November 2012
Head to Spring Training In Style With the Brewers Road Crew
Did the release of the Spring Training Schedule earlier this week get you ready for some Brewers baseball in the Arizona sun? If so, the Brewers and Brewers Enterprises today announced plans for the Fourth Annual “Brewers Road Crew” Spring Training Trip. This one-of-a-kind opportunity will again be offered to fans looking to join the Brewers in Spring Training as they prepare for the season in Phoenix. Nearly every facet of the trip will be handled as Brewers Enterprises will arrange all the details for the March 13 – 17 trip.
As part of the experience, fans will enjoy two games at the Brewers Spring Training home, Maryvale Baseball Park, and one Brewers “road” game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. The trip will bring travelers face-to-face with members of the Brewers broadcast team, members of the Baseball Operations staff, and even former Brewers players and coaches through special receptions and tailgate parties.
Guests will stay four nights at the Hilton Embassy Suites (Biltmore) which features an outdoor, heated swimming pool, whirlpool, exercise room, on-site restaurant and complimentary shuttle service to Biltmore area attractions. Guest rooms are two-room suites with a wet bar, microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker and two flat-screen televisions. Complimentary made-to-order breakfasts and late-afternoon cocktail and hors d’oeuvre receptions are offered daily at the hotel. The hotel is located next to the Biltmore Fashion Park on 24th Street and Camelback. It is centrally located and just minutes away to activities at Maryvale Baseball Park, Old Town Scottsdale, Downtown Phoenix and Camelback Mountain.
As an added bonus, fans on the trip will receive a ticket to Opening Day at Miller Park on Monday, April 1, 2013 as the Brewers take on the Colorado Rockies.
Space is limited to 80 guests and the travel packages are on sale now. The price for a single traveler is $2,495 and the price for a couple (double occupancy) is $4,295. Each additional guest per room is $2,150. For more information and to reserve your spot, please call 414-902-GOAZ (4629) or visit millerpark.com. The full list of package inclusions follows:
PACKAGE ELEMENTS
-Non-Stop Round Trip Airfare from Milwaukee to Phoenix via Southwest Airlines
-Hotel Accommodations for four nights at Hilton Embassy Suites (Biltmore)
-Transportation to & from the airport, hotel and Spring Training complexes
-Tickets for three Spring Training games
- March 13, 2013 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (Salt River Fields)
- March 15, 2013 vs. Cleveland Indians (Maryvale)
- March 16, 2013 vs. Cincinnati Reds (Maryvale)
-Made-to-order breakfast each morning
-Cocktail & Hors d ‘Oeuvres Reception hosted each night by the hotel
-Tailgate Party before a game, with visits from Brewers alumni, minor league prospects, coaches and broadcasters
-A ticket to Opening Day at Miller Park (April 1, 2013 vs. the Colorado Rockies)
-A customized Brewers gift bag
-Private dinner reception in Scottsdale, Arizona
Additional opportunities available for guests to win on the trip:
-Run the Sausage Race or hold the finish line at a Spring Training game (Maryvale)
-Throw out a 1st pitch for a Spring Training game (Maryvale)
-Pairs of Brewers 2013 regular season game tickets
-Watch the game from the broadcast booth (Maryvale)
-Autographed memorabilia
If you are looking for the ultimate full service trip to Spring Training, this is it. They cover all the basis and let you sit back relax and enjoy Brewers baseball and the Arizona sun.
–JOHN
johnandcait@brewers.com
Live from New Jersey: Our Visit to MLB Network
My boss, Kathy Schwab, Senior Director of Marketing, and I are taking a whirlwind tour of New York City this week—we’re here for two different award ceremonies (I’ll post about that tomorrow, after the second event), fitting in meetings with colleagues, and finding time to promote our Brewers Holiday 4-Packs along the way.
With two prestigious events bookending our trip, we decided to make the most of it and headed to Secaucus, NJ on Wednesday to visit Mary Beck, Senior VP-Marketing & Promotion and her team at MLB Network. Neither Kathy nor I had ever made it to these offices and we were so excited to take a tour of the studios. It was neat to see them filming some of the segments for their shows and to learn what goes on behind the scenes. We also had a little fun, as you can see here.
Speaking of MLB Network, make sure you tune in tonight at 5p.m.when the winner of the 2012 National League MVP is to announced. We’re hoping Ryan Braun will be selected for the second year in a row!
More to come from New York-stay tuned!
-Cait
johnandcait@Brewers.com
Our Uniform is Your Canvas: The Brewers Are Putting the “YOU” in “YOUniform”
So I have been pretty excited about this promotion for some time now. It’s really been hard to keep this one a secret. I’m a self-proclaimed sports uniform/jersey/logo nerd. It’s OK, I’m cool with it. If you are like me, or have a knack for creativity and design or just want to put your mark on Brewers baseball, then this contest is for you.
