Sedar moving to advisory role on Brewers' coaching staff
MILWAUKEE (AP) — After working as a Milwaukee Brewers first-base or third-base coach for the last 14 seasons, Ed Sedar is moving into a new role as an adviser to the team’s coaching staff.
That move marked the biggest change as the Brewers announced manager Craig Counsell’s 2021 coaching staff Wednesday.
Sedar had been the Brewers’ first-base coach from 2007-10 and third-base coach from 2011-20. He also has worked in the Brewers organization as a minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator (1992-2006) and minor league field coordinator (2002-06).
“Eddie’s still going to have the responsibilities of helping us down in spring training, he’ll be around the major league team, in uniform before home games, and really just continue to serve as a resource for Craig and the rest of our staff,” Brewers general manager David Stearns said.
Quintin Berry will take over as a base coach next season after working as the Brewers’ minor league outfielder and baserunning coordinator from 2019-20.
Counsell said Berry’s responsibilities in Milwaukee also will include baserunning and outfield instruction.
“Immediately as he took the coaching role in our player development system, it was obvious he was going to become a big-league coach,” Counsell said. “He’s knowledgeable about his area. He has a presence that allows him to affect players. And he has a great energy about him.”
Hitting coach Andy Haines, pitching coach Chris Hook, bullpen coach Steve Karsay, bench coach Pat Murphy and assistant hitting coach Jacob Cruz are returning to the same positions they had this year.
Jason Lane, a first-base coach this season, will be a base coach again in 2021. Walker McKinven is back as associate pitching, catching and strategy coach.
Counsell said he hasn’t yet determined which base coach will handle first and which will be at third.
The Brewers will have two new bullpen catchers next year in Nestor Corredor and Adam Weisenburger. Marcus Hanel had been a Brewers bullpen catcher for the last 21 seasons.
“Marcus was certainly an important part of us for a long, long time,” Counsell said. “This is a physical job. It’s largely a physical job. And so it was time for just someone new to do it.”
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Brewers decline Ryan Braun's $15 million option for 2021
MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers have declined to exercise a $15 million mutual 2021 option on veteran outfielder Ryan Braun as the franchise's career home run leader ponders whether to continue playing. Braun is due a $4 million buyout.
The 37-year-old often said this year that this might be his final season. He has spent his entire career in Milwaukee and has a franchise-record 352 career home runs.
"I'll take my time in making a decision,'' Braun said in mid-September. "I'll sit down with my family and see where we're at in a couple of months. It's not a decision that I anticipate making right away. I'll take some time to see where I'm at physically, see where things stand baseball-specifically and in the world at large before I make a decision about that.''
Braun batted a career-low .233 with seven homers and 27 RBIs in 39 games this season while working through a back issue, though his .958 OPS in September helped the Brewers earn a third straight playoff berth. The back problem prevented him from playing the final game of the NL wild-card series loss to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Braun ranks second In Brewers history in RBIs (1,154), extra-base hits (809), total bases (3,525) and doubles (408). He ranks third in runs (1,080), hits (1,963), triples (49), stolen bases (216) and walks (586).
Mutual admiration at center of Brady-Rodgers relationship
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tom Brady has a score to settle with Aaron Rodgers, and it’s got nothing to do with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks meet for just the third time in their long careers Sunday, with Rodgers’ Packers (4-0) trying to remain unbeaten and Brady’s Bucs (3-2) eager to see how they measure up with one of the NFL’s top teams.
The stars understand they’re the focal point of the matchup, but reject the notion it’ll be Brady vs. Rodgers.
“When you play against another great quarterback, you always know those are the tough teams to beat because they’re prepared, they’re going to play well on offense, they’ve got a very talented defense. It just means you can’t make a lot of mistakes,” Brady said.
“I’m not defending Aaron. We’ve got a whole defense that’s doing that. But from my standpoint, what does that mean? I can play a role in that by doing our job on offense, so that a guy like that doesn’t have his offense on the field trying to score points,” Brady added. “You just can’t give guys like that extra opportunities because they make you pay.”
Rodgers, who has thrown for 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions through four games, struck a similar tone.
