Brew Crew Ball

Torres officially retires

2008-12-02T21:38:10Z

Torres officially retires

He filed the paperwork last night, giving the Brewers an extra 40-man roster spot to use in the Rule 5 Draft.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

2008-12-02T15:31:08Z

Some things to read while watching out for giant inflatable bears.

If you're wondering where today's Winter League Update went, there isn't one. Everyone was off yesterday. The Update will be back tomorrow.

There are 74 more days until pitchers and catchers report, but only four more to vote in the BCB Reader Survey. Please take a moment to do so, if you haven't already.

As noted below, the Brewers offered arbitration to CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets and Brian Shouse yesterday, but declined to offer it to Eric Gagne. If Sabathia or Sheets sign with another team, the Brewers get one of thier draft picks (either in the bottom half of the first round or the top of the second), and a pick between the first and second rounds. If Shouse signs with another team, the Brewers just get a pick between the first and second rounds. Gagne is free to sign with anyone, no compensation required.

Also, as noted in the FanShots, the Brewers signed former Braves 1B Scott Thorman to a minor league deal and invited him to spring training. Barring some sort of emergency, he likely won't appear above AAA in 2009.

Are you craving more CC Sabathia links? Rob Neyer wonders if Sabathia's weight and the New York media's tendencies to make fun of overweight athletes might make the Yankees a bad fit for the 290 lb lefty. Meanwhile, Peter Gammons is suggesting the Angels may court him by taking him to Del Taco.

Now, a moment to focus on Jason Kendall's defense. Beyond the Box Score says he saved 4.86 runs this season by blocking pitches, the third most in all of baseball. Kendall's actual block percentage is lower than a handful of other catchers, but Kendall saved more runs based on increased opportunity.

Via Rattler Radio, I noticed that MILB.com has started their Top 50 prospects list, and Jeremy Jeffress is #44. There's a joke here about being high on Jeffress, but I'll pass. Prospects 31-40 are due out today.

This year's Hall of Fame voters will see the smallest ballot ever, with only 23 players eligible for induction. Among ten first time candidates are former Brewers Jesse Orosco, Dan Plesac and Greg Vaughn.

Lots of arbitration news, and some other stuff on the hot stove today:

Angels: Offered arbitration to Francisco Rodriguez, Mark Teixiera, Darren Oliver and Jon Garland, but not Garret Anderson.
Astros: Signed Mike Hampton to a one year deal.
Blue Jays: Offered arbitration to A.J. Burnett but not Gregg Zaun.
Braves: Declined to offer arbitration to John Smoltz.
Cardinals: Declined to offer arbitration to Russ Springer, Braden Looper and Jason Isringhausen.
Cubs: Declined to offer arbitration to Kerry Wood.
D-Backs: Offered arbitration to Orlando Hudson, Juan Cruz and Brandon Lyon, but not to Adam Dunn or Randy Johnson.
Dodgers: Offered arbitration to Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe and Casey Blake but declined to offer it to Joe Beimel, Greg Maddux, Brad Penny and Jeff Kent.
Giants: Declined to offer arbitration to Rich Aurilia.
Marlins: Declined to offer arbitration to Luis Gonzalez, Paul Lo Duca and Arthur Rhodes. They may also be looking to trade Matt Treanor.
Mets: Offered arbitration to Oliver Perez but not Luis Ayala or Moises Alou. They also signed C Rene Rivera.
Padres: Declined to offer arbitration to Trevor Hoffman.
Phillies: Declined to offer arbitration to Pat Burrell and Jamie Moyer. They also expressed interest in Mark Loretta.
Rangers: Offered arbitration to Milton Bradley.
Reds: Offered arbitration to David Weathers and extended an offer to Arthur Rhodes.
Rockies: Offered arbitration to Brian Fuentes.
Royals: Offered arbitration to Mark Grudzielanek.
Tigers: Declined to offer arbitration to Edgar Renteria.
Twins: Offered arbitration to Dennys Reyes.
White Sox: Offered arbitration to Orlando Cabrera, but not to Ken Griffey, Toby Hall or Juan Uribe.
Yankees: Declined to offer arbitration to all eight of their free agents, including Andy Pettitte, Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi and Chad Moeller.

If you want to check my work or see all this information nicely color coded, Amazin' Avenue has you covered.

Also, the Hanshin Tigers have reportedly agreed to a deal with Kevin Mench.

On a sad note, Blue Jays owner Ted Rogers has passed away. He was 75.

Fire Brand of the American League recently interviewed Peter Gammons, and of course they asked him what he thinks of blogs. His response is moderately incoherent and rambles off onto a tangent, but I think it's possible he likes blogs...maybe?

Oh, and it took Kirbir and I, working together, an hour and a half to beat this game yesterday. Can you do better? I never would have gotten out of the bathroom without her.

Drink up.

Sheets, Sabathia and Shouse offered arbitration

2008-12-01T21:21:41Z

I like the moves. Sheets may be considered "risky", but I think it is a deal if he takes arby and stays with the Brewers... but I am willing to bet someone will offer him more elsewhere. Sabathia move is meaningless but provides the chance to restock in the draft.

The real news is Shouse, who would be great to have back next year, perhaps more than the Brewers would like to pay, but I like the lefty.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/35326299.html

Full spring training (game) schedule announced

2008-12-01T18:57:58Z

Full spring training (game) schedule announced

I haven't seen any word on when pitchers and catchers report, but if you know, be sure to mention it in the comments.

Monday's Frosty Mug

2008-12-01T16:01:02Z

Pitchers and catchers report in (approximately) 75 days. Are you ready?

Two things I need to bug you about, briefly:

If you haven't yet, please take a few moments to take the BCB Reader Survey. I'm curious to hear what you think about what we're doing.
Two spots remain in the BCB Whatifsports league. For a brief period of time yesterday we were down to one spot. The sooner we can fill the league, the sooner games will begin and I can stop bugging you about it.

Now, with that out of the way, on to the news. By 11 pm tonight, the Brewers will need to make a decision to offer arbitration (or not) to four players: CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Brian Shouse and Eric Gagne. It's almost a given that the team will offer arbitration to Sabathia, but they might consider not offering it to Sheets and Shouse. As for Gagne, I'm surprised they haven't already announced a decision to decline.

Ken Rosenthal, via MLB Trade Rumors, says the Brewers' decision on Sheets could impact his market value, as a decision to decline paying an ace-caliber starter $12-14 million next season would be a clear indication that they don't think he can stay healthy. Meanwhile, Roy Oswalt wants Sheets to sign with the Astros. The Astros, however, are citing economic uncertainty and slowing down their negotiations with Randy Wolf.

