Brewers’ connection will be challenged
If a vote were taken within the Milwaukee Brewers’ clubhouse for Most Excitable Player, the winner would be left-hander Brent Suter.
In a landslide.
Accordingly, no player’s ebullience level will be tested more by the encyclopedia of COVID-19 restrictions on conduct, on and off the field, when the delayed 2020 major-league season begins at the end of July.
“For me, personally, not being able to give highfives will be tough,” Suter admitted.
Team chemistry has been a huge part of the Brewers’ success under manager Craig Counsell, resulting in back-to-back playoff appearances in the last two seasons for the first time since 1981-82. From his first day on the job one month into the 2015 season, Counsell
has preached to his players the importance of “staying connected.”
That camaraderie will be a challenge going forward because the coronavirus playbook easily could be titled “Stay Disconnected.” Social distancing, encouraged in general society as the No. 1 practice in preventing the spread of the virus, will be the modus operandi for players when the Brewers reconvene next week at Miller Park for Spring Training 2.0.
With a rules manual that has ballooned from it’s original length of 67 pages to 110, players are being instructed to spread out – in the clubhouse, on the field, in the dining room, showers, bathrooms, training facilities, etc. It will be a vastly different environment for players accustomed to pulling chairs together to chat and exchanging stories over meals.
“We’re going to have limitations,” acknowledged Suter, who passed on pertinent information to team
mates as the Brewers’ representative to the players union. “I think we’ll get used to the new clubhouse rules. It will stink not being able to eat together and not having the team camaraderie time as much as in the past. But I think we’ll adjust and make up for it on the field.
“Everything is going to be different. Not chewing sunflower seeds and spitting them out will be tough for a lot of guys. (Orlando) Arcia will have to find a whole new habit to get through games.”
In past years, no team had more fun celebrating home runs in the dugout than the Brewers, who at times staged their own version of a Mardi Gras parade. There were receiving lines with players exchanging forearm smashes with the home-run hitter, with accompanying high-fives, back-slapping and hair-tussling. In a world with COVID-19, such celebrations are prohibited.
Winning remains the primary goal of teams, but staying healthy is goal No. 1A. How will the Brewers try to mesh those two priorities while staying connected as teammates, which has been so important to their success?
“It will present a challenge, for sure,” Suter said. “But we’ve got some creative minds on our team, so we’ll find a way to have some fun and keep that connection.
“It was great in spring training. We were jelling, and the new guys were fitting in so well. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again. It might not be the same, but we’ll find a way.”
“It will probably take a week or two to get used to it. But from talking to guys that were in the KBO (Korean Baseball Organization), like (new Brewers pitcher Josh) Lindblom, they got used to it and had fun playing the game. I’m looking forward to being with the guys again but just playing will be fun, too. We’ve all missed that.”
Baseball seasons have been described accurately as marathons when playing the normal 162-game schedule. With only 60 games to secure a playoff berth, however, teams will have to be ready to compete at a high level from the get-go, with a slow start putting the postseason in immediate jeopardy.
“I’m looking at it similar to a college season,” said Suter, who played at Harvard before being drafted by the Brewers
Orlando Arcia is congratulated by teammates Manny Piña, left, and Ben Gamel after hitting a homer in spring training.
in the 31st round in 2012. “Every game was that much more meaningful. It’s going to be like that for us. It’s going to be pressure-packed baseball.
“It’s going to be a high-quality product because everybody has been working hard to get back out there. I know guys have tried to stay sharp and ready, working hard. So, it’s going to be a sprint of a season.”
The Brewers were at their best the past two Septembers with expanded rosters, going 20-7 over the final month both times to surge to consecutive playoff berths. Major-league teams will begin this shortened season with 30-man rosters, trimmed to 28 after two weeks and 26 after one month, so it will be the reverse of past years.
Suter still believes the Brewers are built to succeed in a 60-game season, particularly with Counsell’s knack for mixing and matching with his pitching staff on a nightly basis.
“I think we’re built right there at the top of the league,” he said. “That’s been our philosophy, to get 27 outs. It doesn’t matter how long the starter goes. It will be all hands on deck, just like it is in September (of past seasons). We’ll be ready from the get-go.
“We’ve all been in weird routines, working out and basically throwing live BPs on our own. Now, we’re going to be playing meaningful games. It’s going to be awesome. The day has finally come to go back. We’ve been ready to go to Milwaukee for about a month and a half. So, this is exciting.”
Beyond the rules of personal conduct and safety, the game on the field will be different as well.
There have been several rules modifications, some designed to get players off the field as soon as possible. One such rule is beginning extra innings with a runner on second base in hopes of reaching a conclusion without games dragging on for another hour.
“It’s definitely a challenge but I was in the minor leagues on rehab (from Tommy John surgery last season) and they already had implemented that rule. The guys loved it,” Suter said. “It made games exciting and happen right away.
“The pitchers didn’t really hate it because that run is unearned, so it doesn’t mess up your stats. It still might be a loss for them but you have to deal with that. There’s a little shock value to it but I think the more it happens, the more guys will respond to it positively.
“They are doing it for a good reason to try to help keep guys healthy. This is probably a good time to try it. I think it will be received well.”
Suter acknowledged all teams will play with the COVID-19 cloud hanging over their heads. Many players already have tested positive during individual workouts, and more cases are certain to occur with so many players involved with 30 teams, no matter how diligently the protocols are observed.
How teams handle such adversity will determine their ultimate success on the field, Suter said.
“We’re going to need contact tracing and quarantining. Guys who get it will be separated and we’ll have to play without them,” Suter said. “That will stink but we have to deal with it. Testing will be huge.
“If guys get sick on the road, I’m not sure what will happen exactly. That would be a tough situation, for sure. It helps that we’re all playing (NL and AL) Central opponents, so it’s all sort of within driving range, pretty much. It’s going to be constant monitoring and telling guys to be responsible. We have to get through this together.
Asked if he thinks players are ready for the responsibility of following strict protocols, Suter said, “I know the Brewers are. It’s just a matter of getting everyone on the same page. We’re committed to that. Realistically, it could be the difference between making the playoffs or not.
“If your best players go down, it could be a struggle to win games. It sounds weird but to get to where we want to go, we have to be responsible off the field as well and doing everything not to get it. It’s a lot to take in but it’s important stuff, especially these first couple of weeks.
“We want to make the Milwaukee ‘bubble’ as safe as possible. It’s going to be important for guys to be informed.”