Prince doesn't eat meat? No way!

Its never been clear what Mike Hunt's obsession with Prince Fielder has been about (or my obsession with Mike Hunt - but thats another article). He wrote about his contract situation (albeit a little late), he covered his new diet, and now - he uses his platform at the Journal Sentinel to write about Prince's "struggles" through 9 games this season.

We examine below....

It might be somewhat impractical to point out that a baseball player has begun a season without a home run in his first nine games.

I agree - very impractical to point this out. In fact if you were to point this out on Brewerfan you'd be shouted down by a lot of other rational people...but...wait....you....write for....a newspaper with a huge circulation....and...you....are...pointing this very issue...out...right now!

But this is Prince Fielder, who averaged one majestic blast for roughly every three games he played last season, we're talking about here.

Just you - you're the person talking about his lack of power after 9 games.

This isn't exactly what you'd call an issue, not yet, no matter if the Carnivores of Southeastern Wisconsin are planning to hold their next meeting in front of the big guy's locker in hopes of a relapse.

And we begin Mike Hunt's obsession with Prince Fielder's eating habits.

Its almost like he has covered this before.....

Fielder was 0 for 11 in the series the Brewers just dropped to the Cincinnati Reds. Except for a double he hit off the base of the center-field wall against San Francisco a few days earlier, Fielder hasn't made real solid contact yet. He's batting .242 with more strikeouts (six) than RBI (five).

Since joining the lineup for good in 2006, he has never gone this long without going yard, the last one coming on Sept. 25, 2007.

But it is early, ridiculously early for anyone to be worrying about Prince Fielder's swing.

EXCEPT YOU -- AND YOUR JOURNAL SENTINEL COLUMN-- JUST SPENT TWO PARAGRAPHS WORRYING ABOUT PRINCE FIELDER'S SWING.

Prince was also batting like .350 before the Reds series - why are we even talking about batting average after 9 games?

Anyone, that is, except for Fielder himself.

(And you...Mike Hunt)

"Come on, man," Fielder said Thursday after another 0-fer in the 4-1 loss to the Reds. "What do you think? No, I'm not OK with (my swing). It's god-awful. If I'm going to be in the middle of the lineup I've got to be a little better. Just got to keep going up there and swinging hard."

And you expected him to reply, "Nah man - my swing is fine." I'm assuming Hunt only actually watches games and interviews players if its a day game - so job well done.

Fielder has been through this before. Two years ago, not long after the Brewers traded doubles machine Lyle Overbay to make way for such power, Fielder began his career in earnest 0 for 11 with seven strikeouts. Since then, bleacher seats all over baseball have taken a beating.

I bet I could pull numerous 11 at-bat streaks where Prince has struggled (obviously way to lazy to do this).

Last year, at 23, Fielder became the youngest player to hit 50 home runs in a single season.

This off-season, Fielder became a vegetarian, so, of course, he will hear it now, especially this weekend when the Brewers are in New York:

Hey, Prince, have a cheeseburger.

He may here it from random fans wherever he goes. I'm assuming by his body size he's been hearing remarks like that since he started elementary school.

One place he is hearing talk about his eating habits? The Journal Sentinel.

But, really, does Fielder look any weaker to you? I asked him if he felt weaker.

"No, man," he said.

Again - nice job with the locker room access. I'm STUNNED that Prince didn't think he was weaker.

Fielder complained during spring training when the Brewers assigned him a $670,000 salary after such a season, but that doesn't mean he is under any more pressure to produce. He may hear about it more if he doesn't hit soon, but hit he will. He's too good a hitter, and not just a home-run hitter, to stay down long.

Remember when Mike found out about Prince's contract - 12 days too late? I do.

And the long ball?

"I just want to hit the ball hard first," Fielder said. "You can't worry about home runs until you make contact. I'll just try to hit the ball hard and see what happens. I'm just not getting the job done."

Great questions elicit great answers.

It's been said that Fielder plays best when he is challenged. If the Brewers didn't know it before, they know now that the National League Central is a little better than anyone thought. Fielder is the undisputed leader, the one who has shown the way with his bat.

Now we reach the point in the article where we are just filling space. Hunt went over his two main points:

1. Prince is struggling. We should be worried and he is going to use Milwaukee's newspaper to call attention to it.
2. Prince may have lost strength because he stopped eating meat. He will bring this up, and uses his locker room access to ask Prince about this.

The only thing left to fill space is maybe a game summary, some quotes and a good line that ties the article together by finishing the thought of the first paragraph.

Miller Park might've come down had Fielder connected in the ninth against Francisco Cordero, who was enthusiastically booed before he even left the Reds bullpen. Instead, Fielder fouled out.

Getting there...

Earlier against Aaron Harang, "He got a pitch that he just missed," manager Ned Yost said. "He just got under it and skied it straight to right field. We're talking a half an inch or a quarter of an inch more and that ball is in the seats. So there's no concern."

Almost there......

No, there's not. Not yet.

(Thanks Mike)