They never spend much money, and don’t play in the deep end of the free-agent pool. They trade All-Stars in their prime. They dump players before hitting free agency. They can’t afford to even keep their talent in the front office and manager’s chairs.
All they do, year after year, in the most unconventional way, is win.
We count them out every year, usually in spring training and certainly before May, but you look up at the end of the season and there they are, playing into October.
They are the lovable Milwaukee Brewers.
They reside in baseball’s smallest market, with a payroll barely enough to cover the bratwursts to feed the players in the clubhouse, but lead the baseball world in creativity.
They were sitting in fourth place with a 25-28 record back on May 25, looking as if this would be the year everyone’s predictions of their demise would finally be accurate.
Oops, wrong again.
Look who has won 22 of their last 30 games, the best record in baseball over this stretch, and are sitting in second place just two games behind the Chicago Cubs entering Sunday, June 29.
Yep, they’re back, doing Brewer things once again.
While we’re watching the team climb into a playoff position if the season ended today, the Brewers, originators of the Famous Racing Sausages a quarter-century ago, have found another way to entertain their fiercely loyal fanbase.
The Brewers are having an alumni Home Run Derby on July 25 celebrating their 25-year anniversary at American Family Field, featuring 10 of their former players. The group includes a home-run champ and two-time All-Star Home Run Derby winner (Prince Fielder), a former MVP and six-time All-Star (Ryan Braun), a former hockey player and two-time Gold Glove winner (Nyjer Morgan) and yes, even a former All-Star pitcher who was a Silver Slugger winner (Yovani Gallardo).
While most will admit they haven’t picked up a bat in years, it hasn’t stopped the trash talking, with virtually every single one predicting they’ll win the Home Run Derby, even with Fielder acknowledged as the heavy favorite.
‘My fear is that I hit the ball so hard, so far, so good, that they try to sign me back,’ former Brewers outfielder Nyjer Morgan, who called himself “Tony Plush,’ tells USA TODAY Sports. ‘I’m not scared of anyone. I’m healthy. I’m in good shape. And people are going to watch us put on a show that they’ll never forget.’
Says former slugger Eric Thames: “I hadn’t touched a bat in three years until they called me and invited me to this Home Run Derby. I said, I cannot show up and be a chump. So, I’m getting in shape, going to the cage, and getting those blisters back.
“I’m ready give some fans a whole lot of souvenirs.’
Says Fielder, who hit a National League-leading 50 homers in 2007, produced six consecutive seasons of 30 or more, and just won the Home Run Derby at the East-West Classic at Rickwood Field: “Let ‘em talk. I know I’ll be ready. We’ll see who else is.’
While everyone took turns boasting about their potential exploits, they couldn’t stop gushing about a franchise that has never won a World Series, while expressing their love and appreciation for a community that makes them feel as if its a second home.
“That place, and the vibe there, is second to none,’ says Thames, who played for teams in four different countries. “I love the restaurants, the bars, and the energy is unmatched. People just want to have fun and watch a good game.
“It’s not like Philly or New York where you are getting death threats. It’s just a positive atmosphere. I mean, even when we weren’t doing well, the crowds were still showing up.’
The Brewers, with 14,400 season-ticket holders, are averaging 28,967 fans a game. They have the 10th-largest attendance in baseball since 2005. They had a sellout crowd of 42,774, their biggest crowd since July 3, 2023, on a Wednesday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates. They sold more than 10,000 seats in just 27 hours after announcing the pitching matchup of 2024 rookie sensation Paul Skenes and 2025 Brewers rookie sensation Jacob Misiorowski.
“This has always been a baseball town,’ says Brewers president Rick Schlesinger, a Milwaukee native. “People may leave for school, or for different things, but they come back. They always come back. Baseball has a way of people feeling good about our city, and our players love it here.
“It’s not the big media market. The players can have a life during the season without being hounded by fans off the field. The way the families are treated by the fans, the front office, the stability in the baseball department, those little things all make a difference.’
Says former All-Star outfielder Carlos Gomez: “I haven’t played in Milwaukee for 10 years but when I go back there, it’s like I never left. They show me so much love. I’ll go to restaurants, people recognize me, and sometimes they don’t even let me pay. That city is unbelievable. Even when they traded me, I said when I retire, I’m going to retire as a Brewer.’
