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This Father’s Day, Give Day Two Gifts in One!
Looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift? Along with Brewers tickets, you can also get dad some new Brewers gear!
And right now, when you purchase $150 or more of ’47 Brand merchandise at the Brewers Team Stores at Miller Park, you’ll receive this FREE commemorative Titleist half-dozen golf ball set (while supplies last).
Here’s a peek at some of the cool ’47 Brand Merchandise in the store right now:
And don’t forget—you can now get your caps embroidered!
While this Titleist Golf Ball Offerl is only available in the Brewers Team Stores at Miller Park, don’t forget to check out our brewers.com shop, which has plenty of other awesome gift ideas!
-Cait
Double Clutch Menu For The Athletics Series: Green Chile Tacos al Pastor
It’s a little chilly in Milwaukee today and the Green Chile Tacos al Pastor on the menu at the Double Clutch Truck at Miller Park will surely warm you up.
The pork is marinated in green chile salsa topped with a tasty chipotle cream sauce and lettuce, served three tacos to an order. A scoop of cilantro lime rice is on the side and is $9. It will be available throughout the Brewers-Athletics series this week at Miller Park. The tacos had awesome flavor.
A staple of the Double Clutch, the Spaghetti-in-a-Meatball is also available again and features a 1/2 pound beef and veal meatball stuffed with spaghetti and mozzarella cheese and topped with marinara sauce. That is also $9.
The Double Clutch stand is on the Loge Level outside section 215 (on the first base side of the press box).
–JOHN
johnandcait@brewers.com
Get Your Customized Cap at the Brewers Team Store
The next time you come out to Miller Park, be sure to check out our new embroidery machine, located in the Brewers Team Store by Majestic.
Just in time for Father’s Day, you can now buy any cap at the store and have it immediately embroidered in your own words for an additional fee ($10 per location–sides and/or back).
The whole process takes very little time and is fun to watch; here’s a snippet.
My finished cap!
-Cait
Please note: Embroidery is available on both game days and non-game days. Non-game day Brewers Team Store by Majestic hours are: Monday-Friday, 10am-7pm; Saturday, 10am-6pm; and Sunday, 11am-4pm. For specific questions, please call the store at (414) 902-4750.
Vote Brewers in the Business Journal’s Social Madness Competition
The Business Journal’s Social Madness competition kicked off this morning and we’re pleased to announce that the Brewers are in the running!
Social Madness recognizes the companies with the best social media engagement across their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ accounts and here at the Brewers, we’re always working hard to bring you new and exciting content to share across our platforms, build new contests and enhance your user experience.
Help us advance by giving us your vote at http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/socialmadness (large companies category–click green “vote” icon to the right of the name and sign in to cast your vote); interacting with us on our social media channels (i.e. liking & sharing/retweeting posts); and telling your friends to do the same.
And, if you needed more reason to do so, here are some links to some of our best social content over the past couple of months: Social Media Night , Shopping with Axford, Food Reviews, New Brew, #WheresPolish, Hairstyle Appreciation Day, Design a YOUniform, Countdown to Opening Day, and Bernie’s Trip to Spring Training.
There are many rounds to this competition, so we’ll be in need of your help along the way.
This first round (Local Round 1) ends on June 17. Local Round 2 will be June 18-24; Local Round 3 June 25-July 1; and Local Round 4 July 2-July 8. If we advance to the Nationals, there will be another competition.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Go Brewers!
John & Cait
READY “FORE” THE 5TH ANNUAL DAVEY NELSON CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT?
The Fifth Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament hosted by Brewers Director of Alumni Relations and FOX Sports Wisconsin broadcaster Dave Nelson is scheduled to be held on Monday, June 24, 2013 on the Irish Course at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Davey Nelson (right) with Craig Coshun at Miller Park. Photo: OnMilwaukee.com
The Davey Nelson Celebrity Golf Tournament kick off at 10:30 a.m. with a Shotgun Start and will be followed by a cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, and dinner.
Last year, I was fortunate enough to attend this event, where I was paired with former Brewers pitcher Jay Aldrich. It was a really fun day for an important cause. You can read my review of the tournament, plus see more photos, here.
Cait and Davey at last year’s event.
This year, celebrity guests scheduled to golf in the tournament include current Brewers players and personnel: Gord Ash, Tom Gorzelanny, Garth Iorg, Kyle Lohse, Doug Melvin, Chris Narveson and Ron Roenicke; former Brewers players Jay Aldrich, Sal Bando (also a Brewers GM), Jeff Cirillo, Geoff Jenkins, Damian Miller, Willie Mueller (who was also in the movie Major League as “Duke”), Greg Vaughn, Paul Wagner and Steve Woodard; Bruce Froemming, former MLB Umpire; Jason Grimsley, former MLB pitcher; Randall McDaniel, Former NFL player; Greg Matzek, radio personality; Greg Meyer, NFL Referee; Tony Smith, a former Milwaukee Bucks player; and Craig Coshun and Telly Hughes, sideline reporters for Fox Sports Wisconsin. [Celebrity golfers are subject to change.]
