View Full Version : Chris Capuano
<b><font size=4>Capuano to make next start</font></b>
MILWAUKEE -- Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano arrived at Miller Park for the team's second-longest homestand of the season bearing some good news, and some bad.
Bad news first. Capunao, who left his Sunday start at Houston after straining his left quadriceps in the top of the third inning running out a ground ball, learned Monday that his injury is slightly more serious than originally diagnosed. He said a team doctor found a small "soft spot" on the muscle, indicating a strain of about 1 1/2 on a scale of 1-3, with three being the most severe.
Now the good news. Capuano is penciled in to make his next start, which was bumped one day to Saturday because the Brewers were off on Monday.
"These things are going to happen throughout the course of a career," Capuano said. "Injuries happen."
If he is unable to pitch, the Brewers could place Capuano on the disabled list retroactive to Monday. Manager Ned Yost said middle relievers Dave Burba and Ben Ford would be candidates to pitch Saturday, and the Brewers would need a fifth starter only once over the next 16 days.
Capuano remained hopeful because the injury happened to his left leg, the one he uses to push of the pitcher's mound. Trainers told him that muscle strains in his landing leg are more likely to lead to tears.
"This is better," Capuano said.
<b><font size=4>Capuano throws</font></b>
Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano, trying to strengthen his strained left quadriceps, played catch Wednesday afternoon with head trainer Roger Caplinger for about 10 minutes at 120 feet and reported no problems.
He will attempt to pitch off the bullpen mound Thursday morning, and remained hopeful about making his scheduled start Saturday against St. Louis.
"Tomorrow will be the big test," Capuano said. He left his last start after two innings when he suffered the leg injury running out a ground ball.
<b><font size=4>Baby steps:</font></b>
Chris Capuano threw successfully off a mound Thursday morning and is on track to make his scheduled start Saturday against the Cardinals at Miller Park. Capuano suffered a strained quadriceps running out a ground ball in Sunday's game at Houston.
"So far, so good," pitching coach Mike Maddux said.
The Brewers do have a backup plan in case Capuano suffers a setback. The team outrighted Triple-A right-hander Travis Phelps on Wednesday, clearing one spot on the 40-man roster. If Capuano is unable to pitch, the team would probably place him on the disabled list and recall Victor Santos, who pitched well in Spring Training but did not make the cut.
Santos pitched 2 1/3 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday night, allowing no runs on one hit and three strikeouts. His ERA is down to 3.48, and Yost said he was pulled early to keep him available to pitch the early innings Saturday in Milwaukee.
"That's a 'just-in-caser,'" Yost said. "We could piece together the rest with [relievers Ben] Ford, [Dave] Burba and even Adrian [Hernandez]."
<b><font size=4>Capuano needs 'PFP'</font>
If he can't go DL is the option</b>
Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano will go through some PFP drills this afternoon and he's actually looking forward to them. Unlike spring training, there will be plenty at stake.
Capuano is coming back from a strained left thigh that shortened his start Sunday in Houston and put his status in doubt for a scheduled start Saturday against St. Louis. He threw from a bullpen mound Thursday morning without pain.
"My arm feels fine," he said. "It's really not about throwing. It's about whether I can field a ball in front of the plate and then plant and push off and make a throw. I just have to get here early (today) and go out there and see if I can bounce around."
If Capuano can't pitch, the Brewers probably will place him on the disabled list and promote a pitcher
<b><font size=4>No-go</font></b>
Even as late as Thursday evening, Capuano was hopeful about making his weekend start after throwing about 35 pitches off the bullpen mound before the game. He was scheduled to try fielding and baserunning drills on Friday.
"I can pitch fine, it's just the other things like running and fielding your position," Capuano said. "I knew if there was a slight chance I would injure it again or make it worse I was not going to play. It's the smart decision. I'm going to go work on my mechanics try to make this a positive by coming back better."
Capuano said he expected to pitch off a bullpen mound in a few days and go out on a minor league rehabilitation program. He is eligible to come off the DL on May 4, the first day of a six-game road trip to Cincinnati and New York.
Until Friday, the Brewers had been the only team in the Majors without a player on the DL this season.
"We have one of the best training staffs in all of baseball, but it all revolves around luck, really," Yost said. "Our guys are all in great shape, they all do their strength and conditioning, they all do their stretching and get loose."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=36422 target=_blank><font color=red>Chris Capuano Strained quad Injury Thread</font></a>
<b><font size=4>Capuano returns to action</font>
Pitcher will start vs. Dodgers tonight</b>
When Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano strained his left thigh April 18 running to first base in a game in Houston, manager Ned Yost had an uneasy feeling that he'd be sidelined for a lengthy period.
"You knew it would be awhile," Yost said. "Those quad (strains) are notoriously slow (to heal). They can linger and linger."
Indeed, Capuano's injury lingered. When he finally returns to the rotation tonight against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 36 days will have passed since he last pitched for the Brewers.
Capuano was 1-2 with a 3.46 earned run average when he was shut down after only 13 innings of work. He made three starts on minor-league rehabilitation assignments to get ready to return to the starting rotation.
With the return of Capuano and the evolution of Victor Santos from middle reliever to starter, the Brewers' rotation finally could have some stability after weeks of mixing and matching. Wes Obermueller remains the long-forgotten No. 5 starter, with Matt Kinney assigned to relief work until further notice.
Obermueller is scheduled to start Saturday against San Diego, which would be 17 days since his last appearance against Montreal. As the fifth starter, he has paid the price for the club being off six consecutive Mondays.
"It's been awhile but I'll be ready," said Obermueller, who was bumped by rain last week in Puerto Rico and Pittsburgh.
Asked how sharp he expected Obermueller to be after going 21/2 weeks without pitching, Yost said, "Being the fifth starter in this situation is as tough as being a pinch hitter off the bench.
"There are a lot of built-in excuses for why you can't be good. The fifth starter has to be mentally strong. I think Wes understands that."
To make room for Capuano on the roster, the Brewers returned outfielder Corey Hart to Class AAA Indianapolis after the game against the Dodgers. Hart was summoned Friday after third baseman Wes Helms went on the disabled list and Yost made sure he got an at-bat before going back down.
Hart pinch-hit for Santos in the fourth inning and struck out against Kaz Ishii but not before giving Brewers fans a thrill. Ishii tried to get a 0-2 fastball past Hart, who crushed a towering drive down the left-field line but foul.
<b><font size=4>Capuano's status in doubt</font>
Brewers hope pitcher won't miss next start</b>
Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano's status for his scheduled start on Memorial Day at Dodger Stadium is uncertain at this point, which hardly is an unfamiliar circumstance.
