While they definitely overpaid for Jeff Suppan, a right-handed iron man who is scheduled to start third in the rotation, the Brewers proved that they are committed to winning â?? now.

Twenty-five.

Remember that number. Not because its the number of players on a baseball team, or the digits on the jersey of an alleged steroid-using player chasing Milwaukees biggest record. Its the frequency of amazing years in the citys baseball history.

2007 is the 25th anniversary of the year the Milwaukee Brewers won the American League pennant. What escapes most peoples minds, however, is the fact that that year was the 25th anniversary of the Milwaukee Braves winning the World Series, the only Major League championship in the citys history.

Hopefully, great years arent limited to once every 25 years, but Ill take it this season. While they definitely overpaid for Jeff Suppan, a right-handed iron man who is scheduled to start third in the rotation, the Brewers proved that they are committed to winning “ now.

It also sent a message to Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy: If you perform, we have and will spend the money to keep you here. Keeping Carlos Villanueva in the majors, risking a drop in his development, also shows their intentions.

The St. Louis Cardinals, despite winning the World Series last year, only finished eight- and-a-half games ahead of the Brew Crew, at an eye-opening 83-81. How a team loses 80 games in a season and goes on to take the Fall Classic, I dont know, but it demonstrates that the Brewers arent far off.

Dont forget that they lost two of their starters, NLCS MVP Suppan and Jason Marquis, to division rivals Milwaukee and Chicago, and you can easily see they have some catch up to play.

Houston wont have Roger Clemens to begin the year, and they might not get him at all. Andy Pettitte went to his rightful home, New York, in the off season, and Jason Jennings is no replacement. The catcher, Brad Ausmus, is declining every year. But they signed Carlos Lee!

Every educated Brewers fan laughed when the Astros inked Lee to a six-year, $100 million deal. Lee, whom the Brewers traded to the Texas Rangers last summer, is about as fast as I am in the outfield, and Im not joking. Hell be a designated hitter before his contract is up. With the pitfalls in the rotation outside Roy Oswalt, it seems that the usual early-season funk that Houston seems to be in just might be permanent.

The Chicago Cubs have to win this year, and quickly. Carlos Zambrano, the fire-baller ace of the rotation, says hell leave when his contract is up at the end of the year if an extension is not in place.

So what did they do? They spent enough money to finance a mission to the moon on free agents. Being the Yankees of the National League would work, except the guys they got arent going to make up enough ground for them to win the division.

While the best bona fide 40/40 guy in the league, Alfonso Soriano, is now in Wrigleyville, their other acquisitions are kinda-sorta guys. Jason Marquis is nothing better than a fourth starter, given his unsightly 6.02 ERA in 2006. Forty million dollars were spent on Ted Lilly, the expected second starter who had a 4.31 ERA last season.

Outside of Zambrano, its hard to be sold on a staff that doesnt have a pitcher with under four earned runs a game. If theyre going to contend, Zambrano is going to have to win 20 games.

Pete Rose came out and said recently that he bet on the Reds every day while he was in the clubhouse. That makes you wonder if hed put money on the Reds this season.

Ken Griffey Jr. isnt getting any younger, but they moved him to right field to make up for his declining range (which is still pretty good). After acquiring Bronson Arroyo before last season for Wily Mo Pena, the Reds finally had an arm that could catch up with their bats. However, with 20-year-old pitching phenom Homer Bailey in Triple-A, the Cincinnati Reds still may be one year away.

The Pirates are the Pirates. They turned it on last season, going 37-35 after the all-star break, but theres little chance they can replicate that over the entire 2007 season. Much like the Cubs, their rotation is a vast wasteland past their No. 1, and Zach Duke is no Zambrano. Duke, in his first full season in the majors last year, went 10-15 with a 4.47 ERA and only 117 punch-outs in 215 1/3 innings.

To win, and win big this season, the Brewers need to stay healthy. Tony Graffanino did a great job replacing Weeks in the lineup last year, but it would be in Milwaukees best interest if Weeks and Hardy stay on the field in 2007.

Ben Sheets has had problems with injuries over the last couple years, but for the first time in years, he feels good during spring training. A big improvement over last season is the fact that even if a starter goes down, Milwaukee has two pitchers, Villanueva and Elmer Dessens, they can stick in for a good chance at a quality start.

Once Ryan Braun fixes his fielding problems, the Brewers will have their best infield since Molitor-Yount-Gantner, the three longest-tenured players in club history. If it can keep their players healthy and in the lineup, Milwaukee may push for its first pennant in 25 years. Happy anniversary.

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