The Brewers are inviting fans to take part in their “Design a YOUniform” contest. That is right. We are looking for fans to design a Brewers uniform and cap that the Brewers will wear during a 2013 Spring Training game.
Where would you begin?
Templates for the contest and complete rules will be available online at Brewers.com/uniform and at the Brewers Team Store by Majestic at Miller Park. The template allows fans to design the jersey top and cap and contestants can create their design digitally or by hand. Design templates will be available beginning Friday at 10 a.m. CT and the deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m. CT on Thursday, December 13. The completed designs can be uploaded to Brewers.com/uniform or dropped off at the Brewers Team Store by Majestic.
The first group of entries will be judged by an internal Brewers committee. That group will narrow the entries down to four finalists. On Tuesday, January 15 at 10 a.m. CT, the four finalists will be announced on Brewers.com. A fan vote will open up on Brewers.com that day and a panel of judges including Brewers pitcher John Axford, Brewers President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Doug Melvin, Brewers Chief Operating Officer Rick Schlesinger, Brewers Senior Director of Merchandise Branding Jill Aronoff, representatives from Majestic, New Era and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel will judge the four finalists (the fan poll will be weighted the same as one judge’s vote).
Have at it!
At Brewers On Deck on Sunday, January 27 at the Delta Center in downtown Milwaukee, the four finalists will be on hand to present their designs. Axford will announce the winner of the contest on the Main Stage at Brewers On Deck. Each of the four finalists will receive a trip to Milwaukee for Brewers On Deck including $250!
The winning uniforms and caps will be worn by Brewers players and coaches during the Brewers vs. Cubs Spring Training game on Friday, March 22 at Maryvale Baseball Park. The winning designer will receive a trip to Spring Training to see that game. The prize package for the winner is packed with goodies:
- Airfare for two people to Phoenix
- Game tickets for the March 22 Brewers vs. Cubs game at Maryvale Baseball Park
- A cash prize for hotel, transportation and other incidentals
- The opportunity to select one player’s jersey and cap from that day
- 10 t-shirts and 10 caps made from the design
Not to mention, the winner can brag about being the fan that won one of the coolest contests in team history.
“People have great ideas for how they would design an alternate uniform for the team, and this is the ultimate opportunity for everyone to have their say,” said Schlesinger in a press release. “Participants can pick their favorite colors, original logos, and script, or they can utilize elements of the Brewers current uniforms with their own unique twist. It’s literally a blank template and a chance for everyone to show off their creative sides.”
Get creative Brewers fans, we cannot wait to see some of your designs.
–JOHN
johnandcait@brewers.com
2012 GIBBYs Nominees Announced; Time to VOTE BREWERS!
Elections may have been last week, but the Award season continues and your opportunity to “Vote” lives on! The nominees for the 2012 Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards (GIBBYs) have been announced. Players from both Leagues are featured as nominees in 21 categories recognizing the best in baseball from the regular season through the Postseason; we’ve got nominees in four of these categories, so here’s where you come in!
Voters for the GIBBY Awards fall into five groups, each of which determines 20% of the overall Vote:
1. Fans at MLB.com <—–That’s YOU!
2. Media
3. Front-Office Personnel
4. MLB Alumni
5. The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)
More than 40 million fan votes have been cast over the past four years, and this year’s winners will be recognized during an MLB.com extravaganza during the Baseball Winter Meetings on December 4.
Voting ends December 2, 2012. So, over the next couple of weeks, make sure you VOTE BREWERS in the following categories!
- VOTE BRAUN for MLB MVP .319 AVG, 41 HR, 112 RBIs, 108 R, 30 SB, .987 OPS. Ryan Braun’s stats speak for himself; Braun excelled both at-bat and on the bases, becoming just the second player since the turn of the 21st century with at least 40 homers and 30 steals in a single season.
- VOTE BRAUN for Best Hitter After winning the 2011 NL MVP, Braun in 2012 became the first hitter outside of Colorado to hit .319 or better with at least 40 home runs and 30 steals since Hank Aaron in 1963.
- VOTE AOKI for Top Rookie In his first United States season following a successful career in Japan, Aoki paced NL rookies in steals and on-base percentage while finishing second in batting, runs and two-base hits. His impressive stats: .288 AVG, 10 HR, 37 2B, 50 RBIs, 81 R, 30 SB, .787 OPS
- VOTE GONZALEZ for Must C Play Back on April 29 against the St. Louis Cardinals, after John Axford fanned Yadier Molina for the second out of the ninth, shortstop Alex Gonzalez sealed the win with a heads-up throw home during a rundown.