After spending more than five weeks on the disabled list with a strained left thigh, Capuano returned to the mound Wednesday night and was forced to leave a start against Los Angeles after four innings because of tightness near his left armpit.
"It's the top of the triceps and the bottom of the lat," said Capuano, who threw 73 pitches and exited with a 1-2 count on Dodgers pitcher Odalis Perez. "I felt it in about the second inning, and it just kept getting worse. It's still a little sore. I don't know if I'm going to be ready or not."
Capuano was examined by team doctor William Raasch on Thursday and hopes to play some light catch this afternoon. Manager Ned Yost, whose team is carrying 13 pitchers, seemed confident that Capuano would be able to pitch as scheduled. General manager Doug Melvin, however, did not seem so certain.
"It's going to be day to day," Melvin said. "It doesn't sound like it's a DL (disabled list) thing. He's getting treatment on it but we're not sure if he's going to miss a start or not. His next turn is supposed to be Monday. And we're going to have to watch that carefully because it's a day game in L.A."
<b><font size=4>The Capuano watch</font></b>
It's looking less likely that left-hander Chris Capuano will start for the Brewers on Monday in Los Angeles.
Capuano left the game Wednesday night in the fifth inning with tightness near his left armpit. It was his first start after more than five weeks on the disabled list with a strained left thigh.
There had been speculation that Capuano would do some light throwing Friday but Yost said that didn't happen.
"It's still a little sore," Yost said. Asked how that affected Capuano's status for Monday, he said, "There's a lot of doubt."
If Capuano can't go, Yost said he would use the "committee" approach he took May 20 against Montreal. In that game, the Brewers started reliever Matt Wise, who went 32/3 innings in a 3-2 victory.
Panzram
05-30-2004, 02:48 PM
Chris Capuano (P) MLW
Chris Capuano was not allowed to throw on Saturday and won't make his scheduled start on Monday, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Capuano said he hopes to play catch today. It's unclear when his next start will come.
<b><font size=4>Capuano leaves game with cramp in left arm</font></b>
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Left-hander Chris Capuano left the Milwaukee Brewers' game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth inning Wednesday night with a muscle cramp in his throwing arm.
Capuano had just come off the 15-day disabled list to start against the Dodgers. He hadn't pitched for Milwaukee since April 19, when he strained his left thigh in a game at Houston.
Capuano, who gave up one run on five hits through four-plus innings, left with a 1-2 count on pitcher Odalis Perez, whom Mike Adams then struck out.
<b><font size=4>Capuano comeback</font></b>
Left-hander Chris Capunao will make his first start since April 18 when the Brewers and Dodgers play Game 2 of a series. Capuano strained his right quadriceps running out a ground ball in a game at Houston.
"Those are always notoriously slow," Yost said. "I've had quad injuries that just lingered and lingered and lingered and never went away. I knew it would be a while. It didn't really surprise me that it was a month."
Capuano's injury lingered because it prevented him from making quick lateral movements in the field. He remained on his usual throwing program and made three minor league rehabilitation starts.
"We never had to shut him down from throwing," Yost said. "He did all his side work. There were days where he went out there and threw 90 pitches. He's not going to be on any limit."
<b><font size=4>Capuano in doubt</font></b>
At first, Yost was optimistic that left-hander Chris Capuano would make his next start after leaving his last outing after four innings with what was called soreness in his left triceps. That was his first game since April 18, when Capuano suffered a strained left quadriceps and was forced to the 15-day disabled list.
By Friday, the diagnosis had changed and so had Yost's optimism.
"There is a lot of doubt now," Yost said.
Capuano, whose next scheduled start is on Memorial Day at Los Angeles, said he felt better Friday and that doctors had isolated the problem to a strain of the left lateral muscle in his back. He hoped to play catch on Saturday.
<b><font size=4>What then?</font></b>
If Capuano cannot pitch Monday at Dodger Stadium, Yost would rather piece together innings from a group of relievers, like he did on May 19 against the Expos in San Juan, than call up top pitching prospect Ben Hendrickson from Triple-A Indianapolis.
"Sometimes you're forced to bring a guy up to make one start and then ship him out," Yost said. "But I like guys to come up when they are here to stay."
A "start by committee" approach is especially feasible since the Brewers are currently carrying 13 pitchers on the 25-man roster. Matt Wise started the May 19 game at San Juan and pitched three innings, and would be a leading candidate to do the same on Monday.
<b><font size=4>Still capping a comeback</font></b>
Yost said the starter for Monday's contest in Los Angeles remained up in the air, but Chris Capuano wasn't likely to be the guy. Capuano, who left Wednesday's game with what was reported as cramping in his left triceps, has been examined by team doctors and has a strained lateral muscle in his back.
"It's going to be a bullpen guy, I don't know who it is," Yost said, also saying Capuano's next start will likely be bumped to Saturday in San Diego. "We have to see who's ready to go."
Capuano's start Wednesday was the first since returning from a stint on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left quadriceps. He left the game Wednesday after four innings, allowing one earned run on five hits in a game the Brewers eventually won, 2-1.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=38330 target=_blank><font color=red>Chris Capuano return to DL Injury Thread.</font></a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=281017#post281017 target=_blank>To be announced</a>
<b><font size=4>Back in line</font></b>
Now that left-hander Chris Capuano is off the disabled list for the second time this season, Yost can realign his starting rotation. The perpetual day off Monday allows him to do some tinkering, such as skipping No. 5 starter Wes Obermueller's turn and keeping Capuano on his fifth day.
"We've finally got all five going," Yost said. "It's just a matter of how we want to do it. We have an off day on the 28th, and I might just push everybody back a day and give them extra rest, because that's the last one until the all-star break."
One change in the original starting rotation has Victor Santos in the spot originally occupied by Matt Kinney. After struggling to a 0-3 record and 9.72 ERA in six starts, Kinney has been a different pitcher in the bullpen, going 3-0 with a 2.04 ERA in 10 appearances.
So what has been the difference?
"Some guys, if they don't have to think about it, they pitch better," Yost said. "As a reliever, you have to be prepared every day to pitch on a moment's notice.
"With Matt's stuff, he's better in short spurts. He can just air it out and attack instead of pacing himself. That's what he's been doing."
<b><font size=4>Brewers activate Capuano</font></b>
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Milwaukee Brewers activated left-hander Chris Capuano from the disabled list Saturday before he started against the Houston Astros.
Capuano had not pitched since May 26, when he left a start against the Los Angeles Dodgers because of tightness in his left triceps. Capuano also missed more than a month before that with a left quadriceps injury.
