1972 MGL Reliever of the Year
 

In the least surprising announcement of the 1972 awards season, Charlotte Sting stopper Jamel McNeil was unanimous choice for MGL Reliever of the Year. This is the fifth time in his illustrious career that he has captured this honor.

1972 SJL Reliever of the Year
 

Columbus young closer Alvaro Hernandez captures his first Reliever of the Year award.

1972 MGL Silver Sluggers
 

No members of the Brewers earns a Silver Slugger this season.

Among MGL award winners in this category, L.A. first baseman Travis Johnson wins his 6th but this first at this position as all the others came as a left fielder. Brooklyn's fantastic Felix Lopez wins his 5th. Phoenix right fielder Ju-ao Ju wins his 4th. For L.A. third baseman Jesus Hernandez it is the 3rd time winning this award. Portland shortstop Chris Tobin earns his 2nd. All the other winners are first-timers.

1972 SJL Silver Sluggers
 

Boston Berserkers' slugging first baseman Nate Bennett wins his 8th Silver Slugger award (he is also an 8-time All-Star).
Eduardo Amaro has now won 6 Silver Sluggers in his career as a starting pitcher. (This was probably his best offensive year yet with a slash line of .296/.345/.383.)
The great Jesus Casiano picks up his 5th Silver Slugger (4th as a third baseman.)
Seattle's Mike Robinette takes his 4th Silver Slugger.
25-year old Erik Buonopane, by far the most talented hitting catcher in the bigs, captures his 3rd Silver Slugger.
Center fielder Lazaro Lowndes wins his 2nd.
Three young players rapidly turning into superstars- the 26-year old Kyle Doss, 22-year old Joe Brodeur, and 21-year old Bud Lindsay- all get their first, but likely not last, Silver Slugger awards.

1972 MGL Rookie of the Year
 

A Foster was named the ROY of the MGL for 1972 but it wasn't the Brewers Mike, but rather the L.A. Spinners catcher, Greg Foster.
Mike Foster did get a point in the voting to finish tied 4th in the voting with teammate Joe McPhillips.

1972 SJL Rookie of the Year
 

It should come as no surprise that San Antonio shortstop Bud Lindsay was the unanimous pick for the SJL Rookie of the Year honors.
Teammate Joe Brodeur came in second, suggesting that good times may be on the way for the city of San Antonio.

1972 Managers of the Year
 

Naturally the Managers of the Year are Charlotte's Greg Maye and Columbus' Aaron Toth.

1972 MGL Pitcher of the Year
 

For the third straight season, a member of the Denver Brewer's pitching staff wins the Pitcher of the Year award. In 1970 it was Harry Lyerly. In 1971 staff ace Cheol-han Lee won his 3rd Pitcher of the Year award.
This year it is Erik Sloan's turn. Of course, Sloan pitched half of the year with Charlotte but the two halves of his season were nearly identical. It is the first Pitcher of the Year award for the 29 year old.
Teammate Lee finished 4th.

1972 SJL Pitcher of the Year
 

Jake Harris gets his 3rd Pitcher of the Year award, while teammate Jaime Schardein, a 2-time winner, comes in second.

1972 MGL Most Valuable Player
 

As was widely expected, Brooklyn superstar center fielder Felix Lopez wins the MGL MVP award, the first of his fantastic career.
No Brewers figured in the voting.

1972 SJL Most Valuable Player
 

Washington's young center fielder Lazaro Lowndes captures his first, but very possibly not his last, MVP award for his fine performance this season.
21-year old San Antonio shortstop Bud Lindsay finishes an impressive second in the voting in spite of not garnering any first place votes.

Denver youth movement continues, Torres given his freedom
 

The Denver Brewers are fully signalling their shift to a youth movement this off-season as they have bought out the option on the last year of veteran lefty starter Daniel Torres contract and have non-tendered arbitration eligible starter Abel Pennington. With 32-year old's Miguel Solis and Steve Herzog free agency eligible and the team showing no sign of tendering them contracts combined with the earlier trades of Antonio Puente and Eric Singer, the team will be decidedly younger in 1973.
At this point the only remaining 30-somethings expected to be on the 25-man roster come the start of the 1973 season are 35-year old reliever Jose de los Santos, 34-year old left fielder Ryan Rodgers, 31-year old ace starting pitcher Cheol-han Lee, and Pat Rondeau, who turns 30 in February. Although Erik Sloan also turns 30 mid-season 1973.

