Brewing optimism -- Milwaukee's baseball opening day fans think things are looking up

By Greg Giesen

Tuesday, April 4, 2006 2:09 AM CDT

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Brewers fans haven't had a surplus of optimism the last 13

seasons.

What a difference 81 wins makes.

After Milwaukee finished the 2005 season with a .500 record, Miller Park was bubbling with enthusiasm Monday for the Brewers' season opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"I'm optimistic," said Juliet Edmands of Mount Pleasant, who predicted the Brewers would win 96 games. "It's going to be a good year.

"(Pitcher Ben) Sheets is going to come back healthy and I think the fans are going to turn out this year," said Edmands, who also wants the old beer stein to return to Bernie Brewer's slide.

One of the main reason fans said they were optimistic was Milwaukee's talented young core of players led by second baseman Rickie Weeks, first baseman Prince Fielder, shortstop J.J. Hardy and utility player Bill Hall.

"Their infield has pretty much played together since single A ball." said Mike Andreasen, the Mount Pleasant Village Board president who is a longtime Brewers fan and season-ticket holder for all six seasons at Miller Park. "What they lack in experience (at the major league level), they'll make up for in pure energy. They're a very, very talented group."

With a solid outfield and improved pitching with the addition of Dave Bush, Andreasen believes Milwaukee will finish 91-71.

"They're going to be 10 games over .500 and I think they will be in the playoff race until late September," Andreasen said Scott Behringer of Neenah, who, along with his friend Steve Fahrenkrug, spray-pained his upper torso blue with "Brew Crew" in yellow letters on their chests, believes the Brewers' young talent will lead them to a 92-70 season.

"They've got a lot of good young prospects � It's all about the young guys," Behringer said Chris Marshall, a former Racine resident who lives in Madison, said he hasn't been this excited about the Brewers since the 1987 team won their first 13 games.

"They just haven't had a team to be excited about for so long," said Marshall, who thinks the team will go 94-68. "They've got a lot of good young talent and fan support. The young players add energy to the team. They are the lifeblood of the team."

The fans' excitement has also included talk about the playoffs.

"This is what I've been waiting for since last September," Mike Rougeux of Neenah said while tailgating before the game. "I hope they'll be the (National League) wild card team, second place at worst. I have high hopes for this team. There's a lot of excitement about this season."

Alex Bakken, a 10-year old from Fort Atkinson, said the Brewers would win 87 games and make a charge toward the playoffs.

"I think they're going to make the wild card," Bakken said.

Ron Primuth of Racine said Milwaukee will win 88 games and earn the National League wild card.

"They've improved a little over last year," Primuth said. "Eighty-eight is a good number to me.

"They have a nice infield, but injuries are the key," Primuth added. "They have to stay healthy. I don't think they are deep enough to lose a starter for an extended time."

Kevin Diece of Fort Atkinson also believed the Brewers would win 88 games. Diece, who remembers being upset that his parents wouldn't let him stay up and watch Game 7 of the 1982 World Series, said the Brewers have an improved lineup and should be a better team than last year. He also said Racine native Vinny Rottino, with whom he played pickup football games with at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, will be called up in mid-July.

"He'll have an impact on the team as a utility player," Diece said.

While there was optimism, some fans were less confident about the Brewers' playoff chances.

"They're going to be decent this year," Fahrenkrug said. "They're just going to miss the wild cad this year. They need some time for the prospects to progress.

"They'll be better this year, but they're still a year away (from the playoffs)."

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