Help the Brewers Pick a “New Brew”
This morning we announced that we’ve partnered with Leinie’s to create a “New Brew,” a beer that will be served exclusively at Miller Park this year. And now it’s time for you to join in and help name it!
The newly-created beer is an ale, brewed with pale and roasted caramel malts along with cascade, nugget and willamette hops, beginning at 10 a.m. today, fans 21 years and older can visit Brewers.com/newbrew to vote for their favorite name for the beer, choosing from three options: “Brew Crew Brew,” “Bernie’s Barrel Man Ale” and “Brewers All-Star Ale.” Voting ends on Tuesday, May 21 at 10 a.m. and the winning name will be announced on Wednesday, May 22. The “New Brew” will be available exclusively at Miller Park beginning with the game on Monday, May 27.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to create unique offerings at Miller Park to enhance the fan experience, and we’re excited to debut this exclusive beer during the next homestand,” said Brewers Chief Operating Officer Rick Schlesinger.
Fans will be able to purchase the “New Brew” at locations on the Field Level behind sections 103, 118 and 125; on the Loge Level behind home plate and sections 206 and 213; and on the Terrace Level outside sections 413, 420 and 432.
For more information, please visit Brewers.com/newbrew.
-Cait
JohnandCait@brewers.com
ESPN’s #UNIBATTLE: Vote Brewers!
Remember Brewers fans about a year ago when you voted Miller Park the Best Ballpark in MLB on ESPN.com’s poll? You came out in record numbers and upset the rest of the field as Miller Park was named the best ballpark in MLB thanks to the passionate Brewers fanbase. Some didn’t really like that decision, but it showed how much pride Brewers fans have in their team and ballpark. Well, it looks like the Brewers could use your help again in ESPN.com’s “Battle of the Uniforms.”
This is great because it includes two of my favorite things: uniforms and bracket style tournaments. This topic always sparks interesting discussions and debates.
A bracket-style online vote has been set up to decide what MLB team has the best uniforms in all of Baseball. The Brewers are opening up the underdogs as an 11 seed facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the “tournament.” Although the Brewers have a number of alternate uniforms, the voting is based only on the official home “whites” and road “grays.”
Voting is open now on ESPN.com and the first round ends tomorrow morning. In addition, fans can tweet their thoughts on the bracket using the #UNIBATTLE hashtag.
–JOHN
johnandcait@brewers.com
#WHERESPOLISH Recap
It was quite the eventful morning here at Miller Park!
If you haven’t heard by now, the second Klement’s Famous Racing Sausage, Polish, went missing last Wednesday and this morning, we finally found out what he was up to! In preparation for Spring Madness, Polish had been hard at work. Not only had he gone missing from Miller Park, but, similar to Bernie’s effort in 2011, and Chorizo’s last year, Polish spent the hours mapping and planting over 2,000 Polish lawn ornaments in the grass areas surrounding Miller Park and its parking lots.
Each lawn ornament was affixed with a pouch that included game tickets for a Spring Madness game, set for May 20 through May 22 at Miller Park. The Brewers will host the Los Angeles Dodgers during Spring Madness, and fans can save 50% on most tickets $34 or less. In addition, Klement’s hot dogs and small Pepsi products are just $1 each for all three games.
Brewers fans reacted quickly to the news, which broke at 5am, and descended upon Miller Park. In just under 90 minutes, all of the lawn ornaments were spoken for. What a fun morning!
Here are some highlights:
Look who I found! #WheresPolish #Brewers #SpringMadness Details: brewers.mlblogs.com/2013/05/13/whe… http://t.co/WuZa1KIbs3—
Bernie Brewer (@Bernie_Brewer) May 13, 2013
6am #wherespolish update! There are still polish gnomes available at Miller Park! vine.co/v/b0UhK1mwVne—
Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 13, 2013
https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/333905658405601281
-John and Cait
[Note: If you aren't able to make it down to Miller Park this morning, or if you missed out on the lawn ornaments, don't fret! We are told the Brewers Team Store by Majestic will have a limited quantity in stock. We suggest you call the store at (414) 902-4750 to check availability first.]
