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"The difference between our bullpen this year is that we have more guys capable of longer performances, longer innings," said Doug Melvin (left). (Roy Dabner/AP)

Base_Ball: I expect the Brewers to be able to compete in a year or two but I still believe there is a dire need to obtain at least two quality starting pitchers. What are your thoughts on the future pitching and how will the Brewers go about fulfilling their needs?

Doug Melvin: First off, thanks for all of your questions. We recognize there is a need for quality pitching. With us having good positional prospects in our system, our focus will be on developing the likes of Manny Parra, Mike Jones and Ben Hendrickson, and continuing to scout for veteran-type pitchers that fit in with our players when they arrive in Milwaukee. I would also say that, we are looking for Ben Sheets and Matt Kinney to build and improve on their years from last year. Having Doug Davis for the entire year, and the addition to Chris Capuano and continued development of Wes Obermueller, we feel our pitching staff is in better shape than when we broke camp last spring. Glendon Rusch, Todd Ritchie, Wayne Franklin have been replaced by the guys we have this year.

haroldh: Why has Matt Kinney had an inside track over Wayne Franklin, particularly since the Brewers posted an 18-16 record in Franklin's 34 starts in 2003?

DM: I think Wayne got better run support than Matt. I believe that they both have been prone to the home run ball, and we believe that if Matt can shake the big-inning bug he would make a huge improvement on his results. Overall, he has better stuff than Wayne. With Wayne's quality of pitches, he needs to have "plus" command, and that's what he lacked. It led to a lot of baserunners.

rristic_wi_rr_com: Will Ben Sheets win 20 games this year?

DM: For any pitcher to win 20 games, a lot of things have to go right. You have to play well defensively every game, he has to get great run support and support from your bullpen. Esteban Loiaza won 20 games last year, so I think someone with Ben's ability and stuff, a lot of things are possible but a lot of things have to go right.

dbcher_aol_com: Can Adrian Hernandez be considered for a starting role in the rotation?

DM: He's capable of starting, but he will make the club in the long relief role. He has had more success in that role with the Yankee's Triple-A club, but we would not be afraid to put him in a starting role if someone falters. The difference between our bullpen this year is that we have more guys capable of longer performances, longer innings. We broke camp last year with five guys who would give you one inning. This year's cub, with Hernandez and Dave Burba and Ben Ford and Jeff Bennett, we have guys capable of giving you three innings.

krupski1_hotmail_com: Please tell me there is a deal on the table for a lefty in the bullpen or that you are going to bring Chris back up.

DM: Chris is Chris Michalak, who was returned to minor league camp yesterday. We sent him there to get the opportunity to face more hitters and prepare himself for a situational-type role. We feel that we will probably go without a left-hander, but do feel confident that a few of our right-handers are capable of getting left-handed hitters out. Unless we are going to add a quality left-hander, we need to go with the seven best arms we have in the bullpen.

jeffthefan: At this point in Spring Training, do you feel even better about the Sexson trade or is it what you expected?

DM: I've felt all along it was a trade that would help both clubs. With Chris Capuano having a good spring for us, and seeing Jorge De La Rosa -- two quality arms -- we feel it's been and it will be a good trade for us in the future. We knew pretty much what we were getting in Chad Moeller, Lyle Overbay, Craig Counsell and Junior Spivey. Those are four players that will be starters on our ballclub. It's provided our club with much more depth.

jeffthefan: There is a rumor floating around the Internet that the Braves are interested in Danny Kolb. Any comments on that?

DM: They've never approached me. Teams know that I am not motivated to move him.

cmwarnke_wisc_edu: When you are trying to make a trade, how's does it all happen with 30 teams and hundreds of players? It seems overwhelming to search for the best deal.

DM: You have conference calls, meetings with scouts on a regular basis. You identify the clubs that are compatible with your club's strengths and weaknesses. While it looks like there are 30 teams out there, you recognize that for any particular player there may be only two or three teams that have legitimate interest in a player. For example, if we were looking to trade a shortstop, you're not going to talk to the Yankees, the Red Sox, and now the Orioles.

DaCoach6233_aol_com: Mr. Melvin, it is frustrating seeing quality free agents being snatched up by worse teams than the Brewers. When will the Brewers start making the offers to bring in big name players the fans will pay to see?

DM: We hope to be able to do that in the future. First, I think we have a plan in place as an organization. We have a manager who has been getting high praise. We have a great ballpark in Miller Park. We have some great young prospects. Those are all initial steps in being attractive to Major League free agents.

mcklson_yahoo_com: Who are you most impressed with during Spring Training this year?

DM: I would say I am impressed with how Overbay has swung the bat. He looks like a real, true professional hitter and his fielding has been better than advertised. On the pitching side, I would say that Adrian Hernandez and Jeff Bennett have both opened our eyes and basically won jobs in Spring Training.

brewmfcrew: You signed Keith Ginter to a three-year deal which I think will be a bargain by the end of the three years. What are your plans concerning Scott Podsednik and his long term future with the club?

