Spring Ahead

The best part about moving the clocks ahead one hour?

Opening Day is just that much closer.

Brewers want to make return to playoffs

Talented lineup, solid pitching staff could be difference

If here was any doubt that expectations have changed as another baseball season approaches in Milwaukee, listen to this:

"We're already looking at July," Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said, before the team had even finalized it's Opening Day roster. "We're focusing on teams that might have players available to help us stay in the race."

It's a sea-change for a franchise that had trouble finding enough available players to fill the Opening Day roster in recent seasons. With a mix of youth and experience in the lineup, and as solid a pitching staff as they've had in years, the Brewers are hoping to sneak into September with real hopes of a berth in the postseason.

They took a big step forward in 2005, going 81-81 for the team's first non-losing season in 13 years. But this is still a franchise four years removed from a 106-loss season (2002) that prompted a massive front office overhaul and 24 years removed from its last berth in the playoffs (1982).

Is this really the year that the once-proud Brewers get back in the spotlight?

"I'm looking forward to playoff baseball and that's where our ultimate goal should be," said general manager Doug Melvin, who took over in September 2002 and promptly hired Ash and manager Ned Yost and sparked the team's turnaround.