Welcome to Saturday Scorecard. Welcome to November. Welcome to the beginning of the Bucks' home season. And, if you happen to be reading this at 2 a.m., welcome to the end of Daylight Savings Time.

Do you think the Brewers will use the extra hour to negotiate with CC Sabathia?

At Scorecard headquarters, we're going to attempt to use the extra time to work out, clean the garage, play the guitar that has been gathering dust and ponder a week that reminds us that the sports world moves in mysterious ways.

Consider:

Macha man: Brewers general manager Doug Melvin wanted to hire Ken Macha to manage in Milwaukee in 2003, but Macha stayed with Oakland, where he moved from bench coach to manager.

Upon hiring Macha to manage the team for 2009 and 2010, Melvin told a story about his first day in professional baseball -- as a pitcher in the Yankees minor-league system in 1972. Melvin, who was from Canada, felt intimidated by his surroundings and the situation. He'd never thrown behind a protective pitching screen or to a batter in a cage. The first hitter he faced in a "live" situation was a burly catcher named Ken Macha.

"He was a few years older and a much better player than I was," said Melvin, who remembers thinking to himself "What if I hit this big donkey?"

Sympathy for Dale: Though he was initially devastated when Melvin didn't give him the managing job, Dale Sveum returns to the Brewers' coaching staff.

Sveum doesn't have a connection to Macha, other than mutual friend Terry Francona, who was a bench coach under Macha in Oakland before taking a managing job in Boston, where Sveum was his third base coach.

Like Sveum, Macha knows what it's like to defer the dream of managing in the majors. He was Art Howe's bench coach in Oakland in 2002 when Boston called and asked permission to interview Macha. Oakland GM Billy Beane denied the request.

When Macha spoke with Sveum, he called the experience a "tremendous test of my professionalism."

The next year, Macha was interviewed for five different managing jobs and ended up taking over the A's.

Nothing personal: When Macha was dismissed after four winning seasons, reports in the Bay Area cited a "disconnect" between him and his players. Macha and some of those players, including current Brewers catcher Jason Kendall, now say the reports were overblown, though they may have been a factor in Macha's two-year wait to get back in the dugout.

Macha answered several questions about the topic in his introductory press conference.

"If you look at it from a player's standpoint, my decisions on playing people and not playing people really have a direct impact on how much money they can make over the course of their career," Macha said. "So sometimes the players think it's personal and it really isn't.

"The bottom line is this: The manager is responsible for wins and losses. The amount of respect that you get from the players is showed by the intensity in which he played. Take a look at our teams we had in Oakland, they always played better as the season went on. We always won games in Oakland."

Patience rewarded: After three years as Brett Favre's understudy, an uncomfortable off-season in his shadow and seven mostly impressive games as a starter, Aaron Rodgers signed a lucrative contract extension reported to be worth $65 million over six years, with $20 million guaranteed.

The deal is similar to ones signed by Jacksonville's David Garrard and Dallas' Tony Romo. Rodgers may end up being the best of the trio.

"He's a good quarterback," general manager Ted Thompson told reporters Friday. "(He is) a good teammate, he cares about the Packers. And he wants to be the guy, there's something to be said for that."

Patience expired: The Packers released veteran defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, whose impact has been limited by injury, and activated Justin Harrell on Saturday.

"We want to thank Kabeer for his contributions to the Green Bay Packers," Thompson said in a news release. "During his time here, he has been a big part of our organization and our community. We wish Kabeer and his family well."

In nine seasons with the Packers, Gbaja-Biamila appeared in 124 career games, including 74 starts. He is the franchise's all-time sacks leader with 74.5, having passed Reggie White (68.5) in 2007.

Gbaja-Biamila issued the following statement through the Packers:

"My nine years as a Green Bay Packer have been a blessing that is beyond words. I thank God for bringing me to this first-class organization and first-class community. During my time here, I've built relationships with a number of people in the Packer family. The front office executives, G.M.s, coaches, past and present players, the enormous support and administrative staff plus the greatest fans in football, all have helped make my time here truly special and I am thankful for that.

"It has been a very positive experience. I was able to build a family here and grow with a community that I call home. Again, I've been truly blessed. I don't know what my football future holds, but one thing I've realized is that football is more than a game -- it's about building relationships and changing lives. One of the commitments I've had throughout my career has been to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and that is something that I intend on doing whether on the field or not. God bless the Green Bay Packers!"

Moving on? The Brewers declined their contract option on veteran infielder Craig Counsell Friday, but still may bring the Whitefish Bay native back at lower price next season.

Staying put: The Brewers haven't officially announced it yet, but bullpen coach Bill Castro and first base coach Ed Sedar will join Macha's staff along with Sveum. Pitching coach Mike Maddux is apparently considering an offer from Texas, but the Brewers expect him to return as well.

Head scratcher: The University of Wisconsin outplayed No. 21 Michigan State for 59 minutes Saturday, only to lose on a late field goal. Bret Bielema will be ripped for calling a timeout before the kick, but the Badgers deserve some credit for a solid effort.