Milwaukee Brewers News Clips Monday, July 21, 2015
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Milwaukee Brewers News Clips Monday, July 21, 2015 MLB.com Brewers’ recent surge reflects well on Counsell Garza aims to start his second half strong Journal Sentinel Manager Craig Counsell a hometown hero in Whitefish Bay The Drill: Doug Melvin’s best deals Associated Press Preview: Brewers vs. Indians WISN Brewers fans go gnome hunting around Milwaukee FOX Sports Brewers giving away Harry Doyle bobblehead as part of ‘Major League’ night http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/137556314/mil-brewers-surge-reflects-well-on-counsell Brewers’ recent surge reflects well on Counsell Milwaukee showing improvement with regular lineup finally playing together By Mike Bauman / MLB.com | July 20, 2015 The 2015 Milwaukee Brewers were 7-18 when Ron Roenicke was relieved of his duties as manager. They are now 34-34 with Craig Counsell as manager. Even more encouraging for Counsell's relatively short tenure in office, in their past 22 games, the Brewers are 16-6. Over the weekend, they accomplished a three-game sweep over the Pirates, who came to town with the second-best record in the National League. The numbers say that the change in managers was beneficial and that Counsell is a success so far, in both relative and absolute terms. Beyond that, there are varying explanations for Milwaukee's marked improvement. Counsell goes with the position that improved health, particularly the return to the lineup of catcher Jonathan Lucroy and center fielder Carlos Gomez, has been the driving force behind the Brewers' improved play. "I think we've been able to put our best players on the field regularly," said Counsell on Sunday. "I think going into the winter, you feel like you put a team together, and you try to have as much depth as you can. But when you lose players like Gomez and Lucroy, they're defensive players, they're offensive players... we just had trouble covering for it. And you had other guys in and out of the lineup. "The regular lineup has produced more offense, for sure. And I think we've gotten the pitching to a good point now. We struggled a little with the pitching early, but I think we've gotten the pitching through it." Beyond that, there have been differences in personnel evaluation between Counsell and Roenicke. The one that stands out is the usage of outfielder Gerardo Parra. Parra, obtained from Arizona in a Trade Deadline deal last year, was seen by Roenicke as a useful spare part. In left field, he was more inclined toward the power potential of Khris Davis. But Counsell looked at Parra, a two-time Gold Glove winner, as an all-around solid player. Outfield injuries opened up playing time for Parra earlier this season, but when Davis returned from the DL, Counsell said that Parra would remain as the regular left fielder. It is no coincidence that Milwaukee's offense developed more continuity and production after Parra was installed as the leadoff hitter. "Since he's been [in the leadoff spot], he's been a really important piece of our offense," Counsell said. "He's been one of the best hitters in the league, really. He's been excellent. He's definitely set the tone of our offense." Parra is hitting .420 in July, but he's been on a roll much longer than that, hitting .337 since April 25. The irony of it may be that Parra's success makes it more likely that he -- in the final year of his contract -- will be traded. But one way or another, the Brewers are getting considerable value from him. Milwaukee played Pittsburgh six times in April, and lost five of those games. In June and July, the teams have played another six games, and the Brewers have won five. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle has had a look at both versions of the Milwaukee club. "They're in a different place now," Hurdle said. "Sometimes with clubs, it's not who you play, but when you play them. I mean, they've been through a lot. I think they've let a lot go. They're focused now on probably just playing the game. They've got an offense that's more than capable. They've got young pitching that has skills. They've got experienced guys. "I think the more challenging question, and I know they've thought it through, is: How did it go the way it went for so long, through the end of last year and into this year? It's a talented group and they've got a bridge to the closer that's Major League-worthy. "So this is the Major Leagues. Nobody goes away, nobody disappears. There can be vacuums at times where things don't go right and it looks like things aren't connected. But nobody gives you games up here. You've got to go win games. They're playing with a lot of confidence over there now." It remains a riddle as to how a club that was in first place for 150 days last season could finish the year 9-23 and then start this season by putting itself in something more like a crater than a hole. The recent play, on the other hand, has been encouraging. The Brewers are still likely sellers as the Trade Deadline nears, but their level of play has restored the competitive nature of the roster. It has given a very loyal fan base some renewed hope for the future. http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/137373426/garza-aims-to-start-his-second-half-strong Garza aims to start his second half strong By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | July 19, 2015 It has been almost a decade since the Indians traveled to Milwaukee for a series against the Brewers. It has been longer than that since a Cleveland club chalked up a win against the Brew Crew. On Tuesday the Tribe will head to Miller Park for a two-game Interleague set against the Brewers, who have won seven games in a row against Cleveland dating back to 2001. Aiming to stop that streak will be Indians righty Danny Salazar, who was 11 years old that last time Cleveland beat Milwaukee. The Indians haven't played the Brewers since '09 and made their last trip to Wisconsin in '06. Salazar (8-4, 3.74 ERA) has gone 4-3 with a 3.54 ERA in his past 10 starts, but he has lasted fewer than five frames in three of his past five outings. He will be opposed by Milwaukee righty Matt Garza (4-10, 5.55 ERA), who will be aiming to have an improved second half. Things to know about this game • When he takes the hill against Cleveland, Garza will be looking to put his rough end to the first half behind him. The veteran righty went 0-3 with a 7.88 ERA in 24 innings (21 earned runs on 41 hits) over his past four outings. In 28 career Interleague starts, Garza has a 3.85 ERA. • Only seven of Cleveland's hitters have faced Garza previously, but that group has combined for a .338 average in 74 at-bats. Outfielder Michael Bourn, who will likely be in the lineup, has hit .526 (10-for-19) in his career against the Brewers right-hander. • Tuesday's sold-out game will be "Major League" night in honor of the 1989 baseball movie featuring the Indians, whose broadcaster in the film (Harry Doyle) was played by Brewers play-by-play man Bob Uecker. Milwaukee will be giving out talking Harry Doyle bobbleheads. http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/manager-craig-counsell-a-hometown-hero-in-whitefish-bay-b99533521z1- 317709411.html Manager Craig Counsell a hometown hero in Whitefish Bay By Lori Nickel of the Journal Sentinel July 20, 2015 In high school, Craig Counsell would walk from his home on N. Berkeley Blvd. in Whitefish Bay to Bayshore Mall, where he would catch a Milwaukee County bus and ride west to Brookfield. This tedious commute, before smartphones and text messages, was well worth it, and not for his first minimum- wage salary at Mike Hegan's batting cages, where he worked as an attendant. The payoff was in the late hour of the day when the last of the dreamers straggled out of the building. "I would get to hit after it closed," Counsell said. "I loved it." To appreciate Counsell's passion and purpose for most of his life is to understand that they have been greatly defined and dictated by the game of baseball. At Whitefish Bay High School. Notre Dame. In 16 years in the majors. Three years in the Milwaukee Brewers' front office. So to ask the 44-year-old Counsell what he would be doing without baseball is like asking how he might breathe without lungs. "Take away my life — and what would be my life?" muses Counsell. "It's really an unfair question, when, ever since you can remember, it has been your life." And so the first steps toward this job Counsell now holds as manager of the Brewers, a responsibility he wanted — not despite the challenges but actually because of them — began with bus rides to Brookfield. And a spray-painted batter's box on a schoolyard wall. And a dad with a key to old County Stadium. Story starts at home Counsell's family moved to Whitefish Bay from South Bend, Ind., after his father, John, became director of the speakers bureau for the Brewers in 1979.