The new parking system at American Family Field, which involves scanning a QR code and entering license plate information to pay for parking, experienced delays and connectivity issues during the home opener. Some fans reported long waits and difficulties accessing the website, while others had positive experiences with the new system. The Brewers announced that no parking violations would be issued on the first day due to the issues, and parking ambassadors were manually assisting fans. Despite the initial challenges, some fans found the new system to be faster and more convenient than the previous payment method.
The Wisconsin state assembly has voted in support of a measure that would provide $546 million in funding for renovations to the Milwaukee Brewers' stadium, American Family Field. The funding would be split between the state of Wisconsin, Milwaukee county, the city of Milwaukee, and an additional $100 million from the Brewers. The next step is for the package to secure passage through the state senate. In other news, the Los Angeles Dodgers explored trades for pitchers Pablo Lopez and Jordan Montgomery but did not find a deal that met their valuation. Additionally, Philadelphia Phillies principal owner John Middleton revealed that the club's president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, had a clause in his contract allowing him to leave if Nashville successfully lured an expansion team during his tenure.
The Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly considering relocation if a new funding package for improvements to American Family Field is not agreed upon. The club's lease on the stadium runs through 2030, but negotiations with the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball District have not reached an agreement. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers proposed a spending package to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee through 2043, but it was scrapped by Republican lawmakers. While the possibility of relocation is not highly plausible, the club may proactively explore options if a deal is not reached.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's visit to American Family Field highlighted the need for hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money for renovations to the 22-year-old publicly-owned stadium. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is concerned about the Brewers' future in Wisconsin after Republican leaders in the legislature shot down his plan to fund the renovations with a one-time payment from the state budget surplus. The attention now turns to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos for his ideas on how to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Brewers may relocate if the state's legislature and Gov. Tony Evers don't approve a $448 million plan to renovate American Family Field. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred delivered a message that the renovations must be done, otherwise the team would move. The Brewers' lease for the ballpark runs until 2030, but if the renovations are done, the lease extends to 2043. Manfred is confident the Brewers will remain in Wisconsin. American Family Field opened in 2001 after the Brewers played at Milwaukee County Stadium from 1970 to 2000.
The Milwaukee Brewers and MLB are seeking $448 million in renovation funding for American Family Field over the next 20 years, while the Governor has proposed $290 million in his latest budget. MLB has told the Brewers that they must repair the stadium to keep it an "MLB-quality" stadium, and has pointedly referenced the A's move to Las Vegas during the discussion. While there is no public threat to move at this point, the organization and the league will want to leave that threat tacitly on the table over the next few years to ensure they get the renovations they seek.
Major League Baseball has indirectly threatened the Milwaukee Brewers with relocation if American Family Field, their home stadium, doesn't undergo renovations estimated to cost $428 million over 20 years. The upgrades would be to seats, gathering spaces, and concourses. The lease on the stadium ends in 2030, and funding for the renovations would have to come from a government finance plan.
The Milwaukee County Board has unanimously voted against using local tax dollars to fund renovations to American Family Field, home of the Milwaukee Brewers. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred visited Milwaukee to urge public funding for the renovations, but the board members expressed concerns about using taxpayer money for the project when there are other budget holes to fill. Governor Tony Evers has proposed a $290 million aid package using state money to renovate the ballpark, but Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has already rejected that plan.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred has urged Wisconsin's Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers to approve a plan to finance $448 million of long-term renovations at American Family Field, warning that the Milwaukee Brewers could move to another city if the funding plan is not approved. The ballpark is owned primarily by the state-created Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District and is leased to the Brewers. The district is responsible for most major renovations under terms of that lease, which runs through 2030.
American Family Field, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, will replace its main scoreboard for the 2024 season at a cost of $6.45 million, which will be paid for by the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District. The new scoreboard will be the fourth-largest in Major League Baseball and double the size of the current scoreboard's video display board. A proposal to spend $2 million to add a secondary scoreboard was tabled for lack of support from the board.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is reportedly in Milwaukee to urge major, long-term renovations to American Family Field, which would cost an estimated $428 million over the course of the next 20 years. The worst-case scenario would be the Brewers being forced to move away from Milwaukee. The current lease with the Brewers and American Family Field runs through 2030 and such an agreement would extend the lease through 2043. The best guess here is Manfred is helping ownership push the government to provide a lot of tax-payer funding to keep the ballpark as up to date as possible.
The Milwaukee Brewers have reverted to selling beer only through the seventh inning, undoing the change made to move the cutoff to the eighth inning. The move was made to address the potential loss of concession sales from a sped-up fan experience, but the team found that the extra 15 to 20 minutes of sales in the eighth inning was "materially insignificant." The change is effective immediately and was not related to any uptick in incidents. The average MLB game time has shortened to 2 hours and 39 minutes, the shortest since 1984.
The Milwaukee Brewers have decided to revert to their former policy of ending alcohol sales at the end of the seventh inning, after extending it until the end of the eighth inning for most of April on a trial basis. The club spokesperson stated that the amount of sales during the extended time was not significant, and the vast majority of alcohol sales still occur prior to the eighth inning. The decision was made for caution and practicality, and the Brewers are home all week against the Dodgers from Monday-Wednesday, and then host the Royals from Friday-Sunday before hitting the road again.
Talks of renovating American Family Field, the home stadium of the Milwaukee Brewers, are still in the early stages, according to Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers proposed spending $290 million on repairs to the stadium, but the proposal is likely dead in the GOP-controlled Legislature. Attanasio expressed his desire to maintain the ballpark experience and keep the team in Milwaukee forever. The Brewers' lease expires in 2030. Attanasio also addressed the contract status of several notable Brewers players and manager Craig Counsell, whose contract expires after this season.
Fans of the Milwaukee Brewers gathered in the parking lots around American Family Field for opening day 2023, bringing contagious energy and excitement to the tailgating scene. The FOX6 News Digital Team captured pictures of the thrilled fans in the lots around the ballpark.