Braun, the 2011 NL MVP who was later ensnared in the Biogenesis PED scandal and suspended 65 games in 2013, was almost immediately forgiven by Brewers fans. He was inducted a year ago into the club Hall of Fame, is a front office advisor, and is heavy involvement in Milwaukee restaurants and developments.
He still just might be the Brewers’ most popular player since Hall of Famer Robin Yount, living in Malibu, California, while calling Milwaukee his second home.
“There’s just so much pride there, the way the fans support the team, embrace the community, show their love for the players,’ Braun says. “The fans are some of the most unique, passionate, and inspiring in the game. When you play there, you feed off that energy.
“The organization just continues to exceed expectations. They get the most out of their players, maximizing performance on the field, and they encourage and inspire. Those teams play with an edge. You see it year after year.’
Let’s face it, even after winning the NL Central title three of the last four years, and reaching the postseason six of the last seven years, this was the year the Brewers looked like they were waving the white flag before the season started.
The Cubs loaded up, acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker from Houston, signed starter Matthew Boyd, shored up their bullpen, and were the heavy favorites to win the NL Central. The Cincinnati Reds grabbed future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona. The St. Louis Cardinals still remained a threat.
And the Brewers?
Well, they traded All-Star closer Devin Williams to the New York Yankees. They let All-Star shortstop Willy Adames walk away without making an offer when he went to San Francisco. Their only major free agent signing was veteran starter Jose Quintana to a one-year, $4.25 million contract.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy simply spit out the truth in April when he said after a loss: ‘Now, did we go spend a lot of money in the offseason, guys? Let’s call a spade a spade. No, we didn’t. Are we real deep in the position player business? No, we’re not.’
Well, here they are, with a $115.5 million payroll – third-smallest in the National League – and they are finding a way to win again, much to the dismay of teams salivating for the chance to acquire starter Freddy Peralta or Quintana at the trade deadline.
Their sustained success, winning more games than any National League team but the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta since 2017, is stunning to everyone outside the 414 area code with the exception, of course, their alumni.
“The last couple of years nobody had any expectations, it was just a lot of young inexperienced players,’ Braun says. “Even a few weeks ago, most people wrote them off. … The track record speaks for itself.
“Our front office is at the forefront of innovative innovations. You see the way they optimize roster construction, the strengths of the team, and take advantage of all the nooks and crannies of their home ballpark. They really have a unique proprietary data system. It helps identify undervalued assets.’’
The data system, located in the beer drinking capital of America, is appropriately called, “The Keg.’
It’s the reason why the Brewers can let baseball operations president David Stearns depart for a $10 million salary with the New York Mets, manager Craig Counsell bolt for an $8 million salary with the Cubs, simply promote Matt Arnold in the front office, Murphy to the manager’s seat, and still remain a power.
Folks in Milwaukee still are livid that Counsell left for the Cubs, of all teams, but that anger greatly subsided when the Brewers ran away with the NL Central last year, and are looming larger each day in the Cubs’ rear-view mirror.
“Our fans were upset, but it’s not like [Counsell] was selling nuclear secrets to North Korea,’ Schlesinger says. “I think our fans were just shocked more than anything that it was the Cubs. But this organization is bigger than any one person.
“It’s not vindication, but just great pride in the organization, and Arnold and Murphy just kept their focus.’
The Brewers will always have to make calculated gambles. They will never have the biggest stars. They will always have to trade away their best players before they become too rich for their payroll. But, unless someone drinks all of those proprietary secrets in The Keg, the Brewers will always find a way to be a contender.
“When you don’t have unlimited resources, necessity is the mother of invention,’ Schlesinger says. “It forces you to be creative, nimble, and make high-risk decisions.’
Yep, just like when the Brewers acquired Gomez from the Minnesota Twins in 2009, helped develop him into a star, nearly traded him to the New York Mets for future ace Zack Wheeler and infielder Wilmer Flores until the Mets balked at Gomez’s physical, only to turn around and still trade him to the Houston Astros in a package that included future All-Star closer Josh Hader.
