Despite a disappointing 2009 season, the Brewers confirmed Sunday that they will bring manager Ken Macha back in 2010 with a team option for 2011. In fact, most of Macha's staff will be back, with only interim pitching coach Chris Bosio and bullpen coach Stan Kyles not being offered contracts.
That's not the only news out of Milwaukee on the last day of the season. The Brewers are also apparently close to re-signing closer Trevor Hoffman, who pitched exceptionally well in his first season in Milwaukee, saving 37 games with a 1.70 ERA and a 4.27 K/BB ratio. He's 41, but the all-time saves leader certainly didn't pitch his age this year.
With a full week of baseball left in the 2009 season, the current edition of the Milwaukee Brewers have already allowed almost 100 runs more than the playoff-bound 2008 edition. While a large amount of that difference can be chalked up to losing CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, a more abstract difference for this Milwaukee team is the absence of well-regarded pitching coach Mike Maddux, who left Milwaukee for Texas after last season.
The manager who has never had a losing season -- not as a minor league manager, major league coach or major league manager -- has the Brewers playing some of the best baseball in the big leagues.
As they head into this weekend's series with the Cardinals, who are tied with the Brewers for first in the NL Central, the Brewers have won 18 of their last 24.
While Macha would be the first to tell you that the players are more responsible for winning than the manager, this team has Macha's fingerprints all over it.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.
You Oughta Know ... That the A's might file for overtime.
Oakland's 15-inning loss at Seattle on Sunday was its fourth game this year of 12 innings or more and second of 14 innings or more. And in those two longest games, the Athletics blew three-run leads to lose.
On April 22 at Yankee Stadium, Oakland was up 3-0 in the second inning, then fell behind 7-5, then tied it in the seventh before losing in the 14th on Melky Cabrera's walkoff homer.
From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.
Last Sunday, Alfonso Soriano was hit in the head by a pitch off the hand of Cardinals starter Todd Wellemeyer. Later in the game, Cubs starting pitcher Rich Harden hit Albert Pujols in the middle of the back. It was a fastball, and it was on the first pitch of the at-bat. There was no one on base, and the Cubs had a big lead. Translation: Pujols was hit by Harden in retaliation for Soriano's beaning.
Monday, Ryan Braun was apparently dotted on purpose by Jeff Karstens of the Pirates, but the Brewers didn't get a chance to retaliate, because the umpiring crew offered an immediate warning to both benches.
NEW YORK – Basic math: subtract two pitchers who went 24-11, another who saved 28 games and two managers and what do you get?
Well, besides a boost in attendance, the Brewers say they can be even better in 2009 than last year, when they went to the playoffs for the first time since 1982.
"I think we can [be as good]," veteran infielder Craig Counsell told FanHouse last week. "We have an offense that really should be better than last year – young guys in the prime of their careers."
I always thought that starting in a team's home opener was pretty much the highest reward any starter could get. The home fans are always out en masse for the opener and the team always chooses the starter they think will put the best foot forward for the big crowd. Whoever starts that game has the unspoken designation of "ace" to start the season.
The Brewers have a different method of doing this, apparently, as Braden Looper is currently on track to start the first game in Miller Park this year. Not Yovani Gallardo, one of the most exciting young pitchers in the game, a guy who blew his knee out in May last year and managed to get healthy in time to help the Brewers in the playoffs. Not Manny Parra, another exciting young pitcher who had a solid rookie year in 2008. Instead, a bargain free agent signed to give the rotation depth.
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2009.
It's hard to think of a team that's been on more of a rollercoaster than the Milwaukee Brewers have the past five months. In June, they acquired CC Sabathia and started steamrolling towards what looked like a certain playoff berth. In September, they collapsed and nearly lost what looked like a sure wild-card berth. Then they fired Ned Yost and slid into the playoffs anyways. In October, they were knocked out by the eventual world champion Phillies. Now they've hired Ken Macha and Willie Randolph, but CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets have filed for free agency.
Of course, the important thing for the Brewers and their fans to remember is that they're going to be in good shape next year, even without Sheets and Sabathia. They've still got a great offense, they've still got Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra, and hey, Eric Gagne's gone! They're going to be a different team next year, yes. But that doesn't mean they're going to be worse.
Despite a disappointing 2009 season, the Brewers confirmed Sunday that they will bring manager Ken Macha back in 2010 with a team option for 2011. In fact, most of Macha's staff will be back, with only interim pitching coach Chris Bosio and bullpen coach Stan Kyles not being offered contracts. 
With a full week of 
Starting Five
NEW YORK – Basic math: subtract two pitchers who went 24-11, another who saved 28 games and two managers and what do you get?
PHOENIX – Brewers manager 
Hey, what do 
I always thought that starting in a team's home opener was pretty much the highest reward any starter could get. The home fans are always out en masse for the opener and the team always chooses the starter they think will put the best foot forward for the big crowd. Whoever starts that game has the unspoken designation of "ace" to start the season. 