“I’m not playing against Tom; I’m playing against the Buccaneers’ defense. That’s how it should be viewed,” Rodgers said.
“He’s obviously done it at the highest of levels for so long. He’s been an icon at the position. He’s been somebody that we’ve all looked up to for so many years as the standard of excellence,” Rodgers added. “I think there’s a ton of admiration and respect for the way that he’s played the game from so many of us, especially us guys who’ve been in the same era ... and gotten to compete with him.”
Speaking of competition, Brady’s good-natured beef with his Green Bay counterpart actually stems from some time they spent together a few years ago in Los Angeles.
Among other things they talked about how eating healthy and taking care of the body could extend playing careers and improve overall quality of life.
They also played nine holes of golf.
“He made a putt at the end to win, so I was a little (ticked) about that,” Brady recalled. “I always enjoy my time around him. Still trying to get him back on the golf course, though.”
Brady has followed the Green Bay quarterback’s career ever since Rodgers was in college at Cal.
“He’s just been a great player. What’s not to like about his game? When you’re a quarterback, I think there’s always mutual admiration because you appreciate: ‘Man, it’s a tough job,’” Brady said.
“And when guys do it at a high level year after year after year after year after year, that’s says a lot about how they think about the game, how they take care of themselves, how the organization feels about them, how their teammates feel about them,” Brady added. “He’s just done an incredible job.”
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AP: NCAA will vote in January to change NIL, transfer rules
(AP: Ralph Russo) A set of proposals to permit NCAA athletes to earn money from endorsements and sponsorships deals will go up for vote in January, the last step for the association to change its rules but not the last word on how name, image and likeness compensation will work.
One year after the NCAA’s Board of Governors directed membership at each of division of the association to come up with plans to allow athletes to cash in on their fame, the Division I Council on Wednesday approved a proposal that took shape in April.
The council also approved a proposal that would permit all NCAA athletes to transfer one time without having to sit out a season of competition. Currently, football, basketball, baseball and hockey players must sit out a year after they transfer as an undergraduate. Athletes in other sports have already had access to a one-time exception.
Both proposals will go to membership for comment and feedback. barring something unforeseen, they return to the Division I Council — which has representatives from all 32 D-I conferences —- for a final vote in Janaury.
“While there has been a lot of surveying of the membership to date, getting proposals in the system has a way of sparking additional conversation and we’re hoping there will be some refinement over the next three months,” said Grace Calhoun, the athletic director at Penn and council chairwoman.
If the proposals pass, which is also likely, they would go into effect for the 2021-22 school year.
For name, image and likeness rules, though, there is still work to be done by lawmakers in Washington. The NCAA has asked for help from Congress in the form of a federal law that would set rules for NIL compensation, override a growing number of states laws that have pressured the NCAA to take action and protect the association from legal attacks.
“We have acknowledged from the early days if this that the membership of the NCAA can’t do this alone,” Calhoun said.
Lawmakers from both political parties have said they plan after the election to introduce bills related to college sports, though some are looking beyond name, image and likeness to broader reforms.
The NCAA’s proposal will allow athletes to use their names, images and likenesses to promote their own products and services or those of a third-party. An athlete could become a paid spokesperson for local business or earn money as a social media influencer.
The proposal also calls for athletes to be permitted to make money for personal appearances and autograph signings.
Athletes would also be granted access to agents for “professional advice and marketing assistance.”
There are some limitations. Under the proposal, athletes are not permitted to use their school’s logos or marks. Schools are prohibited from being involved in any deals made by athletes.
The NCAA would like to use a third-party vendor as a clearinghouse for athletes to disclose any personal business deals and determine fair-market value. Calhoun said the NCAA has made requests for proposals to several firms to manage an NIL clearinghouse.
Other action by the Division I Council included:
— Extending eligibility for winter sport athletes, giving them all an extra year because of disruptions to their seasons caused by COVID-19. That decision falls in line with similar ones made in April for spring sport athletes who had much of their seasons wiped out at the start of the pandemic and for fall sport athletes who season’s have been delayed or altered because of COVID-19.
— Approving a recommendation by the football oversight committee to waive bowl eligibility requirements for this season.
— Introduced legislation for the allocation of championship resources.
