[Loeffle]

August and September 2007 - Milwaukee Brewers
Manager and GM Fritsche

August should quickly tell if we are good enough for the playoffs. While the offense with Hall, Braun and Fielder was running, the rotation and the bullpen were trouble areas. David Bush was the only reliable starter, Ben Sheets
ate innings, but gave up homerun after homerun. Chris Capuano mixed good and bad outings, while it was better to have a rested bullpen for Claudio Vargas starts. But who should we call up as Nr. 5 starter for the injured Gallardo? Veteran R.A. Dickey was the most successful pitcher at AAA Nashville, but head scout Terry Dean vetoed calling him up as he doubted him being good enough for our playoff run. Eventually we opted for Jack Egbert (2.40 ERA / 1.23 WHIP in 10 starts for Nashville)over Carlos Villanueva (4.17 ERA / 1.46 WHIP as spot starter and reliever for Nashville).
Our bullpen was also seriously lacking consistency and virtually no lead was "safe". Only Matt Wise, Jose Cappellan and Francisco Cordero were more or less solid. Japanese free agent signing Rui Makino showed more shadow than sun.

The biggest names in August were then Claudio Vargas who finally showed he's a big league pitcher fighting for a contract and the new setup combo Capellan/Embree who both were virtually inhitable during 7th and 8th innings.

While we went 15-12, Pittsburgh took a huge hit going only 10-18 in August.

But we were by no means through to the playoffs as we had to play the Pirates six times. Sadly we struggled against them all season. They simply took advantage of our pitching problems and we simply couldn't hit Snell, Gorzelanny, Redmond and Duke. Their bullpen was superiour we lost 4 out of 6 games.

Our comfortable lead was cut to 3,5 games, as problems increased. Ryan "Calamity" Braun showed signs of the "Chuck Knoblauch illness" and committed error after error. But as we needed his bat, we moved him to LF (where he didn't have to throw that much), while red hot Bill Hall took over 3B.

After going 3-7 in Mid-August the division became really close, but with a 10-0 victory against the Padres we qualified for the playoffs on 27th september.

Looking back to those hot days in september, I think the Hall - Braun move rescued our lead.

Final 2007 standings:

American League Standings

Eastern Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 108 54 .667 - 100-62 8 58-23 50-31 10-2 36-14 Clinched W1 7-3 Boston Red Sox 78 84 .481 30.0 79-83 -1 38-43 40-41 6-14 26-21 W2 4-6 Toronto Blue Jays 73 89 .451 35.0 73-89 0 39-42 34-47 6-8 17-25 L1 4-6 New York (A) Yankees 70 92 .432 38.0 82-80 -12 36-45 34-47 4-8 12-34 L2 4-6 Baltimore Orioles 68 94 .420 40.0 66-96 2 36-45 32-49 7-8 26-23 W2 5-5 Central Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Chicago (A) White Sox 86 76 .531 - 77-85 9 46-35 40-41 8-3 27-15 Clinched W1 4-6 Minnesota Twins 85 77 .525 1.0 86-76 -1 44-37 41-40 7-9 25-21 L2 5-5 Cleveland Indians 84 78 .519 2.0 88-74 -4 36-45 48-33 9-4 24-25 L1 4-6 Detroit Tigers 73 89 .451 13.0 75-87 -2 40-41 33-48 5-11 23-29 L1 6-4 Kansas City Royals 68 94 .420 18.0 69-93 -1 35-46 33-48 8-9 18-22 W1 4-6 Western Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Los Angeles (A) Angels 95 67 .586 - 90-72 5 49-32 46-35 14-6 26-19 Clinched W1 7-3 Oakland Athletics 94 68 .580 1.0 94-68 0 56-25 38-43 7-7 26-24 L1 7-3 Seattle Mariners 77 85 .475 18.0 74-88 3 45-36 32-49 9-4 23-24 W1 4-6 Texas Rangers 68 94 .420 27.0 70-92 -2 40-41 28-53 4-9 18-29 L1 5-5 AL Wild Card Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Oakland Athletics 94 68 .580 - 94-68 0 56-25 38-43 7-7 26-24 Clinched L1 7-3 Minnesota Twins 85 77 .525 9.0 86-76 -1 44-37 41-40 7-9 25-21 L2 5-5 Cleveland Indians 84 78 .519 10.0 88-74 -4 36-45 48-33 9-4 24-25 L1 4-6 Boston Red Sox 78 84 .481 16.0 79-83 -1 38-43 40-41 6-14 26-21 W2 4-6 Seattle Mariners 77 85 .475 17.0 74-88 3 45-36 32-49 9-4 23-24 W1 4-6 Detroit Tigers 73 89 .451 21.0 75-87 -2 40-41 33-48 5-11 23-29 L1 6-4 Toronto Blue Jays 73 89 .451 21.0 73-89 0 39-42 34-47 6-8 17-25 L1 4-6 New York (A) Yankees 70 92 .432 24.0 82-80 -12 36-45 34-47 4-8 12-34 L2 4-6 Baltimore Orioles 68 94 .420 26.0 66-96 2 36-45 32-49 7-8 26-23 W2 5-5 Kansas City Royals 68 94 .420 26.0 69-93 -1 35-46 33-48 8-9 18-22 W1 4-6 Texas Rangers 68 94 .420 26.0 70-92 -2 40-41 28-53 4-9 18-29 L1 5-5

