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Thursday, April 5, 2012

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Apr 6th 2012, 03:03

By Mark Hudziak, Yahoo! Contributor Network

The Milwaukee Brewers open the 2012 baseball season at Miller Park on April 6th with a retooled infield. First baseman Prince Fielder, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, and third baseman Casey McGehee are gone. Second baseman Rickie Weeks is the only returning starter, and there is an entirely new cast of reserves. Here's a look at the Brewers' infielders as the season gets underway.

First base: Mat Gamel

With the departure of Fielder, Mat Gamel essentially became the starting first baseman by default. Gamel has been a proven performer in the minor leagues, but hit just .222 in 171 at bats spread over parts of four seasons with the Brewers. There have been questions raised in the past about his maturity and attitude. Some of that may have been because he was stuck behind Casey McGehee and Prince Fielder (Gamel plays third base, too) and felt he was at a dead end in the organization. So with the path clear, it was all on Gamel to prove he could play.

Thankfully for the Brewers, Gamel came in with a much improved outlook. He fielded his position well in Cactus League games. His batting average was just .238, but his six home runs led the club, and his 14 RBIs were second best. He had a two home run, five RBI game against the San Diego Padres on March 31st. Fans will have to be patient with Gamel, but I feel better about him now as the first baseman than I did over the winter.

Second base: Rickie Weeks

Weeks missed several weeks last season with a serious ankle injury, but came back in September. Last year he started as the leadoff man, but was later dropped to fifth as the Brewers looked to provide more power in the middle of the order while McGehee endured a season long slump. Weeks is back in the leadoff position, a spot he prefers over fifth. He provides a lot of power at the top of the order, as well as speed. Now if he could just have an injury free year….

Shortstop: Alex Gonzalez

It was painfully obvious in the 2011 post season that the Brewers needed to improve their infield defense. The club upgraded the defense at shortstop by signing Gonzalez as a free agent. Last year with the Atlanta Braves, Gonzalez hit .241 with 15 homers and 56 RBIs, roughly equivalent to Betancourt's production. Gonzalez had a great spring, hitting .473 with five homers and a team leading 16 RBIs. Gonzalez is a lifetime .247 hitter, and was acquired primarily for his fielding, but if he has an above average year offensively, it will be a nice bonus.

Third base: Aramis Ramierz

The Brewers signed Ramierz as a free agent to replace McGehee at third, but also to make up for some of Fielder's offensive production. Ramierz did not have good spring numbers (.218, 1 HR, 3 RBIs in 55 at bats) and has been known to get off to slow starts, but once he gets going, he is a proven run producer. He's had nine seasons of 25 or more home runs and six years of over 100 RBIs. Last year he hit .306 with 26 homers and 93 RBIs for the Chicago Cubs.

Over the years with the Cubs, it has seemed to me that Ramierz appeared to lose interest at times. I think some of that may have been the atmosphere in the clubhouse there, with the meltdowns by Carlos Zambrano and problems with Milton Bradley being among the many distractions during Ramierz' tenure in Chicago. Sometimes players need a change of venue, and I look for Ramierz to replace a sizable portion of Fielder's offensive production.

Reserves: Cesar Izturis and Travis Ishikawa

The Brewers signed Izturis to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training as a non roster player for backup middle infield help. Izturis has always had a good glove, but this spring he committed six errors in 59 fielding chances. He did miss most of 2011 with an injury, so he may just need some time to get back to his usual form.

Ishikawa, another non roster invitee, was the last man added to the roster. A lot of observers assumed Brooks Conrad would be the final choice, as he can play several infield positions and Ishikawa is a first baseman and occasional outfielder. A former San Francisco Giant, Ishikawa had a good spring both offensively and defensively and has a .290 lifetime batting average as a pinch hitter. He'll pinch hit and be the backup for Gamel at first, but the move does leave Izturis as the only backup middle infielder.

If needed, there is middle infield help available at Triple A Nashville. Besides Conrad, other possible call ups include Taylor Green and Edwin Maysonet. Green, who hit .316 in Cactus League play, was with the Brewers in September and in the playoffs last year. He's primarily a third baseman, but he also can play second. Maysonet, like Conrad and Ishikawa, was a non roster invitee to Spring Training and had an impressive spring, hitting .296 and handling all 62 of his fielding chances at four positions (shortstop, second, third, and left field) without an error.

A Featured Contributor in Sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network, Mark Hudziak has been a fan of the Brewers since they moved to Milwaukee in 1970.

Sources:

Brewers keep Ishikawa, send down Conrad

Milwaukee Brewers on Yahoo! Sports

Milwaukee Brewers on MLB.com

Nashville Sounds Official Website

More from this contributor:

A Look at the Milwaukee Brewers' Outfielders and Catchers on the Opening Day 2012 Roster: Fan's View

A Look at the Milwaukee Brewers' Pitchers on the Opening Day 2012 Roster: Fan's View

Milwaukee Brewers Sign Catcher Jonathan Lucroy to a Five Year Contract Extension: Fan's View

Ex-Maryland Quarterback Danny O'Brien will Play for Wisconsin: Fan Reaction<./a>

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