This day in 2008 started off as one of the gloomiest I can remember. The Brewers had been swept in a doubleheader in Philadelphia the day before to fall to 3-11 in September and all of a sudden their playoff hopes seemed faint at best. Then, on the second-to-last off day of the season, the Brewers made a long overdue move: They fired Ned Yost and replaced him with Dale Sveum.
The move led to pretty rampant celebration, as you might expect. Battlekow penned the First Bloginental Blogress. I collected that reaction and much more in the following day's Frosty Mug, which to this day remains one of my favorites. Yost finished his Brewer career as the second winningest manager in franchise history at 457-502.
The Brewers, of course, lost the next day in their first game under Sveum. They won seven of the next eleven after that, though, to clinch their first playoff appearance in 26 years.
With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:
- Brevard County Manatee Chris Dennis, who turns 23.
- 2001 Brewer Elvis Pena, who turns 35.
- Pitching Coach Rick Kranitz, who turns 53.
- 1972-73 Brewer Frank Linzy, who turns 71.