Brewers Celebrate 50 Years In Milwaukee

Spring training is going full force, so the 50th edition of the Milwaukee Brewers are officially off and running.

Buckle up, Brewer fans, as the team takes aim at a third straight playoff season. Most outlets seem to be putting them at 79 wins or so. Athlon Sports magazine has the Brew Crew finishing second in the NL Central (behind the hated St. Louis Cardinals and ahead of the Chicago Cubs) AND getting a wild card playoff spot.

As the team prepares to wrap up a seven-year contract extension with Christian Yelich, one of the best players in baseball, things are looking bright. For Milwaukee to put Yelich in a Brewer uniform until 2028 -- at $215 million -- is a big score for a "small market" club.

I think I'll put that win total at 86. Optimistic? Yes, but in this 19th season at Miller Park (next season American Family Insurance gets the naming rights) I think the Brew Crew will again be competitive and playoff bound.

Yes, starting pitching is still a concern. But General Manager David Sterns might turn up a gem or two. And Manager Craig Counsell seems to get the most out of his club.

Some new faces will be sprinkled throughout the lineup,  some faces have returned.

• Justin Smoak signed a one year deal (with a club option for a second year) with the club for $5 million. Essentially, the switch-hitting first baseman brings pretty much the same tools to the table that Eric Thames (let go) does, but for less money. Toss Ryan Braun into the mix at first base as well.
• Luis Urias came over from San Diego in a trade to challenge Orlando Arcia for the starting shortstop gig. Unfortunately, he came up with a hand injury in Mexican League play and will not be back for several weeks. Still, the hope is that his bat is stronger than Arcia's, who is a tremendous fielder but runs hot-and-cold at the plate If anything, it lights a fire under Arcia to be better at the plate. Judging from early spring training results, it's worked.
• Avisail Garcia comes over from Tampa Bay and makes the outfield stronger. Braun will be a spot starter, but a Christian Yelich-Lorenzo Cain-Garcia outfield is pretty impressive. Yelich moves back over to left field, where he won a Gold Glove with Miami, while Garcia gives the team more punch.
• Speaking of Cain, he battled nagging thumb, knee and ankle injuries all season, but STILL won a gold glove. A healthy Cain gives Milwaukee more offense.
• Omar Narvaez gives some depth to the catching position. He'll split time with Manny Pina. Still not a strong offensive position, but Narvaez gives the team some power potential.
• A pair of pitchers, Corey Knebel and Bobby Wahl, are coming off injury. IF Knebel can get back to even 90% of what he was, the bull pen will be better.

Best-Kept Sports Secret In Wisconsin

Unless you live in Oshkosh proper, or maybe the Fox Valley, you're probably not aware of the fact that Wisconsin has not one, but two, professional basketball teams.

The Wisconsin Herd, a G-League team affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks, makes Oshkosh it's home at the Menominee Nation Arena, 1212 South Main Street, Oshkosh.

I can't speak for the media in the rest of the state, but can say that the Madison market pretty much ignores the Herd, a move that baffles since it is affiliated with the Bucks, whose NBA-best record of 44-7 make them a hot topic state-wide

In the third year of existence, the club is currently leading the 15-team Eastern Conference with a 24-8 record (a sterling 14-2 on the road). Second place is held by the Maine Red Claws (affiliated with the Boston Celtics). The Red Claws, 22-8, were visiting Oshkosh today (2/8/20). Their featured player a 7-5 center from Senegal who was at Central Florida before declaring for the NBA draft in 2017.

Over in the 13-team Western Conference, the Memphis Hustle (24-9) are setting the pace.

Our party of four attended the Friday 2/7/20 game against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers) and saw the Herd win 127-119 in an entertaining game before a crowd of 3,303. Pacing the Herd were guard Jaylen Adams (out of St. Bonaventure) with 37 points (nailing six of eight three-point attempts) and 7-0 center Dragan Bender (just 22 years old, he's on a two-way contract, meaning the Milwaukee Bucks can call him up from time to time). Bender had 25 points and 10 rebounds. Both played 35 minutes, while Frank Mason III chipped in 21 points in 20 minutes.

If Mason's name rings a bell, it's because he was college basketball's national player of the year following the 2016-2017 season. Coming off an injury, he's also on a two-way contract with the Bucks.

Herd games are entertaining, to be sure. Yes, the players might seem a step slower than those in the NBA. Yet they aspire to get to the "big leagues" and generally play hard. The Herd works to make the game atmosphere family-friendly. Overheard a couple guys talking as we headed for the exits, and one noted "This was a blast. I'm definitely gonna come back again..."

There are quirks to the G-League game, to be sure. Until there are two minutes remaining in the game, or in any overtime session, it seems, ALL free throws are limited to a single charity shot, but can count for multiple points. For example, Player A is fouled in the act of shooting. He gets one free throw, but if he makes it, it's worth two points. Weird, it seems to make the game move faster. It's an experimental rule put in for this season. The NBA uses the G-League as a sort of lab rat.

