In Arizona: Friday, Brent Brewer entered the game late and went 0-for-2, Lorenzo Cain went 1-for-4 with an RBI, David Welch threw two scoreless innings with two hits and two strikeouts, and Omar Aguilar allowed only a walk while striking out two in one inning of work as the Javelinas lost again, 13-4 to the Saguaros.

Then on Saturday, no Brewers appeared and the Javelinas lost their 10th game in 11 opportunities, 9-6 to Surprise.

The AFL was off Sunday, so at least the Javelinas didn't lose again. They travel to Mesa at 1:35 today.

In Hawai'i: Caleb Gindl went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Friday, and Logan Schafer went 1-for-3 as the CaneFires defeated North Shore, 4-1.

Saturday, Logan Schafer went 2-for-5 as the CaneFires rode the wave of an 8-run second inning to a 13-4 victory.

Sunday, Logan Schafer entered the game late and went 1-for-1, Caleb Gindl went 1-for-4 and scored a run, and Chris Cody pitched five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks with two strikeouts, as the CaneFires played to a 6-6 7 inning tie.

Hawai'i Winter Baseball is off on Monday to avoid overdoing it. They return to action Tuesday.

In Mexico: Casey McGehee went 3-for-11 over the weekend with a double and his third home run. He has a hit in ten straight games for Culiacan.

In Venezuela:

• Alcides Escobar went 0-for-2 on Saturday for Lara. He's now 3-for his last 34 and hitting .155/.231/.207 overall.
• Tony Gwynn went 1-for-5 over the weekend with two walks and two RBI for Magallanes. He's hitting .307/.391/.360 in the VWL.
• Hernan Iribarren went 6-for-15 in four games over the weekend, picking up a double, two stolen bases and driving in three runs. He's hitting .354/.407/.524 for Lara, and has stolen seven bases in nine attempts.
• Brendan Katin went 1-for-8 over the weekend, walked, scored a run and got caught stealing. He's still hitting .253/.345/.693 for Zulia, and still leads the VWL with 10 home runs.

In the Dominican Republic: from Thursday-Saturday's games:

• Brad Nelson walked in his only plate appearance Friday, then went 2-for-4 with two home runs on Saturday. Nelson is hitting .304/.381/804 for Cibao, leads the DWL in OPS and is second in home runs and RBI.
• Joe Bateman pitched three innings over two appearances Friday and Saturday, giving up one run on two hits and three walks. He did strike out two.

In Puerto Rico:

• Carlos Corporan went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI Saturday in his debut for Caguas.
• Charlie Fermaint was caught stealing as a pinch runner in his debut Friday, then singled, drove in a run and scored in his only at bat Saturday for Ponce.
• Martin Maldonado went 0-for-3 in his debut for Mayaguez on Saturday.
• Jorge Crespo gave up six runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk in .2 innings of work for Arecibo Saturday.
• Richie Gardner started and gave up four runs on six hits in four innings for Carolina Saturday, but escaped with a no decision.
• Steve Bray pitched two scoreless innings of relief, allowing only a walk and a hit for Carolina on Sunday.

Note: Erasmo Ramirez, Jay Gibbons, Chris Woodward and Ozzie Chavez are all minor league free agents now, so they will no longer appear in these reports.

In Arizona: On Friday, Lorenzo Cain entered the game in the 9th inning as a pinch runner but did not score and the Javelinas fell to Mesa, 3-2.

Then, on Saturday, Brent Brewer went 0-for-2 in his AFL debut, Lou Palmisano went 2-for-2 with an RBI, David Welch allowed two hits and a walk but struck out two in a scoreless inning of work and Omar Aguilar pitched his sixth consecutive scoreless inning in the Javelinas' 13-3 loss to Mesa.

The AFL was off Sunday so the players would have the full day to learn why Arizona doesn't participate in Daylight Savings Time. The Javelinas host Surprise at 8:05 tonight.

In Hawai'i: No Brewer activity on Friday and the CaneFires lost 3-2 to Waikiki.

On Saturday, Logan Schafer went 1-for-4 with a walk and drove in a run as the CaneFires won a wild one, 13-8.

Then, on Sunday, Caleb Gindl went 2-for-4 with a double, scored twice and drove in a run, and Logan Schafer went 2-for-4 with a run but it wasn't enough as Chris Cody gave up four runs on six hits with six strikeouts in five innings of work and Waikiki came from behind to win 6-5.