Here's today's Sabathia Smorgasbord:

Peter Gammons thinks it will take more than $140 million to get Sabathia.
Rob Neyer says Sabathia doesn't have much in common with most of the other pitchers who have received $100 million deals.
David Chalk of Bugs and Cranks has Sabathia at 300-to-1 odds to win Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year.

Tim Kurkijian lists the Brewers among his teams with holes to fill, and says they need starting pitching. Also, breaking news: the sun will rise in the east again tomorrow, as scheduled.

Adam McCalvy's mailbag cites the glut of closers on the market and suggests the Brewers could be players for a free agent closer, but also names Carlos Villanueva and Seth McClung as candidates for the job. Between the Green Pillars says the large number of relievers on the market gives the Brewers flexibility as they look to improve their pitching staff.

If you still want to move J.J. Hardy away from shortstop, here's another argument against you: Chone Smith ranks Hardy as the best defensive shortstop in baseball in 2008.

On the hot stove:

Padres: Trevor Hoffman said his odds of returning to San Diego are "not even 99-to-1." Reports say the Padres will likely not offer him arbitration.
Phillies: The team may not offer arbitration to Pat Burrell.
Rangers: Reportedly will offer arbitration to Milton Bradley.
Red Sox: Reportedly have agreed to a three year deal with Japanese pitched Junichi Tazawa.
Royals: Have signed veteran journeyman catcher J.R. House.

I track it everyday, and even I have a hard time remembering who plays on what team in Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic, so Jon Shields' idea for one unified winter ball league in the US appeals to me. Of course, then no one would get to be an international man of mystery.

Drink up.

Winter League Update for 12/1/2008

2008-12-01T14:04:01Z

In Mexico: Jason Bourgeois went 4-for-14 over the weekend (all singles) and stole two bases. He's hitting .342/.402/.392 for Mochis.

In Venezuela:

Alcides Escobar went 0-for-2 with a walk Saturday, his first appearance in a week.
Brendan Katin went 2-for-9 over the weekend with a walk and a double, drove in three runs and struck out five times.
Luis Pena had a rough outing Sunday, giving up three runs on a hit and a walk without recording an out.
The newest Brewer, R.J. Swindle, has already made 17 appearances in Venezuela and is posting a 3.32 ERA. Over the weekend, he threw a scoreless inning on Friday and retired the only batter he faced Sunday.

In the Dominican Republic:

Joe Bateman gave up a run on a hit in one inning Saturday. He has a 3.66 ERA in 19.2 innings (17 appearances) for Este.
Juan Sandoval gave up a hit to the only batter he faced Friday, then pitched a scoreless inning Sunday.

In Puerto Rico:

Charlie Fermaint went 2-for-8 over the weekend with two walks and was caught stealing. Overall, he's hitting .333/.412/.400 in his first 30 ABs for Ponce.
Mike Rivera went 4-for-7 over the weekend with a walk and a run scored.
Steve Bray pitched two thirds of a scoreless inning Sunday, to bring his ERA down to 1.98 in 13.2 innings.
Richie Gardner pitched 1.2 scoreless innings Sunday with a walk and a strikeout. His PWL ERA is 7.98, but it's 2.08 as a reliever.
Efrain Nieves made his debut for Arecibo Sunday, allowing two hits in a scoreless inning of work, striking out one.

Finally, in the comments on Friday's Update TheJay noticed the following:

Brad Nelson, who hasn't appeared in the Dominican since November 14, is back in the US getting married.
Chris Narveson left his Mexican team, citing fatigue, and has been replaced on their roster.
Casey McGehee returned to the US to deal with a family issue.

Please take the BCB Reader Survey

2008-11-30T16:38:41Z

Please take the BCB Reader Survey

It's quick, easy, you can skip over questions you don't like and it will help us tailor this page to fit your interests.

The Brewers and the Rule 5 Draft

2008-11-30T06:15:08Z

Since major league clubs finalized their reserve lists (also known as 40-man rosters) on November 20, the Internet has been abuzz with speculation about the Rule 5 draft. This year's Rule 5 draft takes place on December 11 at the end of the annual Winter Meetings. So what exactly is the Rule 5 draft and why are people so excited about it? Perhaps more importantly for us, how have the Brewers participated in it over the years?

The Rule 5 draft is intended to move players who may be blocked on talent-rich clubs to clubs who aren't stocked with as many skilled players. It's not a modern invention--the first Rule 5 draft took place all the way back in 1903. Back then, players were subject to the reserve clause, binding them to their teams for as long as the team saw fit. Without a chance to ever freely move from team to team, players could be blocked by established veterans for years. More important in the eyes of many owners, wealthier teams could stockpile good players and keep them in the minors indefinitely, creating a nearly inexhaustible depth chart of talented players and keeping major league talent from less wealthy teams. To combat this stockpiling, the Rule 5 draft was invented. During the draft, teams could select players left unprotected by other teams in the hopes the players would blossom into quality big leaguers. While the draft was (and is) hit or miss, it contained enough diamonds in the rough to keep teams interested.

To prevent teams from completely raiding each other's systems, however, a couple ground rules were laid down: first, there was a fee charged for each pick. Second, each pick had to remain on the drafting team's major league roster for the entire season after the draft. If the drafting team wanted to send the player they selected to the minors for more seasoning, he first had to be offered back to his original team for the waiver price. Sometimes teams would no longer have room for the drafted player to return and they let his new organization keep him, but these two basic rules kept teams from drafting too many players each season.

Those rules are still in place (with enhancements) today. Each Rule 5 draft pick costs $50,000 and must stay on the big league roster for a full season. Ninety days of that season must be spent on the Active List (i.e., not the disabled/military/etc. list). If the player fails to reach that ninety days in his first season with the club, he must stay on the major league roster during the next season until he reaches ninety days. This prevents stashing a guy on the disabled list all year just to keep him in the system. If the drafting team wants to release their pick or send him to the minors, he must clear waivers and then be offered back to his original team for $25,000. If the player's original team chooses not to reclaim him, his new team can treat him as just another player in their system. What has changed over the years are the eligibility requirements for the draft. To be eligible for the Rule 5 draft today, a player:

Must not be on his organization's 40-man roster
If 19 or older on the June 5th before he signed his first contract, must have spent four seasons in the majors or minors.
If 18 or older on the June 5th before he signed his first contract, must have spent five seasons in the majors or minors.

There are also rules governing which teams can select players in the draft: teams select in reverse order of that season's finish and since a Rule 5 draft pick automatically is added to a team's 40-man roster, the team must have an open roster slot in order to pick. For example, the Rockies had 40 players on their 40-man roster at the time of the 1999 Rule 5 draft, so they couldn't make a selection.

