Brewers Spring Training Observations

Big thanks to Peter from Fond du Lac for these first hand observations in Arizona.

A non-Favre diversion.

I was in AZ this weekend and spent the day at Brewer's camp on Sunday. Our seats were right next to the bullpen so we were able to watch their pitchers for Sunday warm up very close up.

A few observations:

1. Villanueva looked really solid.
2. Cappy looked uncomfortable in the pen, then proceeded to get lit up when he went in. Not good, my friends.
3. Luis Pena can bring the heat. Couldn't understand eight words of English, but he has major speed on his fastball.
4. Bill Castro was so relaxed I wondered at times if he had a pulse.

A few non-pitching observations:

1. Weeks looks huge. Not Prince-huge (didn't look like his new meat aversion has cost him any pounds) or Jaha (roids-huge), but like he lifted 15 hours/day and ate his Wheaties during the off season.
2. Lance Nix's forearms look Jaha-huge. I'm not inferring anything unnatural, I'm just saying...
3. I think the club will be much better at C this year, even if the hitting is only marginally better.

One other note:

If a player is a big enough name that you can recognize them without having to look at their number or name on their back, they are likely to be an overt jag-off to anyone that wants an autograph. I was there with 5 kids under 8 years old, all wide-eyed with MLB baseballs and Sharpies and the two best dudes to them were Yost and Castro. LaPorta, Rottino, and Gwynn were also cool to them. I get that there are a lot (even at Spring Training) of middle-aged men and women that have 18 cards for each player to sign and I would be pretty put off by that as well, but when a few kids are standing there worshipping you like a god and you are 8 feet away, to not even acknowledge them is pretty weak. Uecker on the other hand, was great. He took time to sign each ball, pose for pictures with a bunch of fans we saw down the way, and just was a really great guy. Some of the Brewer young studs could learn a thing or two from him.

Peter in Fond du Lac