By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Aug 31, 2008 at 5:29 AM

A quick glance at the Brewers' roster shows a load of bona fide, major-league talent. First-round draft picks, all-stars, MVP and Cy Young Award winners and candidates, and players that are on a fast track to stardom.

At the same time, there are the veterans and journeymen; players that have bounced around from team to team and city to city, trying to find a chance to stick ... and a regular paycheck.

Brian Shouse falls into the latter category. The 39-year-old left-hander joined the Brewers through a trade in May 2006 (for former Rule 5 draft choice Enrique Cruz). He's been a mainstay in the bullpen ever since, but it was a long road with many stops to get here.

Originally selected by Pittsburgh in the 13th round of the 1990 Major League Draft, he made his big-league debut three years later, making six appearances for the Pirates. It would be another five years until he made it back to the bigs -- this time for seven games with the Red Sox -- and another four he made it back again.

Before coming to Milwaukee, Shouse spent all or parts of 13 seasons playing at the Class AAA level for eight different organizations. He's been released nine times and his road to the majors has even included a year spent playing for Kintetsu Buffaloes in Japan.

The southpaw sat down with OnMilwaukee.com to talk about his career, family, life and the thrill of chasing his first-ever playoff berth. Enjoy this Milwaukee Talks with Brian Shouse:

OnMilwaukee.com: Let's start out with an easy one; what's the background for Brian Shouse?

Brian Shouse: I grew up in Effingham, Ill. I went to college at Bradley in Peoria, where we live now. I started playing professionally in 1990. This is my ninth different team. I spent a solid 10 years in Triple-A, 12 years in the minors before I got a chance to stay at the big-league level. I had a cup of coffee, so to speak, up until 2002 and that's when I stuck in the majors. I've been to Japan to play, too. My wife has moved over 100 different times as part of the baseball life.

OMC:  What was it like spending that much time in between big-league appearances? I can't imagine it was easy spending that much time on buses, especially when you've had a taste of the leagues.

BS: I've always just loved playing the game of baseball. God has allowed me to stay healthy, enjoy it and to persevere. It's kind of a "for love of the game" type of thing to continue to do this day in and day out. I love coming to the ballpark every day. I love playing the game and I think the biggest thing is that I've managed to stay healthy.

OMC:  And you were obviously doing something right because you were able to keep finding work.

BS: Teams kept giving me opportunities. I've made the most of them and that's what's kept me going. There's been so many times where I just wanted to shut it down, it just seemed like each year I felt great. My family kept saying I should keep going and keep going until somebody doesn't want you anymore. It's just happened to turn out like this. Better late than never, I guess.

OMC: Let's get away from the game for a minute. You mentioned your wife. How did you two meet?

BS: I met her when I was at Bradley University. We had a class together our senior year. I always say -- it was around Halloween -- that she threw candy at me in class and that's how it started; she started flirting with me first. Her story is different.

OMC: Through all the years, the uncertainty and especially all the moves, how important has she been in your life?

BS: I get to fly wherever we're supposed to go, but she is the one staying behind taking care of things, packing up the car and the house and the kids ... driving sometimes 15-16 hours, sometimes two days ... she's just been so fantastic. I couldn't have done it without her.

OMC: And at home, you are literally the man of the house; surrounded by women.

BS: Yup. I've got three daughters. Hailey is 15, Emmy is 12 and Daisy is 11 months. I'm way, way outnumbered. The oldest turns 16 in January.

OMC: Peoria isn't that far of a drive from Milwaukee. I would imagine that you get to see your family a lot. Do they stay with you during the season?

BS: For the most part, summers are spent here. The great thing is we're so close to home -- it's a little more than a three-hour drive -- so when I go on the road during the summer, a lot of times they'll go back home and spend time with their friends. When I come back to Milwaukee, they come back it. It's great having them around. Now that school started, they come on weekends when we're home.

OMC: Having them around has got to make things much easier on you, considering the travel and other time commitments of a major league season.

BS: It's real nice. It works out so great. We get to be together a lot more than a lot of baseball families.

OMC: It seems like you've really established yourself in the Milwaukee bullpen. You've pitched in a number of different roles since you've come here. Is it refreshing in a way, to know you have a place?

BS: It's nice, but I don't take it for granted, either. You can't in this game. I think that's something that keeps me motivated, determined and young at heart. I like the competitiveness of being out here, going out and trying to win a job every spring, during your job during the season. I don't have the luxury of a nice, long-term contract. When you go year-to-year, you have to perform.

OMC: What was Japan like?

BS: It was a big, big cultural shock. Things there, obviously, are much, much different than they are here. The way they look at you, the way things are done ... it makes you appreciate the things you have here and the things you're able to do here. The language barrier, the food barrier ... all that stuff is so different than anything we're used to.

OMC: The game itself is different there, too.

BS: It is. The way they play is different. As soon as they have somebody on, they're bunting right away where we try to sit back and wait for the home run more. They're theory is being the first one there; last one to leave is how you get better. Here we stress getting quality work in then getting out.

OMC: It's a long way to go to follow a dream. Looking back, was it worth it?

BS: It was a good experience. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about pitching. I learned that baseball isn't the most important thing. When you realize that, it makes the game easier and more fun.

OMC: How did you end up in Japan, anyway?

BS: I hadn't made any money in the game yet. I was with Boston at the time. They had just sent me down to Triple-A at the time and couldn't guarantee that I would come back up. They did guarantee they weren't going to trade me. I was able to go there for three months and make more than I would have if I had stayed here. I had to go, basically for the money, but I could continue to still play if I came back. I learned to pitch better, so it was good for me in that aspect.

OMC: You're pitching now for the Brewers, who are in the middle of a playoff race. You have to be having the time of your life out there.

BS: It's a blast. This is what our goal was -- to make the playoffs this year. It's a great run this year, it's exciting. We've got about 33 games left and we'll see what happens.

OMC: Have you been to the playoffs before?

BS: I have not. That's part of the fun for me.

OMC: When you're not pitching, what are you doing to have fun, relax or just pass the time?

BS: I'm not a very adventurous guy. I spend a lot of time taking the kids to and from school. I play ping-pong with my father-in-law, do odds and ends around the house; I help the in-laws with different things. I spend a lot of time just being a dad. With Daisy, you have to watch over her a lot during the day. I spend time with Trish and try to give her some time off, too. I spend a lot of time just being dad and being Trish's husband.