To make room on the roster, the Brewers optioned utility player Trent Durrington to Triple-A Indianapolis. Durrington hit .194 in 31 at-bats for Milwaukee. He had one home run and one RBI.
<b><font size=4>Baker's dozen</font></b>
With Capuano in action, the Brewers are back to a 13-man pitching staff. Milwaukee is the only Major League team with 13 arms and 12 bats, though two-way threat Brooks Kieschnick makes it 12 1/2-12 1/2, or, as Yost likes to argue, 13-13.
"We need to make sure Capuano is OK," Yost said. "We need to get our rotation solidified, one way or another."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=282697#post282697 target=_blank>D'Back & Forth</a>
<b><font size=4>Can't fault Capuano</font>
Solid start good for lefty's psyche</b>
Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano did not get a decision on Thursday.
He did, however, receive a confidence boost.
Making his sixth start of the season and third since April 18, Capuano limited Seattle to two runs and four hits in six innings. The highlight of his outing was its finish. With one out and the bases loaded in the sixth, Capuano struck out Hiram Bocachica and retired Dan Wilson on a forceout to preserve a 2-2 tie.
"He was one hitter away from being replaced," manager Ned Yost said. "He didn't let that one hitter get away. I know he felt good about it. There was a crisis developing and he handled it. Any time (pitchers) can do that, they feel good about themselves."
Capuano, who walked four batters and collected a double, admitted that he was a little tired in the sixth because of the humidity and his two stints on the disabled list.
"I'm just getting back into pitching shape," he said, adding that no amount of running or weightlifting can approximate the work load of pitching in a game.
As for the sixth, Capuano said: "That was a big lift for me. It was a tough jam there and I got out of it and we still had a chance to win the ball game. It's nice when they have the confidence to let you get out of that."
After facing the minimum nine batters in the first three innings, Capuano led off the bottom of the third with a double to right field, his first extra-base hit in the big leagues.
The Brewers failed to bring him home and he opened the fourth inning by giving up a leadoff double to Randy Winn and a two-run homer to Jolbert Cabrera, who pounced on a 2-2 fastball and hammered it over the wall in right.
"I should have taken a little more time there," Capuano said. "I was a little winded."
Said Yost: "It was a great start by Capuano. He was on the attack."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=286533#post286533 target=_blank>Rotation notes</a>
<b><font size=4>Dog days?</font></b>
A line of thunderstorms that passed through the Milwaukee area on Tuesday night brought drastically cooler temperatures and less humidity to Miller Park for Wednesday's game.
On Tuesday, Brewers starter Chris Capuano sweated through five solid innings under a closed dome before faltering in the sixth. Counsell shied away from the notion that Brewers pitchers and hitters are struggling through the "dog days" of summer.
"I think 'dog days' are an excuse," Counsell said. "I don't really like that. These games are still very important and we still have a lot to accomplish here."
Panzram
08-13-2004, 01:40 AM
Chris Capuano
Chris Capuano has some stiffness and may not make his scheduled start on Friday, according to the AP. The Brewers may recall someone from the minors to make Friday's start if Capuano can't go.
<b><font size=4>To be announced</font></b>
The Brewers did not list a starting pitcher for their game against Florida Friday night at Miller Park, leading to speculation that lefty Chris Capuano is bothered by a sore left forearm.
The fifth starter's spot, which was occupied by righty Wes Obermueller last weekend in Florida, will come up again on Saturday. There is a chance that the Brewers will have a reliever - either Matt Wise or Obermueller - start the game Friday and move Capuano back to Saturday.
<b><font size=4>Pitching uncertainty</font></b>
Atlanta - Somewhere around 6:40 tonight at Miller Park, left-hander Chris Capuano will head to the Milwaukee Brewers' bullpen and begin preparing to face Florida.
Whether he will actually pitch to a Marlins hitter in the game is anybody's guess.
"It'll be a game-time decision," said Capuano, who has been bothered by soreness in his left forearm. "I'm going to go out there and try to get loose and see how it feels.
"It's frustrating. As an athlete, you always want to play. But you have to be smart, too. I've never felt anything like this before. It just kind of came up recently."
Brewers manager Ned Yost, who has dealt with pitching uncertainty several times this season, said he had several contingency plans ready if Capuano is unable to pitch.
One of them is named Jorge De La Rosa.
After their 4-2 loss to Atlanta on Thursday, the Brewers promoted the rookie left-hander from Class AAA Indianapolis and placed right-hander Brooks Kieschnick on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder tendinitis that has prevented him from pitching since July 2.
Yost expects Capuano to be able to pitch tonight, but will send another pitcher - possibly Wes Obermueller - to the bullpen before the game.
"We have to do that," Yost said.
De La Rosa was scratched from a start Thursday night in Indianapolis, where he posted a 3-5 record and 5.21 earned run average in 17 starts. De La Rosa probably will debut on Saturday night. That spot that came open when Matt Wise walked off the mound on Wednesday night with pain in his right arm that was traced to the Brachialis muscle.
"It's still sore as heck," said Wise, who found some relief in the fact that the injury did not involve his surgically repaired elbow or his shoulder. "I just hope it's something that goes away quickly."
With Kieschnick limited to pinch-hitting duty, the Brewers' pitching staff has been shorthanded since before the all-star break. Dave Burba threw two innings on Tuesday and Wednesday and Jeff Bennett, Mike Adams and Luis Vizcaino have seen their workloads increase as well.
"We were real successful with 13 pitchers earlier in the year," Yost said.
<b><font size=4>Capuano says he's OK to pitch</font></b>
Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano, who missed his last start with soreness below his pitching elbow, threw a bullpen session Tuesday and pronounced himself fit to start Thursday against the Cubs.
It went pretty good," Capuano said. "It's not perfect but it's good enough to pitch. There's no pain."
Capuano was relieved that an MRI and X-rays showed no structural damage to the elbow, which was reconstructed with Tommy John surgery two years ago. He has missed turns this season with a hamstring strain and strained triceps and is determined to work through this problem.
"It's been more of a nagging thing," Capuano said. "But I'm a go for Thursday."
With Capuano OK and right-hander Wes Obermueller tentatively penciled in to start Saturday against Philadelphia, the Brewers returned right-hander Ben Hendrickson to Class AAA Indianapolis. Normally a starter, Hendrickson was summoned because of an overworked bullpen and lost in relief Sunday to fall to 0-5 in five appearances with the Brewers.
The Brewers replaced Hendrickson on their roster with Indianapolis right-hander Travis Phelps, who was named the International League pitcher of the week for last week. In two starts, he was 1-0 with a 1.38 earned run average, with 18 strikeouts in 13 innings.