Hawaii Winter Baseball is off on Monday so the players can canvass for their favorite presidential candidates, but the CaneFires host Honolulu on Tuesday.

In Mexico:

• New Brewer Casey McGehee has been spending his fall playing third base for Culiacan. He went 4-for-16 over the weekend and is hitting .284/.303/.365 overall down there.
• Chris Narveson started for the fourth time for Hermosillo on Friday and picked up a tough luck loss, giving up two runs on five hits and striking out eight in seven innings. He has a 4.87 ERA in Mexico in 20.1 innings of work.
• Erasmo Ramirez pitched a full scoreless inning for Guasave for only the second time in nine appearances. He has a 6.00 ERA and has allowed ten hits in six innings in Mexican Pacific League play.
• Chris Woodward made his Mexican debut Sunday, going 1-for-4 with a run scored for Mazatlan.

In Venezuela:

• Alcides Escobar went 1-for-6 over the weekend and is 1-for his last 14 for Lara. He's hitting .176/.232/.235 in 51 ABs in Venezuela.
• Jay Gibbons went 3-for-4 with a double and a walk on Friday, but went 0-for-5 over Saturday and Sunday for Magallanes. He's hitting .204/.338/.463 in Venezuela, largely because he's only hitting .130/.310/.261 against lefties.
• Tony Gwynn went 6-for-13 over the weekend with a double, a walk and four strikeouts for Magallanes. He's hitting .339/.391/.403 in VWL play.
• Hernan Iribarren is on fire, going 7-for-14 with three triples, six runs scored, a stolen base and a caught stealing for Lara. He's hitting .362/.433/.586 in 66 plate appearances.
• Brendan Katin is also staying hot, going 5-for-10 over the weekend, including a 4-for-6 performance with a double and two home runs for Zulia Sunday. He's hitting .254/.338/.695 in Venezuela and leads the league in home runs with 8.

Both Katin and Iribarren are in the top 10 in the VWL in OPS.

In the Dominican Republic: From Thursday-Saturday's action:

• Ozzie Chavez went 1-for-4 with a walk over three appearances for Este. He's hitting .269/.424/.385 in DWL play.
• Brad Nelson must be seeing the ball pretty well. On Thursday he went 4-for-4 with a double, a triple and two home runs, driving in seven. He also went 2-for-3 with a walk and a double Saturday. He's hitting .326/.383/.814 in the Dominican, and ranks in the top three in HR, RBI and OPS.
• Joe Bateman pitched in back to back games Friday and Saturday for Este, pitching a scoreless inning and a third with a walk on Friday and another scoreless two thirds on Saturday despite a hit and two walks.
• Sam Narron had a rough start Friday, giving up six runs on seven hits in just 1.1 innings for Este.

In Arizona: Lorenzo Cain got his first start at DH and went 1-for-3, Alexandre Periard got his first start and gave up six runs on six hits and two walks in 1.2 innings, and David Welch pitched a perfect inning in relief (on 6 pitches) as the Javelinas lost to Phoenix again, 7-1.

The Javelinas travel to Mesa at 2:35 today.

In Hawai'i: Caleb Gindl went 0-for-2 with a walk as the CaneFires lost to North Shore for the second straight day, 6-3 in 7 innings.

The CaneFires host Waikiki tonight at midnight.

In Mexico: Erasmo Ramirez pitched a full inning last night for only the third time in eight appearances for Guasave, but gave up two runs on three hits.

In Venezuela:

• Jay Gibbons went 1-for-2 with two walks and a 3 run home run (his fourth) for Magallanes.
• Also for Magallanes, Tony Gwynn went 2-for-2 with a walk and scored 3 times.
• Hernan Iribarren went 0-for-3 with a walk and scored a run for Lara, ending his 9 game hittings streak.
• Brendan Katin went 1-for-4 with a solo home run for Zulia, his fifth home run in seven games.

In the Dominican Republic: It appears the box scores have fallen a day behind again. Here are results from Wednesday:

• Ozzie Chavez went 0-for-2 with a strikeout for Este.
• Brad Nelson went 0-for-7 with 3 K's in Cibao's 13-inning win over Este.
• In the same game, Joe Bateman pitched a perfect inning in relief.
• Rafael Lluberes also pitched for Cibao in that game, and gave up a hit and a walk in .2 innings of work.

In Arizona: Lorenzo Cain went 1-for-3 with a walk and his second home run, and Lou Palmisano went 1-for-4 with a double and scored a run, but they were the only offense the Javelinas could muster as they got blown out by Phoenix, 10-2. Brae Wright contributed to the carnage, giving up four runs on four hits in a third of an inning.

