The WI Stadium Board "voted unanimously" to open Miller
Park in April 2001, according to Kenneth Lamke of the
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. It "will take until" April 2000
for construction to get "back to the point it had been"
prior to the crane accident which killed three workers on
July 14. The Stadium Board was told by general contractor
Huber, Hunt & Nichols that a "shortage of construction
workers will make it impossible to move faster." Lamke:
"Even if enough workers were available, it wouldn't be safe
to have that many people working on the stadium at the same
time." Stadium Board Construction Committee Chair Frank
Busalacchi: "We were just convinced we couldn't get the
workers." Miller Park's opening date "won't be pinpointed
for some time" since the Brewers' season opener hasn't been
scheduled (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/14). A MILWAUKEE
JOURNAL SENTINEL editorial calls the delayed opening the
"only practical and prudent step" (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/14).
BREWERS ON HOLD, AGAIN: In Milwaukee, Tom Haudricourt
reports that the Brewers are "scheduled to receive" $20M
from a $325M "builder's risk" insurance policy. Stadium
Board Exec Dir Mike Duckett said that there's a $102M
liability policy in which the Brewers "might receive
additional compensation" Duckett, on Brewers President
Wendy Selig-Prieb: "To her credit, she seems to be holding
up well. I spoke with her this morning [after the vote],
and she was understanding and accepting of the decision. I
think there are very few leaders who could turn this thing
around, but I believe she will. It's just a matter of
making the right decisions and having the right timing, then
pulling it all together" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/14).
In Milwaukee, Rick Romell writes that ad execs said that the
Brewers "face a tough marketing challenge" spending another
season at County Stadium. BVK/McDonald Managing Officer
Dick McDonald said that the Brewers' 63-80 record "could
well decrease fan interest for next season." McDonald:
"They've got a really tough one in that sense because of
this year's performance." McDonald "suggested" that the
team offer free tickets for 2001 in Miller Park to fans who
attend County Stadium next year (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/14).