In addition to the major league Rule 5 draft described above, there are two minor league phases of the draft. In the AAA phase, players eligible for for the Rule 5 draft but not on a team's 40-man roster or in AAA can be selected for $12,000. In the AA phase, eligible players from below AA can be selected for $4,000. Selected players do not have to be offered back to their original clubs once picked. Usually players picked in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft are roster filler for minor league affiliates, but occasionally future major leaguers are selected. One example is Giants utilityman Eugenio Velez, plucked from the Blue Jays in the AAA phase of the 2005 draft.

So now that we've hashed out all the specifics of who can pick and be picked in the draft, let's look at how the Brewers have used the Rule 5 draft throughout the years. It's easy to find all the selections during the last decade since they're easily accessible online. Unfortunately, complete drafts from before then are not available online, so finding selections becomes a matter of combing through transactions lists and finding guys who eventually made it to the majors. It's safe to assume there were a number of Brewers Rule 5 draft selections from 1970 to the late 1990's that never made it to the majors and thus aren't on those lists. Thus this isn't a complete list of all Brewers Rule 5 picks but it is, I believe, a complete list of Brewers picks (and players bought immediately from other teams) who at some point played in the majors.

Drafted by Brewers				Drafted From Brewers
Name	Position	Year	Picked From	Name	Position	Year	Picked By
Edward Campusano	LHP	2006	CHC	Callix Crabbe	IF	2007	SDP
Marcos Carvajal	RHP	2004	LAD	Ramon Garcia	RHP	1996	HOU
Jeff Bennett	RHP	2003	PIT	Marc Ronan	C	1995	NYY
Enrique Cruz	SS	2002	NYM	Bobby M. Jones	RHP	1994	COL
Matt Ford	RHP	2002	TOR	Tim Fortugno	LHP	1991	CAL
Jorge Sosa	RHP	2001	SEA	Dwayne Hosey	OF	1991	SDP
Ryan Christenson	OF	2001	ARI	Dave Stapleton	LHP	1988	HOU
Matt Williams	RHP	1999	NYY	Gibson Alba	LHP	1987	STL
Al Reyes	RHP	1994	MON	Bob Gibson	RHP	1986	CHW
Jose Mercedes	RHP	1993	BAL	Jeff Parrett	RHP	1985	MON
Graeme Lloyd	LHP	1992	TOR	Willie Lozado	IF	1984	STL
Rob Lukachyk	OF	1991	CHW	Jesus Vega	1B	1977	MIN
Matias Carrillo	LHP	1987	PIT	Ron Tompkins	RHP	1970	CHC
Vicente Palacios	RHP	1986	PIT
Brian Giles	IF	1984	NYM
Jamie Nelson	C	1983	SEA
Mike Warren	RHP	1981	OAK
Tom Candiotti	RHP	1980	KCR
Mark Brouhard	OF	1979	CAL
Ned Yost	C	1977	NYM
Marshall Edwards	OF	1976	OAK
Jeff Yurak	OF	1976	NYM
Aurelio Monteagudo	RHP	1971	KCR

Players in italics were selected during the minor league portion of the draft.

You might be wondering who Edward Campusano and Marcos Carvajal are. They were picked by the Brewers but immediately sold to Detroit and Colorado, respectively. Similarly, Graeme Lloyd was picked by the Phillies and was promptly traded to the Brewers. Obviously, the Brewers have been more active as "buyers" than "sellers" during the Rule 5 draft when it comes to guys who made the majors, especially recently. That's not a big surprise, as bad teams don't usually have much worth taking from their farm system, unless something goes terribly wrong.

The Brewers have also dabbled in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft in the past few years. I could only find full details for those drafts going back to 2002, but here's a quick list of players selected by the Brewers:

Joe Bateman (RHP) in 2007, from San Francisco
Richard Campbell (RHP) in 2007, from Washington
Juan Sandoval (RHP) in 2007, from Seattle
Michael Carlin (1B) in 2006, from Pittsburgh
Steve Bray (RHP) in 2006, from Kansas City
Landon Stockman (RHP) in 2004, from Cleveland
Juan Cerros (RHP) in 2004, from Cincinnati
Ryan Costello (LHP) in 2003, from Toronto
David Manning (RHP) in 2002, from Minnesota

Outside of Bateman, Bray, and maybe Manning, that's a list that makes you say, "who?" See what I meant when I said the minor league portion is used for roster filler? The Brewers didn't lose much in those drafts either: the most notable names are RHP Ben Diggins (2005), LHP John Foster (2003), OF Pete Zoccolillo (2003), and the other RHP Dan Kolb (2004).

So now you know more than you ever thought you would about the Brewers and the Rule 5 draft. Will the Crew pick a player to keep for themselves for the first time in six years? Will anyone from the Brewers system be picked by another team? The answer to both questions is "probably not," but you never know. Anyone the Brewers pick will be able to commiserate with manager Ken Macha, himself a Rule 5 pick in 1978. That player will also join a list that has some surprisingly good names and an awful lot of forgotten ones.

Further Reading on the Rule 5 Draft:
Rule 5 draft information from Baseball America
Hardball Times article about interesting historical Rule 5 picks
Major League Rule 5 draft results back to 1998
A summary of Major League Rule 5
Retrosheet transactions data

Three spots remain in Brew Crew Ball Whatifsports league

2008-11-29T19:30:41Z

Three spots remain in Brew Crew Ball Whatifsports league

Follow the link to claim yours today!

Friday's Frosty Mug

2008-11-28T15:59:30Z

Some things to read while making excuses for not doing anything today.

We open today with a Sabathia Smorgasbord:

Ken Davidoff, via MLB Trade Rumors, reports the Yankees might be willing to raise their offer to $150 million over six seasons if another team, like the Angels, offers Sabathia $130 million.
Rob Neyer says replacing Jon Garland with Sabathia would make the Angels 3-4 wins better next season, which doesn't sound like much but becomes more relevant when you realize the 2008 Angels already won 100 games. And if Jon Garland is as bad as projected in 2009, the difference is even bigger.
Everyone loves CC. Absolutely everyone. Not only is he friends with LeBron James, Mike Cameron and Nick Swisher, but Buster Olney says his best friend in baseball is David Riske.
Sabathia's midseason acquisition and the jersey rush that followed are probably a big part of the reason the Brewers sold more named jerseys than any other team in 2008.
FanGraphs says Sabathia had the single greatest pitching performance in 2008. (Ben Sheets had the second best.)
Kenny Doyle of Dugout Central says the Braves need CC Sabathia...because he's black. I tend to think he's valuable for reasons that extend beyond his skin color.
Over 10,000 people have voted, and so far the Yankees hold a slight edge in Ken Rosenthal's poll on CC Sabathia's destination.
Sabathia was second on The Brew Town Beat's Top Ten List of things to be thankful for.
Sabathia also made Big League Stew's list of 101 things, along with Ryan Braun's nickname, Bob Uecker, and the food and tailgating at Miller Park.