With the HR, Cain is hitting .345/.387/.586 for the Javelinas. They return to action today at 2:35 when they travel to Phoenix.

Also, as Tom H. notes, Brent Brewer has replaced Taylor Green on the Javelinas' roster. Taylor Green will require surgery to repair his broken nose.

In Hawai'i: Cody Scarpetta's debut for the CaneFires did not go well, as he started and allowed five runs on four hits and two walks in one third of an inning. Caleb Gindl went 1-for-4 with a double and Logan Schafer went 1-for-4 with an RBI but it was not enough as North Shore coasted to a 7-3 victory.

The CaneFires play at North Shore again tonight at 8.

In Venezuela:

• Alcides Escobar went 0-for-4 last night for Lara. He's now 2-for his last-21 with one walk.
• Jay Gibbons went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk for Magallanes.
• Tony Gwynn went 0-for-4 with a strikeout for Magallanes.
• Hernan Iribarren went 2-for-4 with a two-run HR for Lara, his first in Venezuela. He's hit in 9 straight games.
• Brendan Katin went 3-for-4 with a solo HR for Zulia. He's hit 4 HR in his last 6 games, and is tied for the VWL lead with 5.

In the Dominican Republic: Ozzie Chavez went 0-for-2 with a strikeout for Este.

In Arizona: Omar Aguilar was the only Brewer to appear in Friday's AFL Rising Stars Game. He pitched the ninth, gave up a run on two hits, and was credited with both a blown save and the win as the National Rising Stars came out on top, 7-6.

Then on Saturday, Lou Palmisano entered the game late and went 0-for-1, Lorenzo Cain went 0-for-4, Alexandre Periard walked three and allowed two runs in one inning of work, and Brae Wright allowed a run on two hits and two walks in two innings as the Javelinas got blown out by the Saguaros, 15-4.

The AFL was off on Sunday, but returns to action today with the Javelinas hosting Scottsdale at 2:35.

In Hawai'i: No Brewers appeared on Friday in the CaneFires' 8-2 win over Honolulu.

Saturday and Sunday's games were rained out, and Hawai'i Winter Baseball is off today. The CaneFires could return to action tomorrow night at North Shore.

In Mexico: Chris Narveson started Saturday for Hermosillo and took the loss, giving up 4 runs on 9 hits and a walk in just 3.1 innings while striking out 4. Erasmo Ramirez pitched another scoreless outing on Sunday, although it was only one third of an inning. He's pitched 6 consecutive scoreless outings, spanning 3 innings.

In Venezuela:

• Alcides Escobar went 2-for-13 over the weekend with a stolen base and scored a run for Lara. He's hitting .216/.268/.297 in Venezuela.
• Jay Gibbons went 3-for-11 over the weekend for Magallanes, but two of those hits were home runs hit on Sunday. He's hitting .150/.277/.375 in winter ball.
• Tony Gwynn went 4-for-10 over the weekend with a triple, stole a base and scored twice. He's hitting .302/.362/.372 for Magallanes.
• Hernan Iribarren went 4-for-10 over the weekend with a stolen base, extending his VWL hitting streak to eight games. He's hitting .324/.432/.432 for Lara.
• Brendan Katin went 2-for-7 over the weekend with a double and a home run, driving in two and scoring twice. He's hitting .152/.293/.455 for Zulia.
• Guilder Rodriguez went 0-for-1 in his VWL debut for Lara (his hometown team) on Friday.

In the Dominican Republic:

• Ozzie Chavez went 1-for-5 over the weekend but walked three times and scored a run for Este. He's hitting .176/.364/.294 in DWL play.
• Brad Nelson went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts, driving in a run and scoring for Cibao on Saturday. He's hitting .357/.438/.714 in winter ball.
• Joe Bateman pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings for Este on Saturday, lowering his DWL ERA to 6.35.
• Rafael Lluberes gave up a hit and got a strikeout in a third of an inning of work on Friday for Cibao. He's now pitched one full inning over three appearances.
• Sam Narron pitched five scoreless innings on Saturday for Este, giving up three hits and a walk.

In Arizona: Lou Palmisano went 1-for-4 with a double, walked twice and drove in two runs, Alexandre Periard threw a scoreless 1.1 innings, and Brae Wright struck out two in a perfect inning of work as the Javelinas defeated Phoenix 16-5. The Javelinas have now scored 34 runs in their last two games.

