It's been obvious for quite some time that the Brewers really don't have anything to play for, other than a third place finish in the division and maybe a .500 record. 

As they get ready to start their first full series in September, that hope for 81 wins is also waning -- heading into Philadelphia with 17 losses, the Brewers will only be able to lose 10 more games if they're going to break even for the season.  That would mean playing the best baseball they've played in any month this season.  Call me skeptical, but I don't think it's happening.

So with that in mind, here are a few things I want to see this month.  I don't think all of them are realistic, but a guy can dream.

Mat Gamel was one of three players the Brewers called up today, but unlike Carlos Villanueva and Jeremy Jeffress, it doesn't seem like Gamel will get much of a chance to play.  Casey McGehee is shooting for 100 RBI, Prince Fielder is unlikely to take a day off, and the outfield is so crowded the "best centerfielder on the team" has been reduced to pinch-hitting duty.

So, instead of playing every day in Nashville, what will Gamel be doing this month?  Here's a rough estimate.

Honestly, I never thought I'd see the day.

Not after coming within one more failed drug test of a lifetime suspension.  Not after struggling to throw strikes for much of his minor league career.  Not after struggling in his first two trips to Double A.  But now, it seems like it's going to happen.

According to Tom Haudricourt, Jeremy Jeffress is going to be a member of the Milwaukee Brewers this September.

The clues have been there ever since he was added to the 40-man roster earlier this season.  Doug Melvin has been dropping hints about a possible call-up as a reward for working his way back from (an admittedly self-inflicted) low point.  But for whatever reason, I still had my doubts.

While I'm sure there will be plenty of people out there that won't have too much sympathy for him, I find this to be an incredible story of persevering over personal demons.  Regardless of the fact that he got himself into this mess to begin with, it does take a lot to dig yourself out of that hole, and it's something a lot of people haven't been able to do.

He's seemingly re-dedicated himself, he's the one that suggested he pitch out of the bullpen this year to keep his focus on the game, and he's shown more maturity than we've ever seen from him before.  I'm not entirely sure how much we can expect to see Jeffress when it comes to in-game action this September, but he's worked hard to earn this reward.

I love a good story, and this is a good story.  But aside from that, he's going to be really, really fun to watch.  He might not make the Twitterverse go nuts like Aroldis Chapman did, but he throws high-90s heat like it's nothing and has the good off-speed pitch to match.  If he can ever develop that third pitch, he could be that top of the rotation starter everyone thought he could be.  If not, the Brewers at least have another fireballer to fit into their bullpen along with Zach Braddock and John Axford.

Isn't it nice to have some homegrown pitching talent hit the bigs?

With the Brewers facing off against the Reds for the first time since the Jim Edmonds trade, I figured it was a good time to take a look at the early returns of the trade.

Admittedly, we're dealing with a very, very small amount of games here -- the trade went down on August 9, three weeks ago today -- but it's still worth taking a look.

Rum Bunter: Milwaukee Brewers As The Cast of HBO's True Blood
There's only one rational explanation behind the Brewers' dominance of the Pirates: the Brewers must be vampires.  Given their problems hitting during the day until this afternoon's game, I might just have to agree.

Another Cubs Blog: Why Joe Girardi will not be managing the Cubs
ACB slaps some sense into the people thinking that Girardi would be willing to leave the Yankees for Chicago.  I tend to agree -- he's almost guaranteed to get a nice extension from the Yanks, barring some kind of postseason collapse, and interviewing with the Cubs may jeopardize that relationship.  Girardi is still pretty young for a manager, so he'll have plenty of time to eventually return to Chicago.  The Cubs job will likely be open again multiple times before his managing days are done.

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With Corey Hart locked up to a long-term deal and Prince Fielder determined to test the free agent market, it seems pretty clear that Rickie Weeks is the next guy to be targeted for a contract extension.  Now that Weeks has a new agent, those talks can resume again, but it looks like he isn't interested in talking contract until the offseason.

This makes sense for both sides.

"I’m telling myself I’m not the fourth outfielder; I’m a starting outfielder ... I’m the best centerfielder on the team. But Lorenzo is doing a really good job for the last two weeks and it’s not fair for me to come off the DL and take his chance ... He is a really good player, but I think I’m still the man on this team." -- Carlos Gomez to Anthony Witrado of the Journal-Sentinel

These comments have caused a bit of a stink today.  Most people seem to think they're utterly ridiculous.  Ken Macha wouldn't say anything other than "that's interesting."

Does it seem like a crazy thing to say when you're hitting .228/.285/.348 playing barely above replacement level this year?  Sure it does.

But you know what?  I can understand why he said it.

Even if you aren't a fan of the Brewers, you probably know that today is the day a statue of Bud Selig is being unveiled at Miller Park.  You probably know this because of the confusion and, yes, anger about the event from some national talking heads.

"BUT HE LET STEROIDS RUN RAMPANT," they say.

"REMEMBER THAT ALL-STAR TIE? LOL!" they exclaim.

I wrote about this when the statue was originally announced back in February.  Those are commissioner issues.  This statue has nothing to do with Selig's time as commissioner, and everything to do with the fact that he's the father of the Milwaukee Brewers.  That's it.

Without him, the Seattle Pilots don't find a buyer after their first season.  Without him, we wouldn't have a Major League team in Wisconsin.  Without him, we're probably writing about the Twins, White Sox, or Cubs right now.

Like I said in February, for that reason alone, the man deserves to be honored alongside Hank Aaron and Robin Yount.  Do I expect fans from visiting teams to understand that?  Not really.  But fans in Wisconsin will understand it, and really, that's all that matters.  It's our ballpark (quite literally, if you live in the Five County area).  If we want to honor Bud Selig, let us.

On that note, check out this "what if" post by Larry Granillo of Wezen-Ball, wondering how history would be different if the Pilots never became the Brewers.  Lar also caught a glimpse of the new statue this past week, although it's still covered by a bag.