Johnson looking sharp in AFL
 

Brewers starting pitcher Eric Johnson is competing in the Arizona Fall League to get a little extra experience with the possibility that he will be spending at least part of the time in the Brewers rotation in 1973.
And so far the Trinidad, Colorado native is dominating, going 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA.

Free Agency Filings
 

Today was the filing date for all players eligible for Free Agency. Among those who filed were, as mentioned above, Daniel Torres, Miguel Solis, and Abel Pennington. Brewers minor league prospects Dave Harder and Ramon Lopez also became free agents, among some others in the Brewers organization.
Former Brewers Ruben Souffront, Tanner Yurek, Ben Malzone, Steve Alonso, and Kyle Green are also now free agents. (Just to name a handful.)

Among the most high profile free agents are Jamel McNeil, Nate Bennett, Cody Kane, and Larry Glinski.
Some former league MVP's, very much in the twilight of their careers, are also hoping to catch on with new teams for some late-career glory, including 37-year old Andy Wilson (a 2-time MVP) and his former teammate, 38-year old Frank Hernandez.
It is not a great year to get a starting pitcher through free agency as probably the top available starter is 27-year old Devin Washburn, who has been at times one of the best pitchers in the league, including going 19-5 with a 2.48 ERA in 1971, but who pitched for 3 teams last season and finished with a 12-11 record and an ERA of 3.42. As an extreme flyball pitcher with just slightly above average movement and stuff (and average control), plus not a great deal of stamina, Washburn is a risky proposition.

Of the 5 international free agents available on the market this year, Japanese right fielder Tadahiko Goto is probably the most promising. (Four of the five international free agents this year are out of Japan while one is from South Korea.)

The thought among those close to Brewers management is that the team is not planning to be active in the free agency market this off-season, in spite of being in very good financial position to do so.

Sting retain Kane!
 

The WPK champion Charlotte Sting made it clear today that they intend to do what is needed to retain their crown as they came to terms with free agent left fielder Cody Kane, who was an integral part of their championship team this season.
Kane is under contract now with the Sting through 1976, which would take him through his age 30 season.

Columbus signs veteran FA David Beane
 

Fresh off a World Series defeat that highlighted the deficiencies of the Whalers lineup, Columbus signed free agent right fielder David Beane. At age 36 Beane is no longer the defender he once was (he won a Gold Glove in 1965) but remains a good hitter. He is tentatively scheduled to hit clean-up in the Whalers lineup this coming season.

Trade offer from Charlotte Sting
 

Every once in a while a trade offer comes along that stops you dead in your tracks because it is almost good enough as it stands that in spite of your earlier intentions and plans you can't quite bring yourself to dismiss it summarily.

With the winter meetings having begun, the Brewers received just such a trade offer from the Charlotte Sting today.
The Sting have offered to send us 28-year old second baseman Matt Sisk in exchange for pitching prospect Justin Peacock and 21-year old center field prospect Roberto Perez.

Sisk is a premiere defensive player who won a Gold Glove in 1970 as a shortstop. He doesn't have much experience at third base but he has the skills needed to play there and is already a plus defender at either position in the middle infield. He is an above average contact hitter who rarely strikes out (though also rarely walks) and though his speed is well below average he is a skilled base stealer and an average base runner. He has a reasonable contract and three years of team control/arbitration eligibility left. With Jonathan Koch still developing, Sisk could be a valuable addition to the 1973 Brewers infield.

And while Justin Peacock remains a viable option for a back-end of the rotation role, he is 25 years old and unlikely to experience much more development. Perez has the potential to be a viable big league center fielder but has plenty of more talented players ahead of him on the Brewers depth chart, most especially Joe McPhillips, who is expected to be the team's center fielder for years to come.

I will likely reject this trade if for no other reason then the desire to maintain some depth in the starting pitching options the team has. And because I am committed to giving Koch every opportunity to succeed as the starting second baseman and we do have other solid options to help out in case he isn't ready.

But, still. This is a tempting offer.

Philly inks veteran first baseman Bennett to 4-year deal
 

After having played his entire career for the Boston Berserker's, veteran slugging right fielder Nate Bennett is now officially a Philadelphia Mud Hen.

