With the Hall of Brewers We Won’t Miss series going on back in June and a remembrance for, well, players we won’t miss, I assembled candidates for the All-Brewers We Won’t Miss team from the 2000′s.

So without further ado, make a quick run to your closet, put on your Royce Clayton shirt, and cringe a bit as you go through the team.

Catcher

Candidates- Henry Blanco, Paul Bako, Chad Moeller

Moeller somehow hit for the cycle on April 27, 2004 against the Cincinnati Reds.

Any of these guys could have easily been selected to the team, but, in the end, consistently bad play was the determining factor. Henry Blanco batted .236 in 2000 and .210 in 2001 while getting the majority of the playing time over Raul Casanova. Though he was one of the best defensive catchers in the game, (2.7 combined dWAR over his two seasons), his offense was abysmal (negative oWAR in both seasons). Chad Moeller was really bad (batted .208, .206, and .184 from 2004-2006) and probably deserves being on the list, but he hit for the cycle and is thus spared. Paul Bako posted a mere .295 OBP and -0.7 WAR in 87 games in 2002 but only played one season with the Brewers–not nearly enough time for us to celebrate his departure.

Winner- Henry Blanco

We should actually be thanking Blanco for his contributions to the Brewers; tied at 2, he hit an inning-ending ground out with runners on the corners in the ninth inning of Game Five of the 2011 NLDS in Milwaukee. In the bottom of the 10th, his defense allowed Carlos Gomez to steal second after Blanco dropped the ball behind the plate and, as we all know, Gomez then scored on Nyjer Morgan’s series-winning single.

First Base

Candidates- Kevin Barker, Brooks Conrad, Brad Nelson

Look, who did you really expect too see here? Richie Sexson? Lyle Oooooooverbay? Prince Fielder? The Brewers have had some of the best luck with first basemen over the course of the 2000′s. To put it in perspective, the worst season by a Milwaukee starting first basemen (until this season because there really hasn’t been one starting 1B) was in 2005 when Overbay hit .276/.367/.449 with 19 homers, 72 RBI, and 80 runs.

I give you Brad Nelson, ladies and gentlemen.

Brewers fans will really have to dig into the memory bank to recall Kevin Barker. He was a 24-year-old draft pick of the Brewers and the Opening Day starter in the infamous tie game with the Reds in 2000. He batted .220 in 100 at-bats, posting two homers and nine RBI. Barker drew nearly as many walks (20) and hits (22), which led to a respectable .352 OBP before his season ended on May 27 and some guy named Richie Sexson took over. Brad Nelson and Brooks Conrad pretty much go hand-in-hand after their performances with the Brewers. Nelson started 2009 on the big league roster and couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn. He failed to get a hit in 21 at-bats (mainly as a pinch-hitter, but still…) before being released as a .000 hitter with nine strikeouts. Conrad wasn’t much better; the former Braves postseason hero went 0-27 to open 2012 despite batting over .400 in AAA. He finally broke through with a two-run homer on June 2 against Pittsburgh. Two of his three hits on the season were home runs against the Pirates before he was released as a .075 hitter with two homers and six RBI in 40 at-bats.

Winner- Brad Nelson

At least Brooks Conrad got a hit. Nelson was a joke each time he stepped into the box. No confidence. Overswinging. Pressing. It was just a bad situation for a guy who made the postseason roster a year before. Sorry, Brad, but we won’t miss you.

Second Base

Candidates- Ronnie Belliard, Enrique Cruz, Junior Spivey

We could really just flip a coin for this one. Belliard had a good year in 1999, but that wasn’t the 2000s, which weren’t as productive for the dreadlocked Brewer. He batted a combined .263 over 2000 and 2001 and posted a 3.4 WAR in 2001. His 2002 season was simply awful, however. He had an OBP, not an average, of .257. 257. Two-fifty-seven. And a WAR of -2.3. In the end, his positive 2000 and 2001 season save him from making this team. Enrique Cruz somehow lasted the entire 2003 season in the majors despite only going 6-71 for a .085 average. He struck out more than 42% of the time. Adam Dunn’s career rate is 28%. His longest hitting streak was one and, in only 76 plate appearances, he had a -1.5 WAR. Junior Spivey came to Milwaukee in the Richie Sexson trade before the 2004 season after being an All Star in 2002. He got injured and only appeared in 59 games in ’04, then hit .236 in 2005 before being traded for Tomo Ohka. His defense made Rickie Weeks look like a Gold Glover, making 18 errors in 108 games over his two seasons.

