TODAY’S SPORTSTAT: Are Brewers finished playing musical first basemen?

BY JERRY TAPP

Who’s on first … for the Brewers on Opening Day?

If you are a diehard Brewers fan, you may find it hard to believe the following stat.

Did you know …

… from 2011-18, or eight straight seasons, the Brewers have had a different starting first baseman on Opening Day. Yes, the Brew Crew’s Opening Day lineup has featured a different starter at first base for the last eight consecutive seasons.

Go back to 2011; Prince Fielder was the starting first baseman that season, the sixth straight year he was the Opening Day starting first baseman for the Brewers. After that, however, the Opening Day starting first basemen has looked like this:

2012: Mat Gamel

2013: Alex Gonzalez

2014: Lyle Overbay

2015: Adam Lind

2016: Chris Carter

2017: Eric Thames

2018: Ryan Braun

Conventional wisdom is that Jesus Aguilar, last year’s regular at first base for the Crew, will hold that spot on Opening Day in 2019 … that is barring any injury that would prevent him from that honor.

So … if Aguilar mans the first base spot on Opening Day in late March this season, we could see yet another different first baseman on Opening Day for the Brewers, the ninth straight year that has happened.

Prior to this season, that longest stretch where the Brewers had a different Opening Day starting first baseman was 1998-2001. John Jaha was the Opening Day starter at first in 1998; the following year it was Sean Berry, followed by Kevin Barker in 2000 and Richie Sexson in 2001.

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