— Supported the expansion of the men’s and women’s basketball selection committees.
Brewers boost playoff chances with 3-0 win over Cardinals
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brandon Woodruff allowed two hits in eight innings and the Milwaukee Brewers boosted their playoff prospects in a big way by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 on Saturday night.
Ryan Braun and Daniel Vogelbach hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth, the third time the Brewers have hit consecutive homers this season.
Milwaukee can reach the postseason with a win Sunday in St. Louis, or losses by the Giants and Phillies.
“We have to win, and I think in the back of everybody’s mind we knew that, but I think the most important thing with these type games is you just go about your day the same as you’ve done for 12 other starts,” Woodruff said. “It’s tough to do, but it’s something that if you can keep that same routine and keep that going, it makes everything seem normal.”
Woodruff (3-5) retired 19 straight after pitching around leadoff hits in the first and second.
Milwaukee (29-30) is fourth in the NL Central, a game behind division rivals St. Louis (29-28) and Cincinnati (30-29). But the Brewers control their own playoff destiny thanks to San Francisco’s loss to San Diego later Saturday.
The Cardinals need a victory or a San Francisco loss Sunday to clinch a spot in the expanded eight-team field and avoid playing a makeup doubleheader Monday in Detroit that would decide their fate.
“I love throwing in these type games,” Woodruff said. “That’s just what I like doing. ... I just feel like I can slow the game down. We made some good defensive plays early on. They had some traffic early, but I was able to get through those innings and was able to start making pitches.”
Woodruff struck out 10 and walked one as he beat the Cardinals for the second time this season. He threw a season-high 108 pitches, 73 for strikes.
“The story of the game was Woody,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “It was just as good a start I think that we’ve seen since the (CC) Sabathia start at the end of ’08, in a big game, in a regular-season game, to deliver right there and not only deliver but help us for tomorrow, it can’t be understated, what he did.”
Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save in 15 tries.
Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (5-3) retired the first seven batters he faced before wriggling out of a two-on, one-out jam in the third.
Wainwright wasn’t so fortunate in the fourth as Braun drove his second pitch of the inning into the Cardinals’ bullpen. Three pitches later, Vogelbach smashed an 89 mph delivery 420 feet into the left-center bleachers to make it 2-0.
“Their guy just did a great job,” Wainwright said. “I mean, he was filthy tonight. I thought I saw him at 98 miles an hour a couple times with a great breaking ball and a couple of really good changeups he throws, so I needed to put zeros up there to match him them and they got a couple of runs across on me.”
Wainwright entered the game with 18 career wins against the Brewers, the most of any active pitcher.
“He’s been incredibly successful against us as a team,” Braun said. “It felt like a huge hurdle for us to have to overcome today in facing him.”
Omar Narváez singled home Orlando Arcia to extend Milwaukee’s lead in the seventh. Arcia had four hits, including a pair of doubles.
If the Brewers win Sunday or get some help, they will make the postseason for the third straight season, which would be a first for the franchise.
“I think we’ve given our fan base hope again,” Braun said. “Early in the year, I don’t think there was a lot of optimism out there, but we’ve played well enough to put ourselves in position to at least have a chance.”
Three home runs power Cincinnati past the Brewers
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Joey Votto homered for his first hit all season against Milwaukee, Trevor Bauer dominated on short rest, and the Cincinnati Reds won a pivotal series for playoff contention, beating the Brewers 6-1 on Wednesday night.
The Reds are in position for a wild-card playoff berth after taking two of three from their NL Central rival. Cincinnati has won nine of 11, its best streak of the season, to get a shot at its first playoff appearance since 2013 under manager Dusty Baker.
Reflecting the urgency of winning the final game of the series, Cincinnati had Bauer (5-4) pitch on three days' rest. He allowed four hits and struck out 12 in eight innings.
Bauer exited with an NL-best 1.73 ERA. Cleveland's Shane Bieber tops the majors at 1.63 after a strong performance Wednesday night.
After a day off Thursday, Cincinnati finishes with three games in Minnesota and a chance to clinch a spot.
For Milwaukee, it was a disappointing start to a challenging final week on the road. The Brewers fell a game behind the Reds and now head to St. Louis, where they'll play five games in four days with a doubleheader on Friday.
