Vogelbach makes big contributions
Since being claimed off waivers from Toronto on Sept. 3, designated hitter/ first baseman Daniel Vogelbach has made a huge impact on the field for the Milwaukee Brewers.
But Vogelbach appears to have made a difference in the clubhouse as well, as much as a player can in 2020 with the COVID-19 protocols limiting time spent there.
“The performance speaks for itself, the way that he's hit since we've acquired him,” right-hander Josh Lindblom said Sunday. “But the one thing is how positive he is in the clubhouse and the dugout. We've talked about the ‘positivity train.' I think he might be the conductor now.
“Always has a smile on his face, always is bringing energy when we need it from the first pitch on. The stuff that some people don't see is how positive he is in the dugout.”
At 6-feet, 270 pounds, Vogelbach, 27, is a larger than life figure in general. Left-hander Brett Anderson compared him to another big personality on the team – bench coach Pat Murphy, who recently rejoined the Brewers after having a heart attack early in the season.
“He's kind of like a younger version of Murph,” Anderson said. “He brings some levity. He's loud but in a positive way. He's ‘choo-chooing' all over the place, being the conductor of the positivity train. He has come in and brought a shot of energy, that's for sure.
“Not only on the field but off the field, he's been great for this ball club.”
Vogelbach was a one-man show in the Brewers' 5-3 victory Sunday over Kansas City, knocking in all five runs with a pair of homers. In 11 games entering Monday, he was batting .417 (15 for 36) with three homers, 10 RBI and 1.197 OPS.
After being cut by Seattle after a horrible start at the plate (5 for 53) as well as Toronto after a very brief stay,
Vogelbach said he has been energized by getting a chance to play again, and for a team in the playoff hunt.
“I'm a very competitive person and I don't like losing,” He said. “There's a winning atmosphere here, a winning culture. I'm very happy to be here. A lot of times, you raise your level of play to the people around you.”
Burnes in Cy picture
There was a conversation Monday afternoon on the contenders for the National League Cy Young Award on the MLB Network, with the Brewers' Corbin Burnes getting lots of love. Burnes joined the group remotely via a live feed from Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
Burnes certainly has the numbers to be in the conversation, ranking first in the league with a 1.77 ERA, .158 opponents batting average, 13.34 strikeouts per nine innings, 4.98 hits per nine innings and 0.16 home runs per nine innings.
Allowing just one homer in 56 innings is a remarkable accomplishment for a pitcher who surrendered 11 in his first 172⁄3 innings last season and 17 overall in 49 innings.
Teammate Brandon Woodruff said Burnes deserves all the credit in the world for remaking himself into one of the best in the game in 2020.
“Especially from last year to this year and just the transformation of how he's got his stuff working for him,” Woodruff said. “We all try to find what works for us. Obviously, we know Corbin's stuff is really good; everybody knows that.
“He has found a way to make his pitches work for him and you've seen it show up here in this 60-game season and it's been awesome. I think the biggest thing you see with Corbin is the confidence. You know you can go out there and pitch well, and I think Corbin's at that point right now where he's making pitches, his stuff's awesome and, quite frankly, he's just been dominating guys this year.
“It's been awesome to see. It's like, ‘OK, let's go out here and try to match what Corbin does.
“Because if we can do that, we're going to put up zeros.' I saw where he has some (potential) votes for the Cy Young, but I definitely think he should be in the conversation for at least the top three. No less than that.
“In my opinion, from being his teammate, I think he should be No. 1. He's been that good for us. We'll see how it plays out, but he's been fantastic for us this year.”
No packing light
When the Brewers left Milwaukee for their final road trip to Cincinnati and St. Louis, they were instructed to pack for longer than a seven-day trip. If they make the playoffs, they will open on the road in a best-of-three series against one of the higher-seeded clubs.
After that, it would be off to the postseason bubble, with NL clubs moving on to play in Houston and Texas. The World Series will be played in the Texas Rangers' new ballpark, which never got to open with fans this year.
“It's really unique to pack and not know whether you'll be gone for a week or up to six weeks and also have no idea where you're going,” Ryan Braun said. “I think it's mathematically impossible for us to host in the first round of the postseason but we could go to L.A. or San Diego or Chicago or Atlanta or a number of other places.
“Obviously, there's different weather in all of those places and ultimately the goal is to end up in Texas.”
Beginning Wednesday, all players in 40-man postseason player pools must quarantine in hotels, whether at home or on the road. The Brewers are playing on the road, but extra personnel will quarantine in Milwaukee.
“It's essentially the same for me because my family's not in Milwaukee, so it's either just holed up in an apartment or holed up in a hotel room,” Anderson said. “At least I can get room service at the hotel, I guess.”
Piña almost ready
Catcher Manny Piña, who's been on the injured list since Aug. 28 after undergoing surgery on his right knee, will be recovered enough to start baseball activities next week if the Brewers advance to the playoffs, manager Craig Counsell said.
Milwaukee would need to advance in the postseason in order for Piña to be able to play. And with Jacob Nottingham having played well as Piña's replacement, there's an argument to be made it might make sense to stick with Nottingham at this point.