“The Brewers mean everything to me,’ Gomez says. “They gave me the opportunity to develop. They visualized my talents and gave me the opportunity to play every day. They made me who I am today.
“I’m proud to be a Brewer. I think we all are. I don’t think we’d be doing this home run derby for any other team. We’re doing it because we love this organization, and always will.’
Soderstrom’s soda deal
SodaStream, searching for someone to help launch their advertising campaign, didn’t bother with anyone on a Hall of Fame path, one who plays in a big market, or one that’s even a household name.
They went with a young athlete who plays his games in a minor-league stadium and who’s not even the biggest star on his own team.
They pursued Athletics first baseman Tyler Soderstrom because, well, his name.
Soderstrom. SodaStream.
It was simply too good to ignore.
“The similarity to my last name is pretty awesome,’ Soderstrom told USA TODAY Sports. “So, I was pumped up. You don’t really see the small market guys do a lot of commercials or endorsements.’
Well, come to think of it, Soderstrom says, he’s not aware of a single player on his own team who endorses any national products.
“I’m sure there’s going to be some friendly banter in the clubhouse,’’ says Soderstrom, who’s hitting .255 with a career-high 14 homers, 46 RBI and a .772 OPS in his first full season.
Soderstrom, 26, laughs. Maybe once people get a whiff of his advertisements, they could be more endorsements along the way. Besides, they will be in Sacramento for only 2 ½ more years with the groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas taking place this past week.
“The renderings look awesome,’ says Soderstrom, who’s hitting .360 since June 20. “It’s getting the ball rolling for sure. It’s definitely exciting. Everyone is really look forward to getting there.’
The new digs should be nice after playing in a minor-league ballpark, but playing in Sacramento definitely has its advantages. Soderstrom is from Turlock, California, just 88 miles from Sacramento. His parents drive up to see him play virtually every home game, with at least one or two relatives always in the stands.
“It’s been good being the local guy,’ Soderstrom said. “I think they’ve done a good job dealing with what they could with the ballpark. They just changed the surface. But I know as the summer goes on, that ball could start flying.’
In the meantime, the endorsement isn’t going to make Soderstrom that much richer, but considering he and his fiancée, Bailey, are getting married in November, a little extra cash could be handy.
Of course, he could have gotten a real nice payday if a certain Hall of Famer didn’t intercept him on the field after the team’s final home game at the Oakland Coliseum. Soderstrom caught the ball for the final out last September, started to run off the field, only for Rickey Henderson, who died in December, to grab him.
“Rickey wanted it,’ Soderstrom said. “What am I going to do? I owe him the ball, so I handed it to him. Pretty cool moment though, real cool.’
Around the basepaths
– While Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is a free man after receiving a two-year suspended sentence after being found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic, he has likely played his last game in MLB.
The conviction is a crime involving moral turpitude under immigration law and most likely will prevent him from ever returning to the United States, particularly under the current immigration enforcement policies.
The result will be the abrupt end to his MLB career and the forfeiture of the remaining $154 million of his 11-year, $182 million contract.
Franco’s only hope to be permitted back in the country is to file an appeal and have the court overturn the conviction. He has five days to appeal after his sentence is formally issued on July 27.
– Now that the shovels are in the ground in Las Vegas for the A’s, and the Tampa Bay Rays are close to being sold and likely getting a new stadium deal, it could clear the way for MLB to expand for the first time since 1998, with Salt Lake City and Nashville among the favorites to get a team for the 2031 season.
Oakland, which lost the Athletics, is not under consideration for an expansion team any time in the near future.
– The Pittsburgh Pirates have been engaged in serious trade talks for more than a week with the Chicago Cubs about starter Mitch Keller. Keller, who’s in the second year of a five-year, $77 million contract, is under control through 2028, earning $15 million this year, $16.5 million in 2026, $18 million in 2027 and $20 million in 2028.
– The Athletics, who gave starter Luis Severino a three-year, $67 million contract, now can’t wait to trade him after he continues to bash the environment in Sacramento, agitating the organization. He’s 0-7 with a 6.79 ERA in 10 starts in Sacramento and 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA in seven starts on the road.
It may come as a surprise if he’s still with the organization come August.
– Several former MLB players have reached out to MLB and union executives to implore them to implement a clause in the next collective bargaining agreement to dramatically reduce the number of position players who are pitching these days in blowouts.
