Phil Nevin? While the Padres third baseman is probably a better player than Milwaukee has had at the hot corner since at least Kevin Seitzer, we should still be thankful that December's proposed deal sending him to the Brewers for Jeromy Burnitz fell through.

Burnitz has been considered all but an ex-Brewer since last July. Word had it the Brewers would not be able to re-sign their star right fielder when his contract was up after 2001, and it didn't appear that GM Dean Taylor would get anything near equal value in a trade intending to avoid his certain free agent defection. With the team's long-term struggles at third base, a .303 season and 31 homers from Nevin seemed like a good alternative.

Little progress was evident in the papers; Burnitz said he wouldn't negotiate an extension once Cactus League games started, citing the distraction such talks caused in 2000. And let's hope they were, otherwise how come Burnitz went from .270/33/103 in 130 games in '99 to .232/31/98 in 161 last year? Numbers like that had some people murmuring that a trade might not be such a bad thing.

But it would've been a very bad thing. Yeah, Burnitz fans too much (158, 124 and 121 times in the last three years) and his 2000 season was pretty much a disaster considering he's Milwaukee's marquee player. But despite it all, he's still the one guy in the team's lineup that opposing pitchers fear (Richie Sexson isn't quite there yet and Geoff Jenkins needs to learn that walk isn't really a four-letter word). Burnitz -- a .232 hitter, mind you -- drew a team-record 99 bases on balls for a group that finished only eighth in the NL in runs. Dictionary.com couldn't define respect any better.

There is also a palpable feeling emanating from Brewers camp this year, a positive vibe not set off by a managerial bloodletting or a public-relations brainstorm. Yes, Miller Park is a major part of it, but the feeling actually extends to the team's chances, as well. Ultimately, Taylor's regime will be judged by the outcome of three major moves: the Jeff Cirillo deal that netted Jamey Wright, Jimmy Haynes and Henry Blanco; the Sexson acquisition; and the signing of outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds. Burnitz signing a two-year, $20 million deal this spring is an early affirmation of Taylor's plan.

Here's the rub -- Burnitz's success is crucial to the development of two-thirds of those deals. Batting behind Jenkins and Sexson and in front of Hammonds, Jeromy will have to improve at least 25 points on last year's .232 average. While sabermetricians will tell you that batting average is a canard (it's all about OPS, stupid!), I'm saying you can't have a sub-.240 guy in the 5-hole. Having said that, a move up to a .380 on-base percentage from last year's .356 will make Burnitz and the entire offense more effective. And it would help if a few of his dingers came with men on base; last year, 25 of 31 were solo jobs.

But let's not bore each other with numbers. It's obvious enough when Burnitz is struggling. Unlike 1999, he never had a stretch last year when his bat carried the team. His power numbers sagged all year (though eventually equaling out in 30 more games played) and few of his homers were memorable ones. As pointless as All-Star games may be, it's no coincidence that Jeromy finished second in the home run contest at the '99 event while he was in the middle of his best season, one derailed just days later by a hand injury. Last  year, it was a given that Burnitz wouldn't come through when needed.

This year the sense is different. A happy Jeromy is a good Jeromy, and Burnitz is smiling again. Last spring he voiced his doubts about the franchise's ultimate success to ESPN, this year he's giddy as he discusses the team's new digs. He might not be hitting for squat in Arizona (he started out 1-for-16) but how often do established guys make March headlines? Plus, he came to camp with his hair bleached blonde, a vital sign he's ready to have some fun.

No offense to Mr. Nevin (who was the worst fielding third baseman in the NL, by the way), but it's best for all concerned that he ended up in San Diego. Would I take Nevin over the current crop of Crew third-sackers? Damn right. But not at the expense of the team's pulse, and not by giving up the viable commodity of left-handed power that he represents.

I won't make any predictions on Burnitz's homer total or any other quantitative element of his upcoming season. Suffice to say that Burnitz is a Brewer, and 2001 will be better in Milwaukee because of it.