Packers: Matt LaFleur talks injuries to Davante Adams, Corey Linsley
On a day of horrible injury news across the NFL the Green Bay Packers appear to have avoided a serious setback for one of their most important players.
Wide receiver Davante Adams left Sunday’s 42-21 win over Detroit in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. Green Bay was in control of the game when he went out and coach Matt LaFleur said that played a factor in Adams not returning.
“I know he wanted to go back in the game,” LaFleur said Monday. “I just told him, ‘Hey, let’s just see how these next few series go and see if we need you,’ because obviously he’s a huge part of what we do offensively and a key member of this football team. If we don’t need him, we didn’t want to put him back in a position to do further harm to his own body.”
Adams was held in check before the injury, catching three passes for 36 yards as the Lions focused on slowing him, allowing Aaron Jones and others to have big games.
LaFleur would not speculate on his Adams’ status for this Sunday’s game at New Orleans.
The Packers are also dealing with an injury to center Corey Linsley. He suffered an injury to his snapping hand in the fourth quarter and did not return.
“It’s hard to play center if you can’t snap,” LaFleur said. “That’s something we’ll work through throughout the week and see where he is at. If he’s able to go, he’ll go.”
If he can’t go, it will lead to another shuffling of the offensive line. Lucas Patrick started at left guard in the first game, right guard in the second and would be the starting center if Linsley is held out. It’s possible the Packers will get back guard/tackle Billy Turner. He was dressed for Sunday’s game but did not play as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
Former Packers Charles Woodson, Leroy Butler among nominees for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson are among 14 first-year eligible candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Joining the two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and the star cornerback/safety on the ballot are receivers Calvin Johnson, Wes Welker and Roddy White; running back Steven Jackson; tight end Heath Miller; offensive linemen D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Logan Mankins; defensive linemen Jared Allen, Justin Tuck and Kevin Williams; linebacker Jerod Mayo; and defensive back Charles Tillman.
In all, there are 130 nominees for five modern-era spots. The roster of nominees consists of 65 offensive players, 49 defensive players and 16 special teams players. The list will be reduced to 25 semifinalists in November and to 15 finalists in January. A maximum of five modern-era players will be chosen when the selection committee meets the Saturday before the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida.
Eighteen finalists will be presented to the full 48-member panel: the 15 modern-era finalists, and the recently nominated Drew Pearson (senior); Bill Nunn (contributor); and Tom Flores (coach).
Enshrinement at the hall in Canton, Ohio, will take place next August, when members of the 2020 class and a special centennial class also will enter the football shrine. The 2020 class could not be enshrined due to the coronavirus pandemic and will be honored next summer.
That class has players Steve Atwater, Isaac Bruce, Harold Carmichael, Jimbo Covert, Bobby Dillon, Cliff Harris, Winston Hill, Steve Hutchinson, Edgerrin James, Alex Karras, Troy Polamalu, Donnie Shell, Duke Slater, Mac Speedie and Ed Sprinkle; coaches Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson; and contributors Steve Sabol, Paul Tagliabue and George Young.
Returning finalists from last year are receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne; offensive linemen Tony Boselli and Alan Faneca; defensive linemen Richard Seymour and Bryant Young; linebackers Sam Mills and Zach Thomas; and defensive backs John Lynch and LeRoy Butler.
Giannis Antetokounmpo a unanimous first-team All-NBA pick
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — LeBron James now stands alone in All-NBA recognition history, getting there unanimously.
James was revealed Wednesday as an All-NBA player for a record 16th time, breaking the mark he shared with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. He was a first-team pick on all 100 ballots, joining Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only unanimous first-team selections this season.
Joining them on the first team: Houston guard James Harden, Lakers forward Anthony Davis and Dallas guard Luka Doncic, who got the nod in just his second season in the NBA — becoming the first player to do that since Duncan in 1998-99.
The 21-year-old Doncic is the sixth player to make All-NBA at that age or younger, joining Kevin Durant, James, Duncan, Rick Barry and Max Zaslofsky.
