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MON., SEP 1, 2008 - 6:40 PM
Brewers notes: Sabathia's one-hitter challenged
By VIC FEUERHERD
608-252-6175

MILWAUKEE -- A day after the Milwaukee Brewers' anger boiled after an official scorer's decision in Pittsburgh kept pitcher CC Sabathia from recording a no-hitter, that anger merely simmered.

The Brewers knew that even if Major League Baseball were to overturn the call made by scorer Bob Webb, the impact of the second no-hitter in franchise history was more than diminished.

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"I think whatever it ends up is whatever it ends up," Brewers manager Ned Yost said Monday prior to the opener of a three-game series with the New York Mets.

"(Sunday) is the day it should have been a no-hitter. It takes away from that aspect, the celebration with your teammates, the excitement of our plane ride home. That's all gone. They missed their opportunity to do it right."

Mike Vassalo, the Brewers director of media relations, said he will ship a DVD of the play to MLB in New York City today. He originally said it would be shipped Monday but forgot there would be no mail delivery or pickup on Labor Day.

The DVD will show Sabathia coming off the mound to field Andy LaRoche's slow roller just to the third-base side of the mound. The 6-foot-7, 290-pound Sabathia bent over to pick up the ball but failed to grab it cleanly.

The letter that will accompany the DVD will contain the play-by-play of Pirates broadcaster Bob Walk, a former major-league pitcher.

"Just a check swing roller, really a simple play for Sabathia and he just came in and dropped it," Walk said. "All he had to do was just pick it up and turn to throw."

Sabathia, who appeared to be the least upset of anyone by the call, made the rounds on the national sports talk shows before the game with the Mets.

"The important thing is we won the game," he said, jokingly suggesting he could have avoided the entire controversy by allowing one legitimate hit. "If they change it or don't, I'm fine."

"That's why he's such a classy guy," Yost said of Sabathia's approach to the issue.

Tim O"Driscoll, the primary official scorer at home Brewers games for the past 22 years, said for the last two seasons MLB could overrule a decision made by an official scorer.

"I'm glad it's not me," he said of the scrutiny Webb has received since the call in the fifth inning of Sunday's game. "I didn't agree with the call. But the thing that surprised me is how quickly he called it."

The Brewers were successful in getting a call changed in June that saved reliever Guillermo Mota two earned runs. First baseman Prince Fielder was given an error for dropping a throw at first. Mark Loretta followed with a two-run home run, which without the error call made both runs earned. Vassalo said it took two weeks for the call to be changed.

Now in reserve

The Brewers added 10 players to their roster on the day teams are allowed to expand their rosters beyond 25, and three of those added are prized prospects shortstop Alcides Escobar, third baseman Mat Gamel and catcher Angel Salome. Escobar and Salome spent their entire season at Class AA Huntsville, while Gamel started with the Stars and spent the last week at Class AAA Nashville.

But the players who are most likely to see some playing time are the three pitchers added to the roster, especially left-hander Mitch Stetter, who gives Yost a second left-hander in the bullpen along with Brian Shouse. Right-handers Mark DiFelice and Tim Dillard, who like Stetter also played with the big league club earlier this season, may also be in position to eat some valuable innings.

"It just provides more protection than anything else," Yost said. "You can save your better players for more crucial times in the game. It's not like any of them are expected to carry any load."

Yost showed that in the fifth inning Monday against the Mets when he used the recalled Joe Dillon to hit for pitcher Ben Sheets when Sheets' groin tightened on him after five innings. Later, Stetter closed a Mets' rally in the seventh by getting Jose Reyes to fly to center with two on.

The three others called up were outfielder Tony Gwynn, first baseman Brad Nelson and catcher Vinny Rotino. Nelson grounded out to short in a pinch-hitting appearance in the ninth, his first major-league at-bat.


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