As the dust clears on the bittersweet 2007 Milwaukee Brewers season, a more clear perspective begins to emerge on which players and coaches helped the team compile their first winning record in 25 years -- and who kept them from hanging on to win the division.

Surely, baseball is a team sport, and no one member deserves all the credit -- or the blame -- for how the season shook out.

But certain players and coaches need to be held accountable. This year, while it was a winning one, could've been so much sweeter. In alphabetical order:

Who needs to go:

Greg Aquino: Represents everything the Brewers are trying to move past to become a contender. Aquino pitched his last good, meaningful game back in April. Look up "4A" in the dictionary, and a pen-and-ink portrait of Aquino sits next to the definition.

Craig Counsell: Warm and fuzzy Whitefish Bay feelings aside, the Brewers downgraded substantially when they acquired Counsell and let Jeff Cirillo go. Great defense, but he's 37 years old and batted .220 in 2007.

Geoff Jenkins: The perennial Brewer with the longest tenure, it's time to say "goodbye." Simply, Jenks can't hit left handers, and anyone who wants to strike him out must simply throw a curve ball in the dirt. Too expensive for a platoon guy, Brett Favre's doppelganger will play somewhere else next year.

Corey Koskie: Remember this infielder? Bank on it, he'll never pick up a bat again after suffering his "concussion" last season.

Scott Linebrink: The Padres dealt this set-up guy for a reason. Not good in pressure situations, and not the answer the Brewers' bullpen woes.

Chris Spurling: Just another right-handed arm, but nothing special. Racked up a 4.68 ERA in 2007.

Derrick Turnbow: It's hard to get rid of a likeable guy who can almost hit 100 miles per hour with his fastball. But "T-Bow" is highly inconsistent and has cost the Brewers too many games when he can't find his slider. Unhittable sometimes, but the opposite of clutch most of the time.

Matt Wise: After plunking the Reds' Pedro Lopez in the face, Wise couldn't hit the broadside of the barn. Ned Yost gave the formerly consistent reliever many, perhaps too many, opportunities to straighten himself out. Now it's time for the team to cut its losses.

Ned Yost: It's not always a manager's fault when a team doesn't perform. After all, Yost can't go out there and strike guys out or hit a home run. He claims to be a Bobby Cox disciple, but Cox isn't exactly known for being able to win big games. Like his mentor, Yost was simply outmanaged in key matchups this year, demonstrating his immaturity in the last week of the season when he was "punked" by Tony LaRussa. He's painfully loyal, leaving pitchers in games to wilt and making ridiculous substitutions on offense. Everyone's an arm-chair skipper, but Yost's poor managing may have cost the team 10 games in 2007. If half of those would've swung Milwaukee's way, the Crew would've more than won the division.

Who might need to go:

Chris Capuano: He didn't actually pitch badly enough to earn those ugly numbers: 12 consecutive losses and 22 consecutive lost games in which he pitched. On the other hand, Capuano didn't pitch particularly well, either. Though he improved toward the end of the season, he clearly looked like a different pitcher than he was in recent years. He'll need a strong showing in Spring Training if he has any chance of returning to a starting role. And that's if the Brewers keep him that long.

Bill Hall: Chalk it up to a bad season, but Bill Hall's transition to center field was anything but seamless. His offense, too, was stymied by injury. He deserves another chance, but if the Brewers can trade Hall for a quality starting pitcher, they shouldn't rule it out. 

Mike Maddux: The magical luster of the Brewers pitching coach has worn off, considering the dismal performance of the 2007 bullpen. At one time Maddux worked wonders on Turnbow and other reclamation projects, but now people are less convinced. Could the pitching staff be better with another coach? Maybe.

Kevin Mench: The big outfielder didn't do anything really wrong this year, but he didn't do much to impress, either. He hit eight home runs in platoon action, which is less power than the Brewers need from that position.

Claudio Vargas: Something just seems shady about this guy, who takes about five minutes between pitches. So-so ERA aside (5.09), Vargas committed a cardinal sin: pitching hurt, not telling the team about a back problem, then revealing it to a Spanish language newspaper later. The Brewers can find a better fifth starter.