On this day in 2008 the Brewers added one of the final parts to what would become a playoff team by signing Mike Cameron to a one year, $7 million deal with a club option for 2009.
When he joined the Brewers Cameron was already a veteran of 13 major league seasons and had been a member of five teams, passing through Chicago (White Sox), Cincinnati, Seattle, New York (Mets) and San Diego on his way to Milwaukee. Despite the fact that he was a career .251/.341/.445 hitter and a very good defender in center field, he had already been traded three times.
Cameron also brought some other baggage with him to Milwaukee: He missed the first 25 games of the 2008 season after testing positive for a banned substance over the winter.
Despite the setback, though, Cameron had a pretty good debut season during the Brewers' playoff run in 2008, and the Crew exercised his $10 million club option to keep him around for 2009. Cameron hit .247/.337/.464 with 49 home runs over his two seasons in Milwaukee, which was enough to net him a two year deal from the Red Sox when he left as a free agent.
That deal in Boston turned out to be ill-fated, but Cameron has still managed to hang around the big leagues. He turned 39 over the weekend but recently signed a minor league deal to play for the Nationals in 2012. If he makes the team they'll be his ninth employer in 18 major league seasons.
With help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday to:
- 2007 Brewer Greg Aquino, who turns 34.
- Former Brewer scout and executive Jack Zduriencik, who turns 61.