Brewers Officials Optimistic Team Will Draw 3 Million Fans

Brewers Could Reach 3 Million Attendance Mark This Season Despite Playing In Smallest Market

Brewers officials are optimistic that the team, which currently sits in second place in the NL Central with a 60-48 record, "could hit 3 million in attendance by the end of the season," which would be a "remarkable achievement for the franchise, especially since it plays in [MLB's] smallest market," according to Don Walker of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. Last night's Cubs-Brewers game drew 44,871 fans at Miller Park, marking the team's 10th straight sellout, and team officials said that "demand is so strong for tickets that ... they could have easily sold 75,000 tickets to the game." Brewers Exec VP/Business Operations Rick Schlesinger: "It's hard for me to find another market where this is happening this way." Walker notes since the Brewers on July 7 traded for P CC Sabathia, the team has averaged a 10.74 local rating through 15 telecasts on FSN Wisconsin. FSN for Monday's Cubs-Brewers game earned a 16.22 rating (143,838 HHs), the net's highest-rated Brewers game ever. The Brewers since July 18 have ranked first in primetime in the Milwaukee market six times. And FSN Wisconsin for the season has averaged a 7.42 rating for Brewers games, up 13% over the same period last year (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 7/31).

I WANT TO THANK YOU: Brewers P CC Sabathia ran a full-page ad in yesterday’s Cleveland Plain Dealer “thanking the community for his time in the Indians organization.” The black-and-white ad cost $12,870. Sabathia played for the Indians since breaking into the majors in '01, and had been part of the organization since '98, before being traded to the Brewers earlier this month (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 7/30). Sabathia said, “My wife was talking about all the people we need to thank in the community and around the city, and I just said, ‘Let’s just try to take out ad in the paper.’ It started as a half-page and it ended up being a full-page” ("BDSSP," FSN, 7/30).