“It’s ruining the game and making a farce of statistics,’ one former All-Star player said, “and you just wait until one of these guys gets hurt. It’s time they stopped making a mockery of the game.’
– The Houston Astros were optimistic they were moving close to signing shortstop Jeremy Peña to a five-year, $100 million contract extension a few weeks ago.
The optimism was abruptly halted when he left the Beverly Hills Sports Council for Scott Boras, who will be seeking a much more lucrative deal to keep him from hitting free agency after the 2027 season.
– It’s going to be another historic moment for the Dodgers on Wednesday when future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw takes the mound, needing just three strikeouts to become the 20th pitcher in history to record 3,000 strikeouts.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, are 5-0 in Kershaw’s five starts since coming off the IL, and he is yielding a 2.28 ERA with 23 strikeouts.
He has now pitched 171 games in which he has gone at least six innings and permitted one or no runs, according to baseball stats guru Bill Chuck, ranking sixth-most in the past 50 years.
– Remember on the Rafael Devers trade aftermath conference call when Red Sox baseball operations chief Craig Breslow said: “I do think there’s a real chance that at the end of the season, we’re looking back and we’ve won more games than we otherwise would have.’’
They entered Saturday 3-7 since trading Devers while their DHs have hit just one homer with two extra-base hits, three RBI and a .581 OPS./
– The Colorado Rockies have begun to make changes, and we’ll soon find out how if it becomes a complete overhaul with Walker Monfort, 38, the son of owner Dick Monfort, replacing president Greg Feasel.
While certainly it would be naive to believe that nepotism doesn’t play a role in Walker Monfort’s ascension, Rockies scouts insist that his elevation in the organization is warranted.
– MLB has yet to make a decision on where the Rays would host games if they reach the playoffs, but if they indeed move from the Yankees’ minor-league complex at 10,046-seat George M. Steinbrenner Field, loanDepot Park in Miami is the likely destination.
– The Arizona Diamondbacks continue to tell suitors they aren’t ready to sell after going 14-9 in June, but they play 20 games in July against teams with winning records beginning with a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants.
– Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, who’s eligible for free agency after the season, certainly is proving that he could be a hot commodity this winter with his power show the past month.
Why, since May 31, Muncy has three games with 6 or more RBIs; two games with 7 RBIs; two games with multiple 3-run homers; and two grand slams.
The only other player to achieve that is Jimmie Foxx in his 1938 MVP season, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs.
– In Jacob Misiorowski’s first three starts, players have taken 73 swings on his fastball.
Only one has resulted in a hit.
– If the National League Manager of the Year vote was conducted today, Oli Marmol of the St. Louis Cardinals should be the runaway winner.
If the Cardinals were supposed to step back and rebuild this year, letting the Cubs run away from the pack in the NL Central, someone forgot to tell Marmol, who has his team squarely in playoff contention with a 45-38 record.
– The Baltimore Orioles have scouts and executives scratching their heads wondering what they’ll do at the trade deadline. They were nearly no-hit three times in five days, and then after losing 6-0, came back and scored 22 runs against the Rays.
The Orioles (35-46) are seven games out of a wild-card berth, but they’re not ready to wave the white flag at the moment, believing they still can climb back into the race.
– The All-Star Game is going to have a familiar face return in two weeks in Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom, 8-2, with a 2.08 ERA. He was last an All-Star in 2021, but hasn’t pitched in the game since 2019.
DeGrom, healthy once again, has already made more starts (16) than he has in a season since winning the 2019 Cy Young award with the Mets.
– Just when it looked like Orioles starter Charlie Morton’s career may be over at the age of 41, he is yielding a 2.90 ERA in his last six starts and could be a valuable trade chip if the Orioles are out of the race.
– Justin Verlander’s dream of becoming MLB’s next, and likely last 300-game winner is sadly fading away.
– Who says that meetings are overrated?
The Cincinnati Reds are 14-6 since their players-only team meeting on June 6 and back in the thick of the playoff race.
– The San Diego Padres say there are no regrets, but still, it stung watching outfielder James Wood, shortstop C.J. Abrams and starter MacKenzie Gore come into this week with the Washington Nationals.
