Baseball Articles | 1999
Post-Season Reviews
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Baseball Articles | 1999
Post-Season Reviews
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1999 Post-Season Review -- Milwaukee Brewers Written by Jon Dunkle This article takes a look at how the Milwaukee Brewers did in the 1999 season relative to preseason expectations. For an overview of the approach used in this review, and a definition of some of the key terms and statistics, please see the overview page called 1999 Team-by-Team Performance Reviews. Capsule SummaryProjected Actual Runs for 711 815 Runs allowed 818 886 Run Margin -107 -71 Wins 70 74 Pythagorean wins 70 74 Placement 6th 5th Behind breakout seasons from outfielders Geoff Jenkins and Jeromy Burnitz and a stellar performance by catcher Dave Nilsson, the offense of the Brewers outperformed expectations, making the Brewers a legitimate .500 team if their pitching had followed suit. It was not to be as the pitching ended up being a hodgepodge of youngsters and fill-ins for the six pitchers who were placed on the disabled list. Opening day starter Rafael Roque was ineffective and was later put in the bullpen. Number two starter Scott Karl also had troubles, leaving the Brewers without a solid starter upon which to rely. The offense went through a style change as former manager Phil Garner inexplicably abandoned the running game that made up such a large aspect of his offensive scheme in years past. Centerfielder Marquis Grissom was the only player to steal as many as 10 bases. The station-to-station approach hurt the Brewers as they left 1276 men on base, the most in the majors. Key Position PlayersThe 1999 Brewers were comprised of their star player, Jeff Cirillo, and seven guys who had surprising seasons. On the downside, Sean Berry, who was acquired to play first base, had one of his worst seasons ever. Middle infielders Fernando Vina and Jose Valentin both suffered from injuries which allowed Mark Loretta and rookie Ron Belliard the opportunity to have solid seasons. Marquis Grissom had a good year (for him) and his outfield mates, Geoff Jenkins and Jeromy Burnitz established themselves as a future star and a legitimate power threat, respectively. Catcher Dave Nilsson had a terrific season in preparation for the 2000 Olympics while Jeff Cirillo continued his hitting ways. Dave Nilsson, c, age 29 (as of July 1, 1999)AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 526 143 29 2 17 68 82 2 57 5 84 2 3 .272 .342 .432 .774 78 Prorated Mil 358 97 19 1 11 46 55 1 38 3 57 1 2 .271 .340 .422 .762 51 Actual Mil 343 106 19 1 21 56 62 2 53 6 64 1 2 .309 .400 .554 .954 78 Dave Nilsson is a man on a mission. Entering 1999, he renegotiated his contract so that he could find a way to play for his native Australia in the 2000 Olympic games. Nilsson proceeded to have one of his best seasons ever, making the All-Star team for the first time. After the season, he signed with a team in Japan, where the season schedule is more conducive for professionals to play in the Olympics. A true ambassador of baseball and about as passionate about the sport as one can be, he is set to achieve a major milestone in his life. Bobby Hughes, c, age 28AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 101 23 5 0 4 12 13 1 6 0 22 0 0 .228 .275 .396 .671 11 Prorated Mil 98 22 4 0 3 11 12 0 5 0 21 0 0 .224 .262 .357 .619 9 Actual Mil 101 26 2 0 3 10 8 0 5 0 28 0 0 .257 .292 .366 .659 10 Hughes was the primary backup to Nilsson in 1999. The Brewers do not believe he is capable of being a starter and have acquired Henry Blanco and Tyler Houston to work behind the plate in 2000. Robinson Cancel, c, age 23AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Actual Mil 44 8 2 0 0 5 5 1 2 0 12 0 0 .182 .234 .227 .461 3 Cancel has moved right up the ranks of the Brewers organization despite never playing more than half a season at any level. There is no consistency to his performance over the years and he is nothing special offensively or defensively. With the addition if a couple of veteran catchers and based on his drab performance in 1999, he may finally spend a full year at AAA. Sean Berry, 1b, age 33AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 526 148 34 1 19 71 89 11 44 3 82 6 6 .281 .345 .458 .803 82 Prorated Mil 250 70 16 0 9 33 42 5 20 1 38 2 2 .280 .342 .452 .794 38 Actual Mil 259 59 11 1 2 26 23 3 17 0 50 0 0 .228 .281 .301 .582 22 In 1998, Berry had one of his finest seasons ever, hitting .314 for the Astros, leading the Brewers to pick him up to be their first baseman in 1999. By the All-Star break, Berry was mostly riding the bench and being used as a pinch hitter. Berry has been bitten by the injury bug so many times during his career, he looks like a chew toy. 1999 was no exception. Hamstring injuries bothered him during the early part of the year. With his age and history, Berry's career is nearing an end. Brian Banks, 1b/c, age 28AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 76 19 4 0 3 10 12 0 8 0 17 2 1 .250 .318 .421 .739 10 Prorated Mil 222 55 11 0 8 29 35 0 23 0 49 5 2 .248 .316 .405 .721 30 Actual Mil 219 53 7 1 5 34 22 0 25 5 59 6 1 .242 .317 .352 .669 26 Banks has been a catcher for most of his career, being called up and used as a reserve when one of the major league catchers became hurt. 1999 had him filling in in a different fashion. With Sean Berry failing to hit, the Brewers put him at first base in an effort to get some production. He was an adequate stopgap for a while but ended up not doing much better than Berry. Kevin Barker, 1b, age 23AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 70 16 3 0 3 7 9 0 4 0 14 0 0 .229 .267 .400 .667 7 Prorated Mil 118 27 5 0 5 11 15 0 6 0 23 0 0 .229 .266 .398 .664 12 Actual Mil 117 33 3 0 3 13 23 0 9 1 19 1 0 .282 .331 .385 .715 16 When all else failed, the Brewers tried prospect Kevin Barker at first base. Barker is very similar to the Diamondbacks Travis Lee in appearance and performance but is better defensively. He will be given a shot at the full time role in 2000. Fernando Vina, 2b, age 30AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 590 169 30 9 5 84 41 19 40 2 44 16 12 .286 .350 .393 .743 82 Prorated Mil 159 45 8 2 1 22 11 5 10 0 11 4 3 .283 .345 .377 .722 21 Actual Mil 154 41 7 0 1 17 16 4 14 0 6 5 2 .266 .339 .331 .670 19 The injury prone Vina made two visits to the disabled list in 1999 for leg problems. There was concern late in the season over whether his injuries would affect his speed. That concern was not great enough for the Cardinals, who traded for him over the winter to be their everyday second baseman, something Vina has only been able to achieve twice in his seven years in the majors. Ron Belliard, 2b, age 24AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 66 16 3 0 1 11 7 1 7 0 10 3 1 .242 .320 .333 .653 7 Prorated Mil 467 113 21 0 7 77 49 7 49 0 70 21 7 .242 .319 .332 .651 51 Actual Mil 457 135 29 4 8 60 58 0 64 0 59 4 5 .295 .379 .429 .808 74 Originally destined for a year of seasoning at AAA, Belliard was called up to the Brewers when Vina was hurt. Belliard has demonstrated good patience and strike zone judgement at the plate in the minors and applied those skills well in the big leagues, drawing more walks than strikeouts, an unheard of accomplishment among today's rookies. Belliard has good speed but Brewers managers were unusually reluctant to steal in 1999. Belliard should provide 20 or more steals a season on a regular basis. Jeff Cirillo, 3b, age 29AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 563 171 36 2 12 82 68 7 63 1 79 5 4 .304 .379 .439 .818 93 Prorated Mil 613 186 39 2 13 89 74 7 68 1 86 5 4 .303 .378 .437 .815 100 Actual Mil 607 198 35 1 15 98 88 5 75 4 83 7 4 .326 .401 .461 .862 115 Coming out of spring training, Cirillo and Burnitz were the only position players the Brewers could count on for an above-average season. Both delivered, with Cirillo posting career bests in batting average, home runs, and RBI. The career .300 hitter was dealt to Colorado in January. Mark Loretta, ss/1b, age 27AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 339 100 17 2 4 43 39 4 33 1 41 5 4 .295 .360 .392 .752 47 Prorated Mil 584 172 29 3 6 74 67 6 56 1 70 8 6 .295 .358 .385 .743 80 Actual Mil 587 170 34 5 5 93 67 10 52 1 59 4 1 .290 .354 .390 .744 83 A utility player by default, the Brewers have never been able to find a place for Loretta in the infield, always opting for someone else over him as a starter and then using him to fill in as needed. Loretta is a good contact hitter and is valuable from an offensive standpoint if he can be played at a middle infield position. The majority of his playing time in 1999 was split between