Richard A. Geyer: Celebrating the Brewers and What New Ownership Brings Milwaukee

By Richard A. Geyer

It’s a time of celebration for the Milwaukee Brewers and the greater Milwaukee area. New ownership has rekindled the optimism that is so important to baseball fans. We can begin dreaming again about winning seasons and – dare I say it? – another World Series appearance.

For those of us who work to draw visitors to the Milwaukee area, the Brewers are an increasingly attractive asset. More visitors mean more money will be spent at our hotels and restaurants, more economic activity and jobs, and more tax revenue – paid by people from outside the immediate area.

Mark Attanasio and his investor team are committed to a growing player payroll for the Brewers. Doug Melvin and his staff are finding on-field talent with real promise. 2005 is shaping up to be an exciting season.

And Attanasio is saying all the right things about the team and about Milwaukee. Sometimes it takes an outsider to tell Milwaukeeans what they need to hear. This community is a great baseball town. In support of that, the new owner has cited the history of professional baseball here, he has congratulated fans for steady support, and he has noted how much fun the fans have when attending games at Miller Park.

We are a healthy region, economically, and worthy of an outlay of more than $200-million. An investment decision of this scale is not something a professional investor like Attanasio takes lightly. He obviously has examined the facts, investigated the economic environment, and analyzed the business potential. His verdict is that Milwaukee is the right place for this investment.

With all respect and gratitude to Bud Selig, his rhetoric surrounding the debate over building Miller Park was demoralizing at times. We were a “small market” town. We couldn’t generate enough media revenue to keep the Brewers competitive. We were left with the impression that Milwaukee was doomed to be a losing baseball town.

Now, in his role as commissioner, Bud has worked to change the financial structure of Major League Baseball to remedy the inequities. That’s very positive.

Attanasio uses a different lexicon. Milwaukee is a great baseball town. The fans are loyal and knowledgeable. He talks about the talent we will see on the field such as Ben Sheets, Geoff Jenkins, Carlos Lee, Doug Davis, Damian Miller, Lyle Overbay, and Junior Spivey. He talks about the promising youngsters such as Jose Capellan, Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy, Corey Hart, Ben Hendrickson, Dave Krynzel, and Rickie Weeks. He talks about fans having fun at the ballpark.

Most importantly, Attanasio talks about winning. He makes it clear that victory is the goal. Based on his measured tone and thoughtful ideas, you know he is serious.

While he is a New Yorker by birth and a Californian by residence, Attanasio is making a commitment to Milwaukee. He promises he will be involved in civic activity, personally. He says he and his family will be spending time in the community.

The excitement of Attanasio’s honeymoon with Milwaukee will wane. That’s inevitable. Victories are not guaranteed. Rabid fans and sports media experts are notoriously fickle. And, soon, Attanasio will not be an outsider; he will be one of us and subject to the unique way Milwaukeeans beat up on people – particularly people who have the best of intentions. Maybe there is something in the water here, as Attanasio will eventually discover.

The casual fan is a different animal in Milwaukee. Those fans need to feel an alignment with the team in an unusual way. That accounts for the unparalleled passion fans feel for the Green Bay Packers and the unfortunate indifference those same fans feel toward some other sport teams. Winning, by itself, is not enough for local fans; they are quirky in that regard. Fans want a special relationship with their teams. And selling tickets to those fans requires a PhD in Milwaukee marketing.

Milwaukee is, now and into the future, a baseball town. Any doubt that the Brewers are here for the long haul has been settled. Attanasio is talking about maintaining a steady ownership hand for decades – perhaps even generations.

Five years from now, we will look back to the beginning of 2005 as a turning point for the Brewers. The team, increasingly, will be a success. The Brewers, along with all the other wonderful attractions here, will help make Milwaukee an even greater destination.

–Geyer is president and CEO of the Wisconsin Center District