It’s clear Dale Sveum will not be intimidated by another big moustachioed man on the coaching staff, as Hall of Famer Robin Yount will return in 2006 as the Brewers’ bench coach:

“Brewer again,” he said Friday as he slipped on his No. 19 jersey. “I’m very excited to be back in Milwaukee, where I knew I would always come back eventually.”

Yount, the first Brewer elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame, returned to baseball as first-base coach with Arizona in 2002 and was bench coach for in 2004 until manager Bob Brenly was hired that July.

“I told Ned [Yost], ‘Are you sure you want me as your bench coach? I only lasted about three months as a bench coach in Arizona and I got the manager fired,”’ Yount said. “The biggest difference is when Ned gets kicked out of the game, then I’m in charge.

“Did Ned get kicked out much? I hope he gets kicked out a few times,” Yount quipped.

If Milwaukee can’t improve from 2005’s .500 season in 2006, perhaps Brewers fans will want to see Yost kicked out, too.

Additionally, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said that negotiations on a contract extension with general manager Doug Melvin are near completion, which puts the kabosh on Melvin’s possible candidacy for the Boston Red Sox opening:

“I’m delighted we have a general manager that would be in demand,” Attanasio said. “I love that they want to get our general manager, if it’s true. But we’re going to keep Doug with us.”