Unfortunately, the bullpen is the third vital piece to a good, contending team, and that’s the one piece the Brewers have been missing all year. They have arguably the worst bullpen in baseball. You can say what you want about the Mets or the Rockies, but there are few bullpens in baseball that you can give a six-run lead, and that bullpen will find a way to blow it. But that’s been the story of the Brewers’ bullpen.

However, there has been one piece down in the ‘pen recently who has given Brewers fans hope. That reliever is the Canadian 29 year-old long time farmhand Jim Henderson.

Prior to his call-up, Henderson had been in the Minor Leagues for all 10 of his professional seasons, without getting even one call-up. You have to wonder how he didn’t go insane while toiling down there. Before joining the Brewers’ system in 2009, he had previously pitched in the systems of the Expos/Nationals and the Cubs.

Henderson had the definition of an inconsistent Minor League career, which could be why it took him so long to get to the Majors. One year, he’d have a stellar sub-3.00 ERA, then the next year he’d get shelled and his ERA would skyrocket to over 5.00. Take his career in the Brewers’ farm system, for instance. In 2009, his first year in the system, he had a 2.04 ERA at Single-A, High-A, and Double-A combined. Then, in 2010 at Double-A, he struggled to a 5.46 ERA. In 2011, he came back and put up a 2.64 ERA at Double-A, but had problems after his call-up to Triple-A, posting a 5.93 ERA in half of a season there.

So that meant he was due for a good year this year, and it definitely happened. In 35 games for Triple-A Nashville, Henderson went 4-3 with a 1.69 ERA. That included his first 21 games of the season in which he didn’t give up an earned run. Henderson served as the closer for the Sounds, notching 15 saves before his call-up.

So far, he’s brought that same a-game to the Majors. He has yet to factor in a decision, but has a 1.29 ERA in seven innings pitched over eight games.

Henderson has also answered a huge call the past two days: the job of the Brewers’ closer. Coming into the season, the Brewers thought they had two established closers at the back end of their bullpen in John Axford and Francisco Rodriguez. But that simply hasn’t been the case: Axford’s ERA is 5.10, and K-Rod’s sits at 5.48.

Axford did save the first game of the series with the Reds (with a little help from Norichika Aoki). But, the past two games, Ron Roenicke has opted to go to Henderson, which I’ve been begging him to do ever since Henderson’s call-up. I actually even tweeted before his call-up that I wanted Henderson to come up and become the closer.

A few months later (and probably a few months too late), my wish has been answered.

In the second game of this series, Henderson threw a 1-2-3 ninth, including a strikeout, in a 3-1 win that locked up Mike Fiers’ best start in the Majors so far. Then, today, Henderson tossed another scoreless ninth in the Brewers’ 3-2 comeback win. He did walk batter, but also struck out two.

Henderson definitely has the stuff to be a closer. He has that high-90’s fastball, then a deadly slider that compliments it perfectly.

But, it’ll be a long time before we know if Henderson can be a real closer in the big leagues. Obviously we haven’t seen enough of him, as he’s pitched in just eight games and has two saves. But, even if Henderson finishes the season as a great closer for the Brewers, we still won’t know. If Henderson has a 40-save season in 2013, we still won’t know. Why? Because of Derrick Turnbow. Because of Trevor Hoffman. Because of John Axford.

The Brewers have just had horrible luck with closers in recent years. Each of the closers I just listed was dominant for roughly a year and a half to two years, and then just flamed out. I want and hope that Henderson will be different than those guys, but we just won’t know for a few years.

For now, though, the Brewers have found a guy who can safely get them through the ninth inning, even in a close game. And that’s all we can ask for in a season like this.

For those of you coming in late, here is what started all of this:

This is a 5 week project, in which 5 select individuals will nominate two former Brewers as candidates for “The Hall”. At the end of those 5 weeks, RtB will put up a poll in order to induct 2 players in to the first ever class of the “Hall of Brewers We Won’t Miss”.

In my humble opinion, there was never a doubt that he would be a first ballot Hall of Won’t Misser, either. 

So, as we discussed yesterday, rather than a speech I just wrote a little obituary for his career as a Brewer.  Enjoy.

Eric Gagne

This French-speaking, Looney spending, steroid abusing, baseball journeyman, was lucky enough to end his major league career as a Milwaukee Brewer.  Luckily for Brewers fans, he did not “retire” wearing our jersey.  Rather, his career simply ended due to horrific play and absurd contract demands, which the Brewers met for one heinous season. 

December 9, 2007 was the day that the Brewers lit $10 million dollars on fire and called it an acquisition.  Gagne was brought in to close games after the complete breakdown of Derrick Turnbow, and the departure of Francisco Cordero.  Eric lasted about 3 weeks as the Brewers closer, blowing 3 of his first 6 save opportunities. 

4 days after signing Gagne to this absurd contract, the infamous Mitchell report was released.  In that report, Eric Gagne was listed as a user of Human Growth Hormone going all the way back to 2002 (coincidentally the highest points of his career were from ’02-’04).  This is something he has never admitted to, or denied.  But the timing of the report and his signing with the Brewers, cast a dark shadow over his time in Milwaukee before it had even begun.

When you pay a man $10 million dollars to close out games, you expect results.  Gagne was given 17 save opportunities and converted 10 of those, which means he only saved 60% of the games he was brought in to save.  If I only did 60% of my job, I would be fired without my boss even giving it a second thought.  But, the Brewers had not inflicted enough pain on themselves, so following the 2008 season they re-signed him to a minor league deal.  Luckily for us, he injured his shoulder, and he was immediately released. 

What can you say about Eric Gagne that hasn’t already been said about Milli Vanilli; he cheated to get to the top, he came crashing down with a thud, and now he is only spoken about in the past tense. 

If the Hall of Brewers We Won’t Miss was created for Jeff Suppan, Eric Gagne was not far behind.  He is another shining beacon of the Brewers continued efforts to piss away money on mediocre talent. 

Eric Gagne will not be missed by Brewers fans, so we lay him in his final resting place.  He will always be revered as on of the great “Won’t Misser’s” of all-time. 

His family should be proud, this is the only award he earned without steroids as a baseball player. 

And with that, we shut the door on “The Hall of Brewers We Won’t Miss” for 2012.  One last time I would like to thank Colin Bennett, Steve over at Brewers Keep Turning Up The Heat, Steve Sievwright, and Justin Hull from the Home Stretch on WSCO Radio. 

Be sure and tune in next year for 10 more nominees, and 2 more Brewers…We Won’t Miss!

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

Eric Gagne and Jason Kendall are laughing about how much money they took from the Brewers that season. Pretty funny stuff. Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

Leap Day is one of the silliest days in our society.  The day only exists because our fore fathers were worse at making calendars than the Mayans.  Sad but true…sad but f-ing true. 

Be that as it may, I thought it might be fun to take a look back at what happened in Brewers history the last time the calendar landed on February 29th.  When I saw what we were watching that day, I immediately regretted my decision to write this little piece.

Truth was, I had already come so far.  The research was done, so I had to forge ahead.  The names that graced this roster made my heart hurt a little bit, but I also got excited because this was, of course, the season that the Brewers returned to the postseason.  So, without further adieu, let’s see where we all were on 02/29/2008.

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