SUCCESS IS A RELIEF Axford, Loe, and Braddock highlight the Brewers bullpen by Brian Carriveau
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n May 15, 2010, the Brewers optioned outfielder Adam Stern to the Nashville Sounds and recalled relief pitcher John Axford. On May 23, they sent left-handed relief pitcher Mitch Stetter back down to the minors, and called up fellow lefty Zach Braddock. Then, on June 1, the Brewers made a series of moves. They optioned pitcher Marco Estrada to the Sounds, designated Stern for assignment, activated outfielder Jim Edmonds from the DL, and called up relief pitcher Kameron Loe. In a span of 17 days, Axford, Braddock, and Loe answered the major league call to fill the Brewers 25man roster and bring stability to the bullpen. All would go on to play pivotal roles—exceeding expectations— and provide a silver lining to an otherwise down 2010 season. The names they replaced on the team might have been Stern, Stetter, and Estrada, but it was a group of veteran relief pitchers that languished through a difficult year––due to either injuries or ineffectiveness––that opened the door for a trio of comparatively young relievers. If it wasn’t for the hardships of Trevor Hoffman, LaTroy Hawkins, and David Riske, the youngsters might still be toiling in the minors. Hoffman’s difficulties came as somewhat of a surprise. After recording 37 saves in a 2009 All-Star season and receiving an $8 million contract to return in 2010, Hoffman still seemed like he had a lot left in
the tank. But after blowing five saves by mid-May, Hoffman was demoted from the closer’s role and gave way to Axford. Hell’s Bells would return for milestone save #600 later in the season, but would never retain the ninth-inning job on a full-time basis. Showing his true character, Hoffman didn’t brood or get in the way of the shift toward a younger bullpen. “He was a first-class champion and a pro’s pro,” said Loe of Hoffman. “When he lost that spot, he wanted Axford to kick butt. He wanted nothing but good for Axford. There was no static between the two. Our Trevor Hoffman had just 10 saves and a 5.89 ERA in 2010, the year in which he bullpen was so tight-knit, and relinquished the closer’s role to John Axford. just our dynamic down there was awesome.” With no real prospects, Axford played independent league Hawkins and Riske, meanwhile, saw injuries derail their baseball in Saskatchewan in 2006 and dominated hitters. It seasons. Hawkins suffered weakness in his pitching shoulder was enough to secure a tryout with the Yankees in 2007, after that twice landed him on the DL. And Riske couldn’t recover which he finalized another contract. Axford proceeded to from Tommy John surgery in 2009, and was released in late bounce around four of the Yankees affiliates all the way from 2010. Both signed multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts to Low-A Charleston to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The be stalwarts in the bullpen, which has now come back to bite Yankees released him after the season. the Brewers. And that brought him back to the Brewers. Following his “Any time a starter in any sport struggles––or, in LaTroy unremarkable 2008 season in Brevard, Axford seemed to put it Hawkins’ case, get injured––you have to have someone fill all together in 2009. He was assigned strictly to relief duty and their spot,” said Trenni Kusnierek, a reporter for Milwaukee’s climbed the ladder from Brevard, to Double-A Huntsville, and 540 ESPN Radio. “Unfortunately, someone else’s demise to Triple-A Nashville all in the same season. In his three comled to someone else’s opportunity. And that’s really what bined stops, he compiled a 9–1 record and a 2.77 ERA over happened.” 45 games. The season culminated in an unlikely September call-up. Axford worked in seven games and earned a save on Axing Expectations the season’s final day against the Cardinals in which he popped Axford originally received an opportunity with the Brewers out the mighty Albert Pujols for the final out. in 2008. After impressing scouts at a workout, he was signed Fast forward to 2010 and Axford went to spring training to a contract and had a nondescript season at High-A Brevard with the big league club. Knowing he still had options remainCounty. It was quite a journey to even join the Brewers orgaing, Axford predictably began the season at Nashville where nization in the first place, however. he had 2.02 ERA in 12 appearances. He was then called back After a prep career coming out of Ontario, Axford played up to Milwaukee in mid-June. It didn’t take long before “The at Notre Dame. He blew out his arm before his junior season Axe” took over the closer’s role. Like other Brewers before in 2004 and had Tommy John surgery to correct it. The righthim, he seemed to rise from obscurity to take on the ninth handed pitcher finished his senior season and was drafted by inning role. the Reds. He didn’t sign a contract, however, transferring to “It’s funny because I feel that with the Brewers, this has Canisius College in New York where he completed his one happened a couple of different times,” said Kusnierek. “We remaining year of eligibility. saw it with Derrick Turnbow. They’re in a position where
