MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers' television broadcast featured a pair of "Augies" on Friday. Former Brewers pitcher Don August debuted alongside another former pitcher with the same nickname, Jerry Augustine, during pre- and postgame programming.
August is filling in during this weekend's series against the Phillies for Dave Nelson, who will be sidelined by a medical matter. The Brewers did not release details, but it's widely known that Nelson has been bothered by back pain for some time.
"I'm excited to be on the field right now," August said during batting practice. "I've been doing some high school [broadcasts] for the last couple of years, just to get into that a little bit. I was wondering if I would be nervous for that, but once I sat down and started talking baseball, it was OK."
The 52-year-old August was the Astros' first-round Draft pick in 1984, but he was traded to Milwaukee two years later and made all 88 of his Major League appearances in a Brewers uniform from 1988-91. He finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year balloting in 1988 after going 13-7 with a 3.09 ERA.
More recently, August has served as the junior varsity baseball coach at Menomonee Falls, Wis., in the Milwaukee suburbs. The varsity team won the summer baseball state championship last year.