first, where he lacks the power to be an everyday player, and shortstop. He should be the full-time shortstop in 2000 with Valentin gone. Jose Valentin, ss, age 29AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 407 93 21 1 14 55 49 1 46 6 101 11 6 .229 .306 .388 .695 51 Prorated Mil 276 63 14 0 9 37 33 0 31 4 68 7 4 .228 .304 .377 .681 33 Actual Mil 256 58 9 5 10 45 38 2 48 7 52 3 2 .227 .347 .418 .765 41 Valentin tore a thumb ligament at the start of the season, keeping him out for almost half the year. A switch-hitter, Valentin's power comes mostly from the left side. He was traded to the White Sox, where he will battle Mike Caruso for the starting shortstop job. Lou Collier, ss, age 25AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 67 16 2 1 0 7 6 1 5 1 11 1 1 .239 .297 .299 .596 6 Prorated Mil 135 32 4 2 0 14 12 2 10 2 22 2 2 .237 .295 .296 .592 11 Actual Mil 135 35 9 0 2 18 21 0 14 0 32 3 2 .259 .325 .370 .695 17 Once considered the fastest player in the Pirates organization at a time when Tony Womack played for them, Collier has not been able to utilize his speed for major league success. He has only a handful of career stolen bases, does not stretch hits for extra bases very often, and doesn't bunt for hits much either. He does field pretty well and can play several positions. With Loretta taking an everyday spot, Collier may be the utility guy in 2000. Geoff Jenkins, lf, age 24AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 535 125 24 6 15 67 77 7 37 6 123 1 2 .234 .291 .385 .676 58 Prorated Mil 453 106 20 5 12 56 65 5 31 5 104 0 1 .234 .290 .380 .669 48 Actual Mil 447 140 43 3 21 70 82 7 35 7 87 5 1 .313 .371 .564 .935 92 1999 was the type of season expected from Geoff Jenkins all along. The former first rounder was drafted because of his incredible hitting ability. He only showed flashes of that ability in his four years in the minors and a stint with the Brewers in 1998. Jenkins thumped right handers, slugging over .600, putting him with the league's top power hitters. Gone unnoticed has been his fielding. Jenkins has a strong arm for a leftfielder and gets a good jump on balls in the outfield. A future All-Star. Alex Ochoa, lf, age 27AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 84 22 5 1 1 12 9 0 5 0 10 1 1 .262 .303 .381 .684 9 Prorated Mil 310 81 18 3 3 44 33 0 18 0 36 3 3 .261 .302 .368 .670 33 Actual Mil 277 83 16 3 8 47 40 5 45 2 43 6 4 .300 .404 .466 .870 55 Ochoa received spot starts throughout the season in left and rightfield. He is quietly developing into a good hitter. His 45 walks were two fewer than he had in his first 300 major league games combined. Ochoa is a good fielder with a cannon arm. He was dealt to his fifth organization, Cincinnati, during the winter. Marquis Grissom, cf, age 32AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 564 153 27 4 12 68 62 4 32 2 82 17 10 .271 .312 .397 .710 68 Prorated Mil 612 166 29 4 13 73 67 4 34 2 89 18 10 .271 .311 .395 .707 73 Actual Mil 603 161 27 1 20 92 83 0 49 4 109 24 6 .267 .320 .415 .734 81 1999 was a little renaissance for Marquis Grissom. His career had been on an obvious downslide but last year provided a bit of stabilization, if not improvement. It was easily his best season since 1996. Nevertheless, among centerfielders with more than 500 plate appearances, only one other player (Darren Lewis) had a lower OPS. And Grissom's range in center field isn't what it used to be, so he doesn't make up for his weak bat with defense. Jeromy Burnitz, rf, age 30AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC Projection Mil 536 131 30 0 29 82 98 5 67 7 138 10 6 .244 .332 .463 .794 84 Prorated Mil 506 123 28 0 27 77 92 4 63 6 130 9 5 .243 .330 .458 .788 78 Actual Mil 467 126 33 2 33 87 103 16 91 7 124 7 3 .270 .402 .561 .963 111 Burnitz was a little closer to the plate when he batted this year and the results were outstanding. He set personal standards in OBP, SLG, walks, and hit by pitch and would have bettered some more marks had he not missed a month with a broken hand sustained when he was hit by a pitch. Burnitz is a player who should benefit from new hitting coach Rod Carew's presence as he is an aggressive, yet patient hitter. He is also a good right fielder with a strong arm. Key PitchersWhen the pitching staff wasn't looking like a hospital ward, it was looking like a who's who of pitchers who