Bennett, who alternated between right field and first base for Boston in 1972, has limited range in the field but rarely makes a mistake and has a rifle for an arm. The 8-time All-Star and 8-time Silver Slugger remains a prodigious offensive talent.

Glinski to Washington
 

Having played for four teams over the past three seasons, Gold Glove award winning second baseman Larry Glinski may have once again found a stable home (he was a member of the Phoenix Speed Devils from 1965 through the middle of the 1970 season).
Glinski had a breakout season in 1972, leading the league in doubles, finishing second in batting average and hits, and seventh in WAR (6.6, by far the best of his career, with previous high being 2.3, achieved twice).
The Night Train inked him to an 8-year contract.

El Paso being El Paso?
 

The El Paso Dawgs are arguably the worst franchise in the history of the WPK, especially now that the Charlotte Sting have lifted themselves up to a WPK championship.

And given a pair of trades they have made in the past week I'm not convinced that under the current management they are likely to get better.

First they traded away veteran reliever Ron Dippold to Philadelphia for 22-year old minor league third baseman Dan Needham. Now on the surface this trade makes sense. Dippold is 33 years old after all and what does a team in perpetual rebuilding mode need with an aging reliever. But the fact is that not only is Dippold still talented, and as an extreme ground baller with great movement and with El Paso's Arsenal Stadium being a pretty good HR hitters park those are very valuable traits, but he also has a club-friendly contract which doesn't expire until the end of the 1974 season (and which was front-loaded and 10K cheaper in 1974). And Needham, in spite of his great work ethic (the same of which can be said for Dippold, by the way) and solid defensive skills, is a borderline prospect at best.

Then they sent another talented veteran reliever, Jeremy Jankowski, to the Phoenix Speed Devils. Okay, this part was probably smart. Jankowski, at age 30, isn't as talented as Dippold and he has a bad reputation as being a very selfish player. And they got a very good hitting shortstop in exchange- Humberto Rivera. So what's the problem? Well, first of all, Rivera only has experience at shortstop and is an adequate but far from great fielder at a premium defensive position. And he's considered fragile and has a fairly extensive injury history. His bat makes him likely an acceptable big league player but his glove keeps his ceiling likely at average big leaguer at best. And here's the real catch: the Dawgs sent Phoenix 24-year old Marty O'Brien in the package. O'Brien, the 21st pick overall in the 1969 draft, is probably not an ace in the making. But he's a high quality guy with a strong chance to become a solid mid-rotation starter in the WPK. And El Paso not only has a shallow rotation now but they also lack starting pitching prospects, with the best (now that they have traded away O'Brien)- Dan Bottom- profiling as a fragile pitcher.

It just seems to me that if El Paso wishes to become the next Charlotte, they are going to have to do a lot better than this.

Washburn to San Francisco Velocity
 

Devin Washburn, probably the best starting pitcher on the free agent market this season, has signed four year deal with the San Francisco Velocity.
In his best seasons Washburn has been among the best pitchers in the league, but he has also had a number of mediocre seasons. But he's young, durable, and possesses both an elite curveball and changeup.
Along with Gibson Fiedler, Yin-ti Lau, and Sandy Navarro (who should be returning from a ruptured UCL around early June), the Velocity potentially have one of the better starting staffs in the MGL.
The Velocity, who finished in 7th place in 1972, were under-powered offensively this past season (though they also play in the best pitcher's park in the WPK) but if they can get bounce-back seasons from their big three (Jesse Cibula, Danny Sanchez, and Antonio Sosa) then they could contend in 1973. (One flaw in this argument though is that Cibula is the only one of the three who is under 30 and Sosa will be turning 37 this season.)

Surprise Saguaros win AFL Championship!
 

The Surprise Saguaros, the AFL team which features many Denver Brewers prospects, had a great season, finishing 20-12, and have claimed the 1972 AFL Championship crown.

Among Brewers who were key players on the team are starting pitcher Eric Johnson (7-1, 2.42), outfielder Paul Mackins (led team, and league, in hitting at .435 and in triples with 5), third baseman Jose Careaga (led league in RBI with 36, slash line of .387/.500/.548), and right fielder Josh Schaeffer (led league in runs scored with 37, walks with 60, and OBP at .574).