Of course, there is other movement on the free agent market. These two pieces of news were so huge, for example, that the mainstream media just assumed you knew about them and passed by: Mel Stocker is a Mariner and Callix Crabbe might be too.

Since they haven't signed any Type A or B free agents (yet), the Brewers still project to draft 27th in the 2009 draft. With two Type A free agents (Sabathia and Sheets) still out there, they stand to pick up several extra early picks.

Here's a mishmash of one sentence notes falling under the heading of "bullpen:"

The Rockies are reportedly targeting Brian Shouse.
Seth McClung made the final four candidates in FanGraphs' search for 2009's best mop up pitcher.
Salomon Torres hasn't officially retired yet. He still needs to turn in the paperwork.

Baseball Musings takes a look at how defense affected pitchers in 2008. Sabathia, Ben Sheets and Dave Bush were helped the most by the Brewer defense, while Carlos Villanueva was the only Brewer to be hurt by it.

While I'm on the subject of defense: I know fielding percentages and error counts are not the only or the best way to measure defensive ability, but Vinny Rottino, Brendan Katin and Tony Gwynn were all among the bottom of AAA in terms of fielding percentage and among the leaders in errors. Just saying.

I hope everyone remembered yesterday to be thankful for R.J. Swindle. He's Canadian, so his Thanksgiving is actually the second Monday in October, but Independent Baseball Chatter says he has extra reason to be thankful this season anyway.

If Balking Traditionalism's 2009 pitching projections are accurate, we may not have as much Brewer success to be thankful for at this time next year.

Rowland's Office thinks the Braves are making a mistake pursuing A.J. Burnett if the price is five years, $75 million, comparing Burnett to Pete Harnisch. He thinks the Braves should pursue Ben Sheets instead.

And if free agent pitching is too expensive for you, Baseball Analysts takes a look at some pitchers available in the Rule 5 Draft.

I didn't collect as many hot stove links as I normally do today, but here are a few:

Braves: Mike Hampton is reportedly shopping for a one year deal, but wants a straight salary, not an incentive-based deal. I can't believe I'm saying this, but on a one year deal he might be worthy of consideration.
Mets: The team is likely just posturing, but has publicly stated Brian Fuentes' request for a 3 year, $30-$33 million deal seems "a bit high."
Phillies: Matt Stairs is most likely the only current major leaguer spending the offseason coaching high school hockey in Maine.

So, if you're reading the Mug this morning, it's probably safe to assume you skipped the long lines and insanity of Black Friday shopping. If you did, and you're still looking for gifts, might I suggest a shiny new Wisconsin Timber Rattler hat? I'd wear one.

Finally, I've made a point of keeping my work and this blog separate for most of my tenure here, but today it's for a good cause so I'll break the rule. I've been ring announcing pro wrestling shows for 3XWrestling in Des Moines for the last 2 1/2 years, and tonight we have a show in Des Moines as a toy drive for Toys for Tots. If you're located somewhere near Des Moines and looking for something to do tonight, c'mon out with a new, unopened toy and help support a great cause. Even if you're not near Des Moines, Toys for Tots is a great cause to support, as is Child's Play, which is helping two hospitals in Wisconsin this year.

Drink up.

Winter League Update for 11/28/2008

2008-11-28T13:48:03Z

Since I've been gone for a week, all stats are from 11/21 to today, unless noted otherwise.

In Mexico: New Brewer Jason Bourgeois is hitting 10-for-29 over the last week for Mochis, with ten singles. All told, Bourgeois is hitting .354/.425/.415 in Mexico, with just two extra base hits in 65 ABs.

In Venezuela:

Alcides Escobar went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts last Friday, and hasn't had a plate appearance since.
Tony Gwynn went 2-for-8 with an RBI last Friday and Saturday.
Hernan Iribarren has only had two plate appearances in the last week, and went 0-for-1 with a walk and was caught stealing.
Brendan Katin went 2-for-6 with a walk and scored a run.
Luis Pena threw two thirds of a scoreless inning Tuesday, his first outing since November 11 and only his fourth in two months of VWL play.

In the Dominican Republic:

Joe Bateman gave up a run on a hit in an inning of work Saturday, then pitched 1.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts on Monday.
Juan Sandoval had a rough outing last Friday, giving up four runs on three hits and a walk in one third of an inning, but rebounded to throw a scoreless inning Saturday and another 1.2 scoreless on Wednesday for his first DWL win.

In Puerto Rico:

Carlos Corporan went 0-for-7 for Caguas and is 0-for his last 15 overall. He's hitting just .100/.100/.300 in his first 20 PWL ABs.
Charlie Fermaint went 6-for-18 for Ponce with two doubles, and if you don't count a game where he entered as a pinch runner, he has a seven game hitting streak.
Martin Maldonado went 0-for-1 in his only plate appearance last Friday.
Mike Rivera went 4-for-15 with a walk, a double and an RBI for Santurce.
Steve Bray has given up two runs on four hits and a walk over four outings spanning 3.2 innings of work. All told, he has a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings of work in Puerto Rico.
Richie Gardner gave up a run on a hit and a walk in 2.2 innings of work over three appearances.

Also worth noting: Casey McGehee hasn't played since November 19, Chris Narveson hasn't pitched since November 17, and Brad Nelson hasn't played since November 14, but I haven't seen any reports on why. All were playing well prior to this gap. If you know something I don't, be sure to leave a note in the comments.

A Milwaukee Brewers Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T19:38:38Z

Get your own turkey coloring page here

Thanksgiving is a day of being around relatives, eating turkey, giving thanks (duh), watching that other American game, and any other number of familial traditions. Like pretty much every offseason holiday, there's not much going on in the baseball world. The CC sweepstakes is still at a standstill. The Cubs may still acquire Brian Roberts Jake Peavy. Other free agents are waiting for Sabathia to sign, and so on.

To mark the holiday, the Brewers official site's top story is about how members of the team gave back to the community throughout the season. Say what you will about the players' performance on the field, it's always nice to see them give back off the diamond. Here's a short recap of Brewers players' involvement with charity this past season:

Brewers Charities put $850,000 back into the community, not including free tickets given out by the team. With ticket donations included, they crossed the $1 million mark for the first time
Eric Gagne donated about $200,000 during the season, including the largest single donation in MACC fund history.
Jeff Suppan has a $100,000 per-season donation in his contract and is further involved with helping military families. Suppan and Gagne each donated $20,000 to help renovate baseball fields damaged by floods last summer.
Mike Cameron, Bill Hall, Chris Capuano, and Ben Sheets all have their own charitable interests while former Brewers Larry Hisle and Hank Aaron also help raise money and contribute around the community.

