I'm putting the finishing touches on my weekly Brewers Notebook but wanted to take a moment to share a few short observations on the first-place Brewers.

Greinke – Slowly but surely, Zack Greinke is looking more and more like the big-time, lockdown ace right-hander the Brewers traded for last winter – especially at Miller Park.

Greinke is 10-0 so far at home; about as dominant as a pitcher can be.

Talking with Greinke after games is a chore but he probably doesn't enjoy it very much, either, so I guess we can call it a wash. Still, watching him deal is a fun experience. When he's on, and he has been for the most part lately, he's tough to beat. This could end up being the best move of Doug Melvin's career in Milwaukee.

Prince – I'm still trying to figure out what more people expect Melvin and Mark Attanasio to do when it comes to Prince Fielder. There are some very important things to keep in mind here:

• As has been mentioned frequently, Fielder has had every opportunity to stay in Milwaukee. The team has put together some pretty impressive and expensive packages and he's turned them down. The ball has been in his court for a long time now.
• Scott Boras doesn't like his clients to sign extensions. Notice he was nowhere to be found last week when Jered Weaver signed his deal. Weaver went against Boras' wishes. That's not his style. He wants his guys on the open market. He wants to play suitors against each other. He wants top dollar. He doesn't care about hometown discounts or where a player is best suited for success ... it's all about the money.
• Players don't like to negotiate contracts in-season. Yes, it has happened before but how many times do you hear a player say "I'm not doing any more contract stuff once the season starts." Especially now, with the Brewers trying to lock down a playoff spot, you won't hear much on the extension front.

It's easy to sit there and say "oh, Doug and Mark should offer him this, this and this and get a deal done because he's an MVP candidate and blah, blah, blah..." It's easier said than done. And it's time to really accept the fact that Fielder will most likely not be in a Brewers uniform next year. So enjoy it while you can.

Taylor Green – The way people have talked about this kid, you'd think he was the second coming of Ryan Braun. Green hit .336 with 22 home runs and 91 RBI for Class AA Huntsville and Class AAA Nashville this year before finally getting called up to the majors over the weekend.

The kid has done pretty well this year and might be the long-term answer at third base if the team decides to part ways with Casey McGehee. But right now, it's all speculation. Ask anybody who's played the game and they'll tell you the jump from AAA to the bigs is huge. Few players just keep producing at the same clip (anyone remember Rickie Weeks or J.J. Hardy and the way they struggled?). Look beyond the overall numbers and the two errors Sunday and you'll see that McGehee has played much better of late. It's too late for him to hit .3o0 for the year or drive in 100 runs, but if he can keep up his current pace, it'll be a big help.

Green will get his chance, it just won't be this year.

Showdown looming – Miller Park will be jumping later this month when Philadelphia comes to town for a four-game series that could very much determine who gets home field advantage in the National League. As of Monday, the Phillies (83-46) hold a five-game lead over the Brewers (81-54) for the best record in the NL. This could be fun. Real fun.

Relax – There are 27 games left on the schedule, including some big ones against the Cardinals and Phillies. The Brewers have a big lead in the division and though it's still early (it is...), it's important to remember to relax, take a deep breath and enjoy it. Milwaukee hasn't had a lot of winners over the years and though the Brewers appear poised for a strong stretch, you never know when the bottom could fall out. Don't overanalyze and second-guess every decision. Just enjoy the fun. This is what you've been waiting for, isn't it?