Brewers sign FA right fielder Grajeda to 2-year deal
 

In a move that many see as the Denver Brewers hedging their bets a bit before going all in with youngsters Joe McPhillips and Josh Schaeffer, they signed 28-year old Cesar Grajeda to a 2-year deal.
It is also felt that the team was looking to add a right-handed power bat the the lineup and also perhaps help fill some of the leadership vacuum created with the loss of veteran starting pitcher Daniel Torres.

The team has an option on the second year of the contract so if Schaeffer develops into a viable starting right fielder quickly it is possible that Grajeda may be allowed to explore free agency again next off-season. Rumor has it that Grajeda was originally seeking a 3-year deal with a player option for the third year but that the Brewers offered more money annually in order to entice him to sign a shorter contract.

Wanted Brewers
 

It's always interesting, especially in the off-season (or near the trading deadline) to see what names keep popping up repeatedly in trade offers received.

This winter two of the most sought after Brewers in trade offers are starting pitcher Steve Green and reliever Sam Pruiett. I'm not planning on trading either but I could see it as a good sign that everyone wants them. Perhaps scouting departments other than our own are high on these two.

Interestingly, I also just received a trade offer of an established left handed veteran starting pitcher (granted not a very good one, though also a relatively inexpensive one) straight up for minor league starting pitcher Yunus Wiseman, who played in the Rookie League this past season and was a 16th round draft pick in the 1972 draft. As has been noted earlier, Wiseman does seem to be developing more than previously could have been predicted and has developed a 4th pitch. Still, I have to wonder what the Baltimore Lords scouting staff is seeing in Wiseman that they would unload a proven veteran for a kid with still only marginal potential at best, in the eyes of our scouting staff anyway.

WPK great, Andy Wilson, coming home!
 

Okay, this one makes me happy.

Andy Wilson, one of the greatest superstars of the WPK thus far, now in his waning years, is coming home to his original club, the Portland Wild Things.
Wilson played for the Wild Things his first 7 years in the league and won two league MVP awards in a Wild Things uniform.
He will be 38 during the 1973 season and has become very injury prone in the past few years. Although he still has a decent bat, with his former Gold Glove winning defensive skills having now eroded to the point where he is a severe liability in the field, it is hard to see how Wilson is going to help the Wild Things, who lost 96 games last season, move up from the cellar in the standings. But at least he will bring fans into the park while they seek to rebuild.

With his skills being what they are now, the $354,000 price tag seems a bit high (this makes him currently the 7th highest paid player in the league), but in fairness to the Wild Things they did at least build in a vesting option for the second year of this two-year deal and if he doesn't get at least 550 plate appearances this coming season they will be off the hook for the $312K that he could get for 1974.

Gold Glove catcher Kevin Curtis inked to 3-year extension
 

It was announced today that the Denver Brewers had reached agreement with their 3-time Gold Glove catcher Kevin Curtis on an extension to his contract that should keep him in a Brewers uniform through the 1976 season.

Denver fans were overjoyed as Curtis is a fan favorite and a beloved member of the community.

(This was in part a reaction to noticing that, having raised ticket prices a bit, projections for season ticket sales were down as were projections for ticket sales revenue for the coming season. Given that the Brewers are not likely to make any more acquisitions this off-season, and the one free agent signing didn't make much difference in fan interest, extending such a popular player might be a good call at this time. It helped a little. Not as much as I hoped.)

Wow that was a great read I was about 8 posts behind ... great stuff... thanx

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Thanks!
So much happens in that long off-season and I've been trying not to inundate everyone with too much detail. Haven't, for instance, yet reported on some of the recent Brewers who signed with other teams as free agents.
I know that Daniel Torres, Miguel Solis, and Abel Pennington all have new homes. I think Ruben Souffront is still sitting out there looking for a team.

Into the pre-season now and looking forward to seeing my 1973 team on the field.

Just checking in on you Bird. Everything alright on the home front?

Hey, thanks for checking in and your concern. :)

Was just getting ready to post a bit of an explanation, but short story is that I am on vacation and have been on the road the past few days and so just haven't had a chance to post here and little chance to play the game also.
But laptop is with me and I advanced the calendar in the WPK a bit last night so I will try to post a bit while away from my normal life schedule.

Former Brewers update
 

So let's catch up on a few former Brewers, especially those who were free agents in the off-season.