Read the full article for more on where each of those guys mentioned makes their mark. When it seems like only the headcases make it into the news for their off-the-field antics, it's always good to see players giving back. The Brewers seem to have a good crop of players in the clubhouse.

Turning to the site here, I want to say thank you to everyone, whether frequent commentor, occasional poster, or reader, for making this one of the best places online to discuss the Brewers. Without people reading and contributing, you're just talking to yourself and, well, I'd like to think we're not that crazy. Have a happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

What we learned in Arizona - The Pitchers

2008-11-26T18:00:10Z

For my review of the hitters, click here.

Alexandre Periard

What we knew: At 21 years old, Periard split 2008 between Brevard County and Huntsville. In Brevard County, he went 9-6 with a 3.51 ERA in 112.2 innings, but he struggled with the Southern League, posting a 5.68 ERA in 38 innings (8 starts). He was a 16th round pick in 2004. Even though he's only 21, 2009 will be Periard's fifth season as a member of the Brewers organization.

What we saw in Arizona: It was a tale of two seasons for Periard. He started off the AFL season with four scoreless outings in relief, and one rough outing that raised his ERA to 2.84 in 6.1 innings. Then, he finished the AFL season as a starter and got repeatedly shelled, picking up the loss in three of his four starts and giving up 19 runs on 27 hits and nine walks in just 11.2 innings. All told, he had a 10.50 ERA in 18 innings.

What to take away from it: As a 21-year-old who had never pitched effectively above high-A ball, it's really not surprising that Periard was overmatched as a starter in a hitter-friendly advanced prospect league, and it's relatively encouraging that he was able to hold his own as a reliever in that environment. Periard will most likely go back to Huntsville to start 2009, and could be a candidate to contribute to the Brewers as soon as late 2010, when he would still only be 23.

David Welch

What we knew: A 25-year-old Australian lefty, Welch had a nice, if unspectacular, season in Huntsville in 2008, going 11-4 with a 3.90 ERA in 147.2 innings (26 starts). He doesn't do anything spectacularly well, but he gets outs. His WHIP (.97 to 1.33) and ERA (2.41 to 3.90) have both gotten significantly higher each of the last two seasons as he climbed from West Virginia to Huntsville.

What we saw in Arizona: Welch appeared exclusively in relief in the AFL, and despite getting off to a bit of a slow start, he allowed just one earned run over his final seven outings (11.2 innings) to bring his ERA down to 4.24. He typically pitched full innings but fared much better against left-handed hitters, holding lefties to a .200 batting average while allowing righties to hit at a .333 clip. His minor league splits show that he actually fared better against righties in 2008.

What to take away from it: We're most likely not talking about a future superstar here, but Welch is left handed and throws strikes (just 51 walks in 147.2 2008 innings, 4 in 17 AFL innings). The possible return of Brian Shouse along with the continued presence of Mitch Stetter, Chris Narveson and Sam Narron (plus yesterday's signing of R.J. Swindle) means Welch probably won't bang on the door of the big leagues anytime soon, but he may get a shot at some point.

Omar Aguilar

What we knew: Aguilar is 23 years old and climbing the ladder in the Brewer organization as a reliever. Aguilar was absolutely dominant at Brevard County this season (0.35 ERA in 25.2 IP), but came back to earth a bit at Huntsville, where he posted a 3.08 ERA in 38 innings. This was Aguilar's second run in winter ball: He pitched in Hawaii after the 2007 season.

What we saw in Arizona: Aguilar only pitched 11.2 innings in 11 appearances in Arizona, but it would be hard to be much more impressive. Aguilar did not allow a single earned run in Arizona until his final appearance, a scoreless streak of 10.1 innings. He struck out 12 and walked just four in his 11.2 innings, and was the only Brewer prospect to appear in the AFL Rising Stars game.

What to take away from it: The Brewers must feel that someone might have wanted Aguilar on their 2009 roster, as they've added him to their 40 man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. True pitching prospects who don't start in the minors are rare, but Aguilar is one: He hasn't started a game since starting for the Brewers' Arizona Rookie League affiliate in 2006. Aguilar gives up a lot of fly balls (.83 groundouts per air out in the AFL, .90 for the 2008 season), but so far what he's got seems to be working. He could feasibly start 2009 in Nashville, but spending the first half in Huntsville probably wouldn't hurt either.

Brae Wright

What we knew: Wright turned 25 in November and was a sixth round pick in 2006. In 2007, he gave up a lot of runs in West Virginia (5.87 ERA in 110.1 IP) but improved after a promotion to Brevard County, where he posted a 2.84 ERA in 38 innings. In 2008, Wright spent the entire season in Huntsville, going 6-10 with a 3.59 ERA in 170.2 innings, striking out 120 and walking 60.

What we saw in Arizona: Wright was used exclusively as a reliever and only appeared in seven games. He had thrown 5.1 scoreless innings before his last two appearances, where he gave up five runs on six hits in 2.1 innings.

What to take away from it: Not a lot to analyze in Wright's 7.2 AFL innings. He did not seem to struggle with the move to the bullpen after only making one relief appearance over the 2007 and 2008 seasons. In fact, if not for a disastrous final outing (4 runs on 4 hits in .1 inning), his AFL numbers would be much more encouraging. He probably showed enough in Huntsville in 2008 to earn a spot in the Nashville rotation in 2009, but 2010 is probably the earliest he could hope to contribute to the Brewers.

Jeremy Jeffress

What we knew: Jeffress is widely considered the top pitching prospect in the Brewers organization. The Brewers first round pick in 2006, Jeffress has accelerated through the Brewers system pretty quickly, and at age 20 he split the season between Brevard County (4.08 ERA in 79.1 IP) and Huntsville (5.52 ERA in 14.2 IP), despite missing much of the early season after being suspended for testing positive for marijuana.

What we saw in Arizona: Cause for concern sums it up in three words. Jeffress struggled through three starts in Arizona, posting a 12.86 ERA in 7 innings, and after the third outing he complained of shoulder discomfort. The Brewers downplayed the concerns and called them "shoulder fatigue," going so far as to suggest he could return to AFL action. He did not return.

What to take away from it: Jeffress has been young for every level he's competed at, including four starts in Huntsville before his 21st birthday. However, Jeffress recently finished his second full season as a Brewer prospect and his career high for innings pitched is still just 94 and his career low ERA is still only 3.13 (West Virginia, 2007). Jeffress will likely return to Huntsville to start the 2009 season, and a big season there could do a lot to cement his status as an elite prospect.

