Welcome to Saturday Scorecard. We plan to keep the items short today in order to allow readers (and the author) to get outside and enjoy the blissful fall weather.

Important free agent: While Brewers fans continue to fantasize about the club signing CC Sabathia, another important free agent is hanging out at home in Hartland, waiting for the phone to ring.

Pitching coach Mike Maddux, one of few Brewers coaches who operated on a two-year contract, is a free agent. The same is true for bullpen coach Billy Castro, who has been on the Brewers' big-league staff for 17 seasons and five managers.

Both Maddux and Castro make their winter homes in the area and would like to stay.

Maddux came to Milwaukee with Ned Yost in 2003. If Yost gets another managing job, it is quite likely that Maddux will be his first phone call. If interim manager Dale Sveum is retained, it seems very likely that Maddux will stay with the Brewers.

If the Brewers go outside the "family" for a new manager, they could urge that person to keep Maddux and Castro, too.

Think about it: if your future is wrapped up in the performance of Yovani Gallardo, Dave Bush, Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra -- and those pitchers have a comfortable working relationship with Maddux and Castro -- it makes sense to keep the coaches around.

Some may say "Another coach might make those guys better..." but, there is also a chance that someone could get them to change their mechanics and adversely effect their performance.

It's going to be an interesting decision.

The guess here? The Brewers will vote for continuity and retain Sveum, who in turn will keep both Maddux and Castro.

As for CC... There are low rumblings in the organization that the Brewers' chances of keeping the lefty are "better than you might think." It still seems like a complete long shot.

The healing process: One way to overcome the disappointment of a playoff defeat: have a kid. Craig and Michelle Counsell welcomed daughter Rowan Francesca to the world on Monday and Sabathia and his wife, Amber, celebrated the birth of Cyia Cathleen Sabathia, who was born Friday and weighed 7 pounds. 6 ounces and measured 19.25 inches.

Crunch time: The Badgers face No. 6 Penn State under the lights tonight at Camp Randall Stadium. It's the first time Wisconsin has played the Nittany Lions when they were ranked in the top 10.

After frustrating losses at Michigan and at home against Ohio State, the Badgers need a strong performance to get their season back on track. Penn State could be ripe for an upset, but Wisconsin will need a strong showing by quarterback Alan Evridge.

Coach Bret Bielema took a risk when he criticized Evridge in the media this week. It might be a successful motivational tool. But, it could also increase the pressure on Evridge. If he throws an interception on the Badgers' first possession, 70,000 fans may take a cue from the coach and boo the quarterback and, by extension, the team and the coaching staff.

As you look at the situation, you can't help wondering: what if the Badgers had allowed Evridge to start over Tyler Donovan last season? If the competition was as close as they indicated, it might have been worth it to have a more experienced quarterback this year.

Beautiful noise: The return of the UW Marching Band at Camp Randall has to be worth two points on the spread. Let's hope they can clean up the hazing problems and keep entertaining crowds.

Long, strange trip: After playing the annual Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund game tonight at the Bradley Center, the Bucks will head to China for some exhibition games,

Question: If they have customs trouble and can't get back for the start of the regular season, will anyone notice?

The Bucks have slipped into a dangerous zone for sports franchises. Anger over the team's poor performance in recent seasons has given way to apathy. New coaches. New Players. New uniforms. New dance routines. It doesn't seem like the usual fixes are going to revive interest in the team. Only winning will do it. Sadly, that could be several years away.

Enjoy the sunshine: The weather is spectacular this weekend. Enjoy it. Hockey season is getting underway, and you know what that means...