My Brewers 12 Step program

[naivin]

The optimist in me can't stop thinking (much of it doesn't even seem that far fetched)…

Step 1: Win today. ..51-51 - right the ship. Check.

Step 2: Acquire a pitcher or two via trade (that can help)… A jolt of energy to the clubhouse

Step 3: Take 2 of 3 from SD…53-52 - optimism building

Step 4: Lose 2 of 3 to the Dodgers…54-54 - bummer but a successful West Coast trip

Step 5: Take 2 of 3 in Houston…56-55

Step 6: Win 4 straight and take 5 of 6 from SD & Hou…61-56

Step 7: Dave Bush returns. Help with a 5-2 road trip (PIT & WAS)…66-58

Step 8: 4-2 Home stand (CIN/PIT)…70-60

Step 9: September call ups include Escobar and Gamel

Step 10: Go 8-8 vs. Cubs and Cards in Sept…78-68

Step 11: Phillies wrap up their division early, helping Brewers to win 3 of 4 at MP…81-79

Step 12: 4-2 @ home and 3-3 on road in remaining games…88-74

That should be at or near WC winning potential (Looking at their schedule, I think the Cardinals may win the division somewhat comfortably). If it isn't quite there, that's ok with me. Meaningful games in the last weekend is still pretty good for this season.

Of course if they don't get past Step 1, the rest of it means nothing. If they can't beat the Nationals at home with their best pitcher on the mound, they are hopeless.

[nohopspanther]

Admitting denial is the first step in rehab.

[bklynbrewcrew]

Step away from the bottle. In all seriousness I hope you are right but I just dont think this team is good enough.

[naivin]

Admitting denial is the first step in rehab.

I don't have a problem. You have a problem.

[nohopspanther]

I still hope for the best but, I certainly no longer believe this team has a shot at the playoffs even with a trade for pitching.

[young guns]

At the beginning of this week, I said 5-2 would be about what you would expect from this week and that's still possible, so I'm not giving up hope yet.

[joepepsi]

Nice job, naivin. Kinda makes me realize it's not all hopeless.

[BrewCrewRising]

I had told my boss about a month ago that I may need a few days off in October. I was thinking playoffs.

 

I will tell my boss that I probably don't need those days off.

 

I will still hope for the best though and subscribe to this 12 step program for the time being. Still a few months left, and baseball is just more fun if you can believe. As long as they are not 2004 post All-Star bad, I can still have some fun.

 

This is a great thread. The only thing that could rival this thread is a thread entitled, "It's so crazy that it might just work". Maybe it would work in giving us a bit of hope, maybe it wouldn't.

[ClubLevel]

If you would have made this thread a week ago, you likely would have had them taking 2 vs the Braves and at least 3 vs the Nats, and we saw how that turned out, so it's hard to have much optimism in the rest of these "ideal" scenarios happening.

[naivin]

Step away from the bottle.

Never! That's a 12 stepper I never plan to take part in.

 

I know its a long shot, and the steps do pretty much have to happen in order, with Step 2 of course being key to the whole thing.

[DougJones43]

I will tell my boss that I probably don't need those days off.

 

You might as well tell him you won't need off during October 2010 either, while you're at it...

[BrewCrewRising]

I will tell my boss that I probably don't need those days off.

 

You might as well tell him you won't need off during October 2010 either, while you're at it...

Well that is very gloomy-gus now, isn't it? You don't know what the off-season holds.

 

I have to admit, I'm losing faith in Melvin as being the guy who can pull it all together, but I'm not going to throw the whole future in trash.

[DougJones43]

I'm losing faith in Melvin as being the guy who can pull it all together, but I'm not going to throw the whole future in trash.

 

Me either. Just next year. I don't see any possible way Melvin can put together a formidable rotation (unless something crazy happens like he puckers up and can get Sheets to sign a 1-year deal) in 2010. We have exactly one good starting pitcher right now, no close prospects, and don't really have the organizational depth to trade for much more.

[zzzmanwitz]

Step 2: Acquire a pitcher or two via trade (that can help)… A jolt of energy to the clubhouse

 

Check

[SeriesFinale]

I didn't think this scenario was particularly outlandish initially to be honest. But with Burns/Vargas/Soup/Villard/Good-bad-Good-bad Looper/ Good-bad-Good-bad Manny/Who knows Bush apparently constituing 80% of the rotation the rest of the way I have my doubts firmly entrenched.

[naivin]

Yeah, as I said, they had to happen in order. Unfortunately, we couldn't even get past Step 2. The rest of this season certainly could increase the likelihood of another kind of 12 Step program for many of us.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Last year was climbing the wall of worry...this year is sliding down the slope of hope.

[SeriesFinale]

The rest of this season certainly could increase the likelihood of another kind of 12 Step program for many of us.

What this season needs is a good Irish wake. The Two-Fisted Slobber and Bernie Brewer going on drunken crying jags in each other's arms.

 

I'll be in San Diego this weekend (and in Milwaukee on the 13th) so I'll see what I can do

[Baldkin]

Step 13: Don't lose games when you're up by 6 runs

[naivin]

Step 13: Don't lose games when you're up by 6 runs

Fixed.

[DougJones43]

Steps 2 & 3: FAIL

[trwi7]

Steps 2 & 3: FAIL

Don't worry about step 3. I'm sure we'll make up for it in step 4 by taking at least 2 of 3 from the Dodgers.

[DuWayne Steurer]

6-10 since the ASB and we've only played 3 games against a better than .500 club. I don't think any program that leads to success has us playing .375 ball against the bottom half of the league.

[bani1717]

Call me overly optimistic, but that 6-10 record tells me that we are currently playing worse than we actually are. We will heat up yet and play better than we actually are for a while. We just aren't that bad. Things will change. I'm not saying we will make the playoffs, but I don't think it's too far out there to believe that we may have a chance to compete for a berth in September.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Call me overly optimistic, but that 6-10 record tells me that we are currently playing worse than we actually are. We will heat up yet and play better than we actually are for a while. We just aren't that bad.

There's no law of averages that says there must, by nature, be a hot streak for each corresponding cold streak. I'm not saying this is necessarily what you're saying, but I do see that bandied about a lot. With the rotation as it's currently configured, I can't honestly see any kind of extended hot streak coming. Gallardo's good, but inconsistent. Looper and Parra are mediocre, Bush and Sup are on the the DL, and every other option pretty much.....sucks, to put it bluntly. It's hard to have any kind of sustained success if you're getting no better than sub-par pitching 4 starts out of 5.