Some things to read while checking your calculations.
The managerial search continues, but as you might expect we still don't know much. Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt yesterday that the team has narrowed the list of candidates down to four, but declined to name those candidates. They're getting ready to open a second round of interviews, and Mark Attanasio apparently plans to sit in on them. View From Bernie's Chalet noticed that Haudricourt later added a comment noting that Bobby Valentine and Bob Brenly are not among the final four.
You'll have to excuse Doug Melvin if he didn't have time to offer more details. He was busy making a surprise appearance on Comedy Central's "Night of Too Many Stars," a benefit to raise money for autism education (FanShot). It's About The Money has the video, and it's well worth your time. I'm still not sure if it's legal to bid on Doug Melvin but follow this link for the eBay action of his bobblehead, which is perfectly acceptable.
If you're working on planning a trip to spring training, Wezen-ball has a couple of dates you might want to keep in mind: Brewer pitchers and catchers are expected to report to Maryvale on February 16, with the first Cactus League game against the Giants on the 28th.
Barring something unforeseen, Manny Parra will be there: He underwent surgery yesterday to repair what the team is calling a "small tear" in the labrum in his left hip. He's expected to be ready for spring training.
Back at Miller Park, construction crews continue to work on removing the old video and matrix boards in preparation for the installation of 2011's new scoreboard. John Steinmiller has pictures of their progress.
The cart is way out in front of the horse on this one, but it's still an interesting possibility: Ryan Topp of Bernie's Crew says that if the Brewers trade Prince Fielder this offseason and decide not to use an internal candidate to replace him at first base, Aubrey Huff of the Giants could be available.
In the minors:
- Eric Farris continued his hot start in the AFL yesterday, going 3-for-3 in the first three innings of Surprise's win over the Peoria Saguaros. Toby Harrmann notes that Farris was removed from the game after the third inning - hopefully everything is ok.
- Baseball America has a report card for the Brewers' 2010 draft, but it's subscriber-only. Tom Haudricourt has some of the highlights.
Around baseball:
Indians: Acquired minor league infielder Matt Cusick and pitcher Andrew Shive as the players to be named later in the deal that sent Kerry Wood to the Yankees.
Tigers: Signed third baseman Brandon Inge to a two year, $11.5 million contract extension with an option for 2013.
If you skipped last night's playoff action you missed a pretty impressive performance from Roy Halladay, who beat the Giants despite straining his groin in the second inning. Counting playoff action Halladay has pitched 272.2 innings this season, which Todd Zolecki noted is the third most in baseball since 2000.
Here's another unlikely event from last night's game: Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth became just the 36th right handed batter ever to hit a home run to right field at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Major League Baseball is reportedly considering a slight tweak to roster rules for next season, adding a separate seven-day DL for players recovering from concussions. It's an interesting concept but, as Craig Calcaterra notes, most of the arguments being used to advocate for it apply just as much to other injuries.
Every year we get a story about what happens to the pre-printed championship t-shirts of teams that fall short of the mark. As it turns out, that's not all those teams leave behind: Jeff Fletcher of AOL notes that the Padres left 150 bottles of champagne in the Giants' visiting clubhouse following their season finale.
If you're looking to kill an extra ten minutes this morning, there are certainly worse ways than this: Sporcle wants to know how many of the 2010 MLB leaders in each hitting category you can name. I got 152, which isn't all that impressive by itself but might be the leader in the clubhouse in the "pre-caffeine" division. (h/t Lone Star Ball)
Happy birthday today to:
- 2003 Brewer Keith Osik, who turns 42.
- 1977 Brewer Jamie Quirk, who turns 56.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to need a bigger hat.
Drink up.