Where’s Polish? Spring Madness at Miller Park!
Well, we are up bright and early because it is quite the eventful morning here at Miller Park!
If you haven’t heard by now, the second Klement’s Famous Racing Sausage, Polish, went missing last Wednesday, which first became apparent when he didn’t show up for the Sausage Race during the game.
ITALIAN! Great race tonight to end the homestand, but
https://twitter.com/search/%23WHERESPOLISH”>#WHERESPOLISH</a>!? <a href=”https://twitter.com/search/%23MILvsTEX”>#MILvsTEX</a></p>— Bernie Brewer (@Bernie_Brewer) <a href=”https://twitter.com/Bernie_Brewer/status/332311041683890178″>May 9, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Well, this morning, we finally found out what he was up to! In preparation for Spring Madness, Polish had been hard at work. Not only had he gone missing from Miller Park, but, similar to Bernie’s effort in 2011, and Chorizo’s last year, Polish spent the hours mapping and planting over 2,000 Polish lawn ornaments in the grass areas surrounding Miller Park and its parking lots.
Beginning NOW (5 a.m. on Monday, May 13), fans may come to Miller Park to pick up their very own Polish Racing Sausage lawn ornament. If you find one, it’s yours to keep, but there is a limit of just one ornament per person.
Each lawn ornament is affixed with a pouch that includes game tickets for a Spring Madness game, set for May 20 through May 22 at Miller Park. The Brewers will host the Los Angeles Dodgers during Spring Madness, and fans can save 50% on most tickets $34 or less. In addition, Klement’s hot dogs and small Pepsi products are just $1 each for all three games.
This scavenger hunt will continue until all ornaments have been claimed; the allotment is expected to be claimed quickly, so what are you waiting for? Come and try to get yours! [Please note: Parking is only available in the Molitor Lot, which is directly north of I-94. Fans should enter the Molitor Lot from Blue Mound Road and walk down Yount Drive to participate in the hunt. For official rules, click here.]
Did you find Polish? Upload a photo to Twitter and/or Instagram using the hashtag #WHERESPOLISH and we might include yours in a recap gallery later today!
This fan was here bright and early to help find Polish!
6:30am Update: All of the Polish ornaments are gone at Miller Park. Thanks to everyone who came out! We hope you had fun out there… And of course, we hope to see you back out at Miller Park for Spring Madness, May 20-22!
-John & Cait
[Note: If you aren't able to make it down to Miller Park this morning, or if you missed out on the lawn ornaments, don't fret! We are told the Brewers Team Store by Majestic will have a limited quantity in stock. We suggest you call the store at (414) 902-4750 to check availability first.]
Ryan Braun, Brewers Community Foundation Team Up for Habitat for Humanity Blitz Build
The Brewers today kicked off their “Beyond the Diamond” initiative with a Habitat for Humanity Build-A-Thon.
Players, Brewers Wives and staff will help organizers from Habitat for Humanity and residents of the local community to build a home in a week’s time. Members of the Brewers organization will also be making special guest appearances throughout the week.
They will join Habitat’s dedicated volunteers and sponsors on a variety of projects in Washington Park which include the following: Building new affordable homes, helping homeowners make needed repairs on existing homes, and increasing community safety. For the second year in a row, Brewers Community Foundation is the presenting sponsor of Milwaukee Habitat’s Blitz Build and has teamed up with Ryan Braun and Brewers Wives to lend support through a joint $50,000 donation.
Today, a press conference was held to kick off the week-long project. The sun was shining and attendees of the press conference included Braun, Ron Roenicke, Michael Gonzalez and Brewers Wives Karen Roenicke, Kristina Hart, Larisa Fraser and Susan Cutajar.
