nodakfan17

It really depends on a number of factors, Outlander. Weekend games tend to draw the 5,000 + crowds that you mentioned, but weekday attendance is probably in the 2000-3000 range. Plus, aside from the opening weekend, crowds are definitely thinner in April and May before the weather gets nice and school lets out. I've arrived to bobblehead games 30 minutes early and still received one. I'd hate to steer you wrong , but I think you could arrive to any game 60 minutes early and still receive one (regardless of crowd size).

Count me among those who are also fascinated by baseball uniform numerology. What intrigues me the most is actually the lack of uniformity. For example, it seemed to me that for a while, the Brewers were issuing new starting pitchers numbers in the 40's and new relief pitchers numbers in the 50's. Occasionally, they'd dip into the 30's and 60's. However, free agent pitchers (or newly-acquired ones like Greinke) have been able to select any number they wished (provided it was available). Recently, this "pitcher range" seems to have been relaxed, as there are now a number of pitchers with uniform numbers in the 20's. Still, you rarely see pitchers with single-digit uniform numbers or even uniform numbers in the teens. Am I imagining this?

Especially if that AAA team was let's say the Cubs. You would have a great chance at getting higher attendance. Would the Cubs be willing to give up the Iowa market? I think their AAA-affiliate is well-placed. It would make more sense to demolish it. My guess is that there is already a sweetheart tax deal in place for the property and if the Brewers were to leave, a similar deal could be extended to the new AAA occupant. There is an economic benefit to having 70+ home games every year. Plus, I have no idea how Miller Park treats depreciation, but my guess is that they are able to write off a few million dollars every year. If the stadium were demolished, you'd forego the ability to offset profits by the amount of depreciation. Essentially, any profit that Miller Park makes is tax-free up to the depreciation amount. I know I'm speaking in hypotheticals, but my point is that the burden of maintaining a AAA-quality ballpark (and doing so profitably), may not be as large as you think.

Link to 2016 Timber Rattlers Promotional Schedule I didn't think this warranted its own thread, but some fans might be interested in the Orlando Arcia t-shirt jersey giveaway on Friday, April 29 (along with some of the other promotions).

Agreed that it's a non-issue for the NFL/NBA. With the NBA, the top 1 or 2 picks CAN make a huge difference, but in reality, only 1 in 4 will become an All-Star. Even then, there's a big difference between drafting John Wall or LeBron James. The same teams keep returning to the well because in order to win a title, you need a Top 5 NBA player. It really makes the NBA unwatchable for all but 5 NBA cities each year. I don't think it can be fixed - that's just how the game works. I find more reason for optimism in the MLB-style rebuild and that's why my fan dollars go to the Brewers / Timber Rattlers and a few college basketball teams. Edit: Back to the original post, I would be in favor of a ban on consecutive #1 or Top 3 overall picks in all leagues (especially the NBA). It was hard to watch the Cavs get 3 of 4 #1 overall picks (2011, 2013, 2014). They were compensated with Kyrie Irving after LeBron James left. Then, through the grace of some ping pong balls, they had the ammunition to trade for Kevin Love? C'mon. Still, this instance is somewhat of an anomaly. The current systems have served their leagues pretty well.

In MLB, fans accept this plan as "strategy" because it is a very calculated approach. Even though the parent-club may not be fielding a competitive team, there are a lot of little victories for fans along the way as prospects progress through the minor leagues. In the NBA, it's almost exclusively luck. You either need to hit on your high pick or totally whiff. If you draft an above-average starter (gasp), you're back on the mediocrity treadmill. I think we're less tolerant of the NBA-approach because it just looks / feels desperate and its not much fun watching most lottery picks look out of place against legitimate professional basketball players (your team tanked for THAT?).

I absolutely love this trade for all of the reasons mentioned, but especially Isan Diaz. For a team that is rebuilding, I have no problem trading a 0.1 WAR shortstop for a young man who was the Pioneer League MVP.

It doesn't make much of a difference. We're not competing anytime soon, so we can put a pan of lasagna behind the plate for all I care. For the most part, I agree, but at what point does it become a detriment to the development of a young pitcher(s)?

AAA baseball attendance is in the 6,000 - 10,000 per game range. Miller Park could be right-sized to accommodate a smaller crowd. You'd almost certainly start by closing off the top two levels. Miller Park will be paid off by 2017, right? So if the Southeast Wisconsin Baseball Park District operates as a rational business, they would lease out the ballpark provided the lease income would be sufficient to cover operating expenses. There's obviously an economic benefit to having a AAA tenant than no tenant. Plus, as some posters have mentioned, a MLB-parent club would value an indoor stadium.