And, not only is the field stellar, but the course is amazing as well. In the previous years of the tournament, the outing has been held at Blackwolf Run in Kohler and now participants will have a new challenge as it moves to the Irish Course at Whistling Straits. All of the courses up at Kohler are phenomenal, so you really can’t go wrong.
The Irish Course, which was ranked #39 in Golf Digest‘s ranking of America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses for 2013/2014 features “the grassland-and-dunes aspect of the Irish” and is just inland from the lake and interspersed by four streams.
One unique feature of the course is a flock of Scottish Blackface sheep which roam freely, harkening back to older times on Scottish links courses, where sometimes sheep were the only “lawnmowers” used.
Cait at Whistling Straits
My dad, at Whistling Straits (he had a “baa-d lie!”).
Registrations are being accepted as foursomes only and a celebrity golfer will be paired with each group to make up a five-person team. Team play will consist of a Scramble Format with team prizes awarded to the top finishers. The tournament is limited to 30 foursomes and, if you haven’t signed up yet, I’m told there is still space available, but it is moving quickly! Registration fees are $2,500 per foursome.
Besides the tournament itself, a golf clinic led by American Club golf pros and a putting contest will take place at 9:30 a.m., and a buffet brunch will be served prior to play. After golf, there will be a cocktail hour with a Silent Auction followed by dinner and a Live Auction.
For those who do not wish to golf, tickets to the reception and dinner only are available for $150 per person.
An additional preview event has been added on Sunday, June 23rd, consisting of a golf experience at Whistling Straits followed by a cocktail reception and dinner at the Championship Locker with celebrity participants. Rates for the preview event vary pending participation and sponsorship level.
Proceeds will benefit Open Arms Home for Children in South Africa and Brewers Community Foundation. Open Arms Home for Children is a non-profit organization that provides shelter, clothing, protection and basic healthcare for what is now home to many children orphaned due to the Aids epidemic in South Africa. Dave Nelson has served as Board Director for several years.
For additional information, sponsorship opportunities, or to sign up for this memorable golfing experience visit http://www.brewers.com/davey or contact Meredith Malone at (414) 902-4501 or Meredith.Malone@brewers.com.
Updates on the event can be found on twitter by following Brewers Community Foundation ( @brewerscf ) or on the Facebook: Davey Nelson Celebrity Golf Tournament to Benefit Open Arms.
-Cait
More about Davey Nelson:
Nelson enters his sixth season as an analyst for FS Wisconsin broadcasts. He also serves as Brewers Director of Alumni Relations and leads the team’s Speakers Bureau. In his front office role, Nelson maintains a database of former Brewers players as well as organizes events for Brewers alumni.
Prior to his current role, Nelson served as Brewers first-base coach from 2003-06. In 2001 and 2002, he was a minor-league outfield instructor. Nelson began his Major League coaching career in 1981 with Chicago-AL and later spent time coaching in Cleveland, Oakland and Montreal. In 1980, he was on the coaching staff at Texas Christian University.
Nelson enjoyed a 10-year Major League playing career from 1968-77. The former outfielder played for Cleveland, Washington, Texas and Kansas City. He was named to the American League All-Star team in 1973.
Born in Fort Still, Oklahoma, Nelson went on to graduate from Junipero Serra High School in California. He attended Compton Junior College for one year and Los Angeles State College for two years. Nelson also served in the Army Reserve for six years. He currently splits time between Bradenton, Florida and Milwaukee.
What John and Cait Ate: Food Network Mac & Cheese
“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
-Yogi Berra
“When you come to a fork in the road, take it…and try these concessions!”
-John & Cait
Food Network Mac & Cheese
During each homestand, we will be meeting with John DiMartini, Executive Chef at Delaware North Sportservice/Miller Park to sample some of the latest and greatest Miller Park fare and review it here, for you.
Food Network Mac & Cheese
$8 for 16 oz cup
$8 for the Trio (Includes 4oz Samples of each of 3 Types)
Top: Jalapeno Popper; Bottom Left: Beer and Brat; Bottom Right: Buffalo Chicken
The Food Network has cooked up three specialty Mac n’ Cheese dishes for Brewers fans this season: Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese, Jalapeno Popper Mac & Cheese, and Beer and Brats Mac & Cheese.
First, you may recall the Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese from last season; this is not a new item, but it is a popular one. The mac and cheese is tossed with spicy buffalo chicken and topped with bleu cheese and bread crumbs.
