Shrinking the Brewers

On Thursday, the Milwaukee Brewers hired Ken Macha. “The job of the manager is really not to be buddies with all the players,” said Macha. “You have to make very difficult decisions over the course of the year. Sometimes players get a little personal and think it's personal. It really isn't.”

During his career, Macha has amassed a 368-280 record. He has accrued two division championships. “The four years in Oakland I learned a tremendous amount of baseball, don't get me wrong,” said Macha. “I can be nothing but a better manager now that I come here to Milwaukee.”

This offseason, C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets may exit. Given the aforesaid, General Manager Doug Melvin’s strategy is simple. Diminish expectations. “I have no idea what this team is going to look like in January,” he said. “He can't be judged on what we've done in the past because the team's going to be different, he's got to be judged on the team that's been given to him.”