For the season, Phelps is 8-5 with a 4.46 ERA in 27 appearances, including 13 starts. The key for the Brewers is that Phelps has worked out of the bullpen and Hendrickson has been a starter only in the minors.
"If (Hendrickson) stays here, he'd be put in long relief," manager Ned Yost said. "And you know how often they pitch."
<b><font size=4>Brewers: Capuano roughed up on birthday</font>
News</b>
Brewers pitcher Chris Capuano took the mound on Thursday after missing his last start with elbow soreness. The lefty, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, proceeded to allow a career-high eight runs over 4.1 innings. He also gave up eight hits, walked four, and struck out seven. "I felt strong and I did have pretty good stuff with the exception I wasn't throwing enough strikes,'' he told the Associated Press.
<b>Views</b>
Ouch. Not a pretty outing for the birthday boy, but we won't let it overshadow what has been a pretty good season for Chris. The problem is that he's only made 16 starts due to a variety of ailments, and that makes it difficult to get into much of a groove.
<b><font size=4>Good to go</font></b>
Capuano threw his regular between-starts bullpen session on Wednesday and Yost continued to insist that the left-hander was perfectly healthy. Capuano spent time on the disabled list this season with quadriceps and upper back ailments, and there had been speculation of late that he was fighting forearm soreness.
<b><font size=4>Capuano scratched</font></b>
MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers' weekend pitching picture finally came into focus an hour before their series opener against the Marlins, but it came with a double dose of bad news.
Left-hander Chris Capuano, originally slated to start on Friday, was scratched with tenderness in his left elbow and replaced by right-hander Wes Obermueller, who learned of the assignment about an hour and a half before he threw his first pitch.
"I did everything as if I was going out to the bullpen," said Obermueller, who carried a 3-6 record into the start. "I threw a little lighter, just in case. But that's it. I honestly didn't know it would be me."
Capuano saw a team doctor and, according to a Brewers spokesperson, was scratched as a precaution. Reports earlier this week indicated tenderness in his forearm, not the elbow. The 25-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery on May 17, 2002.
Capuano's next scheduled start is on Aug. 19 -- his 26th birthday -- against the Cubs.
"We'll have him ready for that last game against the Cubs," said manager Ned Yost.
The team also officially scratched right-hander Matt Wise from his scheduled Saturday start and will go with rookie left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, who was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday night.
Wise was forced out of a Wednesday-night tuneup after six pitches when he felt a sharp pain in his right biceps. He underwent an MRI at St. Michael Hospital on Friday morning and was diagnosed with a minor strain.
"It won't fall off -- hopefully," joked Wise, who also had reconstructive surgery on his elbow, in March 2003. "Hopefully, it's a day-to-day thing."
De La Rosa, acquired along with Capuano and four others in the December 2003 trade that sent slugger Richie Sexson to Arizona, was 3-5 with a 5.21 ERA in the minors this season. But he was 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in his last three starts, including a 10-strikeout performance in his last trip to the mound, on Aug. 7.
He spent a month on the disabled list, from May 22 to June 21, with left shoulder tendinitis.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=362871#post362871post362871 target=_blank>Capuano, Hardy and Sarfate Agree to Terms</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=363395#post363395post363395 target=_blank>Davis moves forward</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=364890#post364890post364890 target=_blank>Brewers look for starters</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=366681#post366681 target=_blank>Mailbag: The Capuano situation</a>
<b><font size=4>Getting a grip</font></b>
Brewers pitcher Chris Capuano is experimenting with a new grip on his changeup this spring. The left-hander, who gave up a run in two innings during what was expected to be a three-inning outing Wednesday against Colorado, has switched from a "circle" grip to a split-finger approach.
"I used the changeup last year and it was a good pitch for me, but I didn't have great command of it," he said. "I decided I was going to commit to the split-finger grip and it's been working well. It breaks down and away to right-handed batters. I threw some today, but I think I was throwing it a bit too hard."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=368546#post368546post368546 target=_blank>Capuano to chat on Thursday</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=369990#post369990post369990 target=_blank>Santos and Capuano look sharp</a>
<b><font size=4>Movin' on up</font></b>
All of that was out of Capuano's control on Monday. He was focused on his own performance, and it was a good one: five innings, three hits, no runs, no walks and five strikeouts.
He has pitched nine consecutive scoreless innings over his last three games and has not allowed a run since the Rockies' half of the first inning on March 9.
"I just had a good rhythm today. Last time I walked the bases loaded in the first inning -- I just felt out of sync," Capuano said. "Today, my mechanics were good and my body felt like it was working together."
Yost did not seem surprised. This is what the Brewers expected of Capuano when they held up the December 2003 Richie Sexson trade to force the Diamondbacks to throw in Capuano as the sixth player that came Milwaukee's way.
"We've liked Capuano from Day 1 but the question was health," Yost said. "When he was healthy last year, we were really impressed with him."
Capuano worked to increase his flexibility during the offseason by participating in Pilates. He thinks that extra work can help him avoid the nagging injuries (quadriceps, triceps, elbow) that limited him to 17 starts as a rookie last season.
"I'd like to remember exactly what I did and try to repeat it," Capuano said. "I felt like I could throw all three pitches today for strikes and I had pretty good command. I felt like I wasn't overthrowing. So it's something I want to remember and repeat."
<b><font size=4>On the bases</font></b>
Capuano allowed only three hits in the Brewers' eventual 4-3 loss, and he quickly erased two of those baserunners. Capuano picked off Mark Loretta in the first inning and Ramon Hernandez to end the fourth.
After the second successful pickoff, Padres first base coach Davey Lopes argued with the first base umpire. Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay said Lopes, the former Milwaukee manager, argued that Capuano had balked by faking a step toward the plate.
"You get 45 degrees, and I never cross that 45-degree line," Capuano said. "Those are the rules they set up, and I'm definitely working within them."
Capuano said he practices pickoff moves to first base and second base every day while the team plays catch before stretching.
<b><font size=4>Ready to shoulder the burden</font>
Capuano stakes claim on spot in rotation</b>
Peoria, Ariz. - When the Milwaukee Brewers opened spring camp, the battle for the final two spots in the starting rotation was billed as an open competition among seven or eight pitchers.
By all appearances, there is only one spot to be won at this point.
Left-hander Chris Capuano all but nailed down the No. 4 spot Monday with a brilliant outing in the Brewers' 4-3 exhibition loss to San Diego. Capuano went five innings - the longest outing by a Milwaukee pitcher this spring - allowing three hits, no runs and no walks and striking out four.
