Results tagged ‘ Spring Training ’

Moving day at Miller Park

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Photo courtesy Scott Paulus/Brewers
While southeastern Wisconsin dug out from under a foot of snow Wednesday morning, the Brewers served up a sure sign that spring is right around the corner.  
The famous Racing Sausages were put to work loading a moving truck bound for the Brewers’ Spring Training hub in Phoenix, where pitchers and catchers are set to formally report for duty on Feb. 20. Once the boxes were loaded, the sausages themselves piled in for the four-day trek west.  
“There might be a foot of snow outside,” said Brewers staffer John Steinmiller, “but we’re ready for Spring Training.”  
Wednesday’s moving day was the second of two for Matt Smith and Alex Sanchez, the veteran clubhouse men who sent a first truck out on the road more than two weeks ago. That one was loaded with most of the team’s baseball equipment, which was needed early at Maryvale Baseball Park for the team’s annual fantasy camp.  
The second truck set off Wednesday loaded mostly with promotional items for the Brewers’ Spring Training fans, plus items to be signed by players for charity needs and the team’s medical files. Plus, of course, those Racing Sausages, who run the warning track in Maryvale just like they do in Milwaukee.  
The Sausages should arrive under sunny skies. Saturday’s forecast in Phoenix calls for sun and a high of 75 degrees.  
By then, a handful of players will have already arrived in camp. The rest will report on Feb. 20, take part in an administrative day the following morning and then the first organized pitchers and catchers workout on Feb. 22. Position players will formally join the fold a week later.  
Miller Park will stay busy during Spring Training. Crews have begun remodeling the clubhouses and weight room as part of a series of offseason projects to update the ballpark for its 10th season of Brewers baseball. The team will return April 2 for the first of two exhibitions against the Tigers ahead of the April 5 season opener against the Rockies. 
Truck05 copy.jpgScott Paulus/Brewers
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Scott Paulus/Brewers
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Players out of options

Tim Dierkes from the terrific site mlbtraderumors.com e-mailed this morning asking for a list of out-of-options Brewers for a project they are working on. I, in turn, went to the equally-terrific Brewerfan.net because the guys there spent a lot of time this winter coming up with an accurate list. 
With Spring Training about to begin, it’s a good time to start thinking about that list and how it could play into the decisions ahead. So, courtesy of Brewerfan’s Mass Haas, here are the 40-man roster members who are out of options:
Todd Coffey
Craig Counsell
Doug Davis
Jody Gerut
Corey Hart
LaTroy Hawkins
Joe Inglett
Hernan Iribarren
George Kottaras
Chris Narveson
Manny Parra
Jeff Suppan
Claudio Vargas
Rickie Weeks
I’d say the key guys there are Inglett and Iribarren, who will be vying for backup infield spots, Kottaras, who is among a field of potential backups to catcher Gregg Zaun, and Narveson and Parra, lefties who will try to win rotation spots. Narveson is probably a long shot given the team’s other options. The fact that Parra is out of options make it very likely, if you ask me, that he will make the team.
Additionally, these are the guys who have options but also have five-plus years of Major League service and could refuse the assignment:
Dave Bush
Trevor Hoffman
David Riske
Randy Wolf
Gregg Zaun
Bush is notable there, given that the Brewers have six or seven starters (depending on whether you count Narveson) for five spots at the moment. 
So there you have it. We can refer back to this list as the decisions come more into focus in Spring Training. 
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Brewers offer Spring Training travel package

Announced today by the Brewers in a press release:

The Milwaukee Brewers and Brewers Enterprises announced today a one-of-a-kind opportunity to join the Brewers in Spring Training as they prepare for the 2010 season in Phoenix.  Fans can join the Brewers Road Crew for their first ever trip to Spring Training from March 10-14, 2010.  Nearly every facet of the trip will be handled as Brewers Enterprises will take the hassle out of arranging details of the trip.

Fans will enjoy two games at the Brewers Spring Training home, Maryvale Baseball Park as well as a Brewers vs. White Sox game at Glendale’s Camelback Ranch.  The trip will bring travelers face to face with members of the Brewers broadcast team, the decision makers in Baseball Operations and even former and current Brewers players and coaches through special receptions and a tailgate party.

Guests will stay four nights at the Embassy Suites Biltmore which features an outdoor heated swimming pool, whirlpool, renovated exercise room, on-site restaurant and complimentary shuttle service to Biltmore area attractions.  Guestrooms are two-room suites each with a wetbar, microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker and two flat screen televisions.

As an added bonus, fans on the trip will receive a Loge Outfield ticket to Opening Day 2010 at Miller Park on Monday, April 5 vs. Colorado.

Space is limited to only 80 guests and the travel packages go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 10 a.m. CT. The price for a single traveler is $1,995 and the price for a couple (double occupancy) $3,695.  Each additional guest per room is $1,850.  For more information and to reserve your spot, please call 414-902-GOAZ (4629) or visit brewers.com/roadcrew. 