Tomorrow, the Brewers Wives will work on the site along with Habitat volunteers, sponsors and partner families. Thursday morning, Brewers Community Foundation 50/50 Raffle sellers will join Habitat volunteers working together to build one of the three new affordable homes being constructed in the Washington Park neighborhood during the “Blitz Build.” On Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, Brewers front office staff will get in the act and join volunteers from Habitat on the three houses.
Michael Goelzer snapped some great photos from today’s events in the Washington Park neighborhood. This is really a great way for the Brewers to kick off “Beyond the Diamond.” It truly a team effort that includes Brewers players, staff and their families.
–JOHN
johnandcait@brewers.com
Boys & Girls Clubs, Milwaukee Brewers and Brewers Community Foundation Announce Revitalization Plans for Sherman Park Baseball Field
Last night, Milwaukee Brewers front office staff, including President of Baseball Operations-General Manager Doug Melvin and his wife, Ellen, along with Craig Counsell, Special Assistant to the General Manager and his wife, Michelle, attended the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee’s Salute to Youth MVP Dinner & Celebration at the Pfister Hotel. Approximately 500 guests were in attendance at the event, which was co-chaired by Brewers Chief Operating Office, Rick Schlesinger.
At the end of the evening, Brewers Community Foundation presented a check in the amount of $100,000 to support the revitalization of Sherman Park baseball diamond, located in Milwaukee’s central city.The Sherman Park field will be one of only five fields in Greater Milwaukee that can accommodate multiple types of play.
“The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs’ Youth Sports programs is to provide members with access to youth sports that impart valuable life lessons such as teamwork and good sportsmanship as well as develop their leadership skills,” says Vincent Lyles, president & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. “This support from Milwaukee Brewers and Brewers Community Foundation will help do just that. ”
“On behalf of Brewers Community Foundation, the Sherman Park baseball field revitalization is consistent with our mission to positively impact the lives of children and their families in Greater Milwaukee and Wisconsin,” says Cecelia Gore, Executive Director of the Foundation. “This revitalization project will make Little League baseball and softball accessible to Boys & Girls Clubs and other local residents, especially those who live in the inner city.”
In addition to the revitalization project, Milwaukee Brewers and Brewers Community Foundation have been long-time supporters of Boys & Girls Clubs’ RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Program [Read more on how you can help support the RBI program here.] as well as Little Brewers softball, which is a statewide program that teaches young children the fundamentals of the game.
Milwaukee County Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture is also a partner in the project. It will be responsible for the field’s maintenance. Boys & Girls Clubs will have exclusive field access for the first two years. Construction will begin this year and the field will be playable for the start of the 2014 baseball and softball season. It will include a new scoreboard, field fencing and dugouts, infield landscaping and paint field infrastructure.
Located on the corner of N. Sherman Blvd. and W. Burleigh St., the baseball field was highly used and known for its immaculate condition. The revitalized baseball field supports the growth of baseball and softball among central city children. The reconstructed field will be built with adaptive diamond dimensions to accommodate Boys & Girls Clubs baseball and softball programs for young people.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee celebrates 126 years of service. Known as the oldest and largest youth-serving agency in Milwaukee, the Clubs offers high quality after-school and summer programming for children ages 5-18, focusing on those who have major life obstacles, most often poverty. The Clubs operates 36 sites, which include six primary locations, 29 school sites, Camp Whitcomb/Mason in Hartland in Hartland. Membership to the Clubs is only $5 per year, per child, but no one is ever turned away based on inability to pay. For more information, visit www.boysgirlsclubs.org.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig grew up in the area and played baseball on the field.
-Cait
Tim’s Tips: Talking Quality At-Bats
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
SHARING BATTING AVERAGES…MAYBE THE WORST THING WE CAN DO FOR OUR PLAYERS
I know this post is going to be controversial. As a baseball and softball coach for more years than I can remember, I have often made playing decisions and batting order decisions based upon batting average. BA is easy to calculate and the baseball/softball culture has revolved around BA as undeniably the most important offensive statistic. Just yesterday, I picked up the newspaper and read the top 100 high school batting averages in the area. It’s how we keep “score” when comparing offensive players.
