Fact or Fiction

Ben Sheets will start the All-Star Game?

This is a fact. Sheets is 9-1 with a 2.59 ERA. The only guy more deserving of the start is the Reds' Edinson Volquez, who is 10-2 with a 1.71 ERA. Sheets has been around longer, and has more name recognition so I think he'll get the start.

Russell Branyan will continue to produce at a high level?

Fact. Branyan is platooning with Bill Hall so he is only seeing right handers. If he were playing every day it would be fiction, but since he's only facing right handers this is a fact. This season Branyan is 0 for 11 against lefties, but is hitting .349 against right handed pitching.

Gabe Kapler should be the Brewers' every day center fielder?

Fiction. While Kapler has had a great season thus far his defense is no where near Mike Cameron's. Cameron's average is a little low right now, but it's a small sample size, and he has hit 12 home runs.

The Brewers should trade Bill Hall?

This is definitely fiction. Hall asked to be traded a few weeks ago but there is no reason for the Brewers to accommodate his request. Although Russell Branyan is an absolute monster against right handed pitching, he really scuffles against lefties. Hall hits left handed pitching well, and has a lot of versatility. The Hall/Branyan platoon have combined for 20 home runs, the same amount Ryan Braun has this year. Having them platoon has been like having another Fielder or Braun in the lineup.

Putting Eric Gagne in the setup role upon his return is a good move?

Fiction. It was announced when Gagne returns he would take over the role as the setup man. This is a bad move. He shouldn't close, and he shouldn't pitch the 8th inning either. When Gagne returns he should not be pitching in high pressure situations right away. He didn't prove he could handle the closers spot earlier this season, and until he starts performing he shouldn't have a crucial role in the bullpen.

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Prospect Watch: Jonathan Lucroy

Jonathan Lucroy, a catcher from Louisiana Lafayette, was the Brewers' third round draft pick in 2007. Lucroy, 22, was recently promoted from West Virginia to High-A Brevard County.

In 239 at bats at West Virginia, Lucroy hit .310 with a .390 on base percentage. He had 10 home runs and 33 RBI. Lucroy has played four games since being promoted and is off to a good start with Brevard County. He's currently hitting .357 with one home run and five RBI's.

Lucroy is one of the Brewers' prospects I find the most exciting. Catching has been very weak in the Brewers' sytem over the years, but it is starting to become a strength with Lucroy, Angel Salome, and the recently drafted Brett Lawrie. If Lucroy continues to perform well he'll have a chance to start next season in Double-A.

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Which Prospect Excites you the Most?

We asked which prospect excites you the most? The turnout was very good. The choices were Matt LaPorta, Mat Gamel, Jeremy Jeffress, Alcides Escobar, Cole Gillespie, and Angel Salome.

Matt LaPorta received the most votes with 16, which was good for 37% of the vote. Fellow Huntsville Star, Matt Gamel, finished in second with 11 votes, which made up 25% of the vote. Angel Salome was third with 13%, followed by Alcides Escobar at 11%, Cole Gillespie with 9%, and Jeremy Jeffress had 2%.

Matt LaPorta won the poll which makes sense, since he is probably the closest to the big leagues. Currently at Double-A Huntsville LaPorta is hitting .297 with an outstanding on base percentage of .411. He's slugged 19 home runs and has 58 RBI.

In all 43 votes were turned in. Thank you to everyone that voted.

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Prospect Watch: Taylor Green

Taylor Green, the reigning Brewers minor league player of the year, is having another stand out season at High-A Brevard County. The 21 year-old third basemen is hitting .316 with a .398 on base percentage. He has six home runs and 42 RBI's. While his bat is very good, he needs work defensively, as he has 11 errors.

Green is a very promising prospect. He doesn't have a ton of power, but he's a guy that could hit around 20 home runs in the big leagues. He's more in the Jeff Cirillo mold of third basemen than a Mat Gamel or Ryan Braun type. If he continues to play well he could earn a promotion to Double-A once the Brewers choose to move Gamel to Triple-A.

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Weeks on the DL

Now that Rickie Weeks has been placed on the DL with a sprained knee Hernan Iribarren has been recalled from Triple-A to take his roster spot.

This is bad news for the Brewers. Ned Yost, please don't start Craig Counsell. Yes, Counsell is good defensively but his bat is horrible. He has zero power, and hits for a terrible average and has been this way since his first stint with the Brewers.

Why don't the Brewers start Hall at second base? If Hall wants to play he'd take the spot. Yes, he hasn't been hitting righties well this season, but it's a small sample size. Last season Hall hit .247 against righties, .261 in 2006, and .277 in 2005. At least have him split playing time with Joe Dillon. If Hall wants to be traded it doesn't help his stock by keeping him on the bench. At least he brings some power to the plate.

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Prospect Watch: Alcides Escobar

It seems like every week someone from the Huntsville Stars shows up on Prospect Watch and this week is no exception. Huntsville is stacked with talent. One of the more highly touted players on the Stars roster is Alcides Escobar.

Escobar, 21, has been swinging the bat extremely well this season at shortstop. Through 62 games Escobar is hitting .337 with a .374 on base percentage. He's also hit six home runs and has 42 RBI. Escobar has proven to be a threat on the base paths as well with 16 stolen bases.

It's amazing how talented the Huntsville lineup is. The way Escobar is going he could see a promotion to Triple-A this season, along with several of the other highly touted prospects in the Stars lineup.

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Brewers Nab Brett Lawrie in 1st Round

The Brewers selected Canadian high school catcher, Brett Lawrie with their first round pick. This looks like it could be another good pick for the Brewers. They took the player they felt was the best available as well as filling a need by taking a catcher. This now gives the Brewers three young quality catchers in their farm system with Lawrie, Angel Salome, and Jonathan Lucroy.