The Javelinas host Phoenix today at 2:35. You wouldn't think homefield advantage in the AFL would be a big deal, but apparently it is: every AFL home team has a winning record at home, going a combined 26-16.

Perhaps today is the day for Angel Salome to break his vow of silence, as well. Angel hasn't played since making his debut on October 8.

In Hawai'i: Logan Schafer went 0-for-5 with a K as the CaneFires lost to Waikiki 9-8.

The CaneFires are off today, and return to action tomorrow.

In Venezuela:

• Alcides Escobar went 2-for-4 with 2 doubles, walked, drove in a run and got caught stealing for Lara.
• Jay Gibbons finally picked up a hit for Magallanes, going 1-for-2 and walking twice.
• Tony Gwynn went 1-for-3, walked, scored a run and was caught stealing for Magallanes.
• Hernan Iribarren went 1-for-5, stole a base and scored a run for Lara.

In the Dominican Republic: Brad Nelson, apparently relegated to pinch-hitting duties after getting 3 extra base hits in his first 3 games, got a hit in his only plate appearance last night and drove in a run.

In Arizona: David Welch gave up one run on one hit in 1.1 innings for his second hold as the Javelinas defeated the Saguaros, 4-2.

The two teams meet again, with the Javelinas as the home team this time, at 2:35 today.

In Hawai'i: The CaneFires were off yesterday. They play Waikiki at 8 tonight.

In Venezuela: Brewers in action from Sunday's games:

• Alcides Escobar went 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and scored twice for Lara.
• Jay Gibbons went 0-for-3 and is now 1-for-21 on the season for Magallanes.
• Hernan Iribarren went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk and scored twice for Lara.
• Brendan Katin went 0-for-3, but walked and scored a run. He's hitless in his last 4 games for Zulia.

In the Dominican Republic: From Sunday's action:

• Joe Bateman picked up his second win in as many outings, pitching a scoreless 1.1 innings with one hit and two K's for Este.
• Rafael Lluberes faced one batter for Cibao, and walked him. Lluberes has now faced 6 batters and allowed 4 to reach.

So we've decided to separate the winter league roundup, which I usually have done early, and the actual Mug, which will still be up around 9-10. Enjoy.

In Arizona: Lorenzo Cain and Taylor Green batted 1-2 for the Javelinas, with Cain going 3-for-4 with a double and his second stolen base, and Green going 1-for-4 with a walk. Lou Palmisano made his first appearance with the Javelinas and went 0-for-2 after entering the game as a pinch hitter. Alexandre Periard struck out the side in his one inning of work and the Javelinas fell to Scottsdale, 7-3.

On Saturday, Lou Palmisano went 2-for-2 with a run scored and Brae Wright pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief as the Javelinas won a shootout over Scottsdale, 14-11.

The AFL was off Sunday, but the Javelinas return to action today against the AFL's best team, the Peoria Saguaros, at 2:35.

In Hawai'i: Logan Schafer scored a run as a pinch runner and was the only Brewer to appear in Friday's 6-5 win over North Shore.

Saturday, Caleb Gindl went 2-4 with a walk, an error, and got picked off first base. Mike Ramlow pitched a third of an inning of scoreless relief despite giving up 3 walks as West Oahu defeated North Shore again, 7-6.

Sunday, Logan Schafer went 3-for-4 with a double, his first HWB home run and 4 RBI, and Caleb Gindl went 0-for-3 but walked twice and stole a base as the CaneFires defeated North Shore for the third straight day, 7-5.

The CaneFires are off today.

In Mexico: Chris Narveson pitched for Hermosillo on Saturday, giving up 3 ER on 6 hits and striking out 6 in 5.1 innings. Erasmo Ramirez pitched a scoreless third of an inning for Guasave on Friday.

In Venezuela: Brewer performances since Thursday:

• Alcides Escobar went 2-for-13 with a walk and two runs scored in his debut for Lara.
• Hernan Iribarren went 3-for-7 with a double, 3 walks and 3 runs scored for Lara.
• Jay Gibbons is 0-for his last 8 with a walk and is currently hitting .056 for Magellanes.
• He's being outhit, but only slightly, by Tony Gwynn, who is 3-for-11 with a walk and 4 K's since Thursday, and is hitting .200/.273/.200.
• Brendan Katin is 0-for his last 14 with 6 K's for Zulia.