Winner- Junior Spivey

Cruz wasn’t a starter like the two, and Belliard had two out of three good seasons. Spivey couldn’t stay healthy and didn’t prove nearly as valuable as the Brewers had hoped the former All Star would. When Rickie Weeks took over second after Spivey’s departure, we didn’t miss him.

Third Base

Sep 19, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Casey McGehee reacts after striking out during the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. (Image: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE)

Candidates- Jose Hernandez, Wes Helms, Casey McGehee

Though he started at shortstop in 2001 and 2002, Jose Hernandez’s arguably worst season came at third base in 2000. He batted .244 with 11 homers and 59 RBI–not the prototypical “power” third baseman numbers–and struck out 125 times, or over 25% of the time. His K totals grew worse as the years went on, but 2000 was his all-around worst season. When I asked someone on Twitter what they thought of Wes Helms, he replied “at least he was good at getting hit by pitches”. His numbers weren’t terrible (.267/23/67 in 2003) but Brewers fans were happy to replace him in 2006. He (zero steals over three seasons) and Casey McGehee (one over three seasons) would make for a good race to determine the slowest non-catcher of the 2000′s for the Brewers. McGehee actually may have had a better year than Prince Fielder in 2010 when he batted .285 with 23 homers and 104 RBI, but 2011 was a completely different story. He batted .223, led all NL third basemen in errors, and posted a -1.1 WAR.

Winner- Jose Hernandez

Normally, I’d put Hernandez under the shortstop category seeing as it was his primary position in two of his three season, but his terrible season as a third baseman coupling with the strong candidates for the team at short make for him reaching the squad at the Hot Corner. He led the team in errors, struck out three times more than he walked, was caught stealing seven out of ten times, and had a -0.3 WAR.

Shortstop

Candidates- Royce Clayton, Yuniesky Betancourt, Cesar Izturis

ROYCE CLAYTON HAS AS MANY RINGS AS LEBRON, GUYS! (And more hair!)

In 2003, my first year to follow every Brewers game, I distinctly recall my grandmother having a strong dislike for Royce Clayton, the long-haired shortstop for the Crew. He was an All Star with St. Louis in 1997 (once again proving the ASG is seriously flawed), but only batted .228 with a .301 OBP and 39 RBI in 146 games in his only season with Milwaukee. My grandma always noted that if he cut his hair, maybe he’d hit the ball…but judging by his -1.5 WAR that season I’d say that’s wishful thinking. As for Yuniesky Betancourt, I need not explain much. We won’t miss his first-pitch swinging, ground ball-botching play, but he did have a clutch RBI single in Game Five of the 2011 NLDS. Yuni B swung at the most first pitches in the league and was only in 12 3-1 counts all season long.  Cesar Izturis has taken over the role of shortstop this season after losing Alex Gonzalez for the season to injury, playing more games at short than any other Brewer despite a stint on the DL himself. We can count on a .215 average and a dismal .234 OBP with a homer and eight RBI from the man Ron Roenicke calls “Caesar”.

Winner-Royce Clayton and Yuniesky Betancourt

There simply is no leaving Betancourt off the team, but Clayton was awful in his year with the Brewers. They’ll split time at shortstop with Cesar Izturis getting the occasional Ned Yost Sunday Special start.