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Success Is A Relief
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they need somebody to step up and have the mentality to be a closer, and John Axford did that this year.” Known for his distinctive handlebar mustache that recalls memories of Rollie Fingers––and enhanced when accompanied by a throwback jersey––Axford would go on to have a season that has most observers feeling he’s the closer of the present, and the future. “It’s been phenomenal,” Axford told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel following the season. “It was a dream of mine just to get here and establish myself. All those dreams and thoughts and motivations have really helped me. It has made me realize I can be here and do this.” In 2010, Axford had an 8–2 record with a 2.48 ERA, and converted 22 out of 25 save opportunities in 50 appearances. But how much of it was beginner’s luck? There’s no doubting Axford had a sensational rookie season, but the jury’s still out as to whether he can sustain his success. “I think that you have to be so overpowering at the end of the game, and you have to have so much mental stamina to be able to do the job, that it’s hard to find a guy who year in and year out can be dominant,” said Kusnierek. “And unfortunately, I just don’t think that what Axford, the sample size that we have from John Axford, is enough to say, ‘Yup, this
For replacing a living legend and excelling at his job, Axford has been praised for having the mental toughness necessary to handle the closer’s role.
Axford averaged 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings pitched in 2010. guy is going to be signed to a $20 million contract. He’s your closer of the future.’” That’s not to say Axford can’t develop into one of the top young closers in today’s game. It’s just too early to tell. A hot starting, and then fizzling, Turnbow is still fresh in the minds of Brewers fans. Axford has plenty of time to prove he’s no Turnbow, however, and he has several factors working in his favor, including a fastball that’s capable of reaching the upper 90s. Chief among Axford’s most impressive stats is a converted nine saves of four or more outs, which tied the Giants’ Brian Wilson for most in the league. “I think it makes him valuable as a closer,” said Kusnierek, “because you can count on him if, for some reason, you go into a season and you don’t have a perfect scenario of a seventh inning, eighth inning set-up––two set-up guys––you know in the back of your mind, if it’s a worst-case scenario, I can go early to John Axford. “We’ve seen them do that forever in New York with Mariano Rivera. That’s a guy who can come in and pitch three, six-out saves. Jonathan Broxton sometimes does that in LA But it’s something that I don’t think you ever want to lean on. I think after a while that puts a lot of pressure on your closer.” With guys like Loe, Braddock, and new addition Takashi Saito, the Brewers may have some of their best set-up men in years. The pressure will still be on Axford, but it could be significantly alleviated if the pitchers in front of him perform well.
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Sights Set High for Loe Similar to Axford, Loe was a workhorse in 2010. As a former starter, Loe was used to it. In 53 appearances with the Brewers, Loe went more than one inning on 20 occasions. This put pressure on the 6’8” right-handed hurler, but he responded admirably. “The more outs you have to get, the more opportunities you have to give up a hit or a run or blow the game, or whatever,” said Loe. “So as far as from a stats standpoint––as far as wins and losses and holds or whatnot––yeah, you have more pressure on you. You’ve got more outs to get and more pressure. They can be, I guess, a detriment stats-wise, but I mean, there’s a lot to be said about a guy that goes out there and picks up the seventh and the eighth inning.” And also like Axford, Loe’s road to Milwaukee was long. Drafted by the Rangers in 2002, he spent his first seven years as a professional in their organization. Loe made his major league debut in 2004 and spent two seasons as part of the Rangers starting rotation to varying degrees of success. After a 2008 season where he only pitched in 14 games in the majors, none of them starts, the Rangers felt like it was time to move on, and Loe decided to try his hand at playing professional baseball in Japan. He didn’t have the success he envisioned and admittedly couldn’t wait to get out of Japan. It was all chalked up to a learning experience. “Just to keep working and stay with your principles and stay with the hard work,” said Loe. “I’ve gone through a number of rough patches and bumps in the road… It was a big
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Milwaukee offered salary arbitration to Loe to pitch for the Brewers in 2011.