In the Dominican Republic: Again, the stats from the Dominican League are a day behind, so here's Thursday-Saturday:

• Joe Bateman pitched a scoreless inning Friday for his first DWL win for Este.
• Also for Este, Sam Narron started on Saturday and gave up 1 run on 5 hits in 3 innings and picked up the loss.
• Rafael Lluberes, who spent the regular season in Brevard County, gave up a run on two hits and a walk in two thirds of an inning Saturday in his debut for Cibao.
• Juan Sandoval, who pitched for Huntsville during the season, walked the only batter he faced for Licey on Friday.
• Ozzie Chavez went 2-for-8 with a triple and 3 RBI over the weekend for Este.
• Brad Nelson made his debut for Cibao on Thursday, and since then he's 3-for-9 with 2 doubles and a HR, giving him an early .333/.400/.889 line.

In Arizona: Taylor Green went 1-for-4 with his first AFL HR, Jeremy Jeffress started and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks in 3.1 innings, and Omar Aguilar pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save as the Javelinas defeated Mesa, 9-8.

At 5-4, the Javelinas are back in first in the AFL National Division. They travel to Scottsdale tonight at 8.

In Hawai'i: Caleb Gindl went 1-for-3 and Logan Schafer went 0-for-2 as the CaneFires fell to Honolulu 4-2 in 7 innings.

The Canefires host North Shore tonight at midnight.

The two Brewer position players in Hawai'i aren't exactly ripping the cover off the ball (.217/.294/.326 for Gindl, .154/.292/.231 for Schafer), but it could be worse: The Giants organization has called home #1 pick Buster Posey since they didn't feel he was getting enough playing time. You just can't pout your way through life.

In Venezuela: It appears the previous day's box scores don't get posted early enough to make the Mug. As a result, here's how Brewer prospects fared in Wednesday's action. This is still more up to date than 2001 Google (h/t Aaron Gleeman):

• Jay Gibbons went 0-for-3 with a walk and drove in a run for Magallanes.
• Also for Magallanes, Tony Gwynn went 0-for-4 with a K.
• Across the field, Hernan Iribarren went 0-for-5 with 3 K's for Lara.
• A day after hitting his first VWL home run, Brendan Katin went 0-for-3 for Zulia.
• Luis Pena made his VWL debut and pitched two thirds of a scoreless inning for La Guaira.

In the Dominican Republic: Ozzie Chavez is 1-for-7 with an RBI and a stolen base in his first two games for Este, and Joe Bateman gave up two runs on two hits in an inning of work yesterday for Este as well.

Ok, sorry for the extended delay, I had a bit of a change in my morning routine.

So I've spent the last two weeks watching the Seattle GM search and hoping we'd get to keep Jack Zduriencik in his current draft czar role with the Brewers. No more than 12 hours after I'd noted that the Mariners were down to three finalists, Zduriencik was announced as the fourth finalist. (Noted in FanShots) Chuckie Hacks thinks Seattle should pick someone else.

Speaking of picking someone else, Doug Melvin has decided to expand the search for the next manager of your Milwaukee Brewers. Tom H. has three former big league managers who may or may not have expressed interest in the position.

Once those dilemmas are solved, we can fire up the hot stove. Chuckie Hacks notes that the Brewers were mentioned as a possible candidate to trade for Jake Peavy, but Rowland's Office also seems to think the Braves have the inside track.

Camden Chat has brought up the possibility that the Orioles could trade for Prince Fielder, but opposed it. I'm opposed to it too unless the Orioles are willing to overpay, so I'm glad we're on the same page.

MLB Trade Rumors has the Brewers' offseason outlook, but it's to be taken with a grain of salt for a couple of reasons: 1) They appear to be operating under the assumption that Tony Gwynn could be 2009's fourth outfielder and 2) They appear to believe the Brewers' 2009 payroll could approach $100 million. Both of those things are unlikely, but if the Brewers somehow manage to spend $100 million AND Tony Gwynn is their fourth outfielder, something went terribly wrong.

Could Tony Gwynn be a part of the Endy Chavez family of players? If so, Tangotiger says he may be an underrated talent.

Not all of those players are undervalued. Juan Pierre, for example, is still owed $28.5 million and wants to be traded somewhere where he could play everyday.

Over at The Hardball Times, Chris Neault says Ben Sheets' elbow injury should respond well to plenty of rest. I think he'll get plenty of rest for the rest of 2009 after he pitches in April for his new team.

Oh, and CNN analysts would rather watch baseball than debates. Maybe one of them should have brought this sign.

Drink up.

Here's a promise: The Frosty Mug will never be delayed to allow a half-hour national political ad. Ever.

