Some things to read while waiting for your Game Boy shirt to get here.

I haven't seen it confirmed anywhere else, but Goat Riders of the Apocalypse is reporting the Brewers have offered their managerial job to Bob Brenly.

If Brenly is the guy then this point is somewhat moot, but On the Mets Beat predicts a real rivalry could erupt between the Brewers and Mets if the Brewers hire Willie Randolph. That rivalry sounds even more dangerous when you discover the Mets just hired a guy named Razor Shines to coach third base.

As noted in the Fanshots, the first Brewer 2009 Projections are up over at Baseball Think Factory. The Brewers would have a player projected to be very good or excellent at every position if only Angel Salome was allowed to catch everyday in 2009 and Ryan Braun could play third base and left at the same time.

Between the Green Pillars takes a look at roster composition and payroll structure and wonders if the Brewers can really afford what it will take to sign CC Sabathia.

While you're waiting to find out, though, here are templates for Brewer Jack-O-Lanterns (h/t Al). I may carve the accursed retro logo, just because it's scary.

Two notes regarding the Jake Peavy sweepstakes: Keith Law (via Talking Chop) says the Padres asked the Braves for their top pitching prospect, an established middle infielder and another top-five prospect, and that price is way out of line with what other teams have gotten recently for similar pitchers. Perhaps as a result, Braves GM Frank Wren is lowering expectations that his team will get Peavy.

Are you sick of sitting through playoff off days? Then you'll be happy to discover MLB is trying to shorten the playoffs by two or three days next season by eliminating them (the off days, not the playoffs).

If they playoffs were shorter this year, you'd have more time to make plans to attend the World Baseball Classic in Toronto next spring.

Oh, and between $1 (or less) beers, tarp slides and no one going home, Venezuelan rain delays sound like a great drunken party.

Drink up.

Peoria Javelinas (AFL):

• Omar Aguilar, RRP: 2 G, 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Jeremy Jeffress, RSP: 1 G, 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Alex Periard, RSP: 1 G, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• David Welch, LSP: 1 G, 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Brae Wright, LSP: 2 G, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Angel Salome, C: .000/.200/.000 (5 PA)
• Taylor Green, 3B: .375/.375/.500 (8 PA)
• Lorenzo Cain, OF: yet to play

West Oahu CaneFires (HWB):

• Chris Cody, LSP
  • Last week: 2 G, 8.3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
  • Overall: 4 G, 13.3 IP, 14 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 14 K
• Mike Ramlow, RRP
  • Last week: 1 G, 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
  • Overall: 4 G, 9.0 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
• Caleb Gindl, OF
  • Last Week: .125/.176/.125 (17 PA)
  • Overall: .200/.289/.325 (45 PA)
• Logan Schafer, OF
  • Last Week: .063/.118/.189 (17 PA)
  • Overall: .171/.286/.257 (41 PA)

This was supposed to be a short week. So why am I looking at my calendar and saying "Really? It's only Thursday?"

Win Expectancy Graph
BR Box Score

Apparently all it took was a Dave Bush meatball for Ryan Church to get his stroke back.

Also yesterday, Angel Salome, Alcides Escobar and Mat Gamel got their first major league at bats. The kids grow up so fast. The Official Site notes that Brad Nelson has the ball from his first big league hit, but not a house to keep it in. Maybe he can borrow Bob Hamelin's house.

CC Sabathia is NL Pitcher of the Month for the second time in two months, but he won't get a belated no-hitter.

Jeremy Jeffress has a new agent, the same guy who represents Taylor Green, Mickey Brantley and a handful of other Brewers. I just spent 5 minutes reading the agent's blog for the first time. Professional isn't the first word that came to mind. But he does claim to know who the PTBNL in the Sabathia trade is, giving him the opportunity to be completely wrong on something he claimed as fact for the third time this season.

Speaking of Brewer minor leaguers, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo is all over the minor league playoffs, so much so that he blogged about the first six innings of West Virginia's game last night but didn't bother to mention how the game ended. The Power lost game 1 of their series, here's the box score.

Also, Jeff was on the radio last night discussing the Brewers. I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but it's Jeff, so at the very least he might introduce you to a hot tennis player you hadn't heard of before.

Only one injury today: Jered Weaver cut his hand on the visiting dugout this week and will have to have his next start pushed back.