Capuano extended his string of scoreless innings to eight and lowered his earned run average to 0.75 in four outings.
"I'd like to remember exactly what I did and repeat it," said Capuano, who also picked two runners off first base.
"I was able to throw all three of my pitches for strikes and stay ahead of the hitters. I'd like to repeat that. I had a good rhythm today and my mechanics were good."
The first four spots in the rotation now appear to be filled with Ben Sheets, Doug Davis, Victor Santos and Capuano, in order. That leaves the fifth spot, which seems to have evolved into a two-man battle between Gary Glover and Wes Obermueller.
"(Capuano) is the front-runner for the fourth spot," manager Ned Yost said. "It's his job to lose.
"He was lights-out today. We felt he was capable of this. We've liked Capuano from Day 1. The only question was him staying healthy."
Capuano had three stints on the disabled list last season, when he was 6-8 with a 4.99 ERA in 17 starts.
<b><font size=4>Capuano makes his pitch</font></b>
Phoenix - Chris Capuano was too politically correct to suggest he should be the No. 3 pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers' starting rotation.
But his pitching spoke volumes.
Finishing a stellar camp in superb style, Capuano pitched seven shutout innings Thursday in the Brewers' 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. In six exhibition outings, he went 2-1 with a 1.08 earned run average, allowing only three runs in 25 innings.
"He has been great," manager Ned Yost said. "He couldn't pitch any better."
Yost wouldn't say if the left-handed Capuano is his new No. 3 starter. That role was scheduled to go to Victor Santos, who was put on notice after stumbling to an 11.25 ERA in five starts, with one left Saturday in Milwaukee against the Chicago White Sox.
But Yost has often said that this season is all about production, and Capuano and Gary Glover (2-1, 1.35 ERA in seven games) have pitched far better than Santos.
"I'll say it on Sunday," Yost said. "We'll set it all up then."
Capuano, who had problems staying healthy last season, was too intent on building on his spring performance to worry about the rotation order.
"I'm indifferent to what the order is," he said. "I just want to get the ball every five days."
<b><font size=4>Strong finish</font></b>
Left-hander Chris Capuano is in line for a promotion to the No. 3 starter's spot, behind Ben Sheets and Doug Davis, after breezing through the best Spring Training of any Brewers pitcher.
On Thursday, he scattered five Angels hits in seven scoreless innings. He struck out six while not walking a batter. In 25 Cactus League innings, he surrendered just three runs.
"You couldn't have a better spring," Yost said.
Capuano is looking to stay healthy this season. Last year, he was limited to 17 starts by quadriceps, triceps and elbow injuries. He altered his training program, hoping to increase flexibility and avoid future setbacks.
"I'm learning to stay a little more level," Capuano said. "I think, before, I tended to overtrain, did a little too much running or too much lifting -- that was counterproductive at times."
Said Moeller: "If he stays healthy, he is going to be very good -- plain and simple."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=373015#post373015 target=_blank>Back on track</a>
<b><font size=4>Less is more for Capuano</font>
Cutting back on weights gives lefty a lift on mound</b>
It was a difficult concept to come to grips with, but Chris Capuano learned that sometimes less is more.
Especially for a pitcher who loves to spend time in the weight room.
After three stints on the disabled list last season, the Milwaukee Brewers' left-hander spent much of the off-season thinking of ways to stay healthy. Pitching coach Mike Maddux suggested it might be advantageous to cut back somewhat on Capuano's weight training regimen.
"He's been famous for overworking, if there is such a thing," Maddux said. "Sometimes we get into the gym and we lift cosmetically, as opposed to getting in pitching shape.
"Sometimes we go for 'bikini shape.' He looked good in a Speedo."
Major league baseball is not a beauty contest, however. Particularly for pitchers, it is not advisable to get too muscle bound, too tight. Looseness is a necessity when throwing a baseball for a living.
Despite being in tip-top condition, Capuano couldn't stay out of the trainer's room in 2004. Before the month of April was done, he strained his left quadriceps and landed on the DL.
Capuano had barely returned to the rotation when he suffered a strained triceps in his pitching arm. And it was back to the DL.
Before the season was done, the Duke alumnus began experiencing elbow discomfort. You guessed it. Another trip to the DL, this time for the final month of the season.
During the periods when he was completely healthy, Capuano turned in outings that impressed manager Ned Yost and Maddux. But the DL time took its toll, limiting him to 17 starts and a 6-8 record with a 4.99 earned run average.
"It was very frustrating," said Capuano, one of six players acquired from Arizona in December 2003 in the Richie Sexson trade.
"I don't think anything is unrelated. First it was a quad, then the back of my arm, then elbow tendinitis. Everything was on the left side. Your body is so interconnected."
In an attempt to increase his flexibility, Capuano began doing yoga over the winter. Some consider it primarily a meditative exercise but Capuano found he was getting just as much physical benefit.
"Mentally, it helps you relax and be more at peace," he said. "But it can be a pretty intense workout. You can make it as hard as you want. I was sweating bullets at the end."
Following Maddux's advice, Capuano moderated his weight training during spring training and concentrated on keeping his arm loose. The on-field results were dramatic, with Capuano going 2-1 with a 1.08 ERA in six outings.
Still a physical fitness buff, Capuano said his revised workout regimen has become more natural.
"Basically, you do less," he said. "My personality is to want to train hard every day. I've always been told I might be working too hard in the weight room but I've had success in the past and didn't really think it was working against me.
"I knew I had to come up with a different program, one that's going to allow me to stay healthy and not break down. I'm still doing the same running and most of the same lifting exercises. The only thing is I'm doing a lot less weight than I was before. And I'm doing more stretching.
"I'm very comfortable with it now and my body feels a lot better. I don't have a lot of the little aches and pains I used to have. I just feel a lot looser."
Again, at the suggestion of Maddux, Capuano also modified his pitching repertoire. He added a second off-speed pitch, a variation of the changeup in which he splits his index and middle fingers more and twists his wrist a bit on delivery.
"It's almost like a (batting practice) fastball," Capuano said. "It's another tool to change speed and throw off the hitter's timing. I used it quite a bit (in exhibition play) and had success with it. It's a good pitch to help get ground balls."
Capuano was so consistent in recording outs during exhibition play, holding opponents to a .209 batting average, that Yost decided to move him up from fourth to third in the starting rotation. That switch puts him on the mound today for his first start in the Chicago Cubs' home opener at Wrigley Field.
There's always a buzz when the Brewers and Cubs lock horns, and Capuano realizes it will be magnified in Chicago's first home game, with staff ace Kerry Wood his mound opponent.
