Published: 16 minutes ago
Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE
Milwaukee Brewers fans had to witness Prince Fielder, one of the best players in franchise history, depart via free agency because the team did not have the salary cap room to keep him. They now get to watch Travis Ishikawa, the last person they ever expected, to play first base and crush home runs.
Fans do not realize how talented Ishikawa really is. He was the starting first baseman for the World Champion San Francisco Giants a couple years ago before an injury sidelined him. By time he was ready to come back, Aubrey Huff had taken his spot permanently. Ishikawa did not appear on a major league roster in 2011 as he spent most of his time with the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies. He injured his shoulder diving for a ball which required season-ending shoulder surgery.
The average fan did not have a clue who Ishikawa was when Milwaukee invited him to spring training. In fact, he did not officially make the Brewers major league roster until the last possible day when he beat out Brooks Conrad. Manager Ron Roenicke decided to go with the player with the most experience.
Ishikawa was never guaranteed anything with the Brewers except for a chance to pinch-hit and play first base every now and then when Mat Gamel needed a break. Gamel’s season is of course done after he tore his ACL in a game against the San Diego Padres, which means Ishikawa is now the starter. Some fans were worried but those of us who did our research knew this was not as bad as it seemed.
99 out of 100 fans would tell you they would rather have Fielder playing first base than Ishikawa and I would not blame them. However, 99 of those fans would also have no clue what either player’s 2012 statistics are.
| At-Bats | Runs | Hits | Doubles | HR | RBI | AVG. | |
| Travis Ishikawa | 50 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 0.260 |
| Prince Fielder | 137 | 21 | 40 | 6 | 5 | 18 | 0.292 |
As you can see, Ishikawa has a third of the at-bats as Fielder but still has similar numbers. Can you imagine what his numbers would look like if he had 137 plate appearances? I could not say they would be better or worse, but is obvious the man can hit.
Is Ishikawa better for the team? That remains to be unseen considering we are just under six weeks into the season. Is Ishikawa better for the price? Absolutely, no question about it.
Ishikawa is playing for a near minimum contract while Fielder is making $23 million this season. As good as Fielder was and as many fans he put in the stands, the Brewers had no way to match what other teams could offer him. They did the right thing by giving Gamel a shot and signing Ishikawa for insurance. Apparently, that insurance is going to pay off.
Would the Brewers have a better record with Fielder in the lineup? Many fans have told me they believe this to be so. This is hard to argue due to the fact there are too many factors to consider. It is hard to say if Fielder’s numbers would be better or worse playing in the National League. Also, is Milwaukee’s pitching better because Fielder is on the team? I highly doubt it. Fielder is obviously a presence in the batting order and in the locker room so on that basis alone the argument could be made.
The Giants gave up on Ishikawa and now he plays with a chip on his shoulder. He is out to prove the world wrong and the Brewers just happen to be the team giving him a shot to do it. He may not be Fielder and he does not make millions of dollars per season but he certainly has the strength to hit for power. He also has a knack for the dramatic, just like Fielder and current teammate Ryan Braun.
Brewers’ fans can dwell on what was and watch Fielder blast homers in a Detroit Tigers uniform, or they can watch Ishikawa wreak havoc on pitchers and make a name for himself in Milwaukee. Personally, I prefer the latter.
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