Remember when the Brewers dumped Grant Balfour on the Rays for Seth McClung, and the general consensus was happiness to be rid of a guy who was more or less done? Turns out Balfour is pitching pretty well for the Rays, so perhaps the deal worked out for both teams.

Not working out: the 2008 Reds, who were eliminated from postseason contention last night.

The Cubs aren't exactly eliminated, but you might guess they were from the tone of this all caps diatribe re-posted on The Junkball Blues.

More signs pointing to a AAA shakeup: Hot Foot notes that the Indians' decision to leave Buffalo will likely open the door for the Blue Jays to move from Syracuse to Buffalo, leaving the Mets free to move from New Orleans to Syracuse and have their AAA team closer to home. Where this leaves the Zephyrs is unsure, but the music hasn't even started playing yet so the game of musical chairs is far from over.

Oh, and apparently players become more aggressive when wearing black.

Drink up.

So I've got a ton of links this morning. There were over 1300 unread in my reader this morning, plus a dozen or so I found before I decided to observe the holiday yesterday. So why did I spend 15 minutes reading Joe Posnanski's thoughts on candy bars?

Monday's Win Expectancy Graph
Monday's BR Box Score

Sunday's Win Expectancy Graph
Sunday's BR Box Score

Saturday's Win Expectancy Graph
Saturday's BR Box Score

Friday's Win Expectancy Graph
Friday's Box Score

Ok, 3 1/2 days of links. Where does one start?

Everyone wants to talk about the game that was or wasn't a no-hitter on Sunday. This seems like a good time to bust out the bullet points:

• Tom H. has the official scorer's explanation.
• Chuckie Hacks says it wasn't a hit, but will settle for a 20-win month.
• In-Between Hops thinks we all have bigger things to worry about.
• The Brew Town Beat thinks MLB should reverse the call.
• Two Fisted Slopper also thinks it was the wrong call.
• Jim Powell says, and I quote: "We wuz robbed."
• Baseball Musings asked another official scorer for their opinion, and said it should be a hit.
• Bugs and Cranks wants to know what you think. Right now about 52% of voters are voting "error."
• Murray Chass wants his prune juice NOW!
• Peter Schmuck says MLB shouldn't change the call after the fact.

A couple of other notes on Sabathia: Beyond the Box Score is comparing Sabathia and...Ricky Nolasco? Also, MLB FanHouse thinks Sabathia is "flying under the radar" as a Cy Young candidate. How is that possible?

This is almost certainly bigger news: Ben Sheets left yesterday's game with tightness in his left groin. I haven't seen any updates on his condition yet, but obviously we'll be watching.

The rosters also expanded over the weekend. The JS has a quick profile of the ten players the Brewers have called up.

Looking ahead, The Brew Town Beat takes a look at today's Mets starter, Jon Niese, who will make his big league debut. TheJay has a FanPost on him too.

Could the Brewers play low-A ball in the Midwest League again next season? Via Al, I found this story that would suggest the Brewers and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are waiting for the MLB-sanctioned window to open negotiations.

On Power Rankings:

WhatifSports has the Brewers 4th.
Phil Rogers has the Brewers 5th.
The Whisnant Rankings have the Brewers 8th.

Two Brewer voices are up for consideration for the Ford Frick Award, getting them a place alongside Bob Uecker in the Hall of Fame. I'm not sure Jim Powell is quite ready for enshrinement yet. And Bill Schroeder? Really?

On injuries:

Padres OF Scott Hairston has a torn ligament in his thumb.
Jeff Kent will have surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus and is out for the season.
Rangers P Vicente Padilla is on the DL with a strained hamstring.

And, instead of linking it 3 times, I'll just tell you that The Disabled List Informer has injury news on Carlos Zambrano (shoulder fatigue), Kevin Gregg (left knee inflammation) and Wandy Rodriguez (oblique).

MLB Trade Rumors has sorted likely free agent pitchers by strikeout rate, giving us the first list of likely free agent pitchers that doesn't have CC Sabathia at the top. At the same time The Junkball Blues asks if free agent pitchers are worth it.

Cliff Lee won his 20th game yesterday, making him 20-2 for the 66-win Cleveland Indians. Baseball Musings is calling it the best pitching performance in the AL since Pedro Martinez in 1999.

Brandon Webb couldn't pick up his 20th win again yesterday. But the organization has stepped up behind him and acquired some grit.

I was looking for something offbeat and unrelated to post here in the close, then I realized I used the candy bar thing in the open. Please do not protest.

Drink up.