A Wednesday Experiment - The Community Frosty Mug

2008-11-26T13:30:05Z

Good morning Brewer fans,

We're trying something new today. I'm still away from home and won't return until Friday. Roguejim has been filling in for me the last two days (and doing a great job, by the way), but today he's on the road for the holiday as well. So today's Frosty Mug pinch-hitter is...you.

Did you read something interesting today? Do you blog about the Brewers and have something we should read? Do you have a webcomic or joke you can make Brewer-relevant? Post it in the comments below.

Please limit yourself to Brewer content or things you can make Brewer relevant. Anything offensive or otherwise inappropriate will be removed, as I'm too busy to write the Mug today but I'm still monitoring the comments.

Aside from that, go crazy! Let's see what we can put together as a community. The Mug will be off Thursday for the holiday but will return Friday.

Drink up, then refill it and drink again.

Brewers sign somebody!

2008-11-25T23:22:29Z

Remember when I said today was a slow news day? I take it all back.

Tom H. reports that the Brewers just signed R.J. Swindle to a major league contract. Pay no attention to his MLB career .409 BAA (OK, in fewer than 5 major league innings) --- Swindle is bound to be a fan favorite from the get-go:

He has a 55 MPH curveball. Mr. Slowy?
In the minors, thanks to Mr. Slowy, he averaged 10.4 Ks/9 innings, with a career 1.58 ERA.
His last name is a great name for puns. Say, do you think his first name is Rob?
He's a former Phillie drafted by the Red Sox. Winners of the last two World Series? Phillies and Red Sox. Ergo, this guy's a winner.
He's from ...you guessed it...Canada.

Be sure to give him a big BCB welcome the next time you see him.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

2008-11-25T18:59:00Z

Nothing goes with lunch better than a frosty mug.

It's a typically slow news day for the offseason. Everyone, even Jon Arbuckle, is anxiously waiting for Doug Melvin to make a move.

CC Sabathia Sweepstakes

Not a whole lot has happened since yesterday. The Angels' offer looks like it might be close to the Yankees', somewhere around 6 years/$140 million. The LA Times reports that the Angels don't want to go beyond SEVEN years. Mr. Melvin, if the Brewers' offer is 5 years for $100 million, I don't think it's going to cut it, though there might be another option...

Brewers Stuff

Has the buzz worn off from making the playoffs for the first time since 1982? Brian Anderson made a list of his favorite moments from 2008 --- just click on the date to get the Gameday recap, video, and photos. I'd forgotten that we won three games in a row in May in the final at-bat.

The mlb.com site has the latest mailbag from Adam McCalvey. A lot of it rehashes things we've been discussing, like timelines and cost of living in Jeff Sackmann's basement. It also has more Sheets discussion than I'd like to see, quite frankly.

For those who are curious about how your favorite Brewers prospects are doing this winter, mlb.com's got you covered.

You want transcripts of a recent Scott Karl interview? Really? Have at it. Meanwhile, anyone got Sixto's phone number?

Hot Stove

The Cubs are no longer suitors for Jake Peavy, thank goodness. However, they might be interested in Bobby Abreu.

The Pale Hosers and Reds are talking about trading Jermaine Dye for Homer Bailey. I'm too lazy to look it up, but Dye may lead the AL in home runs by an outfielder since 2005. He's also 90 years old.

Speaking of 90 years old, the Rockies may be targeting Brian Shouse, among others.

The Pirates have signed two pitchers from India. Apparently no one is immune from outsourcing.

The As and Giants are both after Rafael Furcal, though there may be a mysterious "Third Team" in the mix. Rickie, why do you keep looking over your shoulder like that?

Miscellaneous

The Junkball Blues ranks NL pitcher performance, categorized by pitch type. It's pretty interesting. If we do find a way to get Escobar and JJ in the same infield, then a sinkerballer becomes a lot more attractive (*cough* Derek Lowe *cough*), though not Jamie Moyer attractive.

KL Snow promises something special to appear tomorrow (live chat with the Rally Lobster? Gorman-cam?). Have a good Thanksgiving everyone.

Brewers ink deal with Bourgeois

2008-11-25T02:55:25Z

Brewers ink deal with Bourgeois

Class warfare ensues.

What we learned in Arizona - The Hitters

2008-11-24T18:00:07Z

The Peoria Javelinas finished their season on Thursday with a 13-6 win over Phoenix. They finished 16-22 overall and did not qualify for postseason play. Let's take a look at what we learned about some of the Brewers' hottest prospects in the AFL.

Before we start, it's worth noting that hitters dominated the AFL. The league OPS was .830, compared to .744 in the 2008 NL and .756 in the AL.

Lorenzo Cain, CF

What we knew: Cain turned 22 in April and played in three levels in 2008. At Brevard County, he hit .287/.358/.448 in 80 games. When he was promoted to Huntsville, his numbers got even better: .277/.363/.486 in 40 games. He struggled in a brief promotion to Nashville. Cain is probably the closest thing the Brewers have to a major-league ready center fielder in the minor leagues. He was shut down the last week in August to rehab a hamstring injury, but recovered to play in the AFL. Cain's power is developing nicely: in 2007 he only slugged .344 in 482 ABs at Brevard County.

What we saw in Arizona: Cain only played in 18 of the Javelinas' 38 games, and appeared in at least two of those as a pinch runner. When he played, though, he was an impact player, hitting .333/.382/.635 in 63 at bats. His 5 AFL home runs tied him for 12th with a lot of players who played significantly more than he did. His walk rate was low (4 in 67 plate appearances), but he also only struck out eight times, so apparently aggressiveness was working for him. He also stole four bases in five attempts.

What to take away from it: Cain is closer to being big-league ready than I think most of us expected. Cain hits right handed, but most of his damage at every level has been against right-handed pitching. At 22 years old, Cain was slightly young for the AFL, but did not appear overmatched. His brief struggle in AAA in 2008 was intended to be a wakeup call, and he treated it as one. I'm sure he'll start 2009 in AAA after a cup of coffee in spring training, but he could be an option for a full-time job in center field in 2010.

Lou Palmisano, C

What we knew: Before Angel Salome, Brett Lawrie, Jonathan LuCroy et al, Lou Palmisano was the "catcher of the future" for the Brewers, but Cap'n Lou has been slow developing and at 26 years old, 2008 was his sixth year in the Brewers organization, and he's still never played above AA. Palmisano had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in March, and missed most of the season. He DH'ed in his rehab stint in Arizona and at in 19 games at Brevard County, his only 2008 action. In September, the Brewers were forced to DFA him to make room on the roster for Mike Lamb, but he went unclaimed. His MLB.com bio says he enjoys Italian food.