In Arizona: Taylor Green went 1-for-4 with a walk, Lorenzo Cain went 2-for-5 but was caught stealing, Brae Wright struck out the side and pitched a perfect inning for his third hold, and David Welch retired the last batter to pick up his first save as the Javelinas defeated Mesa, 6-4. Lou Palmisano went 0-for-2 with a walk for the Solar Sox before being replaced by a pinch runner, caught Lorenzo Cain stealing and committed a throwing error.

The Javelinas host Mesa today at 2:35.

In Hawai'i: Logan Schafer went 0-for-2 with two walks, Caleb Gindl went 1-for-3 with a run scored and Mike Ramlow allowed two runs on two hits in one inning of work as the CaneFires defeated Honolulu 7-2 in 7 innings.

The CaneFires host Honolulu again at 8 tonight.

In Mexico: Erasmo Ramirez gave up a hit that allowed inherited runners to score and was credited with his second blown save, but he also pitched a scoreless third of an inning for his first win as the Algodoneros defeated Hermosillo, 7-6.

In Venezuela: Four Brewers debuted on Opening Day in the Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional. Amazingly, all of them have individual stats even though no one has a box score. Correction: These stats are from Tuesday's action. Wednesday's results will be in Friday's Frosty Mug. Have I mentioned I'm an idiot and I write the Mug before coffee? Brewer appearances Tuesday:

• Brendan Katin went 1-for-5 with his first HR for Zulia.
• Jay Gibbons went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts but walked and scored a run for Magallanes.
• Also for Magallanes, Tony Gwynn went 1-for-5 with a K.
• Hernan Iribarren went 1-for-2 with a double and two walks for Lara.

I feel like this is the 50th time I've said it shouldn't be long before the managerial situation is resolved. If it gets resolved yet this week and Doug Melvin finally agrees to an extension, items 1 and 2 will be crossed off the postseason to do list.

Welcome to day ten of another full offseason spent debating the merits of Rickie Weeks. Today, The Junkball Blues notes that Weeks turned about the number of double plays that would be expected from someone who spent the same number of innings at second base. That's fine, but the argument doesn't hold water because continued failure to convert routine double plays is something I can observe with my eyes.

Beyond the Box Score ranked Mike Cameron as the 12th best CF in 2008. Also worth noting from that article: I don't think I've ever seen anything, positive or negative, written about Nate McLouth's defense, but he somehow managed to cost the Pirates 16 runs in the field this season.

Would that be enough to keep him off the all-NM team? It's hard to say. Batter's Box Interactive has issued a challenge to build the best possible historical team using only players with the same syllables initials. (Related note: My IQ today is under 10.) Jay, this strikes me as being right in your wheelhouse.

I don't think an RY team would be very competitive, even if Seamheads did rank Robin Yount the fourth greatest shortstop of all time.

Bird Land has a poll to determine which four faces belong on the Cardinals' Mt. Rushmore. That got me thinking: are there four Brewers worthy of such an honor? Let's hear your nominees in the comments, and if there's interest I'll put a poll together at a later date.

No nominations will be accepted for Craig Counsell. FanGraphs thinks it's time for Craig Counsell to start working on the "future manager" part of his career.

Does any sport have more byzantine roster rules than baseball? I'm still trying to figure out who's eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, and now also trying to understand free agent quotas. The latter doesn't sound like it'll come into play this offseason, but it still belongs alongside Super 2's and the aforementioned Rule 5 Draft on the confusing rule Mt. Rushmore.

So the Mariners have named the three finalists for their GM position, meaning it's probably safe to assume we'll get to keep Jack Z. for at least another year.

Should the Brewers have sported mohawks for the NLDS? It's one of the many non-plausible explanations for the Rays' playoff success despite their lack of playoff experience. Lookout Landing has a post and some stats on players with (and without) playoff experience and their performances in 2008.

If you're getting a busy signal, that means three people are calling his phone at once: Josh Phelps is a free agent after being let go by the Cardinals yesterday. There are worse platoon guys out there.

Goat Riders of the Apocalypse thinks the Cubs should replace Kosuke Fukudome with Milton Bradley, who could combine with Carlos Zambrano to form some kind of hot-headed Voltron.

Leo Mazzone is back to looking for work as a pitching coach after taking 2008 off. Click the link to read a quote where he buries the Orioles organization.

Oh, and this story about Joe Posnanski's email being hacked is 15 minutes of your life you'll never want back.

Drink up.