MLB Franchise Notes: Brewers GM Talks Small-Market Baseball
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Melvin Feels Disparity In Money No Longer
As Big A Factor For Small-Market Teams |
Brewers GM Doug Melvin took part in a Q&A with the WALL STREET JOURNAL's John Stoll as part of the paper's "Long Toss" feature. When asked if money will "always be a big disadvantage for smaller-market teams," Melvin said, "I still think money is a factor, but not as large of a factor as it has been in the past. Teams with larger markets can make more mistakes, eat larger contracts. ... It still comes down to management, drafting, scouting, developing, and making wise decisions, planning for now, planning for the future." When asked if a $90M payroll is "sustainable for the [Brewers] going forward," Melvin said, "There are still limitations to the mid markets like ours. I don't know if we've maxed out, but we're getting into an area where we have to really take a hard look as to whether we can grow anymore or not" (WSJ.com, 9/24). Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, Tom Haudricourt reports Brewers P Eric Gagne, after he "heard talk on the radio about Miller Park not being full this week, ... paid for 5,000 tickets" to Thursday night's Pirates-Brewers game (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/26).
PENNANT FEVER: In Minneapolis, Mary Lynn Smith reports a "surge of interest" in Twins tickets "was evident Thursday as a rush of fans and scalpers made their way to the Metrodome." With the Twins winning Thursday night's game against the White Sox, a game "that eventually gave the Twins a leg up in the playoff race" with a half-game lead over the White Sox in the AL Central, tickets "are likely to remain a hot commodity through" this weekend's season-ending Royals-Twins series (MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE, 9/26). Twins President Dave St. Peter said that the team "budgeted for attendance of 2.1 million to 2.2 million and depending on how the race finishes could draw 2.3 million" (MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE, 9/26).
ATTENDANCE NOTES: The Dodgers drew 52,569 fans for Thursday night's Padres-Dodgers game, their regular-season home finale, bringing their season attendance total to 3,730,750. The team drew 3,857,036 fans last year, marking "the first attendance decrease since 1998" (L.A. TIMES, 9/26)....The Tigers have established a new single-season attendance record by reaching 3,081,908 fans in their 78th game this season at Comerica Park. The total surpasses the previous mark of 3,047,139, established last season (Tigers).
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