James is a first-team pick for the 13th time in his career, extending his record there. Bryant and Karl Malone were 11-time first-teamers. Antetokounmpo, the reigning MVP and the frontrunner to win the award again this season, was picked unanimously for the second consecutive year.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Denver center Nikola Jokic, Portland guard Damian Lillard, Oklahoma City guard Chris Paul and Toronto forward Pascal Siakam were on the second team.
The third-team picks were Boston forward Jayson Tatum, Miami forward Jimmy Butler, Utah center Rudy Gobert, Philadelphia guard Ben Simmons and Houston guard Russell Westbrook.
Paul and Westbrook are now nine-time All-NBA players, Harden a six-time choice, Lillard is a five-timer and Antetokounmpo, Leonard and Davis are four-time selections. Butler and Gobert are three-time selections, Jokic a two-time choice and Siakam, Tatum and Simmons all joined Doncic as being on the team for the first time.
Harden and Doncic appeared on all 100 ballots — though only James and Antetokounmpo were unanimous as first-team choices on every ballot. Davis and Jokic were on 99 ballots, and Leonard appeared on 98.
The voting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11, and voters had to choose two guards, two forwards and one center for each team. Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton did not make All-NBA even though he appeared on more ballots (60) than Simmons (43) and Westbrook (38); they made the team as guards. Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid got 39 votes and did not make the team either, after finishing fourth among centers.
Middleton led forwards who didn’t make the team in votes, Embiid did the same for centers and Washington’s Bradley Beal (26 votes) did the same for guards.
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Brewers no-hit by Chicago Alec Mills in 12-0 loss
MILWAUKEE (AP) — From college walk-on to major league starter, Chicago Cubs right-hander Alec Mills had to earn most every break he got.
On the brink of big league history, he was happy to welcome this bit of luck: expecting to see two-time batting champion Christian Yelich in the on-deck circle, Mills looked over and saw his backup instead.
“That kind of surprised me,” he said.
This one surprised just about everyone.
Mills cruised through baseball’s second no-hitter this season in just the 15th start of his career, completing the gem in a 12-0 romp over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
Mills got Jace Peterson — who replaced Yelich, the 2018 NL MVP, on defense late in the blowout — to hit a routine grounder to shortstop Javier Baez with two outs in the ninth. Baez completed the play, and the Cubs swarmed around Mills, tearing off his cap and pulling at the smiling right-hander’s uniform after his first career complete game.
“It just hasn’t really hit me yet,” the 28-year-old said. “It’s kind of crazy, I didn’t even know how to celebrate. Just something that all came together today. Obviously a memory I’ll have forever.”
Mills (5-3) threw 114 pitches and hardly had any close calls in Chicago’s 16th no-hitter.
Mills struck out five and walked three. His five strikeouts are the fewest in a Cubs no-hitter since Ken Holtzman in 1969. He only induced five swings and misses, tied with Oakland’s Dallas Braden during his perfect game in 2010 for fewest in a no-hitter since at least 1988, per Stats Inc.
“I can promise you it was not a slow heartbeat,” Mills said. “I had to kind of take a seat and calm myself down. It was tough. I had to take a lot of deep breaths and get into a good mindset.”
Chicago White Sox ace Lucas Giolito threw baseball’s other no-hitter this season against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 15.
Milwaukee had not been held hitless since Detroit’s Justin Verlander pitched the first of his three no-hitters on June 12, 2007. It’s the fourth time the Brewers have been no-hit.
Held without a hit through three innings, the Cubs broke through against Milwaukee in the fourth against starter Adrian Houser (1-5) due in large part to shoddy fielding by the Brewers. Kyle Schwarber drew a one-out walk, Baez reached on an error and Jason Heyward followed with a bloop double to left to drive in a run.
With the infield in, Jason Kipnis hit a ball directly to Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura, who had it slip out of his hand as he tried to rush a throw to the plate, allowing a run to score.
Victor Caratini followed with a run-scoring bloop single and Ian Happ connected for a two-run single as the Cubs scored five runs in the inning, all unearned.
“Nothing went right today. We didn’t play a good game,” Counsell said. “We played a poor game and we lost. We have to turn the page and know that there’s still a lot of important baseball left in front of us.”