What we saw in Arizona: Palmisano started off AFL play on loan to the Mesa Solar Sox, who were short a catcher, but got most of his playing time with the Javelinas. Overall, Palmisano appeared in 16 AFL games, batting .370/.404/.630 in 46 at bats.

What to take away from it: Palmisano didn't really play enough for the AFL to be a true evaluation. He might not have been invited to the AFL at all if he wasn't a catcher: at 26 he was the oldest player on the Javelinas roster, and the only position player born in 1982. Cap'n Lou will probably get an invite to spring training in 2009 because he's a catcher, but he's at best a long shot to play in Milwaukee at any point next season.

Brent Brewer, SS

What we knew: Brewer was a 2006 second round pick, and his name would suggest it was destined to be so. His bat regressed a bit in 2008, though, going from .251/.315/.390 in West Virginia in 2007 to .213/.294/.310 in West Virginia and .251/.314/.369 in Brevard County in 2008. He needs a lot of work defensively: He's made 106 errors at shortstop in his first 2 1/2 seasons as a Brewer prospect. His .941 fielding percentage at Brevard County was a career high. Brewer will turn 21 in December.

What we saw in Arizona: Brewer probably would have been a more likely candidate to play winter ball in Hawaii than Arizona, but he was a late addition to the Javelinas' roster when Taylor Green broke (and re-broke) his nose and had to be shut down. In his brief appearance in Arizona, though, Brewer shined, hitting .300/.344/.700 in 30 ABs with three doubles, three home runs and two stolen bases in as many attempts. He did strike out once every 3.3 ABs though, which is less than he struck out in 2007 (170 K's in 518 AB) but more than 2008 (105 in 449 ABs).

What to take away from it: Even though Brewer only played in nine games, there's a lot of positives here. Brewer's three home runs in AFL play were more than he hit all season (2) in West Virginia and Brevard County. At 20 years old, he was the youngest player in the AFL and one of only a handful of players born in 1987, which makes me feel incredibly old. All told, this brief stint (and the success that came from it) can only help a guy who had an otherwise disappointing season. He's still a defensively poor shortstop that strikes out way too much, but at least he showed a flash of brilliance on a stage where he could have looked terribly overmatched.

Taylor Green, 3B

What we knew: By virtue of being included in the rumors surrounding the Sabathia trade, we probably know more about Taylor Green than we do about most Brewer prospects. Green was a 25th round pick in 2005 (signed by new director of amateur scouting Bruce Seid), Brewer organizational player of the year in 2007 at West Virginia, and in 2008 he carried the success over to Brevard County, where he hit .289/.342/.443 in 418 at bats. Green turned 22 in November, and while his stats would suggest he's not likely to become a great defensive third baseman (a .929 career fielding percentage), his hitting will likely allow him to keep moving up the ladder.

What we saw in Arizona: Not nearly enough. Taylor Green only played in nine games in Arizona (24 at bats) before being hit in the face and breaking his nose. Shortly after, he was hit in the face by a ground ball during fielding practice and was shut down for the season. He was hitting .333/.448/.542 at the time of his injury.

What to take away from it: Nothing much, really. Green's nose should be healed enough for spring training, he'll likely start 2009 in AA, and if he doesn't get better defensively at third base then he'll be another corner outfield/first base prospect with high offensive upside but nowhere to play.

Angel Salome, C

What we knew: Arguably the Brewers' best catching prospect, Salome was the Pioneer League MVP in 2005, a mid and postseason All Star in the South Atlantic League in 2006, and following an injury-shortened 2007 season, he was a mid and postseason Southern League All Star for Huntsville in 2008, and was named to the Baseball America AA All Star Team. Salome hit .360/.415/.559 in Huntsville in 2008, and had a cup of coffee with the Brewers in September. Salome turned 22 in June.

What we saw in Arizona: Salome went 0-for-4 with a walk and scored a run in his one game in the AFL. Weeks later, it was revealed that he was suffering from rotator cuff irritation and his return to AFL play was uncertain. He did not return.

What to take away from it: I hope he's seeing a doctor, resting comfortably and will be ready for spring training. Given the Brewers' commitment to Jason Kendall, it seems unlikely he'll spend any prolonged stretch with the Crew this season, but he could be ready for a big role in 2010.

Coming soon: What we learned in Arizona - The Pitchers.

Monday's Frosty Mug

2008-11-24T15:53:23Z

Welcome to Monday's edition of your Frosty Mug, where you always get cheese on your cheeseburgers.

Your CC Sweepstakes Update

* Friday's Frosty Mug mentioned that the Dodgers, Giants, and Pale Hosers may be preparing offers for the services of CC Sabathia. Foxsports (via the NY Post) reports that the Angels might be getting in the mix if talks with Scott Boras over Mark Teixeira break down.

* If the Giants sign CC, they would presumably owe about $250 million to two pitchers over the next 5 years.

* Desperate for a silver lining if we don't sign CC? Check out this picture of the pitching phenom. Does it remind you of anyone?

Miscellaneous Brewers Links

* The Sporting News has an interview with new Brewers manager Ken Macha. My favorite part: when asked about the chances of re-signing CC or Sheets, Macha only discusses Sabathia. Heh. Hat tip to Juan Lozano from ESPN Milwaukee.

* Rambling Al finds a post at Fangraphs.com warning of Dave Bush regression. That's not so good.

* Remember how the Angels might make CC an offer? The same Foxsports page also suggests that the Brewers might make an offer to K-Rod or Fuentes, given our recent willingness to throw gobs of money at closers. Not-so-fun fact: last season, the Brewers had blown 11 saves after the 8th inning, second-worst in the NL. (The World Champion Phillies? No blown saves after 8.)

Hot Stove

* Rafael Furcal maybe be close to signing with either the Mets (who would use him as a second baseman) or As.

* Chase Utley will miss 4-6 months for hip surgery.

* AJ Burnett wants a five-year deal. Good luck with that.

* Ty "Chief" Wiggington and Jose Valverde are on the trading block. The case for the Brewers signing Wiggington can be made here. Valverde's 3.38 and 44 saves last season follow up a 2.66 ERA and 47 saves the season before; you'd think any team looking for a closer (ahem) would be interested. You'll likely be as pleased as I am to know that part of the reason why these two must go is because our old friend Carlos Lee's salary jumps in 2009 from $12 million to $18.5 million.

