With sports fans in my state of residency torn over the potential of a Brett Favre comeback and generally unaffected by Richard Jefferson's recent transition to Buckhood, the Brewers recent trade for hefty lefty C.C. Sabathia is something many in the dairy state can smile about.

Alas, instead of the perennial July 8th exaltation the club's recently announced requisite all-star team reserve in the face of an otherwise bleak second half, the new look Brewers are an invigorated team that sits just three a half games out of first and a mere half game apart from the National League wildcard. And as tonight’s near sellout indicates, much of Wisconsin seems eager to watch their new pitcher take the mound.

Sabathia’s acquisition symbolizes an aim that exceeds just a winning record or just a playoff appearance. General Manager Doug Melvin and Co. is indicating they’re playing to obtain glory never held by any Brewers team – a World Series title.

But even the Brewers masochistic fan base understands that with reward comes great sacrifice. And few can argue that parting ways with top prospect (and BDD’s own) Matt LaPorta is a huge sacrifice for Milwaukee to make. Unfortunately for many a Brewers fan, less than half a season of elevated expectations with Carsten Charles will cost them numerous seasons with unforeseeable potential with Mr. LaPorta.

Cleveland got a worthy package for Sabathia with a great talent like LaPorta, not to mention apt lefty in Zach Jackson and RHP Rob Bryson. And with reports indicating the tribe may bring top 10-caliber prospects like Michael Brantley or Taylor Green into the fold as the player to be named later – the scale could be tipped in their favor with their haul of youngsters.

The remainder of the season will tell whether C.C. is the piece needed to help Brew up a pennant and the coming years will tell if Cleveland received the slam dunk prospects they believed they did.

Tonight, as the biggest deadline conveyance in the team’s history takes the Miller Park mound for the first time as a National Leaguer, it couldn’t be more exciting to be a baseball fan in Wisconsin. Or could it? I hear watching baseball in October is nice.

Here we sit, roughly a fortnight (that's two weeks, for those of you scoring at home) from the All-Star game and already three managers have lost their jobs.
 
One was dealt the blow over the phone at 3:00 a.m. some three thousand miles from his boss, another seemed the whipping boy for a West Coast team whose bloated salary drove expectations into the unreal. The last saw his fitting - albeit premature - conclusion as a means to divert attention from a GM's proclamation of who does and does not like the game of baseball, whilst laying the red carpet for a means of public relations recessitation.
 
Fair or not, these managers like so many before them saw their tenures conclude. Also like so many times before, someone was put in place on an interim basis to lead the team to salvation, if not merely renewed respectability. And oddly enough, it looks to be working.
 
The Mariners led off the firing party by parting ways with John McLaren following his 25-47 start to 2008 and 68-88 overall record. The club promoted veteran manager Jim Riggleman to the leadership post. Riggleman hasn’t managed since his 1999 Cubs went 67-95, but in his first 11 games as top dog in Seattle is 7-4. The Mariners still sit in last place in the AL West, and the hole he inherited may be too deep to dig his team out of.
 
The Metropolitans followed Seattle’s lead in the highest profile managerial slaying of the season – and possibly in known history – by firing Willie Randolph in a method that would make Alexander Graham Bell roll in his grave. I think everyone knows the details by now.
Regardless, former White Sox skipper Jerry Manuel took the reigns of the 34-35 team. In 14 games the former AL Manager of the Year has kept the Mets within spitting distance of the NL East lead. Going 7-7 so far, Manuel has even been indicated to be a possible long-term replacement in the Big Apple.
 
Since relieving John Gibbons less than two weeks ago in what initially reeked of a plea of a feel good story former manager-turned interim manager Cito Gaston has actually succeeded in making fans north of he border feel good. In his first 11 games back on the bench his Jays are 6-5 and have won three of their last four.
 
The Gaston resurrection probably won’t last beyond this season, but if Gibbons had to go – Gaston filling in seems to be a good fit to motivate a team and its fan base that have already endured a difficult season.
 
The interim manager seems all the rage these days. I guess when an organization is unhappy with their present leadership, they only need look to past managers within their ranks to instill renewed hope for the future.