They were a cold reminder of the future stars the Padres traded away in the 2022 trade for Juan Soto, who since was traded to the Yankees and now is with the Mets.
Kudos to Nats GM Mike Rizzo and his scouts for identifying the right prospects in the trade, which also included minor-league outfielder Robert Hassell, 23, and pitcher Jarlin Susana, 21.
– Just in case the Reds weren’t making it clear to everyone how serious they are about winning this season, they dumped infielder Jeimer Candelario, eating $22.5 million of his three-year, $45 million contract.
This is a team that fired manager David Bell at the end of last season, eating the remaining $4.9 million in his contract, and signing manager Terry Francona to a three-year contract for about $15 million.
Yes, the Reds have made it loud and clear: They are all-in.
– Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Tommy Pham, who has made changes to the prescription to his contacts, suddenly has gotten hot, likely just in time to be traded at the deadline. Pham is 8-for-15 with eight RBI in the past week, and could be joining his 11th team of his career in July.
– The Detroit Tigers pulled off one of the finest free-agent signings of the offseason in second baseman Gleyber Torres (one year, $15 million), who should be in Atlanta in two weeks in the All-Star Game. He not only is one of their best players, but has become a clubhouse leader.
– It has taken a bit longer than the Phillies envisioned, but they are watching shortstop Trea Turner re-emerge as a star, hitting .302 with an .821 OPS as the Phillies’ leadoff hitter. He leads the National League with 100 hits and already has 20 stolen bases, one more than his entire total of a year ago.
– It’s going to be a cool family affair at the All-Star Home Run Derby.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, the MLB home-run leader with 32 homers, says he will have his father, Todd, pitch to him and his 15-year-old brother, Todd Jr., do the catching.
– It’s official. The Arizona Diamondbacks are staying put at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix with Arizona lawmakers approving a bill to fund $500 million in renovations for the outdated stadium.
– The Houston Astros are aggressively looking for a left-handed bat on the market, with eyes on Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins.
– Three time All-Star Whit Merrifield on announcing his retirement after nine big-league seasons: “At this point in my life I’d rather chase around a toddler than chase sliders.’
– Walker Buehler may have helped the Dodgers win the 2024 World Series, but he is also showing why the Dodgers let him walk out the door, signing a one-year, $21.05 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.
Buehler is 5-5 with an AL-worst 6.29 ERA and is pitching himself out of the Red Sox rotation.
– Do you realize that Paul Skenes of the Pirates and Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers, who met up Wednesday in front of a sold-out crowd in Milwaukee, were nearly teammates?
Skenes transferred from the Air Force Academy to LSU after his sophomore season and Misiorowski was planning the same out of Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri. They could have formed one of the most dynamic pitching duals in college history.
Misiorowski instead was selected by the Brewers in the second round of the 2022 Draft, offered $2.35 million, leaving the two to meet for the first time this week.
– If you want to find yourself a catcher, go ahead and give the Yankees a call. Former Yankee catchers are littering the landscape. You have Carlos Narvaez of the Red Sox, Luis Torrens of the Mets, Jose Trevino of the Reds, Gary Sanchez of the Orioles, Kyle Higashioka of the Rangers, Agustin Ramirez of the Marlins, and of course, Austin Wells of the Yankees.
– It will be fascinating to see how outfielder Jurickson Profar performs when he returns to Atlanta on Wednesday after serving his 80-game drug suspension. We’ll find out whether his breakout season last year with the Padres was real or PED-influenced.
– Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson, 23, is a modern-day combination of Tony Gwynn and Rod Carew. He doesn’t walk. He doesn’t strike out. All he does is hit.
Wilson is hitting .340 with only 25 strikeouts and 19 walks in 336 plate appearances.
– The Cardinals averaged 29,949 fans for their four-game series last week against the Cubs, the lowest in a series between the long-time rivals since 1995.
– There were 12 shutouts on Wednesday and Thursday, tied for the most in consecutive days in MLB history.
– Prayers to Angels manager Ron Washington, 73, who is being forced to miss the rest of the season because of health reasons. He’s one of the finest people to ever put on a baseball uniform. The game is better, immensely better, with Washington in it.
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This post appeared first on USA TODAY
