Tuesday's Frosty Mug

Writing in the afternoon is hard. So many distractions.

The Peoria Javelinas, home to several Brewer prospects, begin play in the Arizona Fall League today, at 2:35 Central time (I think?). At any rate, if you're lurking this afternoon and looking for something to do, odds are they're playing. Here's the Gameday link.

Or, conversely, if you waited to read this blog until really late (maybe you can't sleep?), the West Oahu Canefires, home of several more Brewer prospects in the Hawaiian Winter League, play at 7 pm local time, which is 2 am in Milwaukee. You'd probably be better off just going to bed and letting me (or Battlekow) tell you what happened tomorrow.

Rickie Weeks had surgery yesterday to remove torn cartilage from the knee he injured in Game 3. He'll be ready for spring training. Whether or not he should be there is a debate for another time.

As we all have a little more time to think and reflect, a couple more season-ending posts have come down. Today, it's Jim Powell and Two-Fisted Slopper. Also, Viva Cerveceros recounts Game 4 and offers his thoughts on thundersticks.

Let's try bulletpoints in today's Sabathia Smorgasbord:

• Waiting for Next Year analyzed the trade, now that we finally know all the participants. (h/t Baseball Musings)
• Sabathia is currently second in the voting for Most Outstanding Pitcher over at The Book. Go cast your vote.
• Patrick Smith of Bugs & Cranks hopes the Brewers offer Sabathia slightly less than he could get in New York or Boston and he decides to stay.
• Hot Foot, a Mets blog, hopes the Mets don't pursue Sabathia. There's an utter loss of credibility for you...can you imagine a Santana-Sabathia 1-2 punch?
• Sabernomics thinks Sabathia will get around 6 years, $144 million. (h/t MLB Trade Rumors)
• Ken Rosenthal has the Brewers at 100-to-1 odds to re-sign Sabathia, behind the Yankees, Angels, Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox, Giants, Astros, Cubs, Braves and the Field.

It's possible, but not confirmed, that Prince Fielder is eating meat again. I don't really want to spend the whole offseason on this story, but if he is back, I'm curious when he crossed back over.

Playoff baseball wasn't the only first at Miller Park this season: Jayson Werth's fly ball off the support cable, caught by Craig Counsell, was the first ball to hit a cable in fair territory. Apparently around 3 balls per season are hit high enough to reach the cables...from there, it's all luck.

As for this story, it's hard to tell if it was luck or karma: The Yost Infection's cat recently destroyed his Corey Hart bobblehead.

For those of you that are satisfied with the 2008 season simply because the Brewers outlasted the Cubs, Tyler Maas of Bugs & Cranks has a "series review" for you. Also, Babes Love Baseball has the Brewer season in pictures.

What did you think of Brian Anderson, Joe Simpson and John Smoltz's commentary during the NLDS? Swing and a Miss (a Phillies blog) thought it was superb.

Hot stove notes:

• Astros owner Drayton McLane is cautioning Astros fans not to expect a big-name pitcher this offseason. Is that McLane lowering the expectations for signing Ben Sheets, or squashing the possibility of signing CC Sabathia?
• The Padres let Josh Bard and Shawn Estes go yesterday, opening another door for a team desperate for a catcher or mediocre-at-best pitching.
• The Pirates may make Nate McLouth available. Deion Sanders, Brad Wilkerson and Jeffrey Hammonds all appear in his top ten similar batters through age 25, so maybe selling high is a good idea.

Looking forward to your first 2009 opportunity to catch baseball on TV? ESPN and the new MLB Network will split coverage of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Oh, and a baseball will blend.

In the comments of my delay post (which I'll delete momentarily), someone asked what my plans are for offseason Mugs. I'm curious to hear your thoughts, because I'm considering two options:

1) Continued daily mugs, even if they're only 2-3 links, with the occasional day off when there's nothing to scrape off the bottom of the barrel.

2) After the next couple of weeks and season wrap-up stuff is over, knocking it down to twice weekly, maybe Monday-Thursday, so I'll have more to write about when I do post.

I'd like to know which option you prefer, so let me know. And drink up.