Despite getting off to a slow start this season, Aramis Ramirez is putting up productive numbers. Credit: Rick Wood

Houston - When the Brewers came to the realization that there would be no way to keep free-agent slugger Prince Fielder last winter, they began to look for a way to offset the loss of his offensive production.

The answer the club's brain trust came up was free-agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who long had tormented them as a member of the Chicago Cubs. They signed Ramirez to a three-year, $36 million deal and inserted him in Fielder's cleanup spot in the lineup behind 2011 National League MVP Ryan Braun.

The Brewers knew Ramirez would not be able to match the numbers of Fielder, one of the top run-producers in the majors.

"When you talk about Prince, you talk about one of the top five elite players in the game," said manager Ron Roenicke. "When the game's on the line, there's not many guys who want to be up there as much as Prince does. And there's not many guys that come through as much as Prince does."

Having said that, Roenicke said of Ramirez: "I thought he was going to be good and he has been good."

Indeed, he has. Entering Saturday, Ramirez was batting .293 in 102 games with a league-best 37 doubles to go with 15 home runs and 70 runs batted in. He had a .356 on-base percentage and .513 slugging percentage, for an OPS of .869.

By comparison, Fielder was batting .313 in 113 games for Detroit, with 23 doubles, 20 home runs and 84 runs batted in. He had a .400 OBP and .518 slugging percentage for a .918 OPS.

"Production sometimes depends on what's happening in front of you, how many opportunities you get," said Roenicke. "When it's on the line, when you need a hit, (Ramirez) has definitely been one of the guys who comes through a lot.

"Trying to figure out how to replace (Fielder), I think Aramis has done a great job in replacing what we needed for this team to go offensively and have a No. 4 hitter. And he's been good defensively. We have a plus that way, too. Until you see him every day, you don't know."

Indeed, Ramirez is having one of his best seasons in the field, with only six errors and several standout plays. With Corey Hart moving to first base and playing better than anyone expected, the Brewers have upgraded their defense at the infield corners.

Ramirez's offensive numbers are more remarkable when you consider that he got off to his traditional slow start at the plate. He batted .214 with two homers and 10 RBI in April, and was batting .218 as late as May 19.

Of Ramirez's tendency to take time to get going at the plate, Roenicke smiled and said, "Next year, we've got to get him not thinking that way. If he would have started the season like this, he'd have some kind of year. We'll see if we can get that mind-set to change a little bit."

Roenicke noted that the area in which the Brewers most miss Fielder is his "big personality." In the clubhouse, it was always easy to find Fielder, usually holding court with a handful of teammates. On the field, he exuded passion and fire.

Ramirez is more quiet and passive, to the point where he blends into the woodwork somewhat. His style is to do his talking with his bat and glove, which from a production standpoint, is what you ask of a player. But, the 2012 Brewers haven't had any real take-charge guys, on or off the field.

"Prince has an edge about him and we miss that edge," said Roenicke. "He doesn't put up with losing; he doesn't put up with not playing hard. That personality, along with how he played, and when the game is on the line, Prince is a difference-maker.

"There's not many guys like him. The combination of it, we miss Prince, certainly."

Better safe than sorry

The Brewers' plans to limit the total innings pitched in 2012 by rookie right-hander Mike Fiers is frustrating to the team's fans who want to see if he can make a run at NL rookie of the year. But it's in tune with the modern-day approach to protecting pitchers, who break down far too often for the likes of management.

With younger, developing pitchers, the Brewers try not to have them exceed their innings pitched from the previous season by more than 20% to 30%. There are exceptions, particularly with pitchers who missed most of a season through injury, as Yovani Gallardo did in 2008.

The Washington Nationals announced early this year they would follow that strategy with young ace Stephen Strasburg, who returned from Tommy John surgery late in 2011 and threw only 24 innings. General manager Mike Rizzo said he would not allow Strasburg to go much past 160 innings this season, and with the Nats unexpected leading the NL East, that decision has generated much debate.

Strasburg already has pitched 133 1/3 innings, so his limit is fast approaching.

Rizzo told ESPN he made the decision after consulting with noted sports orthopedist Lewis Yocum, who has become rich performing surgeries on pitchers. Rizzo said studies showed that no pitcher had gone from 44 innings pitched in one season (including minor-league outings) after Tommy John surgery to 200 the next year without "injury down the road."

The Nationals took a similar approach with Jordan Zimmermann, the UW-Stevens Point product who is having a tremendous 2012 season (9-6, 2.35). Zimmermann had Tommy John surgery in 2009 and pitched only 70 2/3 innings the following year, including 31 in the majors. After pitching 161 1/3 innings last year, he was shut down and now is having a breakthrough season.

There are no guarantees that such plans will keep a pitcher off the DL in future years. By nature, there is no more hazardous duty on a baseball diamond than throwing a baseball, over and over, at such arm angles. This year has been particularly cruel on that front, with important pitchers swelling the DL ranks.

There is a financial component to such decisions, also. The price of pitching has soared to new heights, making younger, less-expensive pitchers a commodity that every club covets. Accordingly, if medical folks suggest you should be careful in increasing innings from one year to the next, those who run baseball departments are going to listen.

The real angst for long-suffering Washington fans might not come in September, when Strasburg is shut down. That could come in October, if the Nationals finally make their first trip to the postseason, only to have their ace watching from the dugout.

Arrested development

The story of reliever Jim Henderson being called up by the Brewers after toiling for 10 years in the minors just gets better and better. Courtesy of Alexis Brudnicki of the Canadian Baseball Network comes the story of how Class AAA Nashville manager Mike Guerrero informed Henderson of the news.

