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In Sports Commentary
Saturday Scorecard: Center field, center stage
Mike Cameron got off to a slow start with the Brewers...
By Drew Olson RSS Feed
Senior Editor
Photography by Scott Paulus / Milwaukee Brewers photo
E-mail author | Author bio
More articles by Drew Olson

Published June 7, 2008 at 5:32 a.m.
Tags: brewers, cameron, kapler, yost, celtics, paul pierce, lakers, chelios

Welcome to Saturday Scorecard. Taking a cue from Coors Field, we're keeping baseballs in the humidor in order to cut down cigar consumption.

We have a lot of yard work and a number of topics to hit today, so let's get to it...

Center of attention: Many Brewers fans smiled when they tuned into the game Friday night and saw Gabe Kapler starting in center field. That's understandable. Kapler has been a productive and popular reserve player this season. He entered the weekend hitting .330 with a .354 on-base average, four homers and 19 RBI.

Mike Cameron, the starter, hasn't fared so well. In his first 31 games, Cameron hit .220 with a paltry .286 on-base percentage, seven homers and 19 RBI.

Fans love Kapler and are down on Cameron. That's understandable, given the current circumstances. In the big picture, though, it's hard to imagine Kapler continuing at his current pace, just as it's tough to imagine the Brewers being a playoff-caliber team this season without a solid contribution from Cameron.

Though his career batting average is .250, Cameron has the potential to hit 20 to 25 homers and drive in 70 to 90 runs. That, in addition to his stellar defense, is why the Brewers signed him as a free agent.

Kapler, who also plays above-average defense, is such an asset on the field and in the clubhouse it's hard to believe he was a minor-league manager last year. Kapler's career batting average is .272.

Streaks and slumps are part of baseball, but veteran players like Cameron and Kapler generally revert to the level of performance they have displayed for much of their careers. Over the next few weeks, Cameron's output is likely to increase, while Kapler's is likely to drop off.

Kapler's current circumstance is common among backups who perform well over a short sample. Fans fall in love with them and clamor for them to play every day, but increased playing time brings more 0-for-4 performances, more strikeouts with men at third base, more errors, etc.

Brewers manager Ned Yost is trying to ride Kapler's hot streak as long as possible and maximize production out of center field. That's the right move. At the same time, Yost knows he has to get Cameron going in order to maximize the production of the entire lineup.

For now, moving Cameron out of the No. 2 spot in the order would probably be a good move. J.J. Hardy handled that role last season and could prosper in front of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder.

Cameron, who missed most of April because of a suspension for using a banned supplement, has not distinguished himself in his first 31 games. However, it's too early to write him off for this season.

Rivalry renewed: There is something comforting about seeing the Lakers and Celtics playing in the NBA Finals. The contrast between the purple uniforms and the white and green just felt... right.

Has it really been 21 years since these two powers met for the championship? Wow. Here is an even more stunning reality check. It has been 34 years since the Bucks visited the Finals. Sure, they flirted with it in 2001, but that's a really long drought.

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