"It'll be like a huge frat party," he said. "That's what we all play for. Those games are a lot of fun. I like just standing out there during batting practice, with all the fans yelling at you.
"You don't have any problem getting loose for those games. They have a good lineup but I've always thought if you make your pitches and do what you do well, generally you stack up pretty well against the competition."
Which brings Capuano back to his primary goal for 2005: Stay on the mound and out of the trainer's room. Because of Capuano's willingness to change the way he does things, on and off the field, Maddux believes the Brewers might have a dark horse that others are overlooking.
"I don't think you can overdo a good thing," Maddux said. "You can overdo a bad thing. You see what works for you and what works against you, and eliminate what works against you.
"Sometimes, a young player doesn't know that until he goes sideways or takes a step back. He made the commitment to do the things we suggested. And his commitment to staying healthy is a step in the right direction."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=383405#post383405 target=_blank>Hit and miss</a>
<b><font size=4>Too early to tell</font></b>
Left-hander Chris Capuano said he had just begun talking to teammates about the new proposals by Commissioner Bud Selig for a tougher drug policy. Selig wants to suspend first-time offenders for 50 games, second-time offenders for 100 games and third-time offenders permanently.
Selig also wants to add amphetamines to the list of banned substances and increase the frequency of testing.
"I've only talked to a few guys," said Capuano, who shares union representative duties for the Brewers with Wes Helms. "It's kind of divided. Most players want whatever it takes to clear baseball's name. But I think most players feel the (current) plan would work if people would let it."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=394304#post394304 target=_blank>Day of rest</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=394528#post394528 target=_blank>Positive returns keep coming in from 'Arizona 6' trade</a>
<b><font size=4>Don't I know you?</font></b>
During the All-Star break, Chris Capuano attended Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Gosling's wedding in San Diego. On Tuesday, they'll start against each other in Milwaukee.
"When he's hitting or when I'm hitting, it's going to be hard to keep a straight face," Capuano said.
They became friends at Double-A El Paso in the D-Backs system and roomed together in the Arizona Fall League. Capuano still owns a home in Phoenix, and Gosling lives there during the season.
"He doesn't have a big-league hit yet, so he said if he gets his first hit off me he'll let me pick him off, so we can both pad our stats," joked Capuano, who leads the Majors with 10 pickoffs.
Other former Diamondbacks farmhands in Gosling's wedding party included Arizona's Brandon Webb, Mike Koplove and Javier Lopez and Detroit's Andrew Good.
<b><font size=4>Best of friends</font></b>
In the original pitching probables for the series, Arizona lefty Mike Gosling was matched up against Brewers lefty Chris Capuano. The pitchers are close friends and looked forward to that pairing.
That matchup was nixed, however, when Brandon Webb came down with the flu and missed his assignment in the series opener Monday. Gosling was moved up a day, switching spots with Webb.
"That's too bad," Capuano said. "We were looking forward to hitting against each other, more than anything."
Capuano and Gosling became friends during their days as teammates in Arizona's farm system. They became so close that Capuano served as a groomsman at Gosling's wedding during the all-star break in Carlsbad, Calif.
Gosling, who spent his childhood in Madison, also lives in Capuano's house in the Phoenix area during the baseball season.
"It would have been fun," said Capuano, who had lunch Monday with Gosling.
<b><font size=4>RIPE FOR THE PICKING</font>
Capuano vexes opponents with his sleight of hand</b>
Few things slow down the pace of a baseball game more than a pitcher throwing to first base to keep a base runner close. Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano has done it more than anybody in baseball this season: 180 times in his 22 starts.
At least he does it quickly.
Capuano's lightning move, which has resulted in a major league-leading 10 pickoffs, has been both an effective weapon and, at times, a source of controversy.
Capuano has been called for three balks, which ties him for second behind Brett Myers of Philadelphia, who has four.
Whether they've been nabbed off base or not, many opponents think Capuano's move violates Rule 8,05 (c) that states a balk is called when "the pitcher, while touching his plate, fails to step directly toward a base before throwing to that base."
Opponents think that Capuano's pickoff stride cuts close to a 45-degree angle between first base and home plate.
"I played first base with 'Cap' in Arizona," Diamondbacks television announcer Mark Grace said during a recent visit. "His move is outstanding but it's a balk, no question. He steps too much toward the plate."
Brewers manager Ned Yost understands that argument but disagrees. Respectfully and passionately, he disagrees.
"It is absolutely not a balk," said Yost, who asked Capuano to teach rookie lefty Jorge De La Rosa some pickoff tricks. "It's a great move. It's one of the best in the game, right up there with (Houston's Andy) Pettitte and the rest of the guys who have good moves. But it's not a balk."
"It's a huge asset to be able to control the running game like he does.
"There are some guys who have pretty good moves, but they've got it set in their minds what they're doing. They're either going to first or they're going home. If you're running against a guy like that, you can go (on the) first move with them. If you guess right, you're going to make it.
"You can't do that with 'Cappy.' You can't go first move and expect to steal a base. He's going to pick you off."
Capuano, who will take an 11-6 record into his start against San Francisco this afternoon at Miller Park, has been honing his pickoff skills since his days at Cathedral High School in Springfield, Mass.
"I picked a lot of guys off in high school, but I had that big hang move," he said, referring to the tactic when left-handed pitchers raise their right leg as if to start throwing to the plate and hesitate before throwing to first.
"My move didn't become really good until I learned how to be quicker to home plate, until I learned a slide step in the minor leagues. Now, it's just something that I always kind of work on. Every day when I play catch, I do a couple throws. It's part of my throwing routine."
With a slide step, in which the ball is delivered with virtually no knee lift, Capuano can deliver the ball to home plate in 1.2 seconds, which is fast enough to make even the swiftest base runners abandon hope of trying to steal.
" 'Cap' is not a youngster anymore," Brewers pitching coach Mike Maddux said. "People have seen him, it's the second time they've seen him and you've got guys that won't even challenge him. It's definitely a valuable part of the game."
Capuano was reminded how valuable during an interleague start against Minnesota.
"I think Matthew LeCroy was on first and I picked over a couple times and he was standing almost on the bag. There was a ball hit in the corner and he came around third and thought about trying to score and he stopped. That was the difference. If guys are real flat-footed, sometimes that's all it takes."
Other than a virtually imperceptible variance in his foot placement during setup, Capuano's motion when throwing to first looks identical to the one going to the plate.
"The front side is the big thing," he said. "You're stepping toward first, but your glove and your shoulder are going to home.
"The key is the split-second that they think you're going home. All they have to do is learn toward second base and you've got them."