Deciding the news had to be broken in a truly memorable way, Guerrero called a team meeting after a game and told the players that a group of fans sitting behind the bullpen that night lodged a complaint with police against one of the relief pitchers, saying they were harassed by "the Canadian."

Henderson and Taylor Green were the only Canadians on the team, and since Green is an infielder who wasn't in the bullpen, that counted him out.

"So, what do you have to say for yourself?" Guerrero asked the flabbergasted Henderson.

When Henderson told Guerrero he had no idea what he was talking about, the manager told him a police officer would be arriving to take his statement.

"And, by the way, you've been called up to the big leagues," added Guerrero.

The gag was over. Everybody laughed and congratulated Henderson, who was told by his manager that he wanted his long-awaited opportunity to be enjoyed by the entire club.

"It caught him totally by surprise," Guerrero told Brudnicki. "It caught everybody by surprise. I got everybody. I was totally serious and it was a really good moment for the team. They felt like they won 10 games in a row, they were so happy for Jim."

A familiar story

Much like Brewers bullpen coach Stan Kyles paid the price with his job for too many late-inning collapses, Cleveland pitching coach Scott Radinsky was dumped by the Indians one day after they snapped an 11-game losing streak that knocked the team from the thick of the AL Central race.

The Indians were outscored, 95-36, during the 11-game skid, with the pitching staff allowing five or more runs in each game. Making matters worse, eight of the losses came against Minnesota and Kansas City, the two worst clubs in the league.

The skid ended in a 6-2 win over the Twins, with Justin Masterson and two relievers combining on a four-hitter.

"I've never seen anything like it, and I hope I never do again," said Indians manager Manny Acta. "Pitching got us into this mess and pitching got us out of it."

The losing streak fell one short of the franchise record set by the 1931 Indians. It began on the last road trip, with Cleveland going 0-9 in Minnesota, Kansas City and Detroit, the first time in club history the Indians went winless on a trip of nine games or more.

As is usually a case with long skids, it was a group effort, with the hitters batting .224, including .205 with runners in scoring position, and the starting pitchers posting an 0-8 record and 10.44 ERA.

QUOTABLE

"It just seems like every game is going to be so important from now on. Every game is going to be the most important game of the year."

Angels pitcher Dan Haren, on the playoff races with two wild cards at stake

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

MLB: San Francisco 3B Marco Scutaro

Every club hopes late-season pickups provide a boost and Scutaro did exactly that Wednesday in a 15-0 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals. Scutaro socked a grand slam and was 3 for 6 with a career-high seven runs batted in.

BREWERS: RHP Mike Fiers

Fiers pitched perfect baseball for six innings Tuesday night against first-place Cincinnati before finally allowing his first hit. He went eight innings overall, allowing just three hits and one run, emerging with a 1.80 ERA - the best in the majors since he arrived in the last week of May.

WEEK AHEAD

Rangers at Yankees: Monday-Thursday. Division leaders clash.

Dodgers at Pirates: Monday-Thursday. Wild-card implications.

Orioles at Tigers: Friday-Sunday. Both teams eyeing playoffs.

Dodgers at Braves: Friday-Sunday. Big week for Los Angeles.

BREWERS THIS WEEK

After their weekend series in Houston, the Brewers head to Colorado to face another struggling club. Then, it's back home to face perhaps the most disappointing team in the NL, the Philadelphia Phillies, in a four-game series. What's that they say about misery loving company?

DID YOU KNOW?

The Baltimore Orioles have won 12 consecutive extra-inning games after losing their first two this season. Seven of the 14 games have gone at least 12 innings, with the Orioles going 6-1. The relievers have a 1.10 ERA over 41 extra innings.

YOU FIGURE IT OUT

Philadelphia leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins had popped out to the infield 31 times entering the weekend, tops in the major leagues. Manager Charlie Manuel, who rarely says anything negative about individual players on the record, seems to be losing patience.

"In the last three or four years, his offensive performance is coming down," said Manuel. "The older he gets, that can be expected."

Which raises the question: Why did the Phillies give Rollins, who will be 34 in November, a three-year, $38 million contract last winter with a vesting clause for a fourth season?

As it turns out, the Brewers are lucky that Rollins brushed aside their attempts to sign him as a free agent.

BREWERS MINOR-LEAGUE REPORT

Class AAA Nashville

SS Jeff Bianchi has been on a hitting binge this month. Entering the weekend, he was batting .500 (11 for 22) in August with four doubles and two home runs. Overall, he had an eight-game hitting streak.

Class AA Huntsville

RHP Ariel Pena, acquired in the Zack Greinke trade with the Angels, had trouble throwing strikes Thursday night against Tennessee. Pena walked seven in 3 2/3 innings and threw only 46 of 91 pitches for strikes.

High Class A Brevard County

The Brewers' two first-round draft picks went in opposite directions. RHP Taylor Jungmann is 9-6 with a 3.69 ERA in 22 starts. LHP Jed Bradley was shut down with arm fatigue after going 5-10 with a 5.53 ERA in 20 starts.

Low Class A Wisconsin

LHP Michael Strong, the Timber Rattlers' pitcher of the month for July, has posted a 1.35 ERA over 15 relief outings. In 33 innings, he allowed only 17 hits with 17 walks and 44 strikeouts.

Rookie Helena

RHP Leonard Lorenzo pitched a gem Thursday against Missoula though he absorbed a loss in the 3-0 game. Lorenzo allowed just five hits and one run in six innings while striking out 12 hitters.

Rookie Arizona

In his first five games with the AZL Brewers, catcher Joe Andrade went 5 for 12 (.417) with three doubles and three RBI.

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