minor leagues. Only one is given to each position throughout all of the minor league levels, so this is a big honor for him.

The season is over and now is a time for reflection. At least as far as the second base platoon is concerned, I will always look back fondly.

There was a lot of talk in the off-season, and even during spring training, about trading Rickie Weeks. Those talks ranged from including money in a deal to get something like a reliever back to just straight up trading him for nothing (and usually still including some money) just to get him off the team. The Brewers probably looked into it, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth it to trade him. Instead they used him in the light side of a platoon with Scooter Gennett at second base. It was a good thing they did.

Related Article Headline Goes Here

A lot of things happened in 2014 and we can't ignore the good things, even if the major league team failed to reach their goal.

With the combined efforts of Scooter Gennett and Rickie Weeks, the Brewers ranked a pretty respectable 11th in team fWAR (3.0 fWAR) at second base. That is also the 4th best mark in the National League. I had high hopes for the platoon, but even I'm surprised to learn the duo combined for the 4th best offensive mark (113 wRC+) in all of baseball at the position. Defensively though, they ranked 28th which also surprised me a bit.

Let's take a look at some of their full season numbers side by side:

As you can see, unsurprisingly, Rickie Weeks was responsible for dragging down the platoon's defensive rating. Scooter Gennett was no defensive wizard, but he wasn't bad and his 1.5 Def score ranks 9th among second basemen (min. 450 PA).

The troubling figure is Gennett's offense. Earlier in the season Gennett was raking. Then in the second half he cooled off significantly. That's concerning, however I warn anyone against using half season splits. They are not good indicators of future production. Or at the very least, they're not as good as full seasons. If Gennett is only good for around league average production offensively, then that's going to be a huge problem next year.

He's likely going to face left-handed pitching which is something he really didn't do this year. Let us take a look at the splits by the two second baseman. First, opposite handed pitching:

Yowzers! Rickie Weeks absolutely punished left-handed pitching. I had high hopes for him, or at least I thought they were, and he surpassed them. Gennett was solid versus RHP. If we can expect a similar number next year, that's fine when he's facing RHP. But it's less than one would hope and it's not going to be enough to hold up he season numbers when you add in a significant increase in plate appearances versus left handed pitching.

So finally, let's see how each fared against same handed pitching:

Once again, wow Rickie Weeks. He really did have a very nice season in a reduced role this year. His numbers against right handed pitching are far less impressive than LHP, but still slightly above league average. I had my doubts about his future, and his defense might keep him from getting full time work, but if a club is smart they'll pick him up cheap and probably have a nice player on their hands.

Now about those atrocious numbers by Gennett. He's never really been able to hit left handed pitching so they don't really surprise me. They probably aren't indicative of his true talent level vs LHP though. First off, it's only 42 plate appearances which is a really really small sample size. Also, most if not all of those plate appearances were against relievers. In other words, the opposing team put in their one pitcher that is super effective against left-handers to face him. If a full time role Gennett will see those guys, but he'll also see the mediocre to bad lefties too.

Next year Rickie Weeks will be playing for a different team. If you couldn't stand him while he was with the Brewers, well kid gloves off: You should be ashamed of yourself. He was a top 10 second baseman for years and his career was dampened by injury. Yet, in his final season with the Brewers he was his old self, if only in a smaller role. I will miss him.

Next year, Scooter Gennett will likely play full time for the Brewers. That worries me. I think there is reason to believe he can improve on that 118 wRC+ vs RHP. If you'll recall, he was suffering from a quad strain for a lot of the second half. He's also young enough and inexperienced enough that it's reasonable to assume some improvement over the next couple of years. I also think he can do better than the -39 wRC+ vs LHP. However, he will never hit LHP as well as Rickie Weeks did. And for that reason I'm cautioning you to expect a moderate to substantial decline in overall offensive production at second base next year. However that should be mitigated somewhat by an increase in over all defensive efficiency.

Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs

Today's lessons include the second base platoon, more on Ron Roenicke's future, and the start of the MLB Postseason.