The Jalapeno Popper Mac & Cheese is new this year, but it is not unique to Miller Park. This is a recipe that you’ll find if you visit many other ballparks. The mac and cheese is tossed with jalapenos and cream cheese, then topped with bacon-panko bread crumbs.
Finally, last but certainly not least, is the Beer and Brats Mac & Cheese, which is unique to Miller Park. According to Chef Grant, this is the most popular mac and cheese and we’re not surprised. It’s tossed with bratwurst and local-beer infused cheese sausages, then topped with mustard and bread crumbs.
Fans can order a single-serving of one type of mac and cheese in a 16 oz container ($8), or try a 4 oz portion of all three by ordering the Trio ($8).
Cait: This is not the mac n’ cheese that your mom used to make. Even if hers was pretty good, this is better, guaranteed. (Sorry, mom!) I already knew I liked the Buffalo Chicken and I will have to say that it is my favorite of the three–it has just the right amount of “kick” to it and that, combined with its texture, meshes very well with the cheese and the bleu cheese bread crumbs. However, while the Buffalo chicken had the right amount of spice, the Jalapeno Popper was just a little too spicy for my liking. Finally, the iconic Wisconsin Beer and Brats Mac & Cheese was also very good; I can definitely see why it is a favorite among fans so far this season! It’s like the grown-up version of hot dogs and mac and cheese!
John: My favorite was the Wisconsin Beer and Brats Mac & Cheese. The salty flavor of the brats mixed quite well with the cheese and the brat-to-mac ratio was just right. It doesn’t get more Wisconsin than that! Buffalo Chicken is wonderful as well and it is always a pleasant surprise when Sharon and Lorraine serve this in the Press Box. I love Buffalo Chicken sandwiches and this is an interesting take on that popular sandwich. Again, the ratio of chicken-to-mac made for a good dish. The Jalapeno Popper had significantly more spice than the Buffalo Chicken dish. If you are into that kind of spice, try it, but I thought the jalapeno flavor overpowered the mac n’ cheese a little too much. This is definitely a ballpark friendly snack as it is easy to carry and not messy.
Rating:
(out of 5)
Where To Satisfy Your Craving: The Food Network Cart is located down the left-field line on the Loge Level just beyond Section 222.
What about you? Do you have a favorite ballpark snack? A question about concessions? Something you’d like to see featured here? Post your comments below!
Bon Appetit!
-John and Cait
Brewers & Twins Turn Back the Clock to 1948
Tonight, the Twins and the Brewers are turning back the clocks at Target Field—all the way back to 1948.
That year, Harry Truman was President, Scrabble was invented, gas was $.26/gallon and the Brewers wore these uniforms:
Tonight, both teams are paying tribute to the American Association teams that called their areas home 65 years ago.
The Twins will celebrate Minnesota baseball history by wearing throwback uniforms of the 1948 St. Paul Saints. That year, the Saints finished 86-68 and were the Triple-A affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Brewers will play as the 1948 Milwaukee Brewers. That year, the Brewers finished 89-65 and were the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Braves.
Lucroy turns back the clock.
Yuni in a 1948 uni.
What do you think of these jerseys? If you like them, they’re available for sale online at the brewers.com shop.
-Cait
Tim’s Tips: Train Your Brain!
Here’s another great tip from Tim Rappé, Executive Director of our new Brewers Baseball Academy presented by Kwik Trip, eight separate week-long baseball/softball camps open to youth (ages 6-14) that will be held in various cities across Wisconsin this summer.
Along with signing up for the camps and getting excellent baseball instruction there, every so often, Tim will provide some baseball tips here on John and Cait…Plus 9 as well.
Enjoy!
-Cait
TRAIN THE BRAIN THE RIGHT WAY FOR THE BEST BASEBALL RESULTS
In 1994, at the age of 31, perhaps the greatest basketball player of that generation and maybe of all generations decided to quit the NBA and become a professional baseball player. Yes, Michael Jordan, an extraordinarily gifted athlete retired (for the first time) from the NBA and gave everything he had in order to get a shot at the Big Leagues.
Certainly someone with such amazing athleticism and a legendary will to succeed could find his way on to a Major League roster…nope, it didn’t happen. Jordan’s .202 batting average for the AA Birmingham Barons was the beginning and end of his pro baseball “odyssey.”
You see, hitting successfully is not like lifting weights or even running a marathon. Hitting is a complex visual-motor skill that has to be learned. Picking up spin, speed and identifying direction of a pitched ball and then getting the bat to the right spot at the right time requires a skill set that doesn’t happen by accident.
