If you’re not one of those baseball nerds who follows every single thing going on in the Milwaukee Brewers Organization, don’t worry, because The Sports Bank’s Nick Grays has you covered with what happened in the past week and what’s going on in the future.
And if you are one of those nerds, feel free to join in on some good old analysis of America’s pastime in the Brew City.
This week we discuss the Brewers’ first half of the season, the upcoming All-Star festivities and beyond!
Standings:
Milwaukee Brewers (49-43) (14-14-2 in series)
– Tied for First with the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central
– Run differential at -1 (down 28 from two weeks ago)
– 5-5 in their last ten games
Last Week’s Headlines:
Brewers Play Jekyll and Hyde in the First Half
The biggest story of the first half was the disparity between the Brewers’ play at home and on the road. At Miller Park, they went an astounding 33-14 (best in the major leagues) compared to an atrocious 16-29 (worst in the NL) on the road. To make matters worse, no one really knows why this is an issue. When the team is playing at their best, they hit the road and stumble over and over again.
This may become a problem in a wild-and-crazy NL Central division which seems to be up for grabs for a handful of teams. I expect the Cardinals, Reds and quite possibly the Pirates to fight all the way to the end.
Here’s a couple of things the Brewers need to do if they want to run away with the division:
– Go out and get a third-baseman or shortstop to replace Casey McGehee or Yuni Betancourt who are hitting well below average and are highlighting their weaknesses with Braun out of the line-up
and/or
– Get bullpen help
Upgrading in either of these categories could help the Brewers go a long way in the second half of the season.
In Case You Missed It:
(7/6) “Milwaukee’s Worst: Brewers Fan Falls, Pees Himself In front of Cops (Video)”
Looking Ahead:
Each and every year, the Brewers have at least one representative in the Home-Run Derby. This year is no different as 
Fielder and Weeks attempt to take down the likes of Jose Bautista (31 HR), David Ortiz (defending champion) and many more at Chase Field in Arizona. The Derby is usually pretty unpredictable, so I’ll keep it simple by saying Fielder will hit the longest home-run of the night and Weeks will reach the second round.
Unfortunately, we won’t see three Milwaukee Brewers start in the All-Star game for the first time in franchise history because the NL’s leading vote-getter, Ryan Braun, was forced to withdraw because of a calf injury. Braun will still attend the game in an attempt to cheer on the National League who will be fighting for home-field advantage in the World Series.
Brewers fans should enjoy the All-Star Break, because if the first half was indicative of what is to come, it could be an ugly start for the second half. Beginning Thursday, the Brewers embark on a 11-game road trip against the best of the NL West. It starts with a four-gamer in Colorado (43-48) followed by a four-gamer in Arizona (49-43). After all that, the Brewers take on the first-place and defending world champion San Francisco Giants (51-40) in a three game series.
Monday, July 11th 7:00 PM (Home-Run Derby)
Brewers Participants: 1B Prince Fielder and 2B Rickie Weeks
Tuesday, July 12th 7:00 PM (82nd All-Star Game)
Brewers Participants: 1B Prince Fielder (Starter), 2B Rickie Weeks (Starter) RF Ryan Braun (Will Not Play) and Dan Wright (Trainer)
Wednesday, July 13th (OFF)
Thursday, July 14th 7:40 PM (@ Colorado)
Probably Pitchers: RHP Yovani Gallardo (10-5) vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (4-8)
Friday, July 15th 7:40 PM (@ Colorado)
Probable Pitchers: TBA vs. RHP Juan Nicasio (3-2)
Saturday, July 16th 7:10 PM (@ Colorado)
Probable Pitchers: TBA vs. RHP Jhoulys Chacin (8-7)
Sunday, July 17th 2:10 PM (@ Colorado)
Probable Pitchers: TBA vs. TBA
Are you looking forward to All-Star Week and do you think the Brewers have a shot at taking the crazy NL Central? Let me know by commenting below.
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and Milwaukee Brewers. He also enjoys to share Fantasy Advice from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best.