Stolen Bases

Hey everyone. A quick tidbit for you all.

So manager Ken Macha has said that the Brewers will be running more this season, after a near stationary stance on the base paths last season. I've commented on this before, about how there are so many guys on the team capable of 20+ stolen bases. Truly, this includes Braun, Gomez, Hart, Weeks, and Escobar. Actually, all of whom have stolen at least 20 in a season (either big league or minor league).

Put how is this panning out? Well, to date the Brewers are 23 and 4 for stolen base attempts in big league camp. And the only person to be caught stealing that will actually make the team is Counsell. Gomez leads the pack with 7 bags, outfield prospect Lorenzo Cain has 4 and 2B Rickie Weeks has 3. That is a team success rate of 85% (very good), and an average of 1.58 attempts per game.

Last season the Brewers as a team were 78-40, a 66% rate of success. Also, that is an average attempt rate of .73 SBs a game. I know this is just spring training, but I really do the Brewers will both try to steal more bases this year, and have a better success rate. Of the three regulars that are different than last year we exchange Mike Cameron (7 of 10) with Carlos Gomez (14 of 21 last year, 33 of 44 two years ago), J.J. Hardy (0 for 1) with Escobar (who was 42 of 52 in 109 games at AAA last year), and take a bit of a downgrade at catcher with Kendall (7 for 9) to Zaun (0 for 2).

Home runs should be down only marginally from last season, we are probably losing 10 or so at both center and short, but picking up 5 or so at catcher, if Weeks is healthy 10 at second, and maybe even 5 or so at right with a healthy Hart. Homers should be there, and if 78 and 40 jumps to maybe 110 and 30 it will just mean that many more runs... and lets just pray the pitching isn't as bad as last year (it can't be, can it?)

Warming up in Milwaukee, it's almost that time. Brew Up!