Personally, I was a little offended when the 2008 Vent thread went up! Jeez guys, it's 2 months before the season starts!!! But no that the dust has settled from the Super Bowl, I suppose it is time to get ready for baseball, it might even be 40 degrees by the weekend! That said, I know that I, as well as many of you, can't wait for this season. This season holds as much anticipation, excitement, and any other big, long, important word in the dictionary as any in my lifetime (post 1982). I am a long time lurker, but now plan to post more and contribute my knowledge. So let's look at the silver lining for this year right away. If all goes well, we should have this thread much longer than the vent thread by the end of the year! -Going into this year, we have so much starting pitching that we don't even have enough spots for all of them! No more Ricky Bones, Everett Stull, or Rafael Roque *shudders*...we have a solid staff that could match up with any in the NL. We have a certified ace at the top in Sheets, a young stud, Gallardo, a crafty veteran, Suppan, and a couple of very capable back end pitchers which give us a chance to win every night in Capuano, Bush, and Vargas. -We now have a bullpen that should be able to give the fans confidence. Gagne is one of the more intimidating figures around who can be down right nasty. We also have a deeper supporting cast than I can recall since the Dan Plaesac days. Salomon Torres, Derrick Turnbow, Guillermo Mota and David Riske are strong arms that can be called on to get things done. Sprinkle in a couple of specialists like Shouse, Parra, Choate, or whoever they decide to keep and there is a bullpen that can get outs in any situation. -Our lineup may be the fiercest in the NL. An explosive leadoff guy like Weeks can make things happen. Contact man Jason Kendall gets on base and can put the ball in play. Big boppers such as Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, and Ryan Braun will be responsible for 100 HR and fear in the hearts of many opponents. Best part is, even our "not so good" hitters like Billy Hall, JJ Hardy, and Mike Cameron are solid sticks. No more punting the 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 holes with names like Blanco, Mouton, Mieske, Brunansky, Matheny, Barker etc. This lineup is fierce and like nothing Brewers fans have seen in a quarter century! -Our owner is willing to go out to spend dough on players and has the best interest of this franchise at heart. He is improving our already beautiful ball park and has put a positive spin on this team. -Depending on our financial situation and other factors this could be the best team the Brewers have had in over a decade and maybe will have for a long time. These could be what we refer to in 20 years as "the glory years" Let's just enjoy the ride and fun that we will have this season as fans of a fun and competitive team that could go all the way! Here's to 2008! The year of when dreams become reality!!