When Michael Jordan’s brain was most receptive to making all the amazing neurological connections necessary to be a skilled baseball player, he was busy learning another sport. The bottom line is that at age 31, Jordan was too old for his brain to make the complex adjustments to play baseball at a high level.
So, you say, “Coach Tim, where are you going with this?” We need to understand there is a time in the life of our brain when it is better suited to learn. Ever wonder why kids can pick up a second language so much easier than us old fogies? The young brain is craving new stimuli and responds accordingly. The older brain is still growing but not with nearly the same appetite as it once had.
That’s pretty much why we work so hard on correct fundamentals at the Brewers Baseball Academy. I swear we can almost hear the brain cells multiplying when we’re around young players. The brain is a blank canvas or as some neurologists call it; an “engram.” Think of the brain as a blank DVD that only records what we send to it. That’s why it is so critical to not only learn the game at a young age, but to learn to play it correctly.
In my opinion and it’s an opinion shared by many others, what separates great baseball players from the rest of us mere mortals is their ability to collect and process data. Fielding thousands of ground balls, throwing thousands of pitches and seeing pitch after pitch after pitch is the data that our brain must collect and process in order for it to learn.
I can’t even imagine how many complex and nearly simultaneous pieces of data a hitter must process as a 95mph heater is hurled at him. To top it off, the body has about as much time as it takes to strike a match to act on the data. And yet, they do it. And they do it because they have observed and processed so much data over their baseball lives that they have achieved a level of “unconscious competency.”
Since data collection and processing is vital in acquiring fine motor skills, it is important that we try to reach game speed when we practice. I know what I am saying is very difficult to achieve at the youth level. But there are things we can do to send the right training messages to our brain.
For starters, use a stopwatch liberally. It’s easy to figure out how fast a typical runner gets down the line so when you are doing infield, put a stopwatch on your fielders and challenge them to get the ball to first base under that time. Turn double plays with a stopwatch and watch the pace of your practices pick up. Practices will not only be more fun but the “data” your players collect will be far more valuable for their developing baseball brains.
Using aids like a stopwatch and a bat speed device can boost the quality of practices and feed the baseball brain with valuable data.
Another “data collecting” idea I’ve employed in the past is the use of a bat speed measuring device at indoor practices. Here’s a picture of one that I really like and that we use at camp. Wait until you see how much faster your kids swing the bat when each swing is being measured against their last swing as well as their teammates’.
Sports Radar Device
Again, the point is to approach game speed in your training whenever possible so that learning can be optimized. It’s not hocus pocus. There is a scientific, neurological basis for learning baseball at a young age and it is paramount that the training messages we send to the brain are mechanically correct and approach the intensity that the brain/body will be asked to achieve in competition.
In short…Train young. Train right. Play right.
Until next time, “If you’re gonna swing, might as well swing hard.”
-Tim Rappé
Brewers-Summerfest Promotion Slated for June 6
Everyone knows Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer and since it’s nice and sunny out today, that gives us even more reason to start daydreaming about all the fun coming up in Wisconsin over the next few months: tailgating at Brewers games (#1!), cookouts, concerts, festivals, and of course, Summerfest!
Well, next Thursday, June 6, the Brewers take on the Philadelphia Phillies at 7:10pm and the first 10,000 fans 21 and older will receive a Summefest Fest Flag that includes a weekday admission ticket to Summerfest (a $9 value), which runs June 26-30/July 2-7, 2013.
I’m interested in seeing Phil Vassar, Blues Traveler, Barenaked Ladies on the side stages and I’m thinking about Luke Bryan and or/Tim McGraw for the headliners–what about you? For the complete Summerfest lineup, click here.
To purchase tickets for the June 6 game, please visit brewers.com.
-Cait
JohnandCait@Brewers.com
Participate in #WHIFF Wednesday for your chance to win prizes!
In conjunction with the season-long Head & Shoulders #WHIFF program which benefits the RBI Leagues, MLB has declared that today is #WHIFF Wednesday.
If there are 200 strikeouts across the League, 5,000 fans can win prizes including MLB.com Shop discounts, MLB.TV trials and Head and Shoulders products. To participate, fans should tweet #Whiff @Brewers for their chance to win, as well as enter online here.
For those unfamiliar with the program, starting on Opening Day, for every “whiff” (strikeout) across MLB during the 2013 regular season, Head & Shoulders with Old Spice is making a $1 donation to the MLB Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI ) program. The RBI program is the MLB youth initiative designed to give young people from urban and underserved communities the opportunity to play baseball and softball, encourages academic success and achievement, and teaches important life lessons and values.
MLB fans can take part in the “Season of the #Whiff” on Twitter all season long and help their team & community–the MLB Club with the most tweets each month will earn $10,000 for their local RBI Leagues!
Good luck!
-Cait
John and Cait
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