There was an article on yahoo that talks about how his stock had been rising coming into the draft. Here is one thing from that article that stood out.

"Scouts rave about his raw power and some believe he may be the most advanced hitter at age 18 in the country's history. But it's the intangibles that really seem to set him apart, what one described as "the ridiculous fearlessness" he shows on the field and a relentless competitive drive to dominate."

Here's what MLB.com's scouting report says on him.

Strengths:	Plus, plus raw power, generated by strong hands and bat speed.
Weaknesses:	His lack of a true position. Catching might be the best bet, but he's behind due to lack of experience.
Summary:	Scouting Canadian players can sometimes be difficult because of the lack of opportunity to see them. But scouts know all about Lawrie and his plus power potential, something he's been able to show off while playing for the Langley Blaze in British Columbia. What they don't know is where he can play, though he's shown the tools -- raw though they may be -- to handle being a catcher. It may take a while, but putting that bat behind the plate could one day make him a premium player.

The Brewers also had two sandwich picks after the first round. With pick #32 they selected high school pitcher, Jake Odorizzi. Here's his scouting report from MLB.com.

Strengths:	Four average or above pitches and the overall ability to command them. He's got a quick, easy arm action and room to grow on his frame.
Weaknesses:	He doesn't always command the four-seamer consistently, his changeup is behind the other pitches and he surprisingly doesn't make hitters swing and miss as much as you'd think.
Summary:	A high school pitcher with "helium," Odorizzi is moving up charts thanks to an excellent repertoire, good command and smooth delivery. He's got four offerings that grade out as average or better, a projectable frame that has room for growth. The only things that could hold him back are some questions about his competitiveness on the mound and a commitment to Louisville.

Then with pick #35 the Brewers selected a left handed college pitcher, Evan Frederickson from San Francisco. The 21 year-old Frederickson is a towering 6'6''. He had a 5-3 record with a 4.54 ERA this season. In 75.1 innings pitched he had 109 strikeouts.

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Brewers Keep Turning Up the Heat!

The Brewers just continue to roll. After sweeping the Diamondbacks today the Brewers are now 32-28 on the season. They've won six in a row and nine of their last ten.

There were unbelievable performances across the board today. The entire offense is raking right now. The fourth inning was the most exciting inning of the year. In the inning we saw Braun hit a triple, Corey Hart hit an inside the park homer, and then watched Russell Branyan homer in the next at bat! Seeing Hart hit the inside the park homer was one of the most exciting plays I've seen in a long time and is definitely the play of the year so far for the Brewers. It sure is fun to watch this team clicking on all cylinders.

And how about Manny Parra? The offense will get the most attention but he turned in possibly the best performance of his career. Parra went seven strong innings allowing only four hits and one run while striking out eight batters. Manny is following suit with the rest of the starting rotation and is beginning to turn in some solid starts.

The Brewers will have the day off tomorrow and then head to Colorado for a three games series with the Rockies. Ben Sheets will take the mound for the crew and try to keep turning up the heat while Brewers fans clap their hands and stomp their feet because the taste of victory is oh so sweet.

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Prospect Watch: Michael Brantley

Can you say under the radar? Michael Brantley, the Brewers' seventh round pick in the 2005 draft is tearing it up playing center field for Double-A Huntsville. You may not have heard about him yet because of all the other talent there like Mat Gamel, Matt LaPorta, Angel Salome, Alcides Escobar, and Cole Gillespie, but you will be hearing a lot about this name in the near future.

Through 51 games and 204 at bats, Brantley, who just turned 21 a few weeks ago is batting .322 with a .402 on base percentage. He's also stolen 16 bases. These are very strong numbers for someone his age playing at Double-A, or any age for that matter. Last season Brantley hit .335 with .413 on base percentage for Low-A West Virginia.

Brantley has done a fantastic job batting lead off for Huntsville. He's getting on base and letting the big guns drive him in. He certainly has a bright future ahead of him. Brantley most likely won't see the big leagues this season but don't be surprised to see him called up at some point in 2009.

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It's Coming Together

How about that series? The Brewers sweep the Astros and have won six of their last seven games. Everything just seems to be clicking for the team right now.

Dave Bush was outstanding today allowing only one run and has put together back to back great starts. We've seen glimpses of this in the past with Bush but this season he had not been performing well. He's really stepped up his game as of late.

Once again Ryan Braun proves how awesome he is as he homers on Ryan Braun bobble head day. He is so consistent. Braun now has 15 homers on the season and is hitting .297.

Speaking of awesome, Russell "The Muscle" Branyan has been tearing it up since joining the team from Triple-A. He hit his third homer today. The platoon he has going with Hall seems like it's going to work out very well.

How about Ben Sheets' performance on Saturday? Big Ben continues to deal. He's 6-1 with a 2.71 ERA. If the Brewers continue to play well Sheets could be a legitimate Cy Young candidate. Doug Melvin are you listening? Sign this man to an extension!

And how about the pitching in general? The starters have been picking up their performance lately and the bullpen has been lights out since Turnbow and Gagne have been gone. Salomon Torres, Guillermo Mota, Brian Shouse, and Tim Dillard have been turning in outstanding outings. All of those guys have ERA's under 3.20.

Things finally seem to be coming together for the Brewers. The bats have come alive and the pitching has really improved. The Brewers record currently stands at 29-28. Now they'll try to close out this home stand with a series victory over the NL West leading Arizona Diamondbacks.

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