once were something. Jim Abbott, Hideo Nomo, Jason Bere, and Rocky Coppinger all made appearances in a Brewers uniform. The Brewers had to bring in somebody to do the job because they had half a dozen pitchers on the disabled list during 1999. In addition, the fellow expected to be the ace, Rafael Roque, was terrible and found himself in the minors and then in the bullpen. Closer Bob Wickman, while erratic, performed solidly, and young pitchers Steve Woodard and Kyle Peterson gave hope for the future. Scott Karl, starter, age 27 (as of July 1, 1999)Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 4.55 32 32 10 12 0 194 209 21 62 118 .278 .765 Prorated Mil 4.55 34 34 11 13 0 206 222 22 66 126 .278 .765 Actual Mil 4.78 33 33 11 11 0 198 246 21 69 74 .312 .824 A nibbler, Karl succeeds by keeping the ball away from the center of the plate. His repertoire is about average, as are his results. He was fortunate to keep his ERA under 5.00, as opposing batters reached him for a .312 average, his control was good but not outstanding, and he suffered a major dropoff in strikeouts. He'll be in Colorado next season, and his numbers could be very scary there unless he's somehow not affected as adversely as most pitchers by pitching at altitude. Steve Woodard, starter, age 24Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 3.97 32 32 11 11 0 202 200 22 39 169 .259 .724 Prorated Mil 3.97 31 31 11 11 0 194 193 21 38 163 .259 .724 Actual Mil 4.52 31 29 11 8 0 185 219 23 36 119 .294 .792 Woodard's second full season in the majors wasn't too bad. He showed up in the spring forty pounds lighter and was virtually unstoppable in mid-season, going 7-0 with a 2.34 ERA in June and July. He cracked a bone in his wrist in late July, and that put him on the disabled list for part of August and September. His record during those months was 0-3 with a 7.34 ERA. Woodard has a higher ceiling than most of the Brewers pitchers and will likely develop into a solid major league starter. Hideo Nomo, starter, age 30Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projected NYN 4.06 32 32 11 11 0 184 166 22 95 201 .241 .739 Prorated Mil 4.06 31 31 11 11 0 177 159 21 91 193 .241 .739 Actual Mil 4.54 28 28 12 8 0 176 173 27 78 161 .256 .774 It wasn't until May that Nomo was able to find a major league team for which to pitch. The Mets dumped him, then the Cubs picked him up and then let him go after four starts in the minors. Nomo isn't fooling batters anymore and his numbers reflect that. His strikeout totals have declined every year since he debuted in 1995. He set career highs in home runs allowed and hits per nine innings. The Brewers waived him at seasons end. Bill Pulsipher, starter, age 25Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 5.18 32 32 8 13 0 175 189 19 76 122 .278 .789 Prorated Mil 5.18 17 17 4 7 0 91 98 10 39 63 .278 .789 Actual Mil 5.98 19 16 5 6 0 87 100 19 36 42 .287 .849 Pulsipher missed the first half of the season with a bad back. On his return he had no zip on his pitches and was hit pretty hard. With Milwaukee's pitching staff by committee, he may find a role in 2000, but at best it will be in long relief. Cal Eldred, starter, age 31Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 5.16 14 14 4 5 0 75 83 9 33 51 .281 .804 Prorated Mil 5.16 16 16 5 6 0 88 97 11 39 60 .281 .804 Actual Mil 7.79 20 15 2 8 0 82 101 19 46 60 .297 .918 The former number one draft pick has had a history of injury problems and 1999 was no exception. Eldred had elbow surgery in 1998 and although he missed the early part of the 1999 season, he rushed back from rehab and perhaps returned too soon. A forearm strain knocked him out for a few more weeks and an injured pectoral muscle ended his season in September. This winter, he was traded to the White Sox for Jamie Navarro in an exchange of problem pitchers. Jim Abbott, starter, age 31Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 5.78 32 32 8 14 0 182 222 19 92 103 .306 .842 Prorated Mil 5.78 15 15 4 7 0 86 105 9 44 49 .306 .842 Actual Mil 6.91 20 15 2 8 0 82 110 14 42 37 .317 .889 Abbott had a fantastic spring training which caused the Brewers to think that the Jim Abbott of old had somehow recaptured his form of yesteryear. It was not to be and one has to think that there will not be any more opportunities for him. Kyle Peterson, starter, age 23Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Actual Mil 4.56 17 12 4 7 0 77 87 3 25 34 .285 .721 Milwaukee has had him on the fast track since he was drafted. Peterson joined the Brewers in July after just 46 minor league games. Peterson keeps the ball down well and was able to do so against major league competition. Potentially a future star. Jason Bere, starter, age 28Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Cin 5.09 32 32 9 11 0 168 173 23 99 125 .266 .805 Prorated Cin 5.09 9 9 3 3 0 48 50 7 28 36 .266 .805 Actual Cin 6.85 12 10 3 0 0 43 56 6 40 28 .326 .979 Prorated Mil 5.09 4 4 1 1 0 22 23 3 13 17 .266 .805 Actual Mil 4.63 5 4 2 0 0 23 23 3 10 19 .256 .727 Prorated Tot 5.09 13 13 4 5 0 70 73 10 42 52 .266 .805 Actual Tot 6.08 17 14 5 0 0 67 79 9 50 47 .302 .895 Another pitcher with a history of arm troubles, Bere's elbow gave him trouble while he was with the Reds. He was placed on the disabled list but was released after he was activated. The Brewers picked him up and let him rehab a bit at AAA. When Eldred went down in September, Bere finished the year in the rotation. His Milwaukee numbers, while limited, reflected his expected performance pretty well. If his arm can hold up, he will be a valuable pitcher in Milwaukee's rotation. Jeff D'Amico, starter, age 23Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 4.34 3 3 1 1 0 19 17 3 5 14 .243 .713 Prorated Mil 4.34 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 .243 .713 Actual Mil 0.00 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 .250 .500 Probably the most celebrated inning pitched by a Brewer in 1999 came on October 2nd. On this date, Jeff D'Amico pitched for the first time in the majors since September 1997. The former bright prospect has been plagued by shoulder problems during his career and the one inning marked the culmination of years of surgery and rehabilitation. Still only 24 years of age, the Brewers have their fingers crossed that D'Amico will be ready to pitch in 2000. Rafael Roque, long relief- starter, age 27Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 5.50 13 13 3 5 0 69 78 11 34 54 .289 .845 Prorated Mil 5.50 16 16 4 6 0 85 97 14 42 67 .289 .845 Actual Mil 5.34 43 9 1 6 1 84 96 16 42 66 .286 .842 The opening day starter, Roque never found his stride going 0-5 with a 6.00 ERA as a starter. He was demoted to AAA and returned later where he pitched from the bullpen. He pitched to form in relief and may end up there in 2000. Dave Weathers, long relief, age 29Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 5.70 34 4 3 5 0 73 94 6 27 59 .318 .836 Prorated Mil 5.70 43 5 4 6 0 91 118 8 34 74 .318 .836 Actual Mil 4.65 63 0 7 4 2 93 102 14 38 74 .279 .805 Weathers 1999 was as unpredictable as…well…the weather. There were games where Weathers could go out there and work a few innings without giving up anything while other nights he couldn't get anybody out and was done after a couple of batters. One of the more erratic relievers out there. Valerio de los Santos, long relief, age 23Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 4.54 23 0 2 2 0 40 43 5 15 29 .277 .788 Prorated Mil 4.54 6 0 0 0 0 10 11 1 4 7 .277 .788 Actual Mil 6.48 7 0 0 1 0 8 12 1 7 5 .343 .979 One of a handful of talented young pitchers the Brewers have, De Los Santos joined the Milwaukee pitcher injury parade by having surgery to repair a bulging disk in his back. He may be given an opportunity in long relief in 2000. Chad Fox, long relief, age 28Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 4.14 53 0 4 4 0 72 74 7 36 79 .268 .757 Prorated Mil 4.14 6 0 0 0 0 8 8 1 4 9 .268 .757 Actual Mil 10.80 6 0 0 0 0 7 11 1 4 12 .355 1.025 Another pitcher expected to play a role for the 1999 team, Fox lost his season to an elbow injury. Mike Myers, lefty specialist, age 30Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 4.46 70 0 4 4 1 71 73 10 32 68 .268 .785 Prorated Mil 4.46 40 0 2 2 1 40 41 6 18 39 .268 .785 Actual Mil 5.23 71 0 2 1 0 41 46 7 13 35 .291 .831 If opposing managers would cooperate and let Mike Myers face only left-handed batters, he might be considered a top reliever. Myers held lefties to a .188 average in 1999. Those pesky hitters from the right side walloped him for a .397 average and a .641 slugging percentage. Eric Plunk, setup man, age 35Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 3.91 70 0 5 5 2 97 91 12 