(Photo: Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports Images)
As of this writing, the Brewers are 2-7 after nine games—or as I like to think of it, just five games under .500. On Wednesday, esteemed Brewers beat writer Tom Haudricourt did one of his online chats, noting at the end, “Looks like most participants are at DefCon 1 with the Brewers. That didn't take long, did it?”
For fun, let’s have a look at Haudricourt’s first chat of the 2011 season when the Brewers were 1-4 and no one knew the best season in club history was afoot. Most of the questions were measured compared to this week’s, but there were a few that are worth reconsidering with the benefit of hindsight.
If John Axford falters in the closer role, who do you see moving into that spot?
That hits a little close to home right now, but Axford went on to convert 46 straight save opportunities in 2011.
The Brewers are a terrible matchup with a team like the Reds who are their main competitor.
Brewers ended up recovering and went 8-8 against the Reds. Not great, but not terrible.
Do you trade Zack Greinke at mid-season if this season continues the way it has started?
The season didn’t continue that way. You never know.
Can you expect to score runs w/ so many weak batters like Nieves, Gomez, Betancourt, and Kotsay in your lineup?
Although Gomez and Betancourt did not set the world on fire that year, Lucroy ended up replacing Nieves, and Kotsay was very productive coming off the bench. As a team, the 2011 Brewers ranked 5th in the NL in runs scored, 3rd in batting average, and 1st in slugging.
Very early in the season but is Prince putting too much pressure on himself to produce so he can get that massive contract?
Fielder pressured himself to 120 RBI, a .299 batting average, and .981 OPS.
Do you see Morgan replacing Gomez at center field if Gomez continues in his slump?
All right, that’s a question you can still imagine being asked, except insert Logan Schafer.
Anything can happen but stacked up against the rest of the Central division, where do you see the Brewers realistically? When this team gets going they should be fun to watch but I'm not sure how they measure up to the competition yet.
August 2011 was fun to watch indeed.
Few would argue the 2013 Brewers are in the same league as the 2011 Brewers. But it’s good to keep in mind that the things fans worry about early in the season may end up being much ado about nothing.
Of course, if the Brewers get swept by the Cardinals this weekend, I'll be jumping on the "Save us Hunter Morris!" bandwagon.
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