* Gwynn has been a popular player with Brewers fans since he was drafted. His father is a Hall of Famer. He's fast. He plays solid and at times spectacular defense. He runs well on a team that isn't blessed with a great deal of speed.

In two decades of covering athletes from the high school level to the pros, he just might be the most polite, pleasant guy I've come across. He handles himself with a humility and grace that is refreshing. He dealt with his numerous promotions and demotions last year as well as any athlete could. If it was possible for a bitter, jaded sports hack to cheer for any athlete, I would cheer for Tony Gwynn, Jr.

But, I think handing him the starting / leadoff jobs outright right now would be a mistake.

In parts of six seasons in the minor leagues, Gwynn has collected 2,227 at-bats and compiled a .273 batting average, .346 on-base percentage and .342 slugging percentage. (Power never has been his calling card; he hit one homer in three seasons at San Diego State.)

Pitching in the major leagues is considerably better than it is in Class AAA, where Gywnn's OBP was .328 last season (and has gone down in each of the past three seasons since leaving Class AA Huntsville). Allowing for a dropoff of being demoralized and having nothing to prove in Class AAA, if you project Gwynn's minor-league numbers into the major leagues, the results do not scream "Here is a starting player."

The counter-argument from many corners is obvious: He's never gotten a chance at the big-league level. Why were the Brewers patient with Rickie Weeks and J.J. Hardy, but not with Gwynn? Isn't that unfair, or at least inconsistent?

It may seem that way, but baseball is seldom fair. It's a meritocracy. As much as fans like Tony Gwynn and as much as they'd love to see him as the centerfielder and leadoff batter, the Brewers can't hand him the jobs just because he looks like he fits the suit. Part of it isn't even Gwynn's fault. If Weeks could produce the 25 homers expected of him and the third base spot hadn't been a sink hole, the Brewers could better afford to take a chance on a spray-hitting centerfielder with no power.

For now, however, the Brewers are better off having Cameron as the starter and Gwynn in a backup role.

Quick hits: New Brewers manager Ken Macha did the right thing by promoting Bill Castro to the role of pitching coach. Though Castro has paid his dues for 17 years and deserves the opportunity, it would have been easy for Macha to bypass him for a more familiar choice. Castro is universally liked and respected by the pitchers he has worked with in the past.... Even in defeat, the Bucks look interesting so far this season... What happened to the UW hockey team?... Look for the Packers to beat the Vikings Sunday at the Metrodome. Why? Because Mike McCarthy is a much better coach than Brad Childress... Congratulations to the UW-Milwaukee women's soccer team, which beat Wright State in the Horizon League semifinals Friday night. The Panthers, ranked 19th in the country, face host Loyola for the championship Sunday at 1 p.m. in Chicago.