The Brewers second base platoon was one of the better second base situations in all of MLB.

Platoons are put together to take two players, each with a glaring weakness, and play each of them in situations where that weakness is minimized. This season, the Brewers did that at second base with Scooter Gennett and Rickie Weeks. The results were very good, as the two of them combined to put together one of the best situations at second base in the league. Derek notes that the two combined were 11th in fWAR and 4th offensively out of all 30 MLB teams. With Rickie Weeks leaving this offseason, it's up in the air as to what could happen for next season. We could see Gennett at second base full time, or a new platoon could form. Whatever it is, hopefully it can repeat the success of this platoon from this season.

Cram Session

• Doug Melvin is holding to his timeline on Ron Roenicke, waiting until next week to make his decision. Adam McCalvy has some notes on the decision, including Melvin's plans for this week and some adjustments Melvin and Roenicke discussed in September.
• With a decision on Ron Roenicke not coming until next week, the opinions will be out about what the Brewers should do. On Reviewing the Brew, Bill Berg believes that Ron Roenicke should return in 2015.
• Jonah Keri of Grantland released his picks for the different MLB awards, which includes one Brewer among the NL MVP selections.
• Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors has some notes on the Brewers pending decisions, including Rickie Weeks preparing to move on and Francisco Rodriguez wanting to return.
• In former Brewer news, Corey Hart has been designated for assignment by the Mariners. He would have been a free agent anyway after the World Series, so this just pushes it up a little bit.

NL Central Notes

• When will the Cubs compete again for a NL Central title? According to GM Theo Epstein, it could happen in 2015. Carrie Muskat of MLB.com has some quotes from the Cubs GM, where he discusses the future potential of the Cubs.
• Did the Pirates make the right decision by starting Gerrit Cole in the final game of the regular season? David Schoenfield of ESPN SweetSpot notes that the situation wasn't favorable, while Steven Silverman of Beyond the Box Score says the probabilities were nearly the same had Cole started or not. Meanwhile, Tony Blengino looks at it from the other side, saying that it's not a bad idea to start Edinson Volquez in the wild card game.

Postseason Notes

Yesterday's Games

• AL Wild Card Game: Royals 9, Athletics 8 (12 Innings)
  Royals advance to ALDS.

Today's Games

• NL Wild Card Game: Giants @ Pirates - 7:00 pm
  Starting Pitchers: Madison Bumgarner vs. Edinson Volquez

News & Notes

• Mike Oz of Big League Stew has a ranking of all 25 potential World Series matchups.
• Could the wild card game become a wild card series? Eno Sarris of FanGraphs proposes a small change to make that could allow MLB to expand the wild card game into a series.
• Two years ago, Stephen Strasburg was held out of the NLDS for the Nationals, and the decision was questioned after the Nationals were eliminated in 5 games. Howard Fendrich of the AP looks back on that decision and how it set the Nationals up for this year.
• Before last night's game, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs had a few pieces of advice for Ned Yost.
• With the Brewers not in the playoffs, who do you want to see win it? Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs has a poll asking that question, with 22% voting for the now-eliminated Athletics. Pirates and Royals came in second and third, with the Cardinals coming in at ninth.

The Giancarlo Stanton injury was a backbreaking injury that hurt the Marlins' slim chances at the playoffs and might have cost Stanton a legitimate chance at the National League MVP award.

The Miami Marlins' 2014 campaign was such a positive event, but it was positive often despite the hardships rather than being a hardship-free zone. One of the hardships associated with the great year that Giancarlo Stanton had for the team is the way that that year ended. On September 11, 2014, in a game against Mike Fiers and the Milwaukee Brewers, Fiers accidentally threw an inside fastball that flew out of control, angling hard and fast at Stanton's head. The pit hit Stanton flush in the cheek, injuring him badly enough to be carted off the field. The injury was a bloody one, with Stanton clearly dented by the fastball and immediately going down.

