Corey Hart

Much has been made of Milwaukee's lack of pitching and depth in the bullpen (it's Hoffman, Hawkins, then everyone else..), but there are some performances that should not go without praise in the early going this season.

Starting today, (April 18th) I will begin a bi-weekly series of stock up/down articles summarizing the Brewers' top performers in both the batters box and on the pitching mound, also including a rundown of players struggling as of late.

So, without much further ado, let's begin the way-too-early-to-mean-anything-by-September hasty generalizations!

Just two years ago Corey Hart was an All-Star and the most popular Brewer player behind Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.

Hart has proven how quickly things can change in baseball.

Entering the 2010 season, Hart is coming off an injury filled season that saw a significant dip in most offensive categories. He's also had his battles in the media, criticizing the fan base several times.

Hart made the All-Star game in 2008 as the final member thanks to the fan vote.

Aside from sharing a name with one bad ass Canadian '80s pop singer (kidding), Corey Hart also saw a promising career dry up. Of course, the baseball version can be attributed to injury, and a successful comeback is more than likely.

Hart quietly was one of the better all-around fantasy outfielders in 2007 and 2008 with the following lines:

Before the 2009 season started, there were three teams that were widely viewed as possible contenders for the National League Central crown: the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and the Cincinnati Reds.

The Cubs were the defending NL Central champs, had the best record in the National League in 2008, and were easily the most talented team in the division.

The Cardinals had the best player in baseball, Albert Pujols, several talented role players, and expected to see a return to dominance of Chris Carpenter.

According to Boston.com, The Milwaukee Brewers "might" be taking a look at moving shortstop JJ Hardy to Boston in exchange for pitching.  It's a good feature on how baseball GM's analyze and execute trades, with Brewers GM Doug Melvin getting asked a few questions along the way. Boston Globe writer Nick Cafardo says:

I hoped I would never have to come to this conclusion, especially after their playoff berth in 2008, but the Brewers stink.

At 3-8, Milwaukee is already in the divisional cellar and searching for the light to get out but are not finding it.

I usually never admit that my team stinks, and I haven't said it about the Brewers since they really did stink, back in the early 2000's. But now I am left with no choice but to say it and not get my 2009 hopes up.

I recently wrote an article on "25 Ways to Tell if You're a Cardinals Fan." I enjoyed coming up with the list so much, I decided to stay in the division and turn it into a series of articles.

So, Milwaukee, here is your list of ways to tell if you're a Brewers fan!