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Baseball's Winter Meetings carry a lot of excitement, and when nothing happens regarding your team during the week they can be a bit of a letdown. It's worth noting, though, that things could always be worse.
On this day in 1990 the Brewers signed free agent first baseman/outfielder Franklin Stubbs to a two-year deal. Stubbs was coming off a career year with the Astros (1990 was the only time he ever made 500 big league plate appearances) and faded badly as a Brewer, hitting just .220/.288/.363 over two seasons.
17 years later the Brewers signed free agent reliever David Riske to a three-year deal on this day in 2007. Riske was coming off a career year with the Royals (a 2.45 ERA over 65 appearances), but the Brewers were his fifth team in four years. He struggled and posted a 5.31 ERA in his first season in Milwaukee, then missed all but one game of the 2009 season and struggled again after returning in 2010.
With help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin native and 1901 Milwaukee Brewer Pink Hawley, who would have turned 140. We covered his birthday in this space last year.