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On this day in 2008 the Brewers made what appeared to be a minor transaction, claiming third baseman Casey McGehee off waivers from the Cubs. He had played just nine games in the major leagues for Chicago and while his minor league numbers weren't bad (.279/.332/.410 over 698 games), they certainly didn't imply "future superstar."
With that said, McGehee was the breakout star of spring training in 2009 to win a spot on the team and received a chance to play everyday in the majors when Rickie Weeks got injured in May. McGehee hit .301/.360/.499 in his first full season in the big leagues and finished fifth in the voting for NL Rookie of the Year.
All told McGehee was a Brewer for three seasons, following 2009 with a very good 2010 season before struggling mightily in 2011. The Brewers traded him to Pittsburgh about a year ago in a deal that brought Jose Veras to Milwaukee and the change of scenery also didn't seem to fix McGehee, who hit .217/.284/.358 between the Pirates and Yankees in 2012.
With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:
- 2012 Huntsville Star Johnny Hellweg, who turns 24.
- 2005-06 Brewer Dana Eveland, who turns 29.
- 1990 Brewer Narciso Elvira, who turns 45.
Today is also the tenth anniversary of the Brewers hiring Ned Yost, who would go on to be the second longest tenured manager in franchise history. We covered that event in this space last year.