On the topic of a AAA team in Madison - an interesting case study would be to see if the Timber Rattlers have cannibalized any of the Brewers' revenue. I now live in Green Bay and it costs about 3-times as much for me to catch a game in Milwaukee as it does in Appleton. I usually make the Miller Park pilgrimage twice per year, but with the reasonably close MiLB alternative, I don't make many extra trips. If there were a AAA team in Madison, I would definitely come down to check it out, but that might come at the expense of a single-A game.

Count me among those who think Wisconsin comes out looking silly on this one. There needs to be some level of civility, but leave it up to the discretion of a teacher or associate principal to weed out the truly obnoxious students (or parents). In 99% of cases, these cheers are harmless. One of my best friends played varsity hockey in high school and I'd spend most Friday nights at the rink watching his games. Like most groups of teenagers, we'd crack our share of jokes, but in the rare instances where we'd cross the line, a parent was sure to remind us to be a better example for the younger fans. Afterwards, we'd usually go to IHOP. Life was good.

I really dig the MKE home plate design. Also a fan of the Brew Crew and camouflage ball / glove designs

With Miller Park almost halfway through its usable life (gulp), are taxpayers going to want to pay up for this team 20 years from now? This is why the Bucks' arena deal scares me - With taxpayers statewide on the hook, I think they'll be looking for a return on their investment from the Bucks and I doubt they'll get it. If the Brewers left, I'd just follow the national story lines and then tune in for October. I'd get my baseball fix from the Northwoods League. You can get nachos and hot dogs at any ballpark.

Dry era sounds like a pretty grim assessment. Here's my two cents: Brewers: I'm actually really excited about the direction of the team. Hopefully, the casual fans will still show up and tailgate until the Major League talent improves. Packers: Super Bowls XXXI & XLV are my favorite sports memories. I treasure those two teams. While some teams in the last 30 years have had success winning multiple titles with the same front office, coach, and roster, the Packers are the only team to climb the mountain twice with a different front office, coach, and roster. That's impressive. I understand the disappointment some fans have about having only two titles in 25 years, but having a HOF QB does not guarantee a title (see: Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Frank Tarkenton, Dan Fouts, and Warren Moon). 10-6 with a playoff appearance is a bad year? C'mon. I may be a TT/MM apologist, but they've earned the benefit of the doubt. Badgers Look, I'm not a big UW fan, but they play at a great university, in a great town, and in a great conference. They'll be fine. Bucks: This will end badly for everyone - on the court and off. I just got done paying off the entire Lambeau Field tax (which I supported). Back in 2000, no other counties wanted to chip in for the one professional team in Wisconsin that is not a perpetual disappointment. Now the entire state is suddenly on the hook for part of the Bucks funding? How exactly does that work?

I appreciate everyone's input. I get the impression that some of the premium seating options might not be worthwhile. Does anyone have experience with Miller Park tours or Bernie's Slide Experience? This same group of friends makes a point to tailgate at least once per season together. I'd like to work in something a little out of the ordinary to commemorate the occasion.

If they have to resort to former players in the manner to which you've alluded, I'd like to see some type of consistent theme as opposed to a current player here, a mascot there, etc. The 1982 mini set from 2007 was pretty neat.

I was a little surprised to see them drop that game to Wright State (albeit in OT). They should get a chance to recover on Monday with NKU in town. Northern Kentucky just finished its transition to D1 and while they've come along way in 5 years (brand new $60 million on-campus arena), their roster probably isn't at the level of the rest of the Horizon League.

I'd like to crowd-source some ideas for a bachelor party at Miller Park. The groom is getting married in early June, so the bachelor party would presumably take place in either April or May. The groom's close friends and family are mostly from Green Bay, Madison, and Chicago, so Miller Park seems like a good central location. Most participants would be about 30 years old, but I don't know at this point if we will need to invite the fathers of the bride / groom or any younger cousins. I've been to a bachelor party at Miller Park before and it was so-so. We tailgated, sat in the Terrace Level, stayed at a cheap hotel downtown (Ramada maybe?), and then hit a few bars later in the evening. It was nice to meet up with old friends and catch a Brewer game, but it wasn't particularly memorable or exciting. I'd like to raise the bar a notch. Here are some possibilities that I have considered: - Some combination of Brewer Game / Potawatomi Casino - Miller Park Tour / Bernie's Slide Experience prior to Brewer Game - Miller Park Suite Rental ($1900 minimum, unclear if it includes food / drink) - Friday's Table Package Any insight would be appreciated. Happy New Year, Everyone!

