Scott Paulus \ Milwaukee Brewers
Since being called up from the minor leagues in May, newcomer Eric Sogard has become a fan favorite.
Who are these guys?
That’s the question I asked my wife — a lifelong Milwaukee Brewers fan — as we watched on television the Brew Crew defeat the St. Louis Cardinals on June 15, taking three out of four from a team they rarely beat consistently on the road.
More than a third of the way through the 2017 season, the Brewers are in first place with a roster full of names only fans of the hardest core previously recognized. Eric Thames, who played in Korea last season, leads the team in home runs and inspiration. But Thames is getting help both offensively and defensively from a bunch of unknowns who are introducing themselves in big ways.
Bespectacled second baseman Eric Sogard, whom the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel referred to as “an under-the-radar callup” from Milwaukee’s Colorado Springs Class AAA affiliate in early May, had three consecutive multiple-hit games against the Cardinals, and his athleticism on the field is fun to watch. Third baseman Travis Shaw, acquired over the winter in a trade with the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Tyler Thornburg, missed a few games recently because his newborn daughter needed open-heart surgery. But he’s still managed to lead the Crew in nearly every batting category not claimed by Thames or centerfielder Keon Broxton.
On the mound, second-year Brewer Chase Anderson flirted with a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks last month, and has emerged as the closest thing to an ace on this team, with an earned run average among the lowest in the National League.
Most current Brewers weren’t around during Milwaukee’s 2011 march to the National League Championship Series, but they exude the same kind of giddiness as that squad from six years ago. These grown men jump up and down in the dugout and have a blast playing a kid’s game. Even typically reserved manager Craig Counsell — whose final days as a Brewers player were during that 2011 postseason run — is cracking smiles after victories.
But if you watch the Brewers on Fox Sports Wisconsin, which telecasts the games, you’ll notice the team’s most familiar face often missing. Whither Ryan Braun? He’s a shadow of his former self, on the disabled list again (calf strain) and the subject of ongoing trade rumors. If Milwaukee lets Braun go soon, while the team is still hot, he won’t be missed as much.