42 105 .249 .738 Prorated Mil 3.91 56 0 4 4 2 78 73 10 34 85 .249 .738 Actual Mil 5.02 68 0 4 4 0 75 71 15 43 63 .251 .849 Plunk is starting to show his age. His 5.14 walks per nine innings was his highest since 1990. His 1.79 home runs per nine innings was his highest mark ever. And he struck out less than one batter an inning for the first time since 1992. He also faced more batters in relief than he ever had before in a season, a fact that may have accounted for a poor second-half performance. Rocky Coppinger, setup man, age 25Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Bal 5.40 9 0 1 1 0 18 18 3 9 14 .257 .766 Prorated Bal 5.40 12 0 1 1 0 24 23 4 12 18 .257 .766 Actual Bal 8.31 11 2 0 1 0 22 25 8 19 17 .294 1.019 Prorated Mil 5.40 18 0 2 2 0 37 36 6 18 28 .257 .766 Actual Mil 3.68 29 0 5 3 0 37 35 5 23 39 .250 .747 Prorated Tot 5.40 30 0 3 3 0 61 60 10 30 46 .257 .766 Actual Tot 5.40 40 2 5 4 0 58 60 13 42 56 .267 .850 Great things were always expected from Coppinger when he was in Baltimore. He hit the majors at age 22 and was to be in the rotation from there on. He tried to pitch through an elbow injury that ended up taking out most of his 1998 season. After that, pitching coach Ray Miller started harping on Coppinger about his weight. In 1999, he became the forgotten member of the Orioles staff, making mostly mopup appearances. Milwaukee traded for him and put him in the setup role. In new surroundings, Coppinger settled in and pitched admirably. He should reprise his new setup position in 2000. Bob Wickman, closer, age 30Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS Projection Mil 3.45 70 0 4 6 31 73 73 6 32 66 .264 .715 Prorated Mil 3.45 74 0 4 6 33 77 77 6 34 69 .264 .715 Actual Mil 3.39 71 0 3 8 37 74 75 6 38 60 .262 .725 If you look at Wickman's performance compared to his projected numbers, you might think, wow, what a consistent guy. If you compared his 1999 .725 OPS to his five year average OPS of .718, you'd start thinking that you could expect the same thing from him in 2000. But if you look at the underlying situational numbers, you might have to think again. First, the righthanded Wickman held lefties to a .197 average with a .283 slugging percentage while righthanders batted .314 and slugged .447. Before the All-Star break, Wickman didn't give up many hits, but when he did, they were for extra bases. Wickman limited hitters to a .225 average in the first half with a .377 slugging percentage, but things were reversed in the second half, when he gave up enough singles to yield a high .304 average and a modest .370 slugging average. So while the overall trend continued, the underlying volatility was great. [TT: He was quite volatile in 1998 as well. His ERA was 1.80 before the break and 6.68 after. Amazingly, those half seasons combined to produce a full season that was right in line with expectations.] OutlookThe Brewers of 2000 are so new, they still have that new team smell about them. The changes started on the management side with a new general manager, manager, coaches, and farm director. The pitching staff has been totally revamped. Gone are Hideo Nomo, Scott Karl, Cal Eldred, Mike Myers, and Eric Plunk. Newcomers Jamie Navarro, John Snyder, Jamey Wright, Jimmy Haynes, Curt Leskanic, and Juan Acevedo will vie for spots in the rotation. The starting lineup will also be greatly changed in 2000. Star Jeff Cirillo was traded and the Brewers will try to make do at third with Jose Hernandez. With the departure of Dave Nilsson, catcher could well be a problem area, with Henry Blanco and Tyler Houston the leading candidates for that position. The Brewers were impressed enough with the performances of Ron Belliard and Mark Loretta to deal away their predecessors, Fernando Vina and Jose Valentin. Geoff Jenkins and Jeromy Burnitz will attempt to solidify their status as star players. The Brewers of 1999 did pretty well considering the health problems and the dismissal of their manager in mid-season. They were never in contention, yet quite a few players showed promise. With the new faces and some developing youngsters in Kevin Barker, Kyle Peterson, Wright, and Belliard, plus a new stadium in 2001, the future looks brighter than it did a year ago. Projections and text: Copyright © 2000. Diamond Mind,
Inc. All rights reserved.
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