Capuano's pickoff move, which ends with a hard and usually accurate sidearm throw, can confound runners, umpires and even his own first baseman.
"One time when I was with the Diamondbacks, we had a bunt play on," Capuano said. " 'Gracie' was charging and I picked when I shouldn't have. At the last second, Grace dove back and caught the ball. I thought I had picked him off. After the inning, I told him I was sorry and he just looked at me and said, 'You dumb (expletive).' "
Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay, who came up through the Arizona farm system with Capuano and was part of the Richie Sexson trade that brought the two to Milwaukee, hasn't had many problems.
"We've been playing together a long time, so I pretty much know when he's going to throw over," Overbay said. "We don't have a sign at all. He tips it, but don't tell anyone because they'll start figuring it out."
With his proximity to the runner and first-base coach, Overbay gets to eavesdrop on some interesting conversations.
"Every time a guy gets on, the coach will say, 'Watch out. This guy has a good move,' " Overbay said. "But it's like they don't believe until they see it. Then he throws over and they say, 'Are you kiddin' me? I'm not even going anywhere and he still almost got me.' "
Overbay recalled a game at Class A South Bend, when Capuano walked three batters in an inning and picked all of them off first base.
"It was amazing," he said. "I said, 'Why don't you just hit the guy with the first pitch and then pick the guy off?' You could do that for a whole game and you've got, like, 50 pitches. You could throw again tomorrow."
Among Capuano's favorite pickoff targets are opposing pitchers. In the fourth inning of a start against San Francisco at SBC Park, he gave up a two-run single to Brett Tomko, then picked the right-hander off first.
"I was told he's got a good pickoff move, and he still picked me off," Tomko said afterward. "It wasn't pretty."
Capuano's most memorable pickoff story took place last season in Houston and also involves a pitcher: future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens. After opening the bottom of the third inning with a single to right that drew a huge cheer from the hometown crowd, Clemens was picked off first.
"Lyle went down and tagged him and knocked off his helmet off," said Capuano, who had a Clemens poster in his bedroom while growing up.
Clemens, a fierce competitor, wasn't thrilled about being picked off. Capuano wasn't thrilled about having to bat with two out and nobody on base in the fifth.
"I thought he was going to buzz my tower," he said. "The first pitch was high, but it was down the middle. I think I heard him curse to himself. I think he wanted it in(side). The next pitch, I hit a single.
"It's tough to top that one."
As word of his move continues to filter around the league, Capuano might find it tougher to pick runners off. Already, he's trying to hold his "best" move for key situations.
"No one runs on him anyway, because he's so quick to the plate," Overbay said. "That's basically why you pick, so guys don't get a good jump. No one is going to steal off him, so he just picks them off to pick them off."
<b><font size=4>GOTCHA!</font></b>
Chris Capuano's pickoffs in 2005:
Date Opponent Player
April 18 Los Angeles Dodgers Olmedo Saenz
April 23 San Francisco Giants Brett Tomko
May 8 New York Mets Ramon Castro
May 18 Washington Nationals Esteban Loaiza
May 29 Houston Astros Eric Bruntlett
May 29 Houston Astros Morgan Ensberg
June 8 New York Yankees Rey Sanchez
June 13 Tampa Bay Devil Rays Aubrey Huff
June 19 Toronto Blue Jays Frank Menechino
July 16 Washington Nationals Jose Guillen
<b><font size=4>Tale of two lefties</font></b>
Milwaukee starter Chris Capuano struggled to control his pitches during a 5-3 loss to the Reds on Friday night, but rookie reliever Jorge De La Rosa threw two impressive innings.
Capuano gave up eight hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. He threw 95 pitches - 55 strikes and 40 balls.
"He's beating himself," Yost said of Capuano (12-8). "That's what is frustrating. He's not making the other team beat him. He's beating himself. His stuff is too good for that."
De La Rosa, who has had control problems of his own this season, gave up one hit in his two-inning stint. He threw 19 of 30 pitches for strikes.
"It's a matter of commanding his fastball and being consistent," Yost said. "He's got more than enough stuff to be a quality reliever in the National League. It sets everything else up when he's throwing his fastball. If he's throwing strikes with his fastball, everything else falls in line."
<b><font size=4>Tip of the 'Cap'</font>
Capuano finishing up breakthrough season</b>
Chris Capuano majored in economics at Duke University, where he obviously learned not to count his chickens before they hatch.
Accordingly, Capuano did not turn cartwheels in the Milwaukee Brewers' clubhouse after becoming the team's first 16-game winner since Cal Eldred in 1993.
"I'm not celebrating yet," the 27-year-old left-hander said. "Maybe after the season is over I'll sit down and look at the things that have happened.
"But I've got four more starts and we still have a big goal to accomplish as a team. It just doesn't feel like the right time to celebrate."
It is that type of focus and drive that helped Capuano emerge as one of the top winners in the National League this season. In 30 starts, he has fashioned a 16-9 record and 3.63 earned run average, with 151 strikeouts in 190 2/3 innings.
Capuano served notice in spring training that he was ready for a breakthrough season by pitching so well that manager Ned Yost moved him up from the No. 4 spot in the rotation to third, behind ace Ben Sheets and fellow southpaw Doug Davis.
In his first season with the Brewers, Capuano's main problem was staying out of the training room. He had three stints on the disabled list with ailments ranging from a strained thigh to a strained triceps to elbow tendinitis.
Early indications
Capuano showed previews of coming attractions when healthy but was limited to 17 starts, going 6-8 with a 4.99 ERA. On the advice of pitching coach Mike Maddux and others, Capuano went home and reassessed his workout regimen, realizing at times that he overdid it in his quest to stay perfectly tuned.
"Last year, he was trying too hard to make everybody happy," Davis said. "Everybody is guilty of doing that, especially when you're coming up and trying to win a spot for yourself.
"You're trying harder and harder, when less is more, really. I kept telling him that. The harder you try, the more you're 'amped up' and flexed, which takes away from your athletic ability. Now, he realizes he doesn't have to throw over 90 mph for his changeup to be effective."
All-around talent
Capuano has recorded decisions in 25 of his 30 starts, mainly because he seldom makes an early exit. He has failed to go at least five innings just twice, and Yost is not so eager to pinch hit for Capuano because he can handle the bat (.159 batting average, seven runs batted in, four sacrifice bunts).
Capuano also is an athletic pitcher who fields his position well. And, last but not least, he has evolved into an absolute artist at picking runners off first base, catching 12 runners napping, tops in the major leagues.
