Thursday's Frosty Mug

Some things to read while planning ahead.

We got a little more insight into the Brewer managerial search yesterday. In an interview with ESPN Milwaukee, Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt he'd prefer to hire a manager with experience, and again expressed his desire to pick a "proven winner:"

When asked about criteria he might use in selecting a replacement for Ken Macha, Melvin said, "The first criteria would be is he a winning manager? It’s going to be hard to match Ken’s record but other things will come into play.

Meanwhile, Willie Randolph's time with the Brewers is likely nearing its conclusion. Doug Melvin reportedly told Randolph he won't be a candidate for the managerial vacancy, and has told all of the coaches that they'll be considered for jobs in 2011, but it will be the new manager's call. In that link, Randolph told Tom Haudricourt he's "not really interested in coming back as a coach."

I guess only time will tell how much losing Willie Randolph will hurt this team, but I think it's fair to give him some of the credit for Rickie Weeks' career year, given how much emphasis has been put on the work the two have done together. All told, I would have liked to have seen Randolph at least considered for the opening.

He's certainly a better candidate than Bob Brenly. For a while Wednesday morning, Doug Russell of WSSP was reporting that the Brewers were close to hiring the former Diamondbacks manager (FanShot). The rumor was quickly refuted.

After scratching Randolph and Dale Sveum off my list of potential candidates, I was down to 27 names. I thought that was a lot, then I saw Jon Heyman's list of 38 potential managerial candidates for this offseason. Now I'm considering revising my list.

I didn't realize this wasn't official yet, but it is now: The Brewers have renewed their Player Development Agreement with Huntsville for the next two years. Also, the Stars' 2010 coaching staff has been retained.

Elsewhere in the minors, John Sickels of Minor League Ball answered questions about a couple of high profile Brewer farmhands as part of this week's All Questions Answered thread:

• He addressed concerns about Brett Lawrie's demeanor a bit, and characterized Lawrie as someone who is very intense and competitive, but not necessarily someone with a bad attitude.
• Meanwhile, he raised some concerns about Wily Peralta, saying his command slipped a bit in AA, his peripherals fell a bit and he's not getting as many strikeouts as you might expect. He says Peralta might fare better as a reliever.

Also, Baseball America released their list of the top 20 prospects in the Florida State League, and no Brewers were mentioned.

Brewer fans are still awesome. Between the Bars Milwaukee congratulates Brewer fans for continuing to support the team.

Around baseball:

Cardinals: Exercised Albert Pujols' 2011 club option. He'll earn $16 million next season.
Padres: Claimed infielder Jarrett Hoffpauir off waivers from the Blue Jays and designated catcher Chris Stewart for assignment.
Rangers: Claimed pitcher Ryan Tucker off waivers from the Marlins and designated pitcher Rich Harden for assignment.

Yesterday was a pretty good day of playoff baseball, but the historical trends would suggest that all three series are now over. Game one winners have gone on to win game two in eleven of the last 12 division series, and gone on to win the series in all 12 cases.

If the Reds really are done, at least it'll end the Jim Edmonds Saga: After weeks of daily rehab updates and retirement discussion Edmonds was left off the Reds' NLDS roster, but is leaving the door open for a possible NLCS return.

You might have heard that things didn't go well for the Reds yesterday, as they were no-hit by Roy Halladay and the Phillies. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera apparently lost track of the high road and told reporters this after the game:

"He and the umpire threw a no-hitter. Another umpire and another zone, he wouldn't have been able to throw a game like that. Basically, he was getting every pitch. We had no chance."

I'm guessing Cabrera will hear from the Commissioner's office today.

It got overshadowed because they finished fourth in the AL East, but the Blue Jays' offensive season turned out to be one for the ages. Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star notes that Toronto hit 107 more home runs than their opponents, which is the second largest differential in history.

Happy birthday today to:

• Wisconsin Timber Rattler Hunter Morris, who turns 22.
• 1995-97 Brewer Tim Unroe, who turns 40.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to stoke the fire.

Drink up.