February 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Michael Hunt
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Only a fool would say the Brewers will not miss Prince Fielder. He is a freak-of-nature hitter, one of about two of his kind at the moment in the major leagues. Only a fool would say the Brewers could have done something to re-sign him. Even with Miller Park and revenue sharing and top-10 attendance, the Brewers will never be able to do anything about their standing as MLB's smallest media market. Consequently, the Brewers' local radio/TV money, which always will separate them from the outrageous spenders, always will be relative sofa-cushion change. It is a wonder they can afford one $100 million contract with Ryan Braun. Another $200 million contract? Let's just say the Wharton School of"
February 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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In less than one week, the Milwaukee Brewers' pitchers and catchers will report to spring training in Phoenix. Manager Ron Roenicke's first year with the club was a tremendous success, with a club-record 96 victories, the Brewers' first National League Central crown and first postseason series triumph in 29 years. As Roenicke prepared for the start of his second spring camp as the Brewers' skipper, he took time to answer 10 questions from Journal Sentinel baseball writer Tom Haudricourt. Q. As your second spring training as manager of the Brewers draws near, what is primary in your thinking? What is on your mind the most? A. After having a good season, I don't think there will be a lot of"
February 11
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Had the date of Ryan Braun's appeal hearing not leaked to the media, one would have no way of knowing that the recommended deadline for rendering a verdict is near. But, just as the positive drug test of the Milwaukee Brewers' star leftfielder leaked, so did the hearing dates. Braun appealed that result and pending 50-game suspension before a three-man arbitration panel in New York City on Jan. 19-20. Major League Baseball's drug policy states that the panel chair, in this case Shyam Das, "shall make all reasonable efforts" to render a verdict within 25 days following the opening of the hearing. The 25th day after the hearing opened would be Monday. That recommendation is not rigid,"
February 9
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Brewers starter Zack Greinke is to become a free agent at the end of the 2012 season. Brewers' general manager Doug Melvin was interviewed Wednesday on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM by Jim Memolo and Todd Hollandsworth. Melvin was asked about Greinke. Memolo: "From where I'm sitting I'm not sure how you're going to handle Zack Greinke, considering what you gave up in that trade. How are you going to handle that? What's your priority with Zack Greinke right now?""
February 4
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Minutes before a scheduled arbitration hearing Friday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla., the Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Shaun Marcum reached agreement on a one-year deal for $7,725,000 - the midpoint of figures filed in mid-January. So, why didn't the sides settle at the midpoint without going all the way to Florida? "Sometimes there are things out of your control," said Teddy Werner, the Brewers' vice president for business operations. "Sometimes the process has to play out." In other words, the arbitration process is all about comparables when working out a contract figure. The best comparables in terms of service time and production for Marcum were Chicago Cubs right-hander Matt"
February 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist David O'Brien
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When a reporter mentioned this week that Jason Heyward had dropped about 20 pounds during the offseason and asked Chipper Jones if he'd noticed a difference in Heyward's physique and how it affected his swing, Jones smiled and pretty much scoffed. For the record, the nearly 6-foot-5 right fielder has gone from an imposing, chiseled 256 pounds to a chiseled, imposing 235. In terms to which some of our readers may better relate, Heyward's gone from D-1 defensive end to D-1 tight end."
February 1
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Bob Wolfley
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NBC broadcaster Bob Costas sounded a call about the Ryan Braun episode that more observers will repeat if the Brewers' leftfielder fails to win his appeal for reportedly testing positive for a banned substance. Costas was interviewed by Dan Patrick Tuesday morning in Indianapolis on Patrick's radio show. Both broadcasters are at Super Bowl XLVI as part of NBC's coverage of the event. Both are part of NBC's "Football Night in America" show on Sunday nights in the regular season. Patrick asked Costas, who also works for the MLB Network, what was going to happen with Braun's case. "No one has ever won an appeal," Costas said. "The thing is set up and it's made clear that even if you by your"
January 29
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Those planning to attend the Milwaukee Brewers' fan festival Sunday at the Frontier Airlines Center can count on interacting with a variety of new faces. For beginners, three-fourths of the starting infield is different from the squad that captured the 2011 National League Central Division crown. Veteran free agents Aramis Ramirez and Alex Gonzalez have replaced Casey McGehee and Yuniesky Betancourt at third base and shortstop, respectively. Ramirez and Gonzalez will be introduced to fans during a question-and-answer session in which team owner Mark Attanasio and general manager Doug Melvin also will participate. That session begins at 12:15 p.m. on the main stage. Ramirez, who signed a"
