I'm heading to Phoenix Sunday for a Spring Training surgical strike. With just four days in the Valley, this 11th annual jaunt will need to be efficient, lean and mean.
So, as my thoughts finally turn toward the Brewers, here are the questions about this team I hope to answer.
How hurt is Ryan Braun, and how good is he in left field? He's been held out of action for a little while now, and I want to see if he looks labored. I've heard he's transitioning well to the outfield. Last spring, Bill Hall was running around in circles out there. Will Braun be more of a natural fit?
With a shortened Spring Training, how does Yovani Gallardo look? I'm a big fan of this guy, and I hope to see him play a little next week.
Can Eric Gagne replace Francisco Cordero? That one won't get answered after watching four games, but I want to see this guy bring the heat.
Are Mike Cameron and Jason Kendall the team leaders they tell us they are? Everyone talks about the respect these players earn, and in the relaxed Spring Training atmosphere, I'll be watching the interactions between these veterans and the younger players.
Watch for my blogs from Arizona. I'll post daily recaps of the trip, including nuggets from on and off the field.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