Thanks for your support and GO BREWERS!
-John and Cait
JohnandCait@brewers.com
Brewers Announce 2013 Spring Training Schedule
If you live in Milwaukee, you saw the first couple snowflakes of the winter last night. Don’t let that get you down. Think spring everyone because I am very happy to present you with the Brewers 2013 Spring Training schedule!
With this being a World Baseball Classic year, the report dates and games start even earlier, making everyone’s winter a bit shorter. Pitchers and catchers with zero to three years of Major League service time are scheduled to report to Spring Training on Tuesday, February 12. All position players and pitchers and catchers with three-plus years of Major League service have a report date of Friday, February 15, 2013.
The first game is Saturday, February 23 at Maryvale Baseball Park against Oakland. The Brewers will play a total of 35 Spring Training and exhibition games in 2013, including 17 at Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix and two games at Miller Park.
The Brewers will play games at Maryvale against NL Central rivals Cincinnati on Saturday, March 16 and against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, March 22. Other home highlights include a St. Patrick’s Day game (Sunday, March 17) against Los Angeles in Glendale and a game versus Team Canada’s World Baseball Classic entry on Tuesday, March 5.
The team has two split squad games scheduled during the spring. The slate includes Monday, February 25 vs. San Diego (SS) and at Cincinnati, and Sunday, March 24 vs. Colorado and at San Diego.
The last home game at Maryvale Baseball Park for the Brewers is set for Wednesday, March 27 against Kansas City. The Brewers will return home to Miller Park to play two games against the White Sox to round out the exhibition season, scheduled for Friday, March 29 at 7:10 p.m. and Saturday, March 30 at 1:10 p.m.
All Brewers games played in the Cactus League are scheduled for 1:05 pm starts (Arizona Time), except for Wednesday, March 13 at the Diamondbacks (7:10 p.m. local/9:10 p.m. CT start).
Tickets for the Milwaukee Brewers home Spring Training games at Maryvale Baseball Park will go on sale at 9 am CT on Monday, December 3 via the internet at Brewers.com and by phone at 1-800-933-7890. Normal business hours are from 9am – 5pm CST. Sales at the Maryvale Baseball Park Box Office will begin on Monday, February 4, 2013. Tickets are available in four seating areas: Field Box ($22), Infield Reserved ($16), Outfield Reserved ($13) and Lawn Seating ($8). Information on Spring Training Season Tickets can be obtained by calling the Milwaukee Brewers Ticket Office at 414-902-4000. Tickets for the two games at Miller Park against the Chicago White Sox will go on sale at a later date.
We will release a promotional and broadcast schedule later. Please note that games and times are subject to change.
2013 Brewers Spring Training Schedule
Here is the Spring Training Schedule 2013 as a .PDF list.
–JOHN
johnandcait@brewers.com
RECAP: 2013 #GUESSBREW Bobblehead Reveal
Did you follow along with our #GUESSBREW Bobblehead Reveal?
In case you missed it, in 2013, we have slated 10 All-Fan Giveaway dates on Sundays throughout the season where every fan in attendance will receive a bobblehead featuring different Brewers personnel. The bobbles feature current players, alumni, mascots, etc.—and we revealed them here and across all of our social media platform over the past two weeks.
In case you missed it, the 2013 bobblehead lineup is as follows:
Sunday, April 7: Norichika Aoki
Sunday, April 21: George Scott
Sunday, June 23: Klement’s Famous Racing Sausage Polish
Sunday, August 4: Harvey Kuenn
Sunday, September 1: Gorman Thomas
Sunday, September 15: Ben Oglivie
While individual tickets won’t go on sale until February, you can still lock in your favorite bobbles with Season Ticket Packages (the 20-Game Sunday Plus Plan includes ‘em all!), or you can gift them–many of our Brewers Holiday 4-Packs include at least one bobblehead date!
Enjoy your weekend!
-John & Cait
johnandcait@brewers.com
Popular Brewers Holiday 4-Packs On Sale Tuesday!
Can you believe that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away? My how the time flies! In some respects, that’s a good thing–makes Opening Day come just that much quicker!
Anyway, with the holidays approaching, our Brewers Holiday 4-Packs will go on sale next Tuesday, November 13 at 10 am CT.
Fans will be able to choose from five attractive 4-Packs. If holiday shoppers order by Wednesday, December 19, their 4-Packs will be delivered in time for Christmas in special holiday carriers, ready for giving.
“The Holiday 4-Packs are always among our most popular ticket packages, and they are specifically designed to accommodate different schedules,” said Brewers Chief Operating Officer Rick Schlesinger. “The package options offer fans the first opportunity to secure tickets to many of the most anticipated games during the 2013 season.”