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Kameron Loe’s best year in Texas was in 2005, when he had a 9–6 record and a 3.42 ERA in 48 appearances.
character builder. I learned a lot about myself. It opened my eyes on how other cultures work, and it showed me some pros and cons of the way America’s society works.” Wanting to get back to the majors, Loe pitched in Mexico in the winter prior to the 2010 season. He received a minor league contract from the Brewers with an invite to spring training. Though Loe had a solid spring where he stretched out as a starter, he was originally assigned to Triple-A Nashville to begin the season. There he assembled a 4–3 record with a 3.16 ERA before being called up to Milwaukee. Despite being used as a starter in the minor leagues, the Brewers wanted Loe as a reliever. He then had so much success in Milwaukee, it became a case of “Why fix something that isn’t broken?” Loe gave up only one earned run in his first 16.2 innings. “If I saw a positive in him, he’s kind of an unknown, and that’s usually a good thing in baseball despite all the film and all the ways you can now scout guys,” said Kusnierek. “There is still, the newer the player––and I don’ think there’s any reason that a lot of times you see kids come up from the minors, these phenoms, and they just roll through lineups the first couple of times that they face them––it’s partly because guys don’t know. Guys are still trying to figure them out.” Loe may not exactly be in the “phenom” category, but there’s no doubt he got off to a phenomenal beginning in 2010
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Success Is A Relief thanks to a sinking fastball, a decent slider, and an ability to induce ground balls. As such, Loe may have found a new calling in the bullpen. However, pitching in a relief role wasn’t entirely new to Loe. “My rookie year, I was setting up for about a month and a half for Coco Cordero with the Rangers,” said Loe. “I did quite well there. I enjoy that role. I do. I either want to be eighth inning, ninth inning, or starter. That’s what I want to do. And I feel like I can do it quite well.” At season’s end, Loe amassed a 3–5 record with a 2.78 ERA. The question now becomes whether the Brewers stick with Loe in the bullpen where he had so much success last season, or attempt to turn him into a starter once again. The Brewers conceivably have rotation of five with Zack Greinke, Zach Braddock averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings pitched in Yovani Gallardo, Shaun Marcum, Randy Wolf, and 2010, despite a so-so WHIP of 1.426. Chris Narveson, but they have few options beyond that. What happens when one of them gets injured, which will contract. He proceeded to spend the remainder of that inevitably happen over the course of a 162-game season? year in Helena, MT with the Rookie League Brewers to The addition of several relievers during the offseason, unexceptional results, although it was his first taste of professuch as Saito and Sean Green, may also enable the Brewers to sional baseball. transition Loe back to the rotation. Following the selection of Adversity followed Braddock in 2007 during his season relief pitcher Pat Egan in this winter’s Rule 5 draft, Brewers at Low-A West Virginia. His campaign started swimmingly, special advisor Dick Groch broached the possibility of turning going 3–1 with a 1.15 ERA over 10 games. At that point, howLoe into a starter with the media. ever, he was shut down by elbow problems, and had surgery to “With a shortage of starting pitching, Groch said keeping remove scar tissue built up from his Tommy John procedure. a pitcher like Egan might allow the Brewers to move Loe back Braddock returned in 2008 and was eventually converted to a starting role, which he’s done in the past,” wrote Tom to relief so that his workload would be lessened. The decision Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. seemed to be just what the doctor ordered as the still-youthful The Rule 5 draft was held before the Brewers made the southpaw ascended to Double-A Huntsville at the conclusion trade for Greinke, but the possibility remains the Brewers will of the 2009 campaign. need more than five starting pitchers over an entire season. He went to Brewers spring training in 2010, but started Loe, of course, embraces the idea. the season in Nashville. Braddock was at a 4.50 ERA in 10 “I’m not surprised to hear them bring it up, because I did games with the Triple-A team when he got the call from the kind of put it in their ear last year that I do, I love starting,” Brewers. His season went even better in Milwaukee, where he said Loe. “In the past, it mattered whether my elbow was was able to amass a 1–2 record and a 2.94 ERA in 46 appearhealthy, and now my elbow is 100% healthy, and it will be ances. It helped that there were some familiar faces to help interesting. I’ll be open to any kind of dialogue they have.” him along the way. “The fact that he’s come up in the system, he kind of Talented Lefty Looks Good has come up understanding the philosophy of the team,” Unlike Axford and Loe, Braddock has been a Brewer for life. said Kusnierek. “He’s come up with some of the other guys, Drafted in the 18th round of the 2005 draft, he’s worked his the other pitchers, the catchers. Obviously he’s worked with way up the organizational ladder, but it hasn’t always been Jonathan Lucroy before. So if he comes in and Lucroy’s catcheasy. The lefthander underwent Tommy John surgery during ing a game, they already have a relationship together, which is his junior year in high school, just prior to being drafted. always really important. So right there, you have a possibility Having such a procedure at a young age could have deterred to succeed, I think personally. I think when you come in and the Brewers from selecting him, but ultimately it didn’t. you have that kind of relationship with that guy behind the Following high school, Braddock spent the 2006 season at plate, you understand each other and you put each other in Burlington County College in New Jersey, and then signed a position to succeed, which I think is huge.”
