Not since the talented triumvirate of Jim Gantner, Paul Molitor, and Robin Yount roamed Milwaukee County Stadium has a Brewers team possessed this much skill, depth, and potential. 

1992 – the last season the Brewers finished above the five hundred mark – ended in disappointment, as the Crew faded down the stretch, finishing second in the American League East to eventual World Champion Toronto.  Together, they combined for 6,399 hits, the most ever by a trio of teammates. 

But after the season, Milwaukee Brewers management – then headed by the now-reviled Sal Bando – let Molitor walk.  He signed as a free agent with the Blue Jays, winning the World Series MVP the very next year.  In his six post-Brewer seasons, he amassed 1,038 hits (including two campaigns of over 200), finishing with 3,319, eighth all-time.

The Curse of Paul Molitor lives on.  Last season, though, the Crew responded, finishing at .500, despite losing their last two contests.  Though Molitor is still gone, Gantner has continued to reside in the area (he owns and operates a coffee shop in nearby Hartland with his wife) and – most significantly – Rockin’ Robin Yount is back in Milwaukee, now serving as bench coach for skipper Ned Yost.

Bringing back the greatest player – two American League MVP awards (’82 and ’89) at two different positions (SS and CF) – to ever don the greatest logo ever created, makes perfect sense.  And with Yount and Yost – teammates with the 1982 World Series squad – of like philosophical mindset, the future of the organization is strong.

So, too, is the pitching staff.  Admittedly, the only question mark is a big one.  Ben Sheets, when healthy, is one of the most dominant pitchers in the game.  When he went down with a back injury last season, the Brewers were in the thick of the playoff race, only a few games off the Wild Card pace.  They finished the season eight games of the pace.

In his first start this spring, Sheets appeared to injure the same delicate area; many fans of the Crew thought first of the Curse.  Management thinks it not too serious, though, and – understandably – were simply being cautious.  If they can keep him healthy all year, expect Milwaukee to contend.  For behind Sheets is a litany of consistency, embodied by two southpaws.

Both Doug Davis and Chris Capuano displayed their mettle last season, combining for 29 wins and a surprisingly high strike out total (384) in 441.2 innings pitched.  Anchoring the vital two and three slots in the rotation, the Brewers have one of the better three-man rotations in the National League.

Three hurlers will likely compete for the final two spots in their starting arsenal.  Toma Okha, acquired for expendable second baseman Junior Spivey from the Nationals last season, has proved a valuable cog while Rick Helling and Dave Bush – to the Brewers from the Blue Jays in the Lyle Overbay deal – figure to battle for the final rotation spot.

A surprisingly effective bullpen – 3.87 ERA, sixth best in the NL – has also been strengthened by the addition of Justin Lehr, the return of former closer Dan Kolb and the influx of young talent epitomized by fireballer Jose Capellan, acquired for Kolb from Atlanta last off-season.

Those manning the position 60 feet, 6 inches away, Damian Miller and Chad Moeller, are fine defensively, but on the offensive end are usually a liability.  Miller did hit .282 in the season’s second half; Moeller hitting for the cycle, though, in 2004 was surely an aberration.

At first base resides the promise and potential of the club’s future.  Prince Fielder, son of slugger Cecil, has all the makings of the next great home run hitter.  There is concern about both his weight and defense; both of which will abate as he matures both mentally and physically.

In terms of sheer talent – not to mention hitting prowess – second baseman Rickie Weeks is also no slouch.  Chosen number two overall in the 2003 draft, he made an immediate impact last season, entering the major leagues – and the starting lineup – on June 11 with two base hits.

Like Fielder, Weeks also needs to work on his defense, but his phenomenal athleticism will eventually win out.  After all, there is a reason he is often compared to Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, who ranks number two on the list of greatest second baseman, behind only Rogers Hornsby.

Weeks’ pivot, shortstop J.J. Hardy, also reminds many of a Hall of Famer: Robin Yount.  Like Yount, he began his career in Milwaukee at a young age, learning both the game – and the ropes – in full view of management, the media, and fans alike. 

Hovering near the Mendoza Line for much of the season’s first three months, Hardy began hitting well in July, eventually raising his average to .247 thanks to a .305 average in September.  Learning under fire will serve him well long-term; teamed with Weeks, they will eventually mesh into one of the league’s best double play combination.

The hot corner provides the most intriguing position battle.  Billy Hall, the do-everything utility man for Milwaukee last season, is penciled in as the starter, but with the sage acquisition of veteran Corey Koskie, seems destined once again to the important, if less-glamorous, role. 

The Brewers outfield has no such questions.  Entrenched in left, center, and right are Carlos Lee, Brady Clark, and Geoff Jenkins.  The former acquired for speedster Scott Podsednik, Clark taking his place in center, and Jenkins moving from left to right for Lee, made the Brewers a much better team – in the field as well as at the plate.  Expect similar solid defense and productive – and timely – hitting from this trio in 2006.

Perhaps the most important piece of this position puzzle, though, has yet to be named.  Corey Hart, another in yet a long line of prized Brewers prospects, has been groomed in a role similar to Billy Hall, one predicated on arriving at the ballpark every day ready to play – anywhere on the field. 

If he can master this role at all four corner positions, Milwaukee will benefit immensely.

Solid on both the mound and at the plate, the Brewers fortunes will rise and fall with their young and inconsistent infield defense.  With sinkerballers Davis and Capuano relying heavily upon ground ball outs, their maturation process will determine the team’s success.

Ned Yost, a disciple of Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, has rapidly grasped the nuances of managing in the big leagues.  His quick study combined with the addition of Robin Yount to the coaching staff, the perfect blend of veterans and newcomers, speed and power and a strong pitching staff, make the Milwaukee Brewers a strong contender for the postseason and eventual winner of the NL Wild Card.

Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Nicholas Jon Wood – after a recent emigration from Boston – currently lives in our nation’s capital.  When not an integral participant in interstate commerce, he fails to pay tolls, usually goes the speed limit, and never drives angry.

He can be reached via email at nicholas.wood@atomicsportsmedia.com.