First of all, Ruben Souffront was signed to a contract by the Charlotte Sting so he enters a new organization hoping to once again prove himself worthy of a WPK starting job. But since he was signed to a minor league contract he has a bit of an uphill climb ahead of him.

Daniel Torres was signed to a 1-year contract at 156K on February 3rd, but exactly one week later they released him. No word on the sudden change of heart by the Mud Hens.

Miguel Solis was signed to a 1-year contract (83K) by the Columbus Whalers.

Former Brewers team captain Abel Pennington was signed to a 1-year deal with the Pittsburgh Roadrunners at the league minimum and it appears that they intend to use him in the bullpen for long relief and possibly some emergency starts.

Veteran outfielder Steve Herzog, who played with the Brewers during the second half of the 1972 season after having been signed to a minor league contract as a free agent, remains un-signed for 1973.


Also, one of the Brewers earliest stars, starting pitcher Alex Burley, announced at the end of the 1972 season that he was hanging up the spikes and glove and heading home to Donaldsonville, Louisiana for a quiet retirement. Burley, an All-Star in 1966, was a workhorse for the Brewers in the early years and was known as a very likable teammate. After being released by the Brewers in 1969 at the age of 38, he bounced around 4 different WPK organizations (Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Boston, Milwuakee) but never made the big leagues again. The Brewers organization wishes only the best for Burley in his future endeavors.

Alex arriveed on the scene a bit late, being 34 years old. Some decent stats for a guy who lost more than he won. W/L's, again, not telling the full story.

I hope that your vacation is very enjoyable. Don't worry about posting (unless you want to) until you get back. Just concentrate on yourself, possibly family if you are with them, or anyone else. OOTP and we will be here when you get back. :D

It is definitely a trip that is about family, as I have returned to my hometown of Holland, Michigan. With aging parents, especially, this trip is family-focused. But some breaks for OOTP are required as well. Though admittedly my postings will be a bit fewer and farther between until I return to Denver.

Dad and I will be going to see a West Michigan Whitecaps game-Tigers single A club- so baseball will be a part of the trip. But then again, with my father and I, baseball is always at the forefront of our relationship.

Yes, Alex deserved better and being pretty advanced in his career when the WPK started certainly hurt him. Still, he was probably our most reliable starting pitcher for the first few years of the team's existence. And was one of my early favorites on the team.

The young and the old in the WPK
 

(And we're back. Sorry for the long silence as I was on vacation. I just didn't get as much opportunity to play the game as I hoped and even less opportunity to keep up around here.)


The BNN recently featured an article about 41-year old relief pitcher John Velasco breaking camp with the Washington Night Train, the second stint with that club for the much-traveled veteran righthander. And while Velasco is no spring chicken, he is not the oldest player expected to occupy an active roster position when the regular season starts. That distinction belongs to another Washington reliever, Vinny Aguilar, who turned 42 this past January.

Another 42-year old is still hoping to find a place on a WPK roster this season. Billy Turner, a 2-time All-Star third baseman is currently a free agent but isn't ready to hang up the spikes just yet. And while the hard-working veteran still appears to have some good bat skills, with above average power and an excellent eye, most teams are concerned that his body is telling him it is time to retire. (His injury proneness is described by the word Wrecked.)

On the other end of the spectrum is 20-year old catcher Elvis Iniguez. Iniguez older brother is the 30-year old left fielder for the Baltimore Lords, Jose Iniguez. (Elvis is a created player through my relative creation process and I may have given him some ratings that are a bit too inflated. Still working on perfecting this process. :)) Iniguez played in 53 games for the Boston Berserkers in 1972 at the age of 19. He is one of only 4 20-year olds currently occupying spots in big league spring training camps, including the Brewers pitching prospect John Weaver, but he is the only one on a WPK 40-man roster and likely to start the season on a big league active roster.

MVP Lopez to start season on IL
 

The Brooklyn Aces star center fielder, and 1972 MGL MVP, Felix Lopez will apparently open the 1973 season on the Injured List. The 30-year old speedster suffered a severely strained hip muscle a few days ago and is expected to be sidelined for at least 6 weeks.

And... he’s back! Hope the vaca was stellar!

Lindsay out for 6 weeks with bad ankle
 

Another WPK star player- this time San Antonio's 22-year old All-Star shortstop Bud Lindsay- will start the regular season on the IL.

The Bird is Back!
 

Welcome back Bird!

