Brewers carry alot of promise into 2011

RHP Zack Greinke was the most notable of many big moves made by Brewers GM Doug Melvin in the offseason

It has been 29 years since the Milwaukee Brewers were in the World Series, bringing the now-division rival St. Louis Cardinals to a game seven before losing.  That year the team was led by hall of famers Paul Molitor and Robin Yount, and the 1982 season was the only year in the Brewer's 42-year history the team made it to back-to-back postseasons (up until 2008 it was the only seasons they made it).  The Brew Crew has had just 7 winning seasons in since that World Series run, and over the 2011 offseason, showed everyone that they are ready to end the losing trend-as well as a 29-year drought.

The Brewers got the ball rolling on November 2nd, hiring their 18th manager in team history, Ron Roenicke.  Roenicke had spent the previous 11 seasons on Mike Scioscia's coaching staff in Anaheim, the last 5 as Scioscia's bench coach.  Roenicke is the third coach off the Mike Scioscia coaching tree, being preceeded by Joe Maddon, who has won 2 AL East titles to go along with the 2008 Pennant and AL Manager of the Year, and Bud Black, who won the 2010 Manager of the Year with the San Diego Padres.  These two managers certainly give the Brewers tremendous optimism going into the 2011 season.

The next issue Brewers GM Doug Melvin adressed was the pitching staff, which had a 4.58 ERA in 2010, third lowest in the National League.  Their biggest move was the acquisition of RHP Zack Greinke in a blockbuster trade with the Kansas City Royals in December for Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, and prospects Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi.  Greinke was the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner.  Milwaukee also acquired Shaun Marcum in a trade with Toronto, after Marcum had a season where he went 13-8 with a 3.64 ERA and 165 K in 195 innings.  Greinke and Marcum will team up with 25-year old All-Star Yovani Gallardo, who has had 200 K in each of the last two seasons, as well as veteran Randy Wolf and the up and coming Chris Narveson.  They also picked up reliever Takashi Saito, who had a 2.83 ERA in 56 innings with Atlanta in 2010.

The lineup was upgraded with the acquisition of SS Yuniesky Betancourt, who put up career numbers with the lowly Kansas City Royals in 2010.  To add to that, the lineup still sports Richie Weeks, Casey McGehee, Ryan Braun, Corey Hart, and Prince Fielder, who is in a contract year.

Barring injuries, the Brewers will have potentially one of the best years in their 42-year franchise history, and possibly bring the first World Series Championship to Milwaukee since 1957, when the Milwaukee Braves accomplished the feat.