Left Field

Candidates- Ryan Thompson, Carlos Lee

The fact that Geoff Jenkins and Ryan Braun manned the garden in front of Friday’s Front Row at Miller Park for 11 of the last 13 seasons limited the options from which to choose. Jenkins was shelved because of an injury in June of 2002 and career .243 hitter Ryan Thompson joined the team and accumulated 62 games over the course of the remaining season. He stayed near his career totals, posting .248/.295/.518 splits. As for Carlos Lee, the production was never a problem. He played all 162 games in 2005 after being exchanged for Scott Podsednik, hitting 32 homers and driving in 114 runs. He was an All Star in both his seasons with Milwaukee, 2005 and 2006, but never had the fan-friendly appeal to him of other players. Lee never (and still doesn’t) run out grounders and was a minus defensive player.

Winner- Ryan Thompson

It’s not fair to include Thompson on this team with his limited action in a Brewers uniform, but he’s going up against Ryan Braun, Geoff Jenkins, and Carlos Lee. But does anybody really miss Thompson when El Caballo is still producing with Miami?

Cam Boogie could roam the outfield..and can bring those talents to this team. (Image: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE)

Center Field

Candidates- James Mouton, Mike Cameron, Chris Duffy

James Mouton was never the everyday starter for the Brewers, but over his two seasons with the team (2000 and ’01) he totaled 355 plate appearances, which is nothing shabby for a bench player. He hit .233 and .246, respectively, with four total homers while striking out in over 25% of his at-bats. While he spent time in both left and right, center field was his primary position. Mike Cameron was a fan favorite in 2008 and 2009 and hit 49 homers in his two seasons but was in the decline of his career. Cam-Boogie’s strikeouts were his downfall. He struck out 298 times in 269 games and only hit .247. Chris Duffy was unproductive in his short stint with the Brewers in 2009. He racked up four hits in 32 at-bats and was released early on in the season.

Winner- Mike Cameron

I loved Mike Cameron’s work ethic, but there’s no missing his strikeouts. It pains me to say it, but Mike Cameron gets the start on the Brewers We Won’t Miss Team.

Right Field

Candidates- Jeffry Hammonds, Kevin Mench, Chris Magruder, Jody Gerut

Right field is full of Hall of Brewers We Won’t Miss candidates. Jeffry Hammonds was the largest contract in Brewers history in 2001 when he signed as a free agent; injuries plagued his 2001 season but he was an intricate part in the team’s awfulness in 2002. MLB FanCave finalist, friend of RtB, and nominator of Hammonds for the Hall Steve Sievewright wrote the following on the former right fielder.

65 RBI, now that sounds like a completely average year right? Well, it would be except that’s the amount of RBIs Hammonds had in his 3 years as a Brewer.  Stats as a Brewer are as follows: .248 BA/.321 OBP/65 RBI/69 Runs/16 HRs. Here’s the key stat: 187 games. In three years! Three abysmal years. 49 games in 2001, 128 in 2002, and 10 (yes 10!) in 2003. All years were cut short by stints on the DL.

Kevin Mench came over in the deal that sent Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz (way to go, management!) to Texas for Francisco Cordero,

You go, Jeffry Hammonds. You go.

Mench, Laynce Nix, and a minor leaguer. He was incredibly slow, terrible on defense, and had consistently poor at-bats. He saw the 11th-fewest pitches per PA in 2007. He hit .288 while with the Brewers, which actually wasn’t that bad….if it wasn’t actually his OBP instead of his batting average. He drew a total of 20 walks and had a negative defensive WAR. In Chris Magruder’s two seasons, he hit .236 and .203, respectively, in a consistent role off the bench. He wasn’t very good, but seemed to just be some guy on the roster, which makes it hard to miss or not miss him. Jody Gerut wasn’t very good (he batted .197 in 2010) but he had a grand slam in ’09 and hit for the cycle in Arizona in ’10 so he gets a pass.

Winner- Jeffry Hammonds

Hammonds three year, $21 million contract, the biggest in franchise history at the time, is tied with the Jeff Suppan deal for the worst Brewers signing ever. He couldn’t stay on the field for the majority of the deal and was unproductive when he stayed relatively healthy in 2002.

