Heartbreak is not something I am very fond of, but it is something I come to expect from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Every time they build up some momentum, they drop crucial games to remind fans that there truly is no promise when they take the field. The most recent Brewers' letdown came this weekend when they dropped all four games in Philadelphia. Coming into September, the Brewers had a five and a half game lead in the wild card race, but because they only won three of their last 15 games, they are now one game behind the Phillies.
Perhaps the one Brew Crew member that bothered me the most, however, was former manager Ned Yost. Whenever his team would screw up a major play or drop an important game, Yost would poke his head out of the dugout with a smile on his face. So many times this season, I caught myself mumbling, What's so funny Ned? What in the world could you be smirking about? You do know you are managing the Brewers and not the opposing team, right?""
To my surprise, the Brewers fired Yost Monday, making this the third time in MLB history that a coach with a .550 winning percentage after 150 games in a season was let go. Milwaukee's third base coach Dale Sveum has been assigned to cover Yost's responsibilities for the remainder of the 2008 season. Former Milwaukee legend and Hall of Famer Robin Yount was also added to the coaching roster to help pick up the slack.
This may just be the best news I have heard in weeks concerning the Crew. The only thing that would top this would be if the Brewers go undefeated for the rest of the month and regain their hold on the National League wild card ... or if J.J. Hardy jumped out of a box with a dozen roses and asked me out on a date.
Yost earned his first Major League managing position after replacing Jerry Royster in October of 2002. Prior to this opportunity, he spent 12 seasons on the coaching staff of the Atlanta Braves, a team that won their division title every year except for once, while he was on staff. With the Braves, he served as a bullpen and a third base coach.
As a professional baseball player, Yost was behind the plate as a catcher in 219 games. He earned most of his spotlight with the Brewers from 1980-1983, where he was a member of the 1982 American League Champion Brewers. He also spent a season with Texas and another with Montreal. In the majors, Yost batted .212 and registered 16 homeruns and 64 RBI. He finished his baseball career in 1987 as a player in the Braves minor-league system.
Yost did help improve the Brewers' winning percentage as the team's manager for almost six seasons, registering a 457-502 record. The franchise went four straight seasons with 94 or more losses before Yost took over the managing role. Milwaukee improved to 81-81, 75-87 and 83-79 the last three seasons and is currently sitting at 83-68. Last season, the Brewers started off with one of the best records in baseball and ended up finishing in fourth place in the NL Central Division.
Overall, Yost provided Milwaukee with a nudge in the right direction, but in order for Milwaukee to finally wrap its arms around a playoff spot, changes needed to be made.
If Milwaukee somehow gets over yet another late-season slump and makes it into the playoffs, this will be the franchise's first look at post-season action since its playoff trip in 1982.
Do the Brewers still have a shot at claiming a playoff position? Yes, but to do so, the Brewers need to finish ahead of Philadelphia in the remaining 11 games of the regular season. And with Milwaukee's luck, five of their remaining games will be against the Chicago Cubs, the team with the best record in the NL. To add some more stress to the Brewers, they will be on the road their next five games, playing at Wrigley Field for the remainder of their three game series against the Cubs that started yesterday and then to Cincinnati.
The final six games of the season will be at Miller Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cubbies. But by then, the Brewers better hope to not be in over their heads. If they are going to start digging themselves out of the hole they are standing in, they better drop their bats and start using those shovels immediately.
If you think the Brewers have what it takes to win the wild card race without Ned Yost calling the shots, e-mail her at crowns@wisc.edu.
