If it can be said that any one player has lifted the Brewers onto their shoulders and is carrying the team at this stage of the stretch run (and, of course, it really is a team effort, ultimately) that man would have to be first baseman
Brett Taranto. And this week his exploits earned him the MGL Player of the Week honors.
Having won the MGL Rookie of the Year award for 1976 there were some who figured Taranto was in for a sophomore slump. Far from it. Having been pushed for the starting job at the beginning of the season by slugging prospect
Mike Lovett, Taranto came out strong and has just gotten stronger late in the season as he puts together a terrific campaign, with the injured and sidelined Lovett becoming something of a distant memory in Denver. (Likely he will find himself- Lovett, that is- sent to another organization in the off-season.)
The hard-working (Sparkplug) Taranto is an all-around player who fields his position very well, is battling for the batting title in the MGL (currently tied for 2nd with teammate Bobby Erbakan at .352), has slugged 18 homers and driven in 104 runs, can run and steal bases (11) and profiles as by far the most durable of the four infield starters for the team.
It looks like the 26-year old could have a very long and illustrious career in Brewers' purple!