2012: A year of ups and downs for the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers entered into 2012 Major League Baseball season with an admixture of anticipation and apprehension. Anticipation that they will make it to the playoffs, like they did the previous year; and the apprehension that they may get thwarted.
The Milwaukee Brewers had figured as one of the competent and seemingly undefeatable sides the previous year. The very fact that they were able to outrival the likes of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series spoke volume of their
ability to clinch any title.
Facing the Arizona Diamondbacks in the five-game National League Division Series, they won it by 3-2, paving the way for the National League Championship Series. Although they could not eventually make it to the World Series, their strong display at NLDS
was an incontrovertible evidence of professionalism and efficiency combined.
At their disposal was a duo in the form of Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. The two played instrumental role in adding strength to the offence, making it as one of the strongest in the National League.
The past year, Ryan Braun held .332 batting average with 33 home runs to his credit, hitting 111 RBIs and scoring 109 runs with an impressive .597 slugging percentage. That led to his winning NL Most Valuable Player Award, All Star, Silver Slugger and 30-30
club.
Prince Fielder was no different, standing third in the All-Star Game MVP with .299 batting average, hitting over 100 RBIs and 38 home runs with .566 slugging percentage.
That combination was missing this year. Prince Fielder signed a nine-year contract with the Detroit Tigers worth $214 million. With the absence of Fielder, the Brewers offence had a visible slump.
The Milwaukee Brewers could not quite do offensively what they were able to achieve in 2011. First half of 2012 was particularly poor for them in terms of both offence and defence; especially the bullpen which did not rise to the occasion.
The season, much to the consternation of the Milwaukee Brewers, ended with 83-79 record. However, thanks to the rise that they made in the second half of the season, the Brewers somehow avoided an embarrassing show as a whole.
At one stage, in the second half of the season, they had held 24-6 record. It was in the next nine games that everything seemed going wrong for the Brewers, losing six of their nine games, especially the 2-1 defeat in the three-game series against the Houston
Astros that eliminated them from wild card race.
But despite the ups and downs that the Brewers witnessed in 2012, there is hope for the better future. Ryan Braun, who once again showed his class and brilliance this season, is one of the players who holds a positive perspective about the Brewers’ prospect.
"I'll look back at it as a positive, for sure," he said. "For all if us, I think it speaks volumes about our character and resiliency to get back in this thing. ... Considering everything that we've gone through, considering we were 12 games under [.500]
in August, to get back to the point we were 'in it' until literally today, with three games left, I think is something we can look at and be somewhat proud of."
It will have to be seen whether or not the Brewers will be able to handle the challenges in the coming season.
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