Hope your vacation time with your family was enjoyable. How was the Whitecaps game with your father?

It was good. The game actually became two games- a doubleheader with both games lasting 7 innings. Saw some possible future Tigers- Parker Meadows and Wenceel Perez. (First game, in a light rain with cool temps, was a 1-0 Ft. Wayne victory, while the second game, with warming temps and the sun coming out, saw the home club win 10-1.) Most interesting part of the experience to me was seeing the 9 or so scouts who sat very near us behind home plate. I would have loved to pick their brains but didn't want to disturb them while they were working.

Erbakan to begin season on IL
 

Bobby Erbakan, who in the first week of the 1973 Spring Training exhibition schedule was off to one of the best starts on the team (.417/.500/.833), sustained a back strain while running the bases in Sunday's 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Velocity.

Erbakan is expected to be out for 5 weeks, which would place his return about a week into the regular season. Erbakan suffered the same injury in early April of 1971, and needed a month recovery time, missing the start of that regular season as well.

With Erbakan's injury, Andrew Kennedy will get the lion's share of the starts at first base and someone will be given an opportunity to start the season at the big league level who might not otherwise have done so. Will it be outfielder Paul Mackins, who got a similar opportunity early in the 1972 season when Ryan Rodgers had to go on the IL (and who also plays first base)? Or perhaps one of the bat first first baseman- Greg Tietz or Jacob Kieft- who put up great offensive numbers between class A Bainbridge and AA Nashville last season? Or even Joe Willemse, who looks like a potential future utility defensive specialist (with decent contact skills)?
It should be interesting to see how things play out as the rest of the Spring Training schedule unfolds.

Sting lose Getchell for season!
 

Very bad news today for WPK reigning champs, the Charlotte Sting, as Adam Getchell, one of the key members of their 1972 starting rotation, has been lost for the season before it even starts.
The nearly 28-year old former Brewer has the reputation of being a durable pitcher but a freak collision on the base paths left him with a broken bone in the elbow of his pitching arm and it is expected to take 8-9 months for him to recuperate sufficiently to return to action.

The good news for the Sting is that they have a deep and talented rotation. Much will depend though on the ability of former first round pick (#1 overall in 1969 draft) Lienhart Brown's to remain healthy (fragile) as well as 4th starter Dean Olson to do the same (also fragile.)

Spring Training trends, Brewers, 1973
 

With the Spring Training exhibition season at the half-way point, I thought we would look in on which players have been making statements, which have struggled, who looks like they are in mid-season form and who looks over-matched.

The caveat of course is that these are small sample sizes in meaningless games against varied competition. So we will leave pitching out of it entirely as those sample sizes are particularly insignificant. Other than to say that among starting pitchers Harry Lyerly and Steve Green have performed the best. Still, no reason to believe that once the season starts Cheol-han Lee and Erik Sloan, winners of the last 2 MGL Pitcher-of-the-Year honors, won't be ready.

Among veteran position players, 30-year old 4th outfielder Pat Rondeau (.429/.448/.679) and 34-year old left fielder Ryan Rodgers (.429/.515/.464) have been particularly sharp. Andrew Kennedy (.273/.385/.364) and Chad Brown (.261/.320/.304) haven't been as spectacular but appear to be knocking the rust off just fine.

Two young outfielders who are expected to enter the regular season with important roles on the Brewers, Josh Schaeffer but especially Joe McPhillips, are not putting up great offensive numbers this spring, but both are fantastic in the field, strong runners, and have shown an advanced ability to reach base via the walk. Schaeffer is hitting .200/.355/.240 while McPhillips is at .192/.364/.346.
Mike Foster, after his strong rookie season of 1972, is once again looking like a legit hitter with a slash line of .308/.333/.385. Jonathan Koch, on the other hand, got off to a weak start but has picked it up a bit lately and currently stands at .261/.320/.391.

Among players on the fence for a big league role this season, Paul Mackins has scuffled and likely will start the season at AAA Chester. Mackins has managed a slash line of just .095/.095/.095.
On the other hand, 24-year old first baseman Greg Tietz is making a strong case for inclusion on the Opening Day squad, which could happen with Bobby Erbakan on the IL. Tietz has slugged at a .368/.429/.526 rate this Spring.
Defensively gifted infielder Joe Willemse, after a slow start at the plate, has picked it up of late to put himself in the mix also. Willemse's slash line is .304/.333/.435.
The Brewers first round draft pick from 1971, shortstop Kevin Flieder, has also been a pleasant surprise in camp. Flieder, in addition to providing superb defense, has hit .320/.357/.360.
24-year old left fielder John Flores, who is believed to have good power potential, has not distinguished himself and is hitting .217/.280/.304.