I noticed the 24-second shot clock not resetting,which seemed wanky. A check of the rules indicates it resets to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound or when the offensive team otherwise is the first team to retain possession after the ball contacts the rim.

No Favors From The NFL Schedule Makers

Just saw this pop through this week.

That's the home and away schedule for the Green Bay Packers. No dates or times or open date, mind you, just the home and road schedule.

The NFL schedule makers have done NO favors when it comes to the Packers. The club is on the road for six of the final seven games.

Let that soak in for a minute.

Six of seven games down the stretch are on the road, including five straight (at Houston, Indianapolis, Minnesota, New Orleans and Tampa Bay). After a brief Lambeau Field tilt with Philadelphia, Green Bay then closes out the season at San Francisco.

Coach Matt LaFleur and his veteran quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, had better be Road Warriors in 2020. That final seven games will be a battle with playoff-caliber teams.

Better give Rodgers a few more weapons. More speed on the offensive and defensive side of the ball had better be a priority in the draft and the free agent market.

Minor League Baseball In Crisis

Would someone mind explaining to me WTF is going on with Major League Baseball and it's minor league system?

Commissioner Rob Manfred has proposed cutting affiliations of 42 minor league teams "to reduce travel and improve facilities" (their words, not mine).

Let's put this in perspective. MLB's 30 teams have about 160 minor league squads. These are distributed in Triple A, Double A, High A (long season), Low A (short season) and Rookie League. In addition, teams will send specific players to co-op teams in the Arizona Fall League. Dropping 42 minor league teams means getting rid of about A FOURTH of teams.

By comparison, in 1950, the 16 MLB teams had, between them, 214 minor league affiliates, an average of 15 per team. The Brooklyn Dodgers, several years away from moving west to Los Angeles, led with 24 teams. The St. Louis Cardinals had 21, the Chicago Cubs 14. At the other end of the spectrum were the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox (eight each) and the Detroit Tigers (nine). In 1883-1994, the Northwestern League was the earliest example of a real minor league, with teams from Indiana to Minnesota. By 1907, 244 cities were homes to 36 member leagues.

And now, MLB is looking at drastically changing the minor league landscape. Yes, minor leagues come and go. Madison, for example, was once the home of the Madison Muskies, a Midwest League team. Wisconsin Rapids and Wausau were also members. Now, all three cities host a summer college league, the Northwoods League. (While minor league baseball struggled in Madison, the college-level Madison Muskies annually lead the league in average attendance -- over 6,000 fans per game!)

This reduction in minor league teams threatens cities like Clinton, Iowa (population 25,719) and Appleton, Wisconsin (population 74,379) -- both members of the Midwest League, a Low A league. And let's take this one step farther -- it impacts local economies, from local distributors and sponsors to the stadium workers.

I checked with Ted Tornow, a friend who has spent 37 in minor league baseball, the past 22 as the General Manager for the Clinton LumberKings. The 'Kings, established in 1937, are a Midwest League (Low A squad) affiliated with the Miami Marlins.

Tornow grew up in Menasha, Wisconsin (Go Bluejays!), played football at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (Hail Titans!) and graduated from there in 1983. Tornow is just one of many around the minor league world leading a charge to defend minor league baseball, and the LumberKings in particular. His team has produced an impressive paper that details professional baseball's economic impact on Clinton.

Let's just take a look at some of the highlights. To quote from the paper's bottom line:

Total Dollars Spent in Clinton By Professional Baseball Each Season: $1,305,000
Based on the economic theory and practice that outside money turns over seven times in a community and local money turns over four times in a community, the Clinton LumberKings Professional Baseball Club have an economic impact on Clinton as follows:

• Front Office Staff/Game Day Employers                                 $350,000 X 4 = $1,400,000
• Operating Costs                                                                        $500,000 X 4 = $2,000,000
• Home Team                                                                              $250,000 X 7 = $1,750,000
• Visiting Teams                                                                         $150,000 X 7 = $1,050,000
• Umpires, Scouts and Visiting Personnel                                 $  25,000 X 7 = $    175,000
• Major League Affiliate                                                            $  30,000 X 7 = $    210,000

                                                                                        Total                                     $6,585,000
Directly and indirectly, the LumberKings support approximately $4.7 million in wages in Clinton County.

So give it some thought. If 42 minor league cities go away, that's one helluva lot of economic impact in various states.

Let's MLB know our thoughts. Write to Pat O'Connor, President & CEO, Minor League Baseball, 9950 16th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33716.

And contact Commissioner Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball, 245 Park Ave., Suite 30, New York, NY 10167. Or email your opinions to mlbexecutiverelations@website.mlb.com.

It's well worth our time to make our feelings known!