There's not much more Prince Fielder can do that would surprise anybody anymore.
The Brewers' bulky first baseman has been an offensive prodigy since he was a toddler and has done little to dissuade that notion in his three-plus seasons in Milwaukee. His victory in the 2009 All-Star Home Run Derby may have been a coming-out party on the national scene, but he's long been the king of Milwaukee.
Saturday, Fielder etched his name into the Brewers record books with his 127th RBI, passing Cecil Cooper as the franchise's single-season leader. Prior to the game Sunday, the Brewers honored Fielder and his teammates came pouring out of the dugout to offer congratulations.
"That was awesome," Fielder said. "They told me they were going to do that but I didn't know my teammates were going to come out there. That was real special."
Also on-hand for the ceremony was Cooper, himself. The former Milwaukee first baseman is now the Houston Astros' manager He, too, came out to congratulate Fielder on the accomplishment.
Fielder has been a one-man wrecking crew this season, putting together an incredible all-around year. He's hitting .299 on the season and on Sunday hit his 40th home run. He also needs just one walk to become the first Brewers player to draw 100 in a season, which would also be a franchise record.
Cooper worked with Fielder as he progressed through the Milwaukee farm system. He knew the offensive ability was there but was more impressed with the fact that Fielder has played in every game this season.
"That says more to me than the walk or RBI record," Cooper said. "He wants to play."
Yo finishes strong: In his last outing of the season, Yovani Gallardo finished on a high note Sunday.
The young right-hander threw five scoreless innings in the Brewers 6-0 victory over Houston. Gallardo allowed just three hits and struck out seven with three walks while finishing the season with a 13-12 record and a 3.75 earned run average.
"It's important to me; it's one of those things for myself," Gallardo said. "Every guy here has goals. I threw the ball very well this year. In spring, my goal was to stay healthy this year and get 30 or more starts."
The Brewers' brain trust decided to shut Gallardo down after today's game due in large part to his heavy workload in 2009. Gallardo pitched 185 2/3 innings this season and had a lot of high pitch counts and short outings, evidenced by his 94 walks.
Considering he's coming off a season that included two knee injuries and just 24 innings of work, the shutdown was a no-brainer. He probably wouldn't have appeared in Sunday's game, but he struggled his last time out against Chicago and Macha wanted the young ace to finish on a high note.
"If he's going to be the guy that tells the bullpen to take a day off, his command has to get better.," Macha said. "He can't be having a whole lot of walks; (he's) got to pitch to contact a little bit, too. He's got tremendous upside, hopefully this is just a step in the right direction."
McGehee makes his case: Considering the Brewers' lackluster record and the impressive season put together by Atlanta pitcher Tommy Hanson, Casey McGehee's chances of bringing home the National League Rookie of the Year award are slim.
But he's got to get some consideration. Claimed off waivers last October, McGehee has a nice spring (.339, but didn't do much in a reserve role early in the season. But when Rickie Weeks went down with an injury and Bill Hall melted down, McGehee was waiting and ready.
He's been red-hot ever since and now is among the rookie leaders in most major offensive categories and leads all major league rookies with 61 RBI. In his last 20 games, McGehee has really come on strong, hitting five home runs and driving in 22.
For the season, McGehee is hitting .304 with 15 homers and 17 doubles. His emergence could effect the future of Mat Gamel, who had been projected as a top candidate to take over third base next season. Gamel was tearing up the Pacific Coast League before being called up for a stretch at mid-season, but after playing sporadically in Milwaukee, he was returned to Class AAA Nashville and never really got back into his early-season form.
Quick hits: The Brewers have won five in a row, their longest streak since winning seven in a row from May 12-19. … Lefty Manny Parra threw a bullpen session Sunday, as did Chris Narveson, but Ken Macha has yet to name a starter for Wednesday's game against the Cubs. … Corey Patterson recorded his first hit with the Brewers on Sunday. … The Astros have lost 18 of their last 22 games at Miller Park. … The Brewers need to go 8-5 over their final 13 games to finish over .500; which would be their third consecutive winning season. … Gallardo's 204 strikeouts make him just the fifth Brewers pitcher to surpass 200 in a season.
Injury report: Mark DiFelice is done for the season after experiencing pain in his right shoulder. He underwent an MRI exam last week that revealed no structural damage in his sore right shoulder, but the Brewers placed him on the 60-day disabled list, which allowed the Brewers to add another player to the roster.
On the farm: A pair of Class A Brevard County players were named the Brewers' minor-league player and pitcher of the year. Center fielder Logan Schafer took top honers after hitting .313 with 31 doubles, six homers and 58 RBI. In 108 games, he made just one error. Amaury Rivas finished his season 13-7 with a 2.98 ERA. In 133 innings of work, he struck out 123.
This week: The Brewers 10-game home stand continues tomorrow when the Cubs come to town to open a three-game series. Braden Looper (13-6, 4.89 ERA) will face Tom Gorzelanny (5-2, 5.29) in the opener. Following the Cubs, the Brewers wrap up the home portion of the 2009 schedule with four games against the Philadelphia Phillies.