The Fox NFL Pre-Game Show is basically a 1-hour commercial for Draft Kings and Fan Duel.

ESPN There is one "free" college football game on ABC today (Florida v. Michigan). I know they own the broadcast rights to just about every bowl, but I wish they'd put a few on ABC. They can keep the playoff bowls for their subscribers. I'm sure there's a way to watch them using an ESPN app, but I don't want to mess with that.

There really isn't much that stands out to me here, though I am glad we're not hearing about a "16 in '16" promotion. Quite honestly, I don't think the Brewers have enough popular players for that slate. I've always been a fan of Craig Counsell dating back to watching him play on TV in 1997 and am looking forward to catching the game on August 14. Beyond that, I don't see another promotion that warrants a drive down from Green Bay. My wife loves BobbleHanks (sorry, everyone), but we have a wedding to attend that weekend. The bobblehead I am most looking forward to this year is probably the Orlando Arcia bobble given out by the Timber Rattlers on July 24.

My pleasure, Turbo. I'm looking forward to chatting more about the Timber Rattlers with you in the Spring. I think I checked this message board twice per day from 2007 - 2010 and then less frequently through 2011 season. On one particularly cold night last January, I visited the Timber Rattlers' website on a whim and decided to order the Bobblehead 10-pack. I was putting in a lot of hours on a project that wrapped up at the end of March and it seemed like a good way to help me get through the winter. When I visited Brewer Fan last Spring, I too noticed that the traffic had slowed down since I had last posted regularly. Still, there are lots of good folks around this board. Plus, last season was great. I was less concerned about wins and losses and more concerned about fresh air and hot dogs. I also enjoyed following the prospects that made their way through Appleton. It will be fun to cheer on a new bunch come April.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the list. I think the Timber Rattlers do a nice job of mixing current prospects, current Brewers, bobbles of local interest, and kid-friendly bobbles. It'd be impossible to select 10 bobbleheads to suit every fan. I haven't renewed my 10-game bobblehead ticket package yet, but will likely do so before the end of the year. I have a $60 credit on my account from last season, so the out of pocket costs will be less than $100. I simply punted on the bobbleheads that I didn't like. If you email your ticket rep 24 hours prior to the game, he or she will credit your account for the value of the unused seats (dollar for dollar). I'm also curious if they'll substitute for Jason Rogers. The news of his trade to Pittsburgh came within 1-2 days of the bobblehead schedule release. My gut says that they will not substitute due to the early date (4/30). I bet the wheels are already in motion and it'd be difficult or cost-prohibitive to turn back now. Here's how I'd rank them in terms of personal interest: Take Me Out to the Ballgame - Matt Erickson * - Hank & Fang * - Jake Gatewood - Orlando Arcia * - Monte Harrison I gather that the Fan's Choice poll from last season had a positive response rate because Arcia, Gatewood, and Harrison all wound up with bobbleheads anyway. Some folks will cringe at my choice of another BobbleHank, but this is the only game all season where my wife will insist on attending. My one complaint here is that a cute little dog will be sharing a bobble with a big snake ... I'll bet that one receives mostly mixed reviews. As a bonus, 3 of my Top 5 games will likely fall on an Autograph Sunday (*). Take Me Out to the Ballgame ... Maybe - Jason Rogers - Khris Davis - David Ortiz If I have nothing else going on and the weather is nice, sure ... why not? No Thanks - Fang & Whiffer - Corey Chisel * While I like Bernie Brewer, Hank the Dog, and the Racing Sausages, I've never quite warmed up to Fang and Whiffer. I can't completely rule out that game because by April 9, I'll probably be starved for live baseball. It's also the "free game" in the 10-pack (actually 11), so it can't be exchanged like the others. I'm a Green Bay native and drive down to Appleton for each game, so the Corey Chisel bobblehead isn't enticing like some of the others.

Glad that worked out for you - did you have to pay a seat license fee when your name came up each time? Is there a separate season ticket list for the Gold Package? Sorry to eat your time with the my curiosities. That 3-pack is the way to go, in my opinion. The product on television is just too good to pass up most Sundays.

Denson was in Appleton last night. I didn't sense any type of reaction from the crowd (supportive or otherwise).