Trent Rosecrans wrote a fascinating story for the Cincinnati Enquirer on the role “witchcraft” played in Iribarren’s early career. The Brewers lost him on waivers before the 2010 campaign and he played for three organizations before returning to the majors after a seven-year hiatus with the Reds in 2016. He’s previously said he’ll play as long as he has a job doing so, but it remains to be seen how much longer that will be.įriends of the Shepherd Help support Milwaukee's locally owned free weekly magazine.Ī Venezuelan native, Iribarren got his first taste of life in the majors in April of 2008 and had two brief stints with Milwaukee, playing 24 games over two seasons. Longtime Brewers organizational pitcher Tim Dillard actually pitched in the majors during the regular seasons in both 20 but is not on the Brewers’ 40-man roster and was not called up to the majors following a 2017 season with AAA Colorado Springs, his 15th professional campaign.ĭillard is 34 years old and faces minor league free agency again this winter. It’s unclear if the Bluefish will even play in 2018, so Parra’s future with that organization faces multiple challenges and his recent performance is unlikely to earn him another look in affiliated ball. He then caught on with the independent Bridgeport Bluefish, where he made nine starts with a 5.87 ERA. Parra was out of baseball for the 2016 season but opened 2017 in AAA with the Cubs, where he posted a 14.09 ERA in 11 relief appearances before getting released. If Carlos Villanueva is “technically active,” then perhaps Manny Parra is “barely holding on.” After his final season with the Brewers in 2012 Parra made 150 appearances over three seasons with the Reds but hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2015. Villanueva is still only 33 (will be 34 in November) so he could still pitch for a few more years, but an MLB return seems unlikely after he put up an ERA just under 6 with the Padres in 2016. He posted a 4.27 ERA in 105 1/3 KBP innings in 2017, which was almost three quarters of a run better than the league average (4.98) and a full run better than his team (5.29). Villanueva pitched in 47 games and made nine starts for the Brewers in 2008 and is the first player on this list one could categorize as “technically active:” After 11 MLB seasons he crossed the Pacific Ocean and spent the 2017 season with the Korean Baseball Organization’s Hanwha Eagles. Among active pitchers, only Bartolo Colon (3308 as compared to Sabathia’s 3305 1/3) has thrown more major league innings. He’s had an impressive career resurgence in his late 30’s: Baseball Reference estimates he’s been worth 5.5 wins above replacement in his age 35 and 36 seasons after posting a combined value of just 0.7 in the previous three years.ĭespite his recent run of success, however, it’s hard to believe Sabathia’s MLB tenure will last a lot longer. Sabathia pitched in just 17 regular season games with Milwaukee in between much longer stints in Cleveland (237 starts) and New York (253 starts), but it’s hard not to fondly remember him as a former Brewer. That will likely turn out to be his last major league contract, as Hardy is hitting just. Hardy’s play has diminished in recent years, however, and 2017 is the final year on a disastrous three-year, $40 million contract he signed with Baltimore before the 2015 season. Since then he’s played in 1100 more games with the Brewers, Twins and Orioles, sticking with the latter organization for seven seasons. 821 on-base plus slugging while playing an above-average defensive shortstop. Hardy appeared in 146 games for the 2008 Brewers and was a big part of their success, posting a career-best. Braun is one of just nine players from that team that are still active, and the list will almost certainly diminish further by this time next year: Ray Durham, Solomon Torres and Eric Gagne all made their final MLB appearances in the NLDS that year, and nearly all of the 44 players that put on a Brewers uniform that season have since followed them out of baseball. Looking at the roster from the 2008 team makes it painfully clear that nine years is a long time in baseball terms. If the Brewers rally late to overcome the Rockies or Cubs he’ll become the only player in franchise history to go to the playoffs in three different seasons. If Braun can continue to produce and lead the Brewers to the playoffs, he’ll make a little bit of franchise history.īraun is the only player still on the Brewers’ 40-man roster who played for either the 2008 or 2011 postseason teams. 539 slugging in the month of September while appearing in 21 of the Brewers’ 22 games. Despite the narrative that he was struggling that followed him into the series, Ryan Braun had five hits in four games against the Cubs and is hitting.
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