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Braddock did not allow a runner to score in 40 of his 46 pitching appearances last season. Working in Braddock’s favor is his potential to be more than just a “LOOGY” (left-handed one-out guy). He performed better against left-handed batters in his first major league season, holding them to a .151 batting average, compared to .284 for righthanders. But his fastball is so effective that it’s easy to envision him pitching an entire inning in every appearance. “He’s got an exploding fastball, and he’s very tough on hitters,” said Loe of his 23-year-old teammate. “He tied some guys up. And he’s got really good stuff. I do think that he could be more than just a one-out guy, absolutely. I think it’s going to depend upon whether he can throw his slider consistently for strikes and for out pitches. And I mean, if he can develop a third pitch that he could throw for a strike, he could be even more effective. But I mean, yes, he’s young. He’s got a high ceiling. I’m glad to have him aboard.”
What Does the Future Hold? The Brewers enter 2011 relying on a young trio of players to anchor their bullpen. Veterans such as Hoffman, Riske, and
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Todd Coffey are gone. Sure, there are a handful of vets in the fold for the upcoming season including Hawkins and Saito, but there are questions about their stability over the course of an entire season as well. For better or for worse, the Brewers will depend on a bullpen that’s short on experience, but high on potential. So how will the season play out? “Best-case scenario, you get what you saw from these guys last year; that they exceed expectations, that they come in and continue to build on the season that they had last year,” said Kusnierek. “The worst-case scenario is that they come in, they’re young and unknown and the success that they had was due to the fact that they were coming up and trying to prove something to people; that they were coming up, and hitters haven’t seen them before. And now that hitters have had a chance to see what they’re bringing, they’re probably going to see some of them in spring training, that their stuff is not good enough to withstand an entire 162-game season. And that’s a tough thing when you’re riding on a bunch of young guys.” Axford, Loe, and Braddock aren’t the only young guys in the bullpen either. Joining them this season could be rookies Mike McClendon, Brandon Kintzler, Justin James, and Egan. Some of them will be long shots to make the Brewers roster– –at least coming out of spring training––but one of them could be with the team for the long haul. As long as they’re all healthy, there’s a scenario likely to unfold this season. There’ll be a point when some combination of Loe and Braddock will be asked to pitch the seventh and eighth innings while setting up Axford in the ninth. It could be that way all season long, although it’s impossible to look into a crystal ball and guarantee that’s going to be the way it shakes out. But for all the promise, for all the as-of-yet unfulfilled expectations, there’s hope that they can get the job done. One thing they’re not short on is confidence. “I think we can have a championship season,” said Loe. “I think our starters will have confidence that if they can just get the ball through the sixth inning, if they can keep ahead through the sixth inning, that they give up the ball, and we’ll get the job done. And that’s a good feeling. And so I think that we can have a championship team.” On a team that already has a productive offense in place and a starting rotation that’s getting better by the day, the bullpen just may be the key piece to a championship season. Whether it’s an NL Central title or something more, it’ll be a game of wait and see. MSP Brian Carriveau is the editor of the Maple Street Press Brewers Annual and Maple Street Press Packers Annual. He writes about the Brewers for PocketDoppler.com, and is a Wisconsin news-paper columnist.
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