Bench- Chad Moeller, Brooks Conrad, Enrique Cruz, Ronnie Belliard, Carlos Lee, Kevin Mench

Starting pitchers- Braden Looper, Jeff Suppan, Manny Parra, Victor Santos, Glendon Rusch

Bullpen- Luis Vizcaino (SU), Ricky Bottalico, Carlos Villanueva, Jorge Julio, Guillermo Mota, Eric Gagne (SU) , Derrick Turnbow (CL)

Manager- Ken Macha

Here’s how the lineup would look:

2B Spivey

CF Cameron

3B Hernandez

RF Hammonds

LF Thompson

1B Nelson

SS Clayton/Betancourt

C Blanco

This did not turn out to be the case. And so, late last week – we sent you off to Nashville with the unenviable title of “Designated for Assignment.” It simply was not meant to be. Like an early spring, you flowered for a short time with Milwaukee, showed promise of renewal and better days to follow. But with one cold day, you wilted – seemingly never again to come about with success.

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It's finally here: the age of Thornburg (Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE)

MLBTraderumors.com has just noted that infielder Brooks Conrad has been designated for Minor League assignment, which is the “unnamed roster move” everyone has been waiting for today. That move allows Milwaukee to place Thornburg on the 40-man and 25-man roster.

No official announcement yet of Thornburg getting the starting nod, but Twitter has been abuzz about it all day.

The starter is still in question due to Marcum’s being scratched because of elbow soreness. Thornburg is 8-1 with AA Huntsville this season with a 3.00 ERA.

UPDATE: Tom Haudricourt says it’s official. HE NEVER LIES.

So we’re taking a break from the negative nonsense today to bring you some quick news hits from a group of ballplayers whose dreams have not yet been crushed by injuries, losing streaks or whiny media-types. I’m talking about the Minor League affiliates of the Milwaukee Brewers, of course.

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However, one good thing came out of this series. Utility man Brooks Conrad finally sought out the gift he’s been waiting on for so long: a batting average.

Well, sort of. .061 isn’t much of an average, but it’s better than the .000 he wore for the first few months. His first hit of the season came on Saturday, in the game that wasn’t televised. He socked an opposite field home run off of Pirates starter Erik Bedard. After that, I made a joke that he can only get hits in games that aren’t on TV. But sure enough, the next day, that joke became obsolete when he hit another home run, this one off All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan. Coming into the game, Hanrahan’s opponent batting average was .162, so it’s pretty impressive Conrad did that.

June 2, 2012: Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brooks Conrad (14) is congratulated by pitcher Shaun Marcum (18) after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

But, as you’ll notice, Conrad’s only two hits so far are home runs. Not that it means anything, I just find it interesting that he has a season-long 0-for and ends it with two blasts. And neither of them were cheap shots; these were legitimate home runs.

It wasn’t just Conrad who broke out this series, however, as there were a few other Brewers players who showed signs of getting their seasons turned around. Nyjer Morgan was one of them, who, following a .304 season in his first year in Milwaukee, didn’t even have an RBI up until this series. But he turned that around in a hurry, hitting two home runs this series, just as Conrad did. The first one came off of Kevin Correia, and the second off James McDonald. Both of the home runs were no-doubt, low line drive pulls into the right field seats. This is the vintage Morgan we’re used to seeing, so if he keeps this up, he might finally become that consistent bat in the lineup that he was down the stretch last year.

Meanwhile, other utility players, such as Taylor Green and Cody Ransom, had their moments during this series as well. Ransom had a two-run single right before Conrad’s home run on Saturday, and Green is hitting over .300 in his last nine games.

But it’s needless to say these guys are heating up at the right time. The Brewers have been barraged with more injuries than the mind can handle, the latest addition to the disabled list being third baseman and cleanup hitter Aramis Ramirez. That means Ryan Braun, who has also dealt with his share of injuries, isn’t going to have much protection in the lineup. That means Green and Corey Hart are going to have to take the bulk of that job. Or even Conrad could do that, if he can start hitting on a consistent basis from here on out.