Careaga traded to Portland
 

With no minor league options left and no major league role available to him, 26-year old third baseman Jose Careaga was dealt to Portland, along with 23-year old catcher Alex Hernandez, in exchange for 24-year old center fielder Ryan Hiett and 23-year old shortstop B.J. Ryan.

Careaga was at one time one of the Brewers better prospects in spite of having been a 9th round draft pick in 1965. He had several minor league seasons where he put up impressive offensive numbers. He has since been surpassed by Mike Foster and with several other decent third base options in the organization, including reliever Jordan Stephens, it was time for Careaga to be given a chance to catch on elsewhere. The rebuilding Portland Wild Things is a good place for him to possibly contribute. With aging and fragile superstar Andy Wilson expected to play third for the Wild Things- and with highly questionable defensive skills- Careaga will likely get plenty of opportunities to play in 1973.
Hernandez was similarly a prospect who had been surpassed and was trapped at AAA, where he was quite unhappy.

Neither Hiett nor Drew are expected to ever play key roles in Brewers uniforms but they still have minor league options and could eventually play into bench roles in the future.

Who wants Jamel McNeil?
 

April is just a few days away and Jamel McNeil, the greatest reliever in the game and possibly the most talented pitcher, period, in the WPK, still sits as a free agent without a team.

It appears that he even is looking for a fairly reasonable salary. Yes, I realize we are talking about a reliever here, but this guy is off the charts good. And we aren't talking about your modern closer with his 60-75 innings pitched and 3 to 3.5 WAR at best. This guy has averaged over 138 innings pitched per season in his 8 year career and has racked up 48.0 WAR. He has a career won-loss record of 90-37 with 172 saves, an ERA of 1.76, a WHIP of 0.98 and a career K/9 of 11.7. He is a 5-time Reliever-of-the-Year and 8-time All-Star. The man is a beast.
And universally despised.

Someone is going to give in and sign him. He's just too tempting to leave alone. I've done it myself. Only to trade him mid-season.
He's a clubhouse cancer.
And a Hall-of-Famer.

Who want's Jamel McNeil?
But perhaps even more to the point, how long will we have to wait to find out?

Jamel McNeil
 

AND!!! He is a freaking Iron Man!

Give me a team, I'll sign his punk buttocks!

I know. He's insanely good.
And I am half tempted to sign him again, even though I abandoned that experiment pretty quickly the first time around. I probably place an over-emphasis on team unity and while he didn't wreck my team the first time around he did, well, disrupt it a bit.

I can totally afford him right now. With ease.
But part of the problem also is that I love building from within and I have so many home grown relievers who I think deserve a chance and I hate to give McNeil a spot that one of them would otherwise hold.
Would he help my team be better? Probably.
Can we be good enough without him? Remains to be seen.
Am I going to break down and sign him? Probably not. :D

Excitement in OKC over young reliever Horn.
 

It's not often that a rookie reliever creates a stir in a city before he's even pitched a single inning of big league ball, but such is the case in Oklahoma City with 23-year old righty Jesse Horn. Granted, the Diamond Kings haven't finished above 7th place the past 3 seasons so they might be looking for any ray of hope they can find.
And young Mr. Horn does combine a nasty cutter with an average changeup that still has room for growth and his stuff is considered potentially elite. He also has earned a reputation already as a great teammate, very well liked in any clubhouse.
(It should probably be noted that the ratings here are according to the Brewers scouting staff who like the kid but aren't as high on him as the OSA is.)

Jacksonville signs McNeil!
 

And we have our answer.
The Jacksonville Wolf Pack, perennial power in the SJL, have signed Jamel McNeil for his second stint with the club.
McNeil pitched the second half of the 1968 season for the Wolf Pack- having been traded their by Denver- and all of 1969-1971. In 1970 he went 18-6 with 22 saves and led the league in ERA at 2.35 while pitching for Jacksonville.
It's not surprising that they would be the team to take him on, with all of his talents and all of his personality flaws.