The results of this injury were fairly widespread. For one, it essentially ended Stanton's season. Stanton suffered multiple lacerations and fractures and a dental injury that left a hole in his face. He was down for several minutes, the crew checked on him, and he had to be carted off for emergency evaluation. Thankfully, the injuries were not so severe that they required immediate surgery, but Stanton did have to get multiple evaluations and was flown down to Miami to be seen by the team doctors there. Eventually, it was deemed that Stanton did not require surgery, and his healing process would go smoothly on its own. Still, with his face involved, it was safe to assume that his season had ended, and Miami finally pulled the trigger and announced him out for the rest of the year.

This cut off a season that was turning into one of the best in Marlins history. At the time, Stanton's season was simply among the best that any Marlin had ever put up, but with at least 15 games left in the year, he had a chance to build up more. He had a very good chance at reaching 40 home runs, a mark that only one other Marlin had ever reached in a single season. Stanton definitely had a chance at breaking that record, initially set by Gary Sheffield in 1996, as he was down only five runs with 15 games to go. The shot to the face deprived Stanton of a season that could have matched the best years by any Marlin, typically considered the peak Hanley Ramirez years, and instead left him a win shy of that category of play. While that is nothing to be ashamed of, we are still left to wonder what might have been had Stanton stayed the course. Could he have had the best season in Marlins history? It seemed possible.

Losing Stanton also took away the team's best hitter at a time that the club could have used the help. Miami was in the very periphery of the Wild Card race, but the Milwaukee Brewers had helped with that by floundering badly down the stretch. It allowed the Fish to have a chance to chase down the Pittsburgh Pirates, especially as we saw the Brewers progress further down the standings. It is unlikely that Stanton being in the lineup would have made the difference between the playoffs or not, but without Stanton, Miami ran very inferior lineups and ended the year 6-11 without him in the lineup. His absence certainly did not help.

Finally, the occurrences after the injury were also unfortunate. Fiers beaned another player in Reed Johnson immediately afterward, and both plays were called as swings and misses. While technically correct by the rules (as interpreted by the umpires on the field in the heat of the moment), it certainly seemed harsh in terms of the letter of the law. Had one of these been ruled a hit-by-pitch, the Marlins likely could have avoided the benches-clearing brawl and argument that occurred that caused two ejections on site and another one a few innings later, when Anthony DeSclafani beaned Carlos Gomez and was immediately thrown out. While there was some circumstantial evidence that the hit was intentional, it still ended up costing DeSclafani a suspension and withheld payment. Tack on the emotional component of what happened to the Fish, you can see how this might have weighed on the team as the season limped to a close.

The Marlins losing Giancarlo Stanton was a difficult pill to swallow at the end of the year. Losing an MVP definitely affected them on the field, but it could have had a bad effect on the Fish mentally and emotionally as well. Thankfully, the recovery is already on its way, and Stanton should be back on his feet and ready to mash as a Marlin in 2015.

Today's lessons include the first-base platoon, the players' appreciation, and the potential retirement of a Brewer.

The Brewers first-base platoon ended up being a bad idea.

While the second base platoon for the Brewers ended up working well, the first base platoon was a different story. Mark Reynolds and Lyle Overbay both struggled to produce, creating a situation that left a gaping hole in the offense. Derek looked back at the platoon yesterday, analyzing what went well and what went wrong with it. The Brewers have been scrambling to find another option at first base since Prince Fielder left after the 2011 season. They are still looking now, and there's no telling how much longer it will be until they find their answer.