Speaking of Texas, a Beaumont, Texas, undercover police officer was suspended during a prostitution sting for, ahem, going too far to nail the perp. In a hearing this past August, officer Keith Breiner defended himself by saying "It was a job, sir. I didn't have pleasure doing it...[I]t was something I did for the city." Officer Breiner, we salute your dedication.

Do You Remember...Noochie Varner?

2008-11-23T08:00:45Z

Fans may be forgiven if they can't place the name Noochie Varner in Brewers history. Varner never was a first round pick, never played in a big-league game, and never appeared on a major league 40-man roster. In eight seasons in the minor leagues, Varner reached AAA only once. Without his endearing nickname, he might be completely forgotten in baseball. But despite not making a direct impact at the big league level, Varner is, in a tiny and mostly coincidental way, responsible for the Brewers' recent success.

Gary Lee "Noochie" Varner was born on December 7, 1980, in Cynthiana, Kentucky, a small town located on the banks of the South Fork of the Licking River northeast of Lexington and just down the road from Oddville. The seat of Harrison County, Cynthiana is known for, among other things, being over 200 years old, a meteorite fall in 1877, and being "a city as nice as its name!" Also in Cynthiana, the Harrison County High School baseball team had developed a tradition of winning by the time Noochie Varner suited up. The Breds had won the state championship in 1993 and looked poised to make a run in 1997. Led by a group of players including sophomore Varner, the Breds went 40-1 and captured the state title. The Breds weren't done, going 33-6 the next year en route to a repeat championship. Varner, fresh off hitting .480 for the 1998 season, drove in three runs and hit a home run in the state title game. Showing high school fame is fleeting at best, the non-champion 1999 squad got little lasting press.

That didn't stop Varner from playing baseball at the next level. Upon his high school graduation, he headed for St. Catharine College, a Kentucky junior college. His performance for the Patriots was good enough for the Cincinnati Reds to draft him in the 10th round of the 2000 draft. Drafted sixteen picks behind future Rockies shortstop Clint Barmes and eighteen picks ahead of future Brewers outfielder Corey Hart, Varner was on his way to the major leagues.

Though he had played third base in high school, the Reds moved Noochie to the outfield when he struggled defensively during his first full season as a pro. His bat had little trouble making the switch: in 2001, he hit .351/.409/.536 for the Rookie-level Billings Mustangs. Bumped up to Dayton in the Midwest League for the 2002 season, Varner shone once again. He hit .309/.350/.466 with 37 stolen bases and recorded 11 outfield assists. Noochie also made his first pro All-Star team, starting with guys like Edwin Encarnacion and Shawn Hill in his team's victory. At the tail end of the year, Noochie was picked as one of the players to be named later in a trade with the Tigers for Brian Moehler.

Despite having just acquired him and promoting him to AA for the 2003 season, the Tigers deemed Noochie expendable. A mix of Gene Kingsale and Andres Torres in center field on the big club was predictably terrible, so when the Brewers made Alex Sanchez available, Detroit jumped. On May 27, the Brewers shipped Sanchez to Detroit in exchange for two minor leaguers: LHP Chad Petty and Mr. Varner. Brewers fans know the story: waiver claim CF Scott Podsednik thrived and went on to be voted (second place for) Rookie of the Year. Sanchez was pretty much forgotten.

Varner's season in Huntsville was forgettable as well. The former .300 hitter struggled to simply get on base at a .300 clip and he wasn't developing much power. On the bright side, he was only 22 in AA and he had reduced his strikeout total. Whatever he took from the season, there was no doubt he was once again expendable. On December 15, 2004, the transactions wire contained Noochie's name yet again. For the third time in fifteen months, Varner was on the move, this time as part of the Richie Sexson trade between Milwaukee and Arizona. Along with Sexson and Shane Nance, Noochie was headed to Arizona in exchange for major leaguers Junior Spivey, Craig Counsell, Lyle Overbay, Chad Moeller, Chris Capuano, and Jorge de la Rosa. Brewers fans would eventually look proudly upon the deal, but for Noochie it was becoming more of the same.

He started 2004 in El Paso of the Texas League, completing the circuit of AA leagues. An excellent start to the season earned him a promotion to AAA Tucson, one step away from the majors. He thrived in the desert, hitting .321/.393/.443 with six home runs in 100 games. Unfortunately, that was the closest he would get to the majors. In 2005, he was assigned to new AA affiliate Tennessee because of a logjam of Diamondbacks prospects in Tucson. He put up a solid season back in the Southern League but all it earned him was a release from the Arizona organization. He signed with the Reds for 2006 and played well for the Chattanooga Lookouts, making an All-Star team and being named the league player of the month for May. His contract was not renewed, however, and he moved into the Houston farm system. A torrid start in the Texas League earned him a spot on his third pro All-Star team, but a second half slump was the beginning of the end. By the end of August 2007, Varner had been released by the Astros.

Noochie hasn't appeared in a minor league game since the Astros let him go. His career minor league line at this point is .299/.355/.432 with 53 HR, 417 RBI, and 81 steals. He is two hits away from a .300 career minors batting average. Unfortunately, he seems to have disappeared from baseball, at least in 2008. He just might still be active in the online poker circuit, though. Whatever Noochie is doing these days, he is still part of the Brewers success. The trade that brought him into the Brewers organization didn't have a lasting impact on the Crew outside of Varner: Chad Petty was awful in his half-season as a Brewers farmhand and soon found himself elsewhere. The trade that sent him to Arizona is still alive in the Brewers clubhouse today. Chris Capuano is still with the team, Craig Counsell went away and came back, and Lyle Overbay was sent (with others) to Toronto in exchange for Dave Bush, Corey Koskie (acquired in different deal), Zach Jackson and Gabe Gross. Bush is still on the team, Gross started 2008 with the club, and Zach Jackson was part of the CC Sabathia trade.

You could very well scoff and say Varner was just a throw-in when the Brewers acquired and traded him. It's not as if those trades were impossible without Noochie. Most teams have low-minors outfielders who hit pretty well, or at least enough to be a respectable part of a major league trade. Maybe you think Noochie's involvement in both deals was coincidence. As for me, I think that Noochie Varner still deserves a little mention in the recent history of the Brewers. The next time Dave Bush takes the mound at Miller Park, let your mind wander from the game for a little while and ponder Noochie Varner, a forgotten part of a trade that still benefits the Brewers today.

Noochie Links and Such:
Noochie Varner's Career Stats
Noochie feature from 2007 at the Corpus Christi Hooks official site
Cynthiana Democrat story from 1998 about Harrison County's back-to-back titles
St. Catharine (KY) alumni in professional baseball

The first picture is from the archives of Cincy Reds Cards. The second is from a Southern Bases PDF that mentions his selection as Southern League Player of the Month for May 2006.