And that’s a shame. Let’s suppose a player hammers a line drive at shortstop in his first at-bat (AB). He then advances a runner from second to third in his second AB with a sharp grounder to second base and in his final plate appearance drives the centerfielder to the wall where he makes an over-the-shoulder catch. The batter is 0-3 and his batting average takes a dip.
Do we seriously think that my imaginary hitter’s 0-3 performance was a failure? If we judge him by batting average, the answer would have to be “yes.”
Why do we love to watch Ryan Braun and Jean Segura? Answer: Because they compete in every AB. In other words, they give us “quality” At Bats (QAB). But, of course, a QAB doesn’t always result in a hit. At last count, there are eight guys out there with gloves trying to catch it. More and more coaches are grading hitters’ performances based upon whether or not they give a QAB..and that’s a good thing.
Ryan Braun is the “poster child” for how to compete in every at-bat. Ryan knows the value of a quality at-bat.
Here are several examples of a QAB:
- Hit the ball hard regardless of whether or not it results in a hit
- Any seven or more pitch AB that doesn’t end in a called third strike
- Execute situationally: Sacrifice bunt, suicide squeeze, advance a runner, sac fly, etc.
- Getting a walk (unless it’s my big bopper taking a walk with two outs and runners on base)
On the other hand, I don’t consider a “handle shot” that falls over second base or a nine-hop “seeing eye” grounder that manages to squeak through the infield a QAB. Get the idea? You can find plenty of QAB charts on the internet if you decide to make the move from away from the almighty batting average. You will find yourself and your players having a much better approach to winning a baseball game when they are equipped with an understanding of Quality At-Bats.
Over the years, one of the sure signs that my team was going badly or about to tumble was when I’d overhear kids talking about their batting averages. The last “swing thought” I want my hitter to have is about what happens to his batting average if he gets a hit or doesn’t. Batting average can be poison for a hitter, but focusing on Quality At-Bats is the antidote
Until next time, “If you’re gonna swing, might as well swing hard.”
-Tim Rappé
Enter Your Pet in the Brewers TAIL-Gate Contest, sponsored by West Bend
If you know me personally (or follow me on Twitter 
), you know I am a cat person. I don’t dislike dogs, it’s just that I’ve grown up with only cats my whole life and I currently own two, Crash and Cowbell.
So, needless to say, when it came to the successful Dawg Days of Summer Promotion at Miller Park the last couple of years, I have to admit I was a little jealous of my canine-loving friends who had the perfect excuse to play dress-up with their pups.
Well, now I can no longer be cat-ty, as I’m pleased to announce that our new promotion for 2013 is the “Brewers TAIL-Gate Contest,” sponsored by West Bend and open to pets of all types.
Fans can submit photos of their pets wearing Brewers gear, either by emailing them to mypet@brewers.com, or by bringing them in to the Brewers Team Store by Majestic. At select home games, two pet photos will be chosen to appear on the scoreboard and ”compete” to see who wins by fan applause. At the end of each month, we will showcase four winners from the previous contests and fans will then determine who that month’s winner is. Each month’s winner will receive a $150 gift card to the Brewers Team Store. [You may also click here to view the Brewers Tail-Gate Contest Flyer.]
From the monthly finalists, the fans will vote for one grand prize winner during the game on Saturday, August 31. The winning pet will receive a $500 gift card to the Brewers Team Store, as well as an opportunity to participate in a pre-game presentation prior to an early September home game.
How does West Bend fit in? This ties in well with West Bend’s Home and Highway Policy, which provides accidental injury coverage for your pet at no additional cost to you. Visit thesilverlining.com for details.
