This is part one of a two part kickoff article to Season Five of the Sunday Cycle. Part two will be posted on Sunday evening, on the eve of the Brewers’ Home Opener
“The expectation now is to win.”
Real words spoken by Ryan Braun.
Braun says what team-owner Mark Attanasio tells him to say; such is the life of an All-Star caliber player who made an All-Star level mistake years ago. But that’s not important right now.
What’s important is what he said: “The expectation now is to win”.
David Stearns and Craig Counsell followed suit. In fact, the message from the entire Brewers organization has been so loud and clear it might as well have been shouted from the rooftop of Miller Park…
The Rebuild is Over- the Brewers expect to win in 2018.
The Sunday Cycle – Season Five
Subtitle – I’m All In.
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To those new to the Sunday Cycle: I’m excited to have you along for the ride (or for this one click). The Sunday Cycle began as a weekly Facebook post following the Brewers unexpected fast start to the 2014 season. It nearly died, along with my overall health and emotional well being, that fall during the Brewer’s now infamous autumn collapse, which I’m just now finally starting to get over.
As the 2014 season progressed, the popularity of The Sunday Cycle grew, and I found a home with The Squeaky Curd. Today I remain the longest tenured, non-equity holding co-founder of The Squeaky Curd, as well as the only Senior Writer on staff (read all about my promotion in last year’s pre-season article). I try to insert the heroic tales of my struggle with the Curd for #writersrights from time to time, but mainly, we talk baseball here.
(If you’re not used to the one of my articles yet, please re-read that paragraph with just a touch of sarcasm… but only a touch)
In the world of the baseball media, there’s no shortage of game recaps and complex statistical breakdowns. The Sunday Cycle is not that. I try to keep a pulse on this team from week-to-week written from the perspective of a fan. I watch and listen to a lot of games; about 145 per season. I got married during the offseason (#breaking), and my wife knows the deal- she can no longer plead ignorance to my love of baseball (hey honey, love you – thx again for letting me do this).
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To those who have been with me for all or part of the last four seasons (shout out to Greg and Aunt Carol): I hope that your visions of Fall 2018 are as playoff-filled as mine, and that you’ll continue to join me week to week as I tell the story of what I hope will be the first postseason run in Sunday Cycle History… but let’s not jinx it.
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Back to baseball.
What a winter it’s been. It’s been the most “significant feeling” off season that I ever remember as a fan. The Brewers looked to take advantage of the Marlin’s fire sale, trading top prospect Lewis Brinson and some other scratch offs for 26-year-old Christian Yelich. Yelich is a lifetime .290 hitter with a gold glove to his name, and he’s in the prime of his career. Brewers center fielders hit a combined .229 last year.
Instant upgrade. Although in fairness to the center fielders, Keon Broxton did bring us this last year (also, Bryan Anderson’s call is perfect).
But they weren’t done.
That same day, Dealin’ David Stearns inked the Brewers’ most significant contract since Ryan Braun, bringing 32-year-old former Brewer Lorenzo Cain back to Milwaukee on a five-year $80 million dollar mega contract. Cain is also, coincidentally, a lifetime .290 hitter. He’s also got a World Series ring to his name. Brewer’s left fielders hit a combined .238 last year. Again, instant upgrade.
Frenzy ensued!
The Brewers were suddenly faced with an overflow of talent in their outfield, leading one to believe the Brewers would either trade that talent for starting pitching, or ink a free agent pitcher. I bought into this thought process as well. It was the general sentiment throughout the baseball community, but it didn’t pan out that way.
The best part of the frenzy is was what came from the front office in the days that ensued: rebuild over, we’re competing.
It’s significant, and here’s why: they didn’t have to do it. They could’ve pumped the brakes, and let the people whisper amongst themselves that the Brewers were secretly all in. They could’ve towed the line that they were still building for the future, trying to develop young talent, focused on the long term success of the organization, blah blah blah.
Nope, Stearns said f*** that. He threw his scratchoffs on the table and went all-in. Love that.
Fast forward to Opening Day, which just feels wrong on a Thursday, but oh well, it’s baseball. Ryan Braun will start at first base. Keon Broxton and Brett Phillips will begin their seasons in AAA. Jesus Aguilar barely snuck out a 25-man roster spot. Eric Thames doesn’t “really know what’s going on“.
There’s a log jam of talent on the Brewers lineup. This is the way it’s supposed to be. The 25th spot on a roster spot shouldn’t be filled with the Gabe Grosses of the world. It should be a spot that has to be fought for. When Counsell started as the skipper of the Brewers, he spoke often about creating a culture of competition in the clubhouse. This is what that looks like, even when it means my favorite player Brett Phillips has to begin his season in the minors.
In tandem with the entire Brewer’s organization, I, too, would like to publicly declare my intent to go all in on the Brewers this year, via The Sunday Cycle.
This is my fifth year covering the team on a weekly basis, even though I haven’t returned to the Brewers press corps since August 28, 2015, I’m more confident than ever in my takes. This isn’t a joke, people. When all is said and done, I waste close to 1,000 hours of my life, per year, watching, listening, writing, and talking about the Brewers. That’s, like, a month out of my year. Imagine if I spent all that time golfing…
Let it be shouted from the street(car)s of Milwaukee. It’s finally baseball season, and The Sunday Cycle is all in.
It’s Postseason or bust in 2018.
In Part 2/2, which will be posted Sunday evening, I’ll cover what I’m buying and selling this year, my predictions for the NL Central, my plans to take the Milwaukee baseball media by storm. I’ll even be sure to overreact to this three games series in San Diego that is robbing me of my beloved Opening Day in Milwaukee.