Milwaukee Brewers

Dec. 24, 2006: Suppan signs a four-year, $42 million contract with an option for 2011. Did Santa come early in 2006? No, but Scrooge sure did. 

Fresh off of a NL Championship series MVP award, Suppan jumped at the chance to sign a big contract with the Brewers. GM Doug Melvin explains the signing stating, "He gives us a big-game pitcher. He's shown that last year."

That quote was far-fetched considering Suppan's line from 2006: 12-7 with a 4.12 ERA.

On a recent airing of the Mike and Mike show on ESPN Radio, Mike Greenberg (he’s the metrosexual “Mike”) revealed that he predicted the Milwaukee Brewers would win the NL Wild Card in 2010.

Mike Golic (he’s the schlub “Mike”) and whatever interchangeable ESPN baseball analyst was guesting at the time immediately set about ridiculing Greenberg for his hilariously misinformed opinion—blasting him as if he had claimed that Jim was the most talented Belushi brother.

In the middle of trading barbs about payroll with New York Yankees president Randy (I am just along for the ride) Levine, Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio decided to use some of the money that Levine says he is giving the Brewers to lock up one of the best young pitchers in the game.

Yesterday, the Brewers signed RHP Yovani Gallardo to a five-year, $31 million extension.

Here is a breakdown of the contract:

2010: $500,000

2011: $3.25 million

2012: $5.5 million

2013: $7.75 million

2014: $11.25 million

The Milwaukee Brewers were busy even on their off day on Thursday. They became the latest team to sign a young player to a long-term deal, buying out a couple free agency-eligible seasons when they signed Yovani Gallardo to a five-year, $30.1 million deal.

The contract is the richest ever for a pitcher with two-plus years of Major League service time. Gallardo passes Jon Lester, who got a $30 million contract from the Boston Red Sox last year.

2009 fell short of the Milwaukee Brewers' goals, but thanks to added pitching depth and veteran hitting, the Brewers are poised for a great 2010. As with any season, the Brewers face many questions in 2010. Will Yovani Gallardo prove worthy of being a staff ace? Will Corey Hart break out like in 2007, and end his three-year decline? Will Braun and Fielder reign again as the top one-two punch in baseball? For the Brewers to get to the playoffs again, and make a deep run, 10 keys come into play.

When this Colorado Rockies team was put together, it was heralded as a young club with veteran leadership. The two would combine to produce fundamentally sound defense and clutch hitting on offense.

The Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees faced off in the 1970s and 80s and had quite a rivalry in the American League East.

All that changed when the Brewers switched leagues in 1998, but it seems there may be a renewal of the rivalry, at least between the front offices.

Yankees President Randy Levine called out Brewers owner Mark Attanasio in the media on Tuesday.

Attanasio recently made comments to USA Today about the difficulties his team is having in trying to sign Prince Fielder to a long-term deal.

The Milwaukee Brewers did their best to stage a ninth inning rally for the over 45,000 fans in attendance at Miller Park yesterday, but Franklin Morales and the Colorado Rockies were just a bit better.

The Brewers brought the tying run to the plate with just one out in the ninth, but both Prince Fielder and Jim Edmonds hit line drives that were caught, and Milwaukee started the 2010 season with a loss.

The new season is officially under way for the Milwaukee Brewers, and while they didn't come out of the day with a "W," they played some pretty good baseball in places.

The best performance of the day from someone in a Brewer uniform belonged to new center fielder Carlos Gomez.

He had four hits in five at-bats with a double, solo home run, stolen base, and two runs scored. Gomez also played well in center field to cap off a memorable Milwaukee debut.

As Milwaukee Brewers manager Ken Macha fills out a lineup card that he hopes will remain consistent for six months this spring, summer, and fall, the task proves to be rather simple—not painstaking work. But upon second glance, one would realize that the two hole has been left empty by the Brewers' skipper. And the two names missing are Alcides Escobar and Carlos Gomez.