Friday Morning Catcher (a little late)

It is time for the 2008 debut of '(Day of the Week) Morning Catcher', a random assortment of items related to the Brewers, here on 'My Brewers'. This type of post will occur when there is not one major story, but maybe multiple items that I have an opinion about. Some posts will be long, others short, but hopefully all will provide some interesting thoughts about the Brewers. So without further ado...

• First and foremost I, Steve Dempsey, will again be the featured guest on the Oshkosh Northwestern's Thursday @ 3 chat. As best as I can tell, I am the first person to have two chats on the newspaper's website. It was a real honor to be asked the first time, but I am even more honored to be asked to come back for a second chat. We will be discussing the upcoming season and some of my thoughts and expectations. I will post more information as it becomes available. I hope all of you take the opportunity to check in on the chat on Thursday, March 20 at 3:00pm CT. Thanks again to Alex Hummel and the rest of the staff at The Northwestern for providing this outstanding opportunity for me!
• Tonight at 9:05 marks the first Brewers game on TV here in Wisconsin. A winter of Brewers Classics from 2007 was nice, but seeing the real thing (other than the fact it is a Spring Training game) is something all fans have been waiting for since the end of September.
• Claudio Vargas will get the start and try to prove that he deserves a spot in the rotation once the season begins. So far, he is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA this spring, so he is definitely proving he belongs. Will this start help that cause or help improve his trade value? Neither would shock me at all.
• It looks like Ned is trying the pitcher in the #8 spot tonight, too. What a treat to be able to witness this experiment first hand. I can not decide whether this is a smart move or a dumb one. I see the benefits, but why mess with a lineup that crushed the ball all last season (other than flip flopping Fielder and Braun)?
• According to JSOnline.com, the Brewers cut second baseman Hernan Iribarren, first baseman Brad Nelson, left-hander Zach Jackson and reliever Luis Pena today. These were not tough cuts compared to the decisions that will have to be made at the end of spring, but they are still four guys that may find there way to Milwaukee at some point in 2008.