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Sveum awaits word on his fate

Dennis Semrau  —  10/05/2008 6:51 pm

MILWAUKEE -- Although the Milwaukee Brewers' season ended on a downer Sunday afternoon, Dale Sveum maintained the same even-keel approach that allowed him to survive the insanity of his club's rollercoaster 2008 season.

He certainly didn't sound like an interim manager during his postgame press conference when he recommended several changes that needed to be made to make his club a serious contender for the 2009 World Series.

"We've got to start learning how to manufacture runs and do things and put the ball in play and have really, really good at-bats going into next season," he said.

"This was a steppingstone for a lot of them. They get the experience what it's like to be in a playoff series, as well as battle their butts off the last week of the season to get in it. So they've experienced pretty much the ultimate thing except playing in a World Series, and that's obviously our goal."

It was also obvious he wanted to be the one to implement the changes needed for the Brewers to break their all-or-nothing approach of the past and present.

"I guess I'm being optimistic when I'm talking," Sveum said with a laugh. "Who knows? Obviously we'll probably know something soon.

"I guess if I am the manager, those are things, talking as obviously next year's manager, but that's obviously up in the air right now, that we have to work on as an organization and as a team to get better."

Principal owner Mark Attanasio deferred any discussion on Sveum's status to general manager Doug Melvin.

"That will be Doug's timetable," Attanasio said. "I don't know if he will go a day, a week, a month. You have to ask Doug."

Melvin said that would be part of the team's overall evaluation process on the 2008 season that will begin this week.

But if the players have their say, Sveum will get an opportunity next season to see what he can do with a full offseason and spring training to put his changes into play.

"Unfortunately, we'd have liked to have gone further but you can't take what we did away," Prince Fielder said. "We can build on that with Dale."

Bill Hall agreed.

"We need to be able to put the ball more in play, hit-and-run and move runners along, which is something Dale wants to do," Hall said. "Obviously, we all hope Dale is back next year as manager. I'm sure he will implement what he wants a little bit more."

Ryan Braun agreed that Milwaukee needs to make changes to its approach on offense and that Sveum is the right person to implement those changes.

"We're all comfortable with him and he's done a great job under difficult circumstances," Braun said. "I think he deserves an opportunity."

Dennis Semrau  —  10/05/2008 6:51 pm