Entries will be featured in the Brewers Team Store throughout the season. There is also a variety of pet merchandise sold in the team stores at Miller Park and online at brewers.com, so make sure you check it out, dress up your pet and enter the TAIL-Gate contest!
Hogan, my parents’ cat, lounging in a Miller Park seat. All he needs is some Brewers gear!
-Cait
Brewers 2013 Yearbook Available Today at Miller Park
The 2013 Milwaukee Brewers yearbook arrived at Miller Park today featuring 158 pages of beautiful Brewers photos, fun facts and historical information. Fans can buy a copy for only $10 at the Brewers Team Store by Majestic (an absolute steal) beginning today. The yearbook will be available for purchase at Brewers.com at a later date. I will keep you posted on when the yearbooks will be available online.
Brewers Coordinator – Media Relations, Ken Spindler heads up the yearbook project and again did a great job with the book. A story and photo collage on last year’s Bob Uecker statue ceremony, a recap of the 2012 season, a beefed up Player Development section with photos of every Brewers minor leaguer and family photos of current Brewers players and staff are some of the key features in the 2013 yearbook. The book also includes a historical section that looks back at some favorite Brewers moments throughout the years.
Ryan Braun, Norichika Aoki and Yovani Gallardo are featured on the 2013 Yearbook cover.
–JOHN
johnandcait@brewers.com
Brewers Induct Gene Conley Into Braves Honor Roll at Miller Park
The Milwaukee Brewers and the Milwaukee Braves Historical Association inducted Gene Conley into the Braves Honor Roll today at Miller Park.
Conley pitched for the Milwaukee Braves from 1954 – 1958 and his Major League career lasted from 1952 – 1963. He was a member of the 1957 Braves World Series Championship team and a three-time MLB All-Star. In five of his 11 MLB seasons, Conley recorded ten or more wins and finished his career with a 91-96 record and 3.82 ERA. With the Milwaukee Braves, Conley was 42-43 with a 3.56 ERA.
Although Conley couldn’t travel to Milwaukee to today’s event, there were a number of former Braves in attendance today. Felix Mantilla, Ray Crone and Frank Thomas were all in attendance in addition to members of the Milwaukee Braves Historical Association: Bud Lea and Bob Buege.
“Gene has been my friend for many, many years and he is a great man,” Mantilla said. ”He was a very gifted athlete as we all know but he was a great teammate. He is deserving of this honor.”
Felix Mantilla speaks at today’s event.
There are now 12 members of the Milwaukee Braves Honor Roll, which also includes Warren Spahn (2004), Johnny Logan (2005), Andy Pafko (2006), Bobby Thomson (2008), Bob Uecker (2009), Felix Mantilla (2010), Eddie Mathews (2010), Joe Adcock (2011), Frank Torre (2011), Del Crandall (2012) and Hank Aaron (2012).
Conley has the distinction of being the only player to win championships in two of the four major American sports. Conley also played with the Boston Celtics (1952-53, 1958-61) and New York Knicks (1962-64) of the NBA and was a member of three NBA World Championship teams (1959, 1960 and 1961) with the Celtics. Conley’s wife, Kathryn, wrote a book on her husband’s life called “One of a Kind.” The book chronicles his unique career, a career that might never be matched.
Here is the video that Conley sent for the presentation. It features a great interview as well as some unique action footage of Conley pitching for the Braves:
It is great to have an organization that appreciates the history of Milwaukee baseball like the Milwaukee Braves Historical Association. There were a lot of great stories tossed around at today’s event and I’m thankful to have been a part of it. The partnership that the Brewers have with the historical group is great and ensures that the memories of that beloved team will never die. I urge fans to check out the Braves Wall of Honor the next time you are at Miller Park. It is located on the Field Level between Home Plate and Third Base on the Concourse.
Gene Conley’s plaque on the Braves Honor Roll at Miller Park.
–JOHN
johnandcait@brewers.com
John and Cait
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