The packages include the following:
-    Non-stop roundtrip airfare from Milwaukee to Phoenix on Midwest Airlines
-    Hotel accommodations for four nights at the Embassy Suites Biltmore
-    Transportation to and from the airport, hotel and Spring Training complexes
-    Tickets for three Spring Training games: Oakland at Milwaukee (Thursday, March 11), Chicago-NL at Milwaukee (Friday, March 12) and Milwaukee at Chicago-AL (Saturday, March 13)
-    Made to order breakfast each morning at the hotel
-    Cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception hosted each night at the hotel
-    Private Welcome Reception with Brewers personnel on Wednesday, March 10 at the hotel
-    Tailgate party before the Cubs vs. Brewers game with visits from Brewers players and coaches
-    A Loge Outfield ticket to Opening Day at Miller Park (Monday, April 5, 2010 vs. Colorado)
-    A gift bag including customized Brewers gear and an official Rawlings baseball for autographs

In addition, fans will have the opportunity to win various prizes on the trip including:
-    Run the Sausage Race or hold the finish line at a game at Maryvale Baseball Park
-    Throw out the first pitch for a game at Maryvale Baseball Park
-    A pair of Brewers regular season game tickets
-    Complimentary food at the Spring Training games
-    Visa Check Card for expenses
-    Team Store Gift Card

Again, for information check out Brewers.com/roadcrew.

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Brewers unveil Spring Training slate

im_maryvale_400x225.jpgThe Brewers unveiled their schedule of 32 Spring Training games on Monday, a slate capped by a pair of exhibitions against the Tigers at Miller Park on April 2-3.

Ticket information for those games will be released at a later date, the team said, but seats for the 30 games in Arizona go on sale Monday, Dec. 7. That schedule includes a pair of “home” games at Maryvale Baseball Park against the Cubs (March 12 and 31) plus a pair of games against the Cactus League-newcomer Cincinnati Reds, on March 7 at Maryvale and on March 17 in Goodyear, Ariz., where the Reds and Indians share a facility that opened last spring. 

The Brewers’ spring opener is March 4 against the Giants in Scottsdale and the Maryvale Baseball Park opener is two days later, when the Giants visit.  

Tickets to Maryvale games are available in four seating areas:  Field Box ($21), Infield Reserved ($16), Outfield Reserved ($13) and Lawn Seating ($8).  Tickets go on sale at Brewers.com and via telephone on Dec. 7, and the Maryvale box office will begin on-site sales Feb. 8. 

Spring Training season tickets are also available and can be obtained by calling the Brewers ticket office at (414) 902-4000.

Brewers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report for the start of 2010 Spring Training on Feb. 20 and will participate in their first formal workout the next day. Position players are required to report by Feb. 26, and the team’s first full-squad workout will take place Feb. 27.

Brewers Spring Training schedule
(Subject to change. All games begin at 1 p.m. Arizona time unless otherwise noted)

Thursday, March 4 at San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale
Friday, March 5 at Oakland Athletics in Phoenix
Saturday, March 6, split-squad vs. San Francisco Giants
Saturday, March 6, split-squad at Colorado Rockies in Tucson 
Sunday, March 7 vs.  Cincinnati Reds
Monday, March 8 vs.  Seattle Mariners
Tuesday, March 9, at Chicago Cubs in Mesa
Wednesday, March 10, at San Diego Padres in Peoria
Thursday, March 11, vs. Oakland Athletics
Friday, March 12, vs.  Chicago Cubs
Saturday, March 13, split-squad vs. Colorado Rockies split-squad
Saturday, March 13, split-squad at Chicago White Sox split-squad in Glendale

DAYLIGHT-SAVINGS TIME BEGINS (not observed in Arizona)

Sunday, March 14, at San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale
Monday, March 15, vs.  Cleveland Indians
Tuesday, March 16, at Kansas City Royals in Surprise
Wednesday, March 17, at Cincinnati Reds  in Goodyear
Thursday, March 18, at Texas Rangers in Surprise (6:05 pm local time, 8:05 pm CT) 
Friday, March 19, vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Saturday, March 20, vs.  Kansas City Royals 
Sunday, March 21, vs.  Chicago White Sox
Monday, March 22, vs.  Los Angeles Dodgers
Tuesday, March 23, at Cleveland Indians in Goodyear

Wednesday, March 24  – OFF DAY

Thursday, March 25, at Los Angeles Dodgers in Glendale
Friday, March 26, vs. San Diego Padres
Saturday, March 27, vs. Texas Rangers
Sunday, March 28, at Arizona Diamondbacks in Tucson
Monday, March 29, vs. San Francisco Giants
Tuesday, March 30, at L.A. Angels of Anaheim in Tempe
Wednesday, March 31, vs. Chicago Cubs
Thursday, April 1, vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Friday, April 2 , vs. Detroit Tigers at Miller Park (7:10 p.m. CT)
Saturday, April 3, vs. Detroit Tigers at Miller Park (1:10 p.m. CT)

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