"A lot of times, he stays out there until the game breaks open, so (his victory total) is not by accident," Maddux said. "He actually has gotten a couple of wins because he can handle the bat. We didn't pinch hit for him; we allowed him to handle the bat.
"He squeezed home a big run for us in one game, and he drove in the only two runs in a 2-0 win in Colorado. The ability to help himself off the mound has probably won him four games."
Getting some help
Unlike Davis, who got little support while going 14 starts without a victory before winning No. 10, Capuano has been the beneficiary of some of the Brewers' biggest offensive outbursts of the season. In his last three victories, the offense produced 11, 12 and 14 runs.
"A lot has gone right, so far," Capuano said. "I've gotten a lot of support from my teammates."
As far as Capuano's pitching repertoire goes, Yost has seen little difference from a year ago. The major change came from inside the pitcher's head, with confidence breeding success, and vice versa.
"I think his improvement has come more on the mental side than the physical side," said Yost, whose club is 20-20 in Capuano's starts. "I think he has gotten over the hump to where he knows his stuff and trusts his stuff.
"He doesn't go out and think, 'I've got to be pin-point perfect every time I go out there. That if I stay on the attack and stay aggressive in the strike zone, I'm going to be in pretty good shape.' He's always been a competitor. But you have to trust your stuff.
"It's like (Houston's) Andy Pettitte. You look at his stuff and he's not Nolan Ryan or Roger Clemens. But he unequivocally trusts his ability and stuff and his ability to make a pitch in a location. That's why Andy Pettitte is so good. His stuff isn't any better than 'Cappy's.' He trusts himself."
Chasing 20 victories
Tonight, Capuano will take the mound in Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix for the first time since the Arizona Diamondbacks traded him and five teammates to the Brewers for first baseman Richie Sexson on Dec. 1, 2003, one of the most productive deals any club has made over the past several years. He faced the Diamondbacks at home on July 26, getting a rare no-decision while allowing one earned run in five innings.
With four starts left, Capuano still has a shot at 20 victories. And the Brewers (71-72) continue to push for their first .500 or better season since 1992.
All of which is why Capuano isn't ready to start beating his chest just yet.
"I want to stay focused on these last few weeks," he said. "Things have gone well for me but I'm hesitant to think a whole lot about it right now. We still have work to do."
<b><font size=4>Capuano gets national attention</font></b>
The Brewers are still a month away from spring training, but Chris Capuano is starting to get the left arm back into in shape.
Like all other pitchers, the month of January gives Capuano a chance to rebuild his strength. ESPN's Buster Olney wrote about Capuano's early training habits in his weblog today.
<b><font size=4>Capuano to add cutter to arsenal</font></b>
PHOENIX -- After a breakthrough, 18-win season, Chris Capuano does not have to worry about winning a roster spot. He has time to tinker.
So within the next two weeks, after he builds back his arm strength and gets his legs under him, Capuano plans to join what seems like a hoard of Brewers pitchers working on a cut fastball.
"I won't want to work on a new pitch before I feel good with my other pitches," he said following Day 3 of mandatory workouts for Brewers pitchers and catchers. "I expect in the next two weeks to start playing around with it."
Why has the "cutter" become such a popular pitch in Milwaukee?
"Mostly because guys have had success with it," Capuano said. "[Pitching coach Mike] Maddux used to have success with it. Doug Davis has had a lot of success with it. Tomo [Ohka] throws it. We've all seen that it can be an effective pitch for a lot of guys."
It's also a relatively easy pitch to learn, Capuano said. When thrown well by a left-handed pitcher, a cut fastball has late action inside on right-handed hitters and away from lefties.
Davis has enjoyed great success with a "back-door" cutter, a pitch that starts off the plate away from right-handed hitters and then breaks back over the corner.
"It's not a whole lot different from throwing a regular fastball," Capuano said. "It's not like a split-fingered [fastball] or something else that is typically rough on the arm. ... I just want to mess around with it and see if it helps."
Capuano was 18-12 last season with a 3.99 ERA. The last Brewer to win at least 18 times was Teddy Higuera in 1987.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=447649#post447649 target=_blank>Brewers Sign Mike Adams, Chris Capuano and free agent Jason Romano</a>
<b><font size=4>In a groove</font></b>
Left-hander Chris Capuano threw in a Class AAA game in minor-league camp and was pleased with the results. He was scheduled to throw four innings or about 60 pitches, but his innings were so smooth that he ended up with five innings and 55 pitches.
"That's the first time this spring I felt, like, 'OK, I remember how to do this,' " said Capuano, who faced hitters from the Angels' top affiliate.
After winning a team-high 18 games last year, Capuano is adding a cut fastball to his repertoire and the early results have been encouraging.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=471337#post471337 target=_blank>Turnbow, Lee make NL all-star team; Capuano has chance to join his mates</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=471518#post471518 target=_blank>Capuano is last-minute addition to all-star roster</a>
<b><font size=4>Not helping themselves</font></b>
Yost said he was well aware that his pitchers have done little to help themselves at the plate. Entering play Saturday, Brewers pitchers were in a 0-for-38 drought since Chris Capuano's RBI single on July 21 in Cincinnati.
Looking for some ray of sunshine, Yost said, "We're getting a little better about getting bunts down."
Pitchers had 22 of the team's 42 sacrifices, which ranked 12th among the 16 NL clubs.
How will Yost align his rotation? (http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=508457#post508457)
Around the Horn: Starting rotation (http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=509055&posted=1#post509055)
Player: Chris Capuano
Date: 06/14/2007
Action: Placed on the 15-day DL
From Team: Milwaukee Brewers
To Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Player: Chris Capuano
Date: 07/01/2007
Action: Activated from the 15-day DL
From Team: Milwaukee Brewers
To Team: Milwaukee Brewers
MILWAUKEE -- Chris Capuano's teammates gave the left-hander a hard time all summer about his habit of diving for balls. Maybe Capuano should have heeded that good-natured advice.
The Brewers announced on Monday that Capuano suffered a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder while diving for a groundball in his next-to-last appearance and will visit with Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. on Wednesday. If Andrews agrees with the diagnosis, which was made before the end of the season by Brewers head physician William Raasch, Capuano will undergo surgery on Thursday.
"No surgery is routine, but we are talking about his right shoulder," said Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash. "If it were his left shoulder, it would be a major story."
The Official Site of The Milwaukee Brewers: News: Milwaukee Brewers News (http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071008&content_id=2257489&vkey=news_mil&fext=.jsp&c_id=mil)
Player: Chris Capuano
Date: 03/27/2008
Action: Placed on the 15-day DL
From Team: Milwaukee Brewers
To Team: Milwaukee Brewers
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