Three of the five Holiday 4-Pack Plans – the Interleague Plus Plan, the Matinee Plan and the Weekend Plus Plan– include one All-Fan Giveaway Date, while the Double Bobble Plan includes two All-Fan Giveaway Dates. The Marquee Plus Plan includes two games against the Chicago Cubs at non-Marquee pricing. All five plans include at least one Gold or Marquee priced game at retail price, adding additional value to each 4-Pack.
In addition, the Brewers are offering a free Klement’s Famous Racing SausageTM Chorizo ornament gift-with-purchase to fans with every pair of 4-Packs they buy.
Holiday 4-Packs range in price from $72 – $168 and are available in the Field Outfield Box, Loge Infield Box, Club Outfield Box, Terrace Box, Loge Bleachers and Terrace Reserved seat locations. All tickets are subject to availability while supplies last. Standard shipping and handling fees apply. Advance parking packages are also available.
For complete details and to purchase on Tuesday, visit brewers.com/4packs or call (414) 902-HITS (4487).
-Cait
Josh Prince Commands Attention With Strong Offensive Numbers and Defensive Versatility
Ranking second in the league in hitting with a .403 batting average and recording 31 hits in 21 games is cause for notice at the Arizona Fall League. When combined with playing six different positions in the field, you can make yourself one of the most talked about players in the league.
The Brewers Josh Prince has made the most of his opportunities in the Arizona Fall League in the field and at the plate.
“I’ve played third base, second base, left field, right field and center field ” Prince said of his defensive positions during the Fall League. “I came up through the organization as a shortstop so I know I can play there as well. Being versatile is big. If you look in baseball there are not a lot of players that can play (all those positions). It really helps my chances of getting there (to the big leagues).”
Josh Prince in the batting cage at the Arizona Fall League
The Brewers drafted Prince as a shortstop in the third round of the 2009 First Year Player Draft out of Tulane University. He first worked with Brewers outfield/baserunning instructor Reggie Williams on proper positioning in Spring Training and continued in the outfield at Double-A Huntsville. His extended season in Arizona has also given him many opportunities to work on defense.
“He has had a very good year,” said Darnell Coles, Huntsville Stars manager and Phoenix Desert Dogs hitting coach. “Coming from playing shortstop to the outfield this year is tough. A lot of it was learning on the spot and he is still learning but he has done a very good job as an outfielder. Being able to play these positions adds value to our organization and to him as a player. If a guy gets hurt, you know he can fill in defensively wherever and you don’t have to worry about it. Plus his bat and base running are great.”
Coles has worked with Prince all year in Huntsville and has help develop his swing to a comfortable point as his offensive numbers show.
“I’ve been working with Darnell on flattening out my swing and giving myself better opportunities to get hits when I am a little tardy or a little early,” Prince said. “I just want to be able to stay through the ball. That is the biggest reason why I have had success here.”
Josh Prince sees his ability to run the bases as an important part of his game.
Brewers President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Doug Melvin also likes what he has seen from Prince at the Arizona Fall League and compared his defensive versatility to that of Jerry Hairston.
“His bat has really taken off this fall,” Melvin said. “He is a very aggressive baserunner–a high energy guy. His versatility is going to be his calling card to get to the big leagues.”
Prince hit .251 with seven home runs and 55 RBI during the 2012 regular season at Huntsville with a .346 OBP and .360 slugging percentage. Both his OBP (.489) and slugging percentage (.588) currently rank in the top four in the Arizona Fall League.
“It’s been awesome out here,” Prince said of his Fall League experience. “The weather is great, the baseball talent here is amazing and we are having fun too. The coaches are making this fun and enjoyable for us while at the same time teaching us. I’m happy I am putting up the numbers I am, but I’m constantly working on getting better.”
For Prince that work will continue through the offseason into the winter.
“There is no time for rest,” Prince said. “I’ll get home, hit the gym and start working out. With playing in this league, there is not much time for rest. I have missed some time in the gym and need to make up for that conditioning I have lost to prepare myself for a full season next year.”
Chances are most Brewers fans have not seen the type of game that Prince plays, but he described his play on the field as exciting.
“First and foremost, I want people to know me as a follower of Jesus Christ,” Prince said. “I know that He is the guy I play for and I want people to remember me for that. On the field, I want Brewers fans to know me as a guy who is versatile and a guy that can run. I like to steal bases, I like to try to get on base and score runs for the team. I feel like I can play anywhere and do a good job at any of those positions.”
With the combination of Prince’s ability to run, his defensive versatility and the offensive numbers he has put up during the Arizona Fall League, Brewers fans might be seeing this exciting player at Miller Park very soon.
Josh Prince can be found on Twitter: @JoshPrince17.
–JOHN
johnandcait@brewers.com
John and Cait
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