Welcome to the Saturday Scorecard which, unlike Brewers grand slams, appears more than once every 585 days. With the weather warming up outside, we'll try to keep this installment on the breezy side:
Horse manure: Here are a couple questions for the fans who took it upon themselves to boo Astros leftfielder Carlos Lee Friday night at Miller Park.
What did he do to deserve that?
All Lee did in a season and a half with the Brewers was play every game, make two all-star teams, hit 60 homers and inject life into an offense and a clubhouse in dire need of both. He didn't ask to be traded, but the Brewers ended up getting a closer (Francisco Cordero), a couple outfielders (Kevin Mench, Laynce Nix) and a minor-league pitcher for him. Lee turned down the Brewers' offer (four years, $48 million), got traded to Texas and ended up signing a six-year, $100 million deal with the Astros.
Did ‘El Caballo' make a bad choice? Would anyone out there have done anything different?
"I don't blame (the Brewers)," Lee said. "We were looking for a six-year deal. We didn't talk about a (salary) number. They couldn't offer me six years. I don't have anything against the city; these are great fans.
As for the booing, Lee was not bothered. "The fans here are fine," he said, smiling. "It's no problem."
When you pay your money, you can cheer or boo as you please. The big hitter in the middle of the opposing lineup is an easy target for booing (see Ken Griffey, Jr., Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard). At the very least, Lee deserved some polite welcome-back applause before the booing started.
Tables turn: As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wisconsin's Herb Kohl threw some tough questions at Attorney General Alberto Gonzales during hearings this week.
Monday morning, Kohl will likely be asked some tough questions.
Due to a steady stream of requests, the Bucks are making the owner available for an informal media session at the team's training center in St. Francis. Kohl will undoubtedly have to answer questions about the team's performance this year and his vision for the future. Some questions about the future of the Bradley Center and a possible sale of the team likely will come up as well.
Tuesday will be the "Larry and Larry Show," when the general manager (Larry Harris) and head coach (Larry Krystkowiak) take their turns in front of the microphones.
Bobblehead brainbuster: Name the only major-leaguers to be honored with bobbleheads from three different teams. (Answer below).
Congratulations, Bruce: Milwaukee native Bruce Froemming set the record Monday night for longest continuous service as a major-league umpire: 36 years and 12 games. He beat the record set by Hall of Famer Bill Klem.
Froemming needs to work more than 300 more games to beat Klem's record of 5,368. Klem worked in an era when umpires did not get four weeks of vacation a season.
Johnny on the spot: Brewers manager Ned Yost, who was a light-hitting catcher during his playing days, obviously enjoys having a receiver who is an offensive threat. Considering what fans have watched in recent years (Henry Blanco, Paul Bako, Keith Osik, Robert Machado, Gary Bennett, Raul Casanova, etc.), it's hard to blame him.
But, keep an eye on Johnny Estrada. He's started 13 of the first 16 games and the Brewers, whose offensive production has been a bit inconsistent, can't afford to allow him to get run down.
Cardinal and White: The forecast for Madison today calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. That should add some zip to the Wisconsin football spring, which kicks off at 3 this afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium.
We've always wondered why the spring game isn't a bigger deal in Madison. Given the excitement about UW football, you'd think it would have a baseball opening day vibe. Maybe students are pooped from spring break, worried about finals, excited about other activities or just averse to what is usually dreary weather.
Speaking of the Badgers, it was interesting to see coach Brett Bielema take a shot at Notre Dame's BCS status in a recent interview. It didn't win him any fans in South Bend, but he struck a chord with a lot of fans who think the Irish get preferential treatment.
Bottom line -- Notre Dame gets ratings. Ratings mean money. The BCS is all about making money.
Movin' on up: To the surprise of no one, Ohio State center Greg Oden will enter the NBA Draft. We heard a radio commentator the other day suggest that Oden and Texas standout Kevin Durant should have shared the NBA's most valuable player award this season. They made about one-third of the teams in the league alter the way they played down the stretch. Who had a bigger impact than that?
Notebook: White Sox lefty Mark Buehrle's no-hitter was a reminder that the Brewers haven't had one since Juan Nieves in 1987. The team hasn't won a Gold Glove since Robin Yount in 1982 ... The Indians will finally get around to handing out the "Wild Thing" glasses to fans Wednesday night at Jacobs Field. A few dozen were seen at Miller Park last week, courtesy of the Indians and Saturday Scorecard's radio employer, Milwaukee's ESPN Radio 1510 Days / 1290 Nights ... Some baseball writers and fans were bummed that The Sporting News did not publish a Record Book this year. It's available as a PDF download from sportingnews.com.
Answer: Brewers infielder Craig Counsell, Cubs manager Lou Piniella, Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez, Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson, Hall of Famer Paul Molitor and Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.