January 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Though not specifically referencing the drug testing controversy that has enveloped him for most of the off-season, Ryan Braun did not ignore it as many expected when accepting his National League most valuable player award Saturday night. The Milwaukee Brewers' star leftfielder, who awaits the verdict from an arbitration panel on whether he'll be suspended for the first 50 games of the 2012 season, talked about facing "adversity" and "challenge" during his speech at the annual Baseball Writers Association of America awards banquet at the New York Hilton. "Sometimes in life we all deal with challenges we never expected to endure," said Braun, making his first public appearance since a"
January 21
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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And now Ryan Braun and the Milwaukee Brewers wait for the verdict. Assuming Braun's arbitration hearing concluded Friday as expected in New York, major-league baseball's Basic Agreement calls for a decision to be rendered within 25 days as the Brewers' all-star leftfielder seeks to avoid a 50-game suspension for a reported positive test for a banned substance in October. While 25 days are allotted if necessary, everyone involved is hoping for a shorter timetable for the important verdict. The three-man panel is allowed to announce its decision in advance of the required written opinion. The New York Daily News reported that Braun's arbitration hearing began Thursday in front of a panel"
January 19
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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With the Texas Rangers finalizing a six-year, $60 million deal with Yu Darvish on Wednesday, it's less likely they'll have the funds needed to also sign star free agent Prince Fielder. Which means the Mariners now have a slightly better chance to snag the hard-hitting first baseman than they did before. I say "slightly" because, well, Seattle still has many high hurdles to clear for any deal with Fielder. First of all, there's the money issue. After the Angels signed Albert Pujols for $240 million over 10 years, the salary bar is high for a hot commodity like Fielder. He could be looking for $200 million or more from whatever team eventually signs him. And the Mariners aren't exactly"
January 18
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Brewers have signed outfielder Norichika Aoki to a two-year contract with a club option for 2014. They had until 4 p.m. to sign Aoki or lose his negotiating rights. Brewers GM Doug Melvin said he didn't want to get into terms of the deal because the contract had not been filed yet with the the MLB Labor Relations Board. He said the deal included "a fair amount of incentives." Melvin said the sides did not bump up to the deadline but the announcement was late because of a busy day with the Craig Counsell news conference and arbitration signings."
January 17
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Brewers general manager Doug Melvin just said he is "close" to a deal with Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki. The sides have until 4 p.m. to do a deal or the club loses negotiating rights. Melvin made the comment at the end of the press conference introducing Craig Counsell as a new member of the front office. He would not say if the negotiations involve a one-year deal or more. "I don't want to say until something is done," he said."
January 17
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Brewers have struck a one-year deal with Francisco Rodriguez for $8 million, avoiding what could have been a complicated arbitration case. Rodriguez had a base salary of $11.5 million last year and was a free agent who unexpectedly accepted the Brewers' offer of salary arbitration last December. The Brewers plan to use "K-Rod" as a setup man for closer John Axford. His agent, Scott Boras, views him as closer material, and thus the stage was set for an interesting philosophical debate. Instead, this deal was struck, leaving the Brewers with three players in arbitration: RHP Shaun Marcum and relievers Kameron Loe and Jose Veras."
January 17
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Milwaukee Brewers face deadlines on a couple of fronts Tuesday. The Brewers have until 4 p.m. to reach agreement on a contract with Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki or lose negotiating rights to sign him. Four hours before that, teams will exchange salary figures with their remaining unsigned players eligible for arbitration. The Brewers' number of arbitration-eligible players dipped from five to four when centerfielder Nyjer Morgan agreed to a $2.35 million deal. Because agents and teams were busy Monday preparing their arbitration figures, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said he had no conversations with Aoki's agent, Nez Balelo. The sides exchanged contract proposals over the"
January 15
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Milwaukee Brewers have exchanged contract proposals with Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki, but general manager Doug Melvin said Saturday it was too early to tell if a deal could be worked out before the Tuesday deadline. "We've made an offer to him and he gave us a proposal back," said Melvin, who has been negotiating with Nez Balelo, the agent for Aoki. "That's where it's at. We're evaluating it. We're going to look at this vs. the other options out there with outfielders. We're still negotiating and exploring other options." The Brewers have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to sign Aoki or lose negotiating rights to him. They won those rights by posting a winning bid of $2.5 million in"
January 13
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Milwaukee Brewers avoided arbitration with left-hander Manny Parra, agreeing to a one-year deal Thursday. MLB.com reported the deal is worth $1.2 million, the same salary Parra had in 2011. Parra missed the 2011 season, first with back issues, then an ailing elbow that eventually required surgery. He is expected to be full-go by spring training, and short on lefties in their bullpen, the Brewers opted to offer Parra a contract to see what he might do. Arbitration contracts are not guaranteed, however."