Welcome to the Labor Day weekend edition of Saturday Scorecard. We'll keep the items short so you can tend to important matters like lawn care, cookouts, fantasy football drafts and stowing your white pants for the winter.

On to the notes:

A very hot seat: The Brewers enter the final month 1 ½ games out of first place in the National League Central and, strangely enough, fans who have daydreamed about that circumstance for 15 years are not asking "Can they win the division?" but rather "Will Ned Yost get sacked?"

We'll give you a pertinent fact first, then the Cliff's Notes on three plausible scenarios, in no particular order:

FACT: Yost, who is making about $825,000 this season, is signed through 2008 and the team holds an option for '09.

SCENARIO 1 -- Milwaukee makes the playoffs.

Unlikely as it seems given the way they've played since the break and the fact that the wild-card is not an option, the Brewers are not done yet. The league is weak and the division is horrible. With Ben Sheets back on the mound and Jeff Suppan looking better, it's not implausible that the Brewers could pull away from the pack in the Central. If the Brewers make the tournament, they could end up winning a series or even the pennant. The league is that bad.

Likely outcome: If the Brewers make the playoffs, Yost will see his '09 option exercised, be handed the keys to the city and likely have a street named after him somewhere in Piggsville.

SCENARIO 2 -- Milwaukee finishes with a losing record.

With four games against the Braves and Padres and three against always-tough St. Louis, the Brewers could stagger to the finish line. Sure, there will be some teams on the schedule looking at callups from the minor leagues. Sometimes, those kids perform well. (It's the old "too dumb to be scared" mentality).

Likely outcome: If the Brewers don't win 82 games, Yost is toast. Owner Mark Attanasio might accept the fact that his young studs weren't ready for prime time yet, but he won't be able to stomach the notion of a club that held first place for 125 days finishing south of the equator.

SCENARIO 3 - The Brewers finish with a winning record, but still miss the playoffs.

The key to this is how it unfolds. Given the current state of the division, it's logical to assume that the champ will win between 82-86 games. If the Brewers have a three-game lead with four to play and blow it, well that would lead to one outcome. If they win their last seven in a row to finish a half-game back, that would lead to another.

Likely outcome: This one could go either way. On one hand, the Brewers have to show fans that they're not "settling" for anything and that the goal is a championship. On the other hand, it would be kind of tough to usher a manager out of the clubhouse after he led the franchise to its first winning season in 15 years.

Whatever happens, this has been a very entertaining season and all signs indicate that there will be more in the immediate future.

Second guess: One of the best things about baseball is that the strategic chess match offers countless opportunities for debate. After more than 24 hours of film study, we've determined that Yost screwed up in the ninth inning of a 5-4 loss Thursday night at Wrigley Field. He should have pinch-hit for Kevin Mench... with Yovani Gallardo!

Sophomore slump? Preseason polls are usually provocative and generally useless, but it's fun to say that Wisconsin is ranked No. 7 in the country heading into its season opener against Washington State this afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium.

Many national experts consider the Badgers a candidate to compete for the Big Ten championship and a national title. Others feel as though the team is overrated and could succumb to tough opponents like Iowa and Penn State before the pivotal back-to-back matchups with Ohio State and Michigan.

Though they lost some mainstays from a roster that went 12-1 in Bret Bielema's first season, the Badgers have enough talent to warrant the early hype.

Prediction for today: Wisconsin 34, Washington State 17.

Final cut: The Packers have until 5 p.m. to cut their roster to 53. Chances are that Dave Rayner, Ingle Martin, Brandon Miree, DeShawn Wynn and maybe even Marquand Manuel will get the call from "The Turk."

Great night: Congratulations to Bud Lea, Johnny Logan, Tom Kaminski and all the people who made the Braves 50th anniversary celebration a success Thursday night at Northern Lights Theater inside Potawatomi Casino. Organizers were worried that the $300 price tag would scare customers away, but the event sold out quickly and carried a lot of bang for the buck. In addition to a terrific dinner, attendees got a DVD, program, a letterman-type jacket, a poster of County Stadium, a miniature batting helmet and, most important, an opportunity to rub shoulders with Hank Aaron, Del Crandall, Red Schoendienst and several other men from the best team ever to play in Milwaukee.

Quick hits: The Brewers farm system is having a tremendous season on the field, but it is sullied somewhat by suspensions to prospects Angel Salome, a catcher who tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, and pitcher Jeremy Jeffress, who was penalized for taking a "drug of abuse."... The victory by Steve Stricker last weekend at The Barclays was one of the more stirring state sports stories in recent memory... The third annual "Koos for Kids" benefit, hosted by Brewers bullpen catcher Marcus Hanel, is slated for 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Racine Marriott. The event features appearances by 20 Brewers players and a live auction. Check out koosforkids.com.... Happy 40th birthday to Admirals president Jon Greenberg. The chocolate chip pancakes are on us.