Cram Session

• Yesterday, the Brewers took out a full-page ad in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel to thank the fans for their support in 2014. Noah took some time to look at each message and provide the text.
• At 37, Lyle Overbay's career may be done. Justin Millar of MLB Daily Dish reports that Overbay is near certain that he will retire.
• The decision on Ron Roenicke should come next week, but there will be a lot to consider when making it. Jonathan Judge of Disciples of Uecker has a few points that management should keep in mind while making their decision.
• Ron Roenicke didn't issue many intentional walks in 2014, but when he did, they tended to be in good situations. Chris Teeter of Beyond the Box Score wraps up the season's intentional walks, which includes Ron Roenicke issuing one of the season's two "rageless" intentional walks.
• Nick Michalski of The Brewers Bar has an idea to increase focus on the field: limit the number of alternate jerseys that the team uses.
• Former Brewer Paul Molitor is one of the candidates the Twins are interviewing for their open managerial job.
• The Arizona Fall League will experiment with some rules to speed up a baseball game. These include a pitch clock, limits on trips to the mound, and pitchless intentional walks.

NL Central Update

• The Cardinals have set their NLDS rotation, and Michael Wacha was left out of it. He will join the bullpen for the NLDS instead.

Division Update

Yesterday's Games

• NL Wild Card Game: Giants 8, Pirates 0
  Giants advance to NLDS.

Today's Games

• AL Division Series - Game 1
  Tigers @ Orioles - 4:30 pm, TBS
  Series Tied 0-0
• AL Division Series - Game 1
  Royals @ Angels - 8:00 pm, TBS
  Series Tied 0-0

News & Notes

• Despite winning the AL Wild Card game, David Schoenfield of ESPN SweetSpot has a reminder of why Ned Yost is a terrible manager.
• In preparation of the start of the ALDS today, Mark Townsend of Big League Stew has previews of both the Tigers-Orioles and Royals-Angels series.

The first set of offseason transactions occurred today.

It was announced Thursday that Alfredo Figaro had been claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers. The Brewers also outrighted catcher Matt Pagnozzi to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

The Brewers signed Alfredo Figaro as a minor league free agent before the start of the 2013 season. He actually saw quite a bit of playing time with the Brewers in 2013, but that was mostly due to injury. He pitched 75 innings, mostly out of the bullpen, but he did start 5 games. He put together a reasonable, if not awe inspiring, 4.14 ERA. He spent most of this year in AAA to mixed results.

I'm working on some articles about the arbitration eligible Brewers. Alfredo Figaro was the only one I was certain would not be with the Brewers next year so this move comes as no surprise. He has a big fastball, but his secondary offerings were always lacking. At 30 years old he still has some time to prove himself. Hopefully he'll be able to do that with the Rangers.

Matt Pagnozzi was signed as a minor league free agent before the start of this season. He spent the entire year in Triple-A before getting called-up in September. At the time I said he was only chosen to allow Ron Roenicke to pinch hit for one or with one of his catchers. The one inning and zero plate appearances proves I was correct.

Pagnozzi has bounced around with 7 different clubs since 2010. The Brewers don't have a ton of catching options in the minors and so it's possible they re-sign him in the offseason as org-filler. He's not a guy you expect to play a part on a successful major league team though.

These two transactions have cleared two spots off the 40-man roster leaving it at 38. Once the World Series is completed (October 29th would be Game 7 if it goes that far) there will be more spots opened. We'll go over that next week though.

Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs

The right-hander profiles as bullpen depth for the Rangers.

The Rangers have claimed right-hander Alfredo Figaro off waivers from the Brewers, according to an announcement from the team. Figaro will take the 40-man roster spot of right-hander Wilmer Font, who was designated for assignment by Texas.

Figaro, 30, split the 2014 season between the Brewers' big league club and Triple-A Nashville, posting a 7.27 ERA in 8.2 major league innings and a 3.71 ERA in 70.1 innings for Nashville. He has traditionally been used as a starter throughout his career but was used almost exclusively as a reliever last season, making 46 of his 48 combined appearances out of the bullpen.

Figaro profiles as a bullpen depth piece for the Rangers next season, and is under team control through the 2018 season. He has a lifetime 5-8 record and 5.04 ERA in 52 major league appearances with the Tigers (2009-2010) and Brewers (2013-2014). He spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons pitching in Japan, where he was a successful starter with the Orix Buffaloes.