Photo: Jeff Hanisch - US PresswireThe Brewers called up infielder Brooks Conrad from Nashville today, replacing the injured Mat Ga..
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The Mystery of Zach Braddock
Published on 2012-05-04 19:55:20
Photo: Jeff Hanisch - US PresswireThe Brewers called up infielder Brooks Conrad from Nashville today, replacing the injured Mat Gamel. Conrad didn't have a spot on the 40-man roster, so somebody had to go. As a result, the club released left-handed reliever Zack Braddock, bringing an end (at least in Milwaukee) to what was once a very promising career. This move comes as a big surprise to everyone: Less than two years ago, Braddock was one of the best pitchers on the Brewers' staff at age 22, leading fans to dream about what he could be several years down the road. However, a series of problems that included minor injuries, a sleep disorder, and undisclosed personal issues got in the way. Today, we're going to try and recap Braddock's time in (and out of) Milwaukee, and look at what went wrong.Braddock made his debut in the Brewers bullpen May 23, 2010, to a fair amount of excitement by those who follow the team -- he was the 4th-best prospect in the system, according to Fangraphs, and had generated obscene strikeout rates at every level of the minors. Also, his low-to-mid 90s fastball (coming from the left side) and sharp slider led many people to see a future shutdown reliever, on a team that (at the time) desperately needed one.Braddock spent the rest of
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