National League Standings

Eastern Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Atlanta Braves 89 73 .549 - 87-75 2 48-33 41-40 9-6 23-20 Clinched L1 7-3 Philadelphia Phillies 87 75 .537 2.0 88-74 -1 48-33 39-42 4-4 17-23 L1 5-5 Florida Marlins 86 76 .531 3.0 88-74 -2 47-34 39-42 7-7 25-23 L1 6-4 New York (N) Mets 85 77 .525 4.0 85-77 0 40-41 45-36 7-6 24-27 W1 5-5 Washington Nationals 67 95 .414 22.0 67-95 0 36-45 31-50 2-5 13-19 W1 3-7 Central Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Milwaukee Brewers 87 75 .537 - 89-73 -2 46-35 41-40 7-9 21-23 Clinched L3 3-7 Pittsburgh Pirates 86 76 .531 1.0 87-75 -1 51-30 35-46 13-7 30-23 W6 8-2 Chicago (N) Cubs 80 82 .494 7.0 81-81 -1 42-39 38-43 4-12 25-26 W1 4-6 St. Louis Cardinals 79 83 .488 8.0 79-83 0 50-31 29-52 8-8 23-25 L3 6-4 Houston Astros 75 87 .463 12.0 76-86 -1 43-38 32-49 8-8 28-24 W1 3-7 Cincinnati Reds 71 91 .438 16.0 66-96 5 39-42 32-49 6-8 32-25 L1 4-6 Western Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Arizona Diamondbacks 98 64 .605 - 101-61 -3 54-27 44-37 8-8 23-23 Clinched L2 5-5 Colorado Rockies 86 76 .531 12.0 87-75 -1 43-38 43-38 8-7 21-18 W2 6-4 San Francisco Giants 85 77 .525 13.0 81-81 4 51-30 34-47 7-4 20-21 L1 6-4 San Diego Padres 73 89 .451 25.0 72-90 1 40-41 33-48 8-9 25-23 W3 5-5 Los Angeles (N) Dodgers 69 93 .426 29.0 74-88 -5 40-41 29-52 10-10 21-30 W1 4-6 NL Wild Card Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Philadelphia Phillies 87 75 .537 - 88-74 -1 48-33 39-42 4-4 17-23 Clinched L1 5-5 Colorado Rockies 86 76 .531 1.0 87-75 -1 43-38 43-38 8-7 21-18 W2 6-4 Florida Marlins 86 76 .531 1.0 88-74 -2 47-34 39-42 7-7 25-23 L1 6-4 Pittsburgh Pirates 86 76 .531 1.0 87-75 -1 51-30 35-46 13-7 30-23 W6 8-2 New York (N) Mets 85 77 .525 2.0 85-77 0 40-41 45-36 7-6 24-27 W1 5-5 San Francisco Giants 85 77 .525 2.0 81-81 4 51-30 34-47 7-4 20-21 L1 6-4 Chicago (N) Cubs 80 82 .494 7.0 81-81 -1 42-39 38-43 4-12 25-26 W1 4-6 St. Louis Cardinals 79 83 .488 8.0 79-83 0 50-31 29-52 8-8 23-25 L3 6-4 Houston Astros 75 87 .463 12.0 76-86 -1 43-38 32-49 8-8 28-24 W1 3-7 San Diego Padres 73 89 .451 14.0 72-90 1 40-41 33-48 8-9 25-23 W3 5-5 Cincinnati Reds 71 91 .438 16.0 66-96 5 39-42 32-49 6-8 32-25 L1 4-6 Los Angeles (N) Dodgers 69 93 .426 18.0 74-88 -5 40-41 29-52 10-10 21-30 W1 4-6 Washington Nationals 67 95 .414 20.0 67-95 0 36-45 31-50 2-5 13-19 W1 3-7

Boston, Houston and San Diego sent both their GMs and managers packing.
The Rangers and Yankees bade farewell to their GMs, while Toronto and the Mets sacked their managers.


Our Minor League Teams:

• AAA Nashville Sounds (90-54 - won American North under Manager Motonobu Kikuchi - won the playoff championship against the Fresno Grizzlies 4 games to 0)
• AA Huntsville Stars (62-78 - last in Northern Division under Manager Don Money)
• A Brevard County Manatees (62-78 - 5th in Eastern Division under Manager Jonathan Herbert who was replaced by Vincent Booth on 21st september)
• A West Virginia Power (73-67 - 4th in Northern Division under Manager Jed Kramer who was replaced by Terry MacPatrick on 21st september)
• R Helena Brewers (49-27 - won Northern Division under Manager Uzmir Chaga - lost the playoff championship against the Orem Owlz 3 games to 0)
• R AZL Brewers - (25-31 - 7th in Arizona League under Manager Edmond Harris)