History of the Milwaukee Brewers
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"We're taking this thing National" 1994-1998
In 1994, Major League Baseball adopted a new expanded playoff system. This change would necessitate a restructuring of each league from two divisions into three. The Brewers were transferred from the old AL East division to the newly created AL Central.
Before the 1998 regular season began, two new teams - the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays - were added by Major League Baseball. This resulted in the American League and National League having fifteen teams. However, in order for MLB officials to continue interleague play, both leagues would need to carry an even number of teams, so the decision was made to move one club from the AL Central to the NL Central.
This realignment was widely considered to have great financial benefit to the club moving. However, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Commissioner Bud Selig decided another team should have the first chance to switch leagues. The choice was offered to the Kansas City Royals, who ultimately decided to stay in the American League.[1] The choice then fell to the Brewers, who, on November 6, 1997 elected to move to the National League. Had the Brewers elected not to relocate, the Minnesota Twins would have been offered the opportunity to switch leagues
Building Miller Park: 1999-2003
Miller Park was opened in 2001, built to replace Milwaukee County Stadium. The stadium was built with $310 million of public funds, drawing some controversy, and is one of the few professional sporting stadiums with a retractable roof. Miller Park is the only sporting facility to have a fan-shaped retractable roof. Miller Park has a seating capacity of 42,200.
The park was to have opened a year earlier, but an accident during its construction, which resulted in the deaths of three workers, forced a year's delay and $50 million to $75 million in damage. On July 14, 1999, the three men lost their lives when the Lampson "Big Blue" crane, one of the largest in the world, collapsed while trying to lift a 400 ton right field roof panel. A statue commemorating the men now stands between the home plate entrance to Miller Park and Helfaer Field.
Attanasio era: 2004-Present:
On January 16, 2004, Selig announced that his ownership group was putting the team up for sale, to the great relief of many fans who were unhappy with the team's lackluster performance and perceived poor management by his daughter, Wendy Selig-Preib, over the previous decade. In September 2004, the Brewers announced they had reached a verbal agreement with Los Angeles investment banker Mark Attanasio to purchase the team for $180 million. The sale to Attanasio was completed on January 13, 2005, at Major League Baseball's quarterly owners meeting. Since taking over the franchise, Attanasio has worked hard to build bridges with Milwaukee baseball fans, including giving away every seat to the final home game of 2005 free of charge and bringing back the classic "ball and glove" logo of the club's glory days on "Retro Sunday" home games, during which they also wear versions of the team's old pinstriped uniforms.
Under Attanasio's ownership the Milwaukee Brewers have been very competitive, the team finished 81-81 in 2005 to secure its first non-losing record since 1992. With a solid base of young talent assembled over the past five years, including Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy and Corey Hart, the Brewers show renewed competitiveness.
The buzz about the Milwaukee Brewers in '07 was already circulating around the city, as well as the country. Being known as one of the 'sleeper teams of 2007' and 'contenders in the NL' by numerous sports analysts and magazines, the city of Milwaukee was now more than just beer and Summerfest. The Milwaukee Brewers were set to have one of their best seasons in 15 years...
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