That, or he’ll maintain his .061 average, and hit a home run or two every 30 at-bats.

AAA superstar and 0-22 Brewer, Brooks Conrad. (Image: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE)

two torpid months for the Brewers, but chose against it for the sake of not wanting to jinx anything else and, considering the boys here at RtB have already covered every injury imaginable, any injury summation would simply be me palavering.

After a healthy stretch of a week or so that, miraculously enough, saw no Brewers get hit with injury, a four-game stretch at the end of last week was as painful for fans as it was for the players who hit the disabled list. Three players managed to hit the 15-day DL in a span of four games; starting pitcher Marco Estrada strained his right quadriceps rounding first on a two-run double and won’t be back until late June at the earliest; backup-turned-starting shortstop-because-of-Alex-Gonzalez’s-ACL-tear Cesar Izturis hit the DL on Friday with a strained left hamstring rounding third base; and first baseman Travis Ishikawa was placed on the DL with a strained rib cage before Sunday’s game.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Aramis Ramirez, Kameron Loe, and George Kottaras are all day-to-day with seperate injuries. Awesome.

The 2012 Brewers are showing shades of being the real-life, non-animated, Michael Jordan-less, injury-riddled Tune Squad from the hit 90′s film Space Jam. Don’t look now or Bill Murray may be making an appearance in middle relief, to which Mr. Swackhammer–err…Dale Sveum–calls out, “Whoa, whoa, whoa! I didn’t know Dan Aykroyd was in this picture!”

At this rate, Murray may actually be making a visit to the home clubhouse in Milwaukee; I mean, if Brooks Conrad can suit up, I’m sure there is cap space for Murray, as well. After batting 0-22, Conrad was sent back down to AAA Nashville, only to be recalled yet again due to the injuries.

Speaking of Nashville, it seems that the entire AAA roster may be called up in the near future. The active roster for the Brewers already has included nine players that weren’t on the Opening Day roster…and we’re not even out of May: Mike McClendon, Juan Perez, Brooks Conrad, Taylor Green, Edwin Maysonet, Cody Ransom, Eric Farris, Wily Peralta, and Vinnie Chulk.

As the season progresses (especially if the injuries continue at this rate), more and more guys from Nashville will be putting on the Brewer blue. In fact, another name (possibly Mike Fiers or Peralta) may be added to that list before Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers, as someone must fill in for what would be Estrada’s start.

Here are some players currently in Nashville that we may see in Miller Park in the near future:

Mike Fiers, RHP

The starting pitcher is not one of the top two or three pitching prospects, but, at the moment, may be the most “Big League ready”. Thus far he holds a 4.42 era with the Sounds in AAA and may be called up to make his first Major League start on Tuesday.

Peralta made his Major League debut earlier this season against Colorado. (Image: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE)

Wily Peralta, RHP

Widely considered Milwaukee’s top prospect, Peralta has been struggling mightily at AAA. He holds a 1-6 record and 6.52 era and is coming off an eight-run shellacking on Sunday, so he is no longer the favorite to make Tuesday’s start, but we will probably see him again this season.

Jeff Bianchi, SS

The name has crept up on us in 2012, but Bianchi has moved his way up from AA Huntsville to AAA and is hitting .350 with the Sounds and .351 between both teams. He is somewhat of a dark horse to be promoted, but may be next in line on the left side of the infield with a solid glove and above-average bat.

Martin Maldonado, C

The starting catcher for Nashville is only hitting .198 this season, but has shown promise in spring training and in winter leagues. He’s also next in line at catcher, and with Kottaras day-to-day, he could aggravate his injury and easily find himself on the DL, thus promoting Maldonado.

Logan Schafer, OF

The speedy Schafer had a chance at making the Opening Day roster until Ryan Braun won his appeal. In the meantime, Schafer has shown surprising power in Nashville with five homers and 12 doubles.

