Thanks for playing Dale Sveum.  You are done as manager as the Milwaukee Brewers.  Forget the fact that you took the team from the brink of disaster to the playoffs in twelve short games.  Forget the fact that the players like and respect you.  Forget the fact that you could bring Robin Yount back to the dugout again.

Doug Melvin obviously has forgotten all of this.

Melvin is going after a manager who has been successful at the big league level.  Names like:

• Ken Macha, a poor communicator, who got run out of Oakland after too many playoff losses.
  
• Bob Brenly, former D-Backs manager who is now a broadcaster for the Cubs.   
• Buck Showalter, who, while successful at times, is loathed by players and has struck out with the Yankees, Texas and Arizona. In fact, Buck's teams get appreciably better after he leaves.
  
• Jim Tracy, the goofy former manager of the Dodgers and the Pirates.  Yeah, he did great in Pittsburgh, didn't he?
• Willie Randolph who flamed out with the Mets and presided over the collapse of 2007.

Most of these guys have more baggage than a Samsonite luggage store.  Brenly is probably the best of the bunch.  He won the World Series in 2001 and then had his team dismantled and couldn't recover.  Brewer fans may take a long time to warm up to a guy who has such stong ties to the Cubs. Cub fans would be thrilled because if Brenly is hired, it would give the Cubs the opportunity to hire Cub fan favorite Mark Grace as his replacement.

Hey, Doug.  Here's an idea for you.  Why not go after a bench coach from a winning team?  I mean, Joe Maddon hasn't done so poorly has he?  Here are some ideas for you:

• Joey Cora, Chicago White Sox: He's been there since Day One of the Ozzie regime including 2005 when the White Sox won the World Series.  He's a smart baseball man who could also help improve the Brewers shoddy infield defense.
• Dave Martinez, Bench Coach, Tampa Bay Rays: He's had a lot of major league experience both on the field as a player and off as a coach.  Sitting at Joe Maddon's right elbow can't be too bad, can it.
• Ron Roenick,Bench Coach, LA Angels: The Mike Soscia tree has many branches.  Why not one more?
• Bob Schaefer, Bench Coach, LA Dodgers: He's been around for almost thirty years including stints with Oakland and the Braves organizations plus he's been an interim manager for the Royals for a few minutes.

I'm pulling for Joey Cora.  I think he'd do a great job.