Brewers owner Mark Attanasio addresses the fans:
As many of you know, I work in the investment field, and I can't help identifying some measuring facts in this end-of-season letter. A record 3,068,458 of you passed through the turnstiles this season. Of 81 home games, 44 were sold out (including 22 in a row), ranking us ninth in all of MLB in attendance. More fans came to see the Brewers than went to games in Boston, in San Francisco, or on the South Side of Chicago to see the White Sox. Your support has helped translate into the most home wins for any National League club over the past four years. Millions watched our telecasts, listened to us on the radio, or followed us on the Internet. Specifically, on FSN Wisconsin, the Brewers were the top-rated prime time show 44 times out of 80 nights this season. These ratings place us in the top-tier of all clubs, and the number of Internet pages viewed on brewers.com also place us eighth among MLB teams. Clearly, the Brewers transcended Wisconsin and garnered a significant amount of national interest. You again helped send a sizable contingent of Brewers to the All-Star Game -- Ben Sheets, Ryan Braun, and Corey Hart -- all of whom were drafted and developed through our Minor League system. We are fortunate that this year, Ryan Braun -- the 2007 National League Rookie of the Year -- has committed to be a Brewer through 2015.
--snip--
This letter would not be complete without special thanks to Doug Melvin, our talented and tireless General Manager, who was the architect of this team that won 90 regular season games this season. Doug took over a team that had only 56 wins in 2002, and it has steadily improved under his direction and leadership, as well as from the hard work of his staff, which includes Assistant General Manager Gord Ash and Special Assistant to the GM for Player Personnel Jack Zduriencik. The improvement in our team's performance is also a reflection of the efforts of Ned Yost -- who also worked diligently for the team since 2002 and led us to our first 83 wins this season -- and Dale Sveum, who recorded the final eight wins.
I don't know thing one about Mark Attanasio. But if all I knew was what I read in this letter, I'd say he's a pretty classy guy, and Brewers fans are lucky to have him.
I do know this: Finishing ninth in the majors in attendance is an awesome accomplishment for the Brewers. At last count, Greater Milwaukee is the 38th most populous
Metropolitan Statistical Area in the U.S. Among the
more populous areas: Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Indianapolis, and Austin-Round Rock.
In that market, the Brewers have to play well, and draw well. For the moment, at least, they're doing exactly that.
Rob Neyer