DM: We continue to talk to his agent. We have left it open to continue to talk, but at this point we have not agreed upon a deal. It is not necessary to do a deal. If it doesn't work out, we can always discuss it at the end of the year. In general, we expect Scott to continue to be the player that he was last year. Even though he surprised a lot of baseball personnel people, we feel he has the ability to continue on and have a good career.

Matt_Jadin: What are your thoughts on Nick Neugabauer? How does he rank amongst the pitching prospects? When can we reasonably expect to see him in the big leagues (assuming he has no injury set backs)? And has there been any thought of switching him to a closer?

DM: He continues to rehab but has shown progress. He will be pitching in his third game in Spring Training today and we closely monitor his pitch count. We do feel that he will be pitching in games in the very near future, probably at the Class-A level. It is still too early to say when he will be Major League ready. And we have given thought, given his injury and surgery history, to moving him into the bullpen. It would be similar to Dan Kolb, who also experienced injuries early in his career.

John_Bellanger: Mr. Melvin, what effect, if any, do you think the impending sale of the Brewers will have on the upcoming season?

DM: I don't think it will impact our baseball operations plan or should affect what we are doing at the Major League level. I have been involved in ownership changes before and it is a long process that we don't anticipate affecting the 2004 season.

krupski1_hotmail_com: Now with Corey Hart moving to the outfield and David Krynzel on the way, is Grieve here just to fill the spot till they're ready?

DM: Ben Grieve's performance will determine how long he will stay with the Brewers. Part of it depends on Corey Hart's performance.

brokenlizard20: Mr. Melvin, I think with the Geoff Jenkins signing, you showed all of us diehards that you still are committed to the future of the organization. How tough is it to show that to the fans with such a limited payroll?

DM: As long as we stay with the plan that we have, we become more attractive to players who want to be in Milwaukee. We're confident that we're doing the right things to create fan interest, which in turn brings more revenue, which in turn will give us the ability to spend more money.

Bill_Batterman: Hey Doug, how did you choose Woolard and Villanueva from San Francisco? Did Brian Sabean give you a list of guys to choose from? Were these two pitchers you were targeting? What stood out about these two vis a vis other Giants prospects?

DM: We identified a couple of names that our scouts had seen. We had a short time frame to make a decision on the trade and Brian showed interest. We were not going to stand in the way of Leo and Wayne pitching in the big leagues when there was still uncertainty of them making our club. The Giants indicated they were not prepared to provide a high-level prospect so we went with two young arms in A-ball that we feel have ability to go through the ranks and earn their way up.

ssowl_knox_edu: Hello Mr. Melvin, my name is Sam and it is my dream to be a baseball executive like yourself. What is the best advice you can give me to help me get started towards my goal?

DM: See as many ballgames as you can. Take a sports administrative program or a business program and network with as many people as you can in the baseball industry.

derhyed_yahoo_com: Can Brewers fans expect to see the likes of Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Prince Fielder, etc., at some point this season?

DM: There is always a possibility, but it is probably highly unlikely. The plan is to prepare the players so when they get to the Majors they are here to stay. They are getting closer, and if we have a rash of injuries we may have to dip down all the way to the Double-A Huntsville club. But probably it would not be the best thing for those players.

rristic_wi_rr_com: Will we see alot of "small ball" this year?

DM: Not necessarily. The lineup will be somewhat different than in the past, but we are not a team blessed with a lot of speed. Our offensive strengths are that we have selective hitters who use the whole field. I think you will see a lot of doubles this year as opposed to the home runs we have hit in the past.

Base_Ball_3: Mr. Melvin, who do you think, if any, could be this year's Scott Podsednik?

DM: The Scott Podsednik of last year comes along very rarely. We were very fortunate to have him step in from the waiver wire and do what he did. Potential candidates could be Capuano, Adrian Hernandez.

ldurow_clubservices_: You're doing a great job in Milwaukee. I believe everyone agrees that the Brewers are a better team than in years past and that can be attributed to you and Ned Yost. With the increased talent in the NL Central, how do you think we'll finish?

DM: Baseball people view our division as a two-tier division, placing the Cubs, Cardinals and Astros in the first tier and the Reds, Brewers and Pirates in the second tier. We obviously want to be the best team in that second tier with a chance to jump up. I feel comfortable that our club has shown improvement, but what separates tier 1 from tier 2 is the pitching.

DM: That's all the time we have. Thanks for all of the interest shown in the Brewers through your questions. I'm sorry we did not get to everybody. The quality of questions were very good, and that shows me that Milwaukee has some great baseball fans. I am looking forward to the 2004 season.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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