Eric Farris, IF

14 steals in 17 attempts this season for the former Reviewing the Brew interviewee. Rickie Weeks gets injured seemingly every season, so .271-hitting Farris would be the logical replacement there.

Jonathan Lucroy has hit full beast mode as of late. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Once again, our podcast that talks about anything and all things Brewers. Today’s episode (which is also pretty short as well) also acts as a ‘Recap on Tap’ as Colin and I discuss today’s 8-2 win over the Cubs. There was quite a lot to talk about in these past two days so here’s what we talked about:

-Today’s game

-Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun getting beamed

-Last night’s game

-Which platoon player could pitch if need be?

-Jonathan Lucroy’s value

-Brewers-Cubs rivalry rising?

-Tomorrow’s match-up, Jeff Samardzija (4-1, 3.03 ERA) vs Marco Estrada (0-2, 4.50 ERA)

-The line-up

-Cesar Izturis vs Brooks Conrad at shortstop

-Marcum’s performance today

Thanks again for listening and stay tuned for next week!

Ron Roenicke has more on his plate than expected so far this season. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

Well…at least not everyone has torn their ACL or injured their shoulder. With the devastating blows of losing Chris Narveson, Mat Gamel and now Alex Gonzalez for the season, the Brewers ship is being roughed up in the sea that is the NL Central. The pitching is still trying to get on track all while the offense struggles to survive without two everyday batters. Last night’s loss to the Reds shows that Marco Estrada has not really adapted to the starting role, and in a rotation with our four main starters having a rough go of things, the fifth man role becomes all that more crucial. So, the pitching will eventually figure their problems (well hopefully), but the reconstruction of the line-up is a new task for Ron Roenicke.

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Greinke's role is crucial this year, espeically with Gallardo's struggles. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Tomorrow begins our three game series with the San Francisco Giants. The first match-up is really the only one I’m going to talk about here. After our crushing defeats in San Diego, most notably last night’s game against Jeff Suppan, (seriously Milwaukee?!?) things don’t get much easier going north heading into the Bay Area. Tomorrow’s match-up features the Brew Crew’s Zack Greinke (3-1, 3.94 ERA) against the Giants’ Tim Lincecum (2-2, 5.74 ERA). I’m not saying this first game will necessarily dictate how the series goes, but beating Lincecum, aka The Freak, at his own home isn’t the easiest thing to do. Greinke on the road had a very bad outing against the Cubs, giving up eight earned runs, but went on to beat the Cardinals on April 29th at Busch Stadium. This start is certainly the biggest of the three game series, so let’s delve into the match-up:

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Conrad AND Gamel in the same photo? How much better could it get? Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

The moment Rickie Weeks started motioning à la Lawrence Taylor for trainers to come out after Gamel collided with the wall and immediately collapsed, it appeared as the Brewers first baseman had suffered a severe injury. Flashes of Derrick Rose and Iman Schumpert both flailing to the ground with torn ACL’s were the immediate images in the brains of Brewers fans. Gamel, however, stayed in the game on defense before being lifted during the next half inning at the plate.

Gamel returned to Milwaukee on Wednesday to have his knee examined by Dr. William Raasch. The consequential results could range from a few days off for YOLO, a stint on the 15-day disabled list, or, preferably not, a spot on the 60-day DL. The Brewers’ announcement will be forthcoming soon.

If Gamel finds himself on the DL, Brooks Conrad would be the obvious replacement. Conrad, the final position player cut in spring, will start at first base for AAA Nashville Wednesday night to reacquaint himself with a position where he has only spent 1.2 innings in the Majors. Travis Ishikawa would likely receive most of the playing time at first–including starts against left handers, much like Gamel has–but Conrad can play third base, second base, and the outfield, additionally.

Hopefully YOLO’s knee will be healthy and he an return to the Brewers without needing a DL stint, but if that is the case, Conrad is a strong replacement.