Brewers on Deck

Faithful fans braved the clouds and rain this morning to head out to the ballpark and get their first glimpse of the 2006 Milwaukee Brewers. Fans turned up in the thousands for a shot at autographs from their favorite players at today's "Brewers on Deck" event at Miller Park.

I, too, headed out to the park this morning on a mission to get a couple of autographs for myself. I attempted to get an autograph from Brady Clark, but he was herded away (5 minutes ahead of schedule!) when I still about 6 autographs away. I was none too happy about this. The schedule for the day had Brady signing until 11:05, so myself and the few people in front of me were more than a little disappointed when he was replaced by Chad Moeller and Tomo Ohko at 11:00.

Signs indicating which Brewers would be where were difficult to see with all the people milling about, and the program offered to fans as they came in the door provided little help. I noticed one staging area wasn't listed on the program at all. I talked to more than a few people who had been waiting patiently in line to see Rickie Weeks, only to find out they were waiting in the wrong line, and on the wrong floor! The short amount of time allotted to each player also left many, many fans still waiting in line when the sessions ended.

Other than these few snafus, it seemed to be a worthwhile event for all in attendance. Fans were given a chance to try their hand at broadcasting, little ones were entertained by face painters and clowns offering balloon animals, and fans could stay and watch the team's first workout of the season at Miller Park. FSN North was on hand for live interviews while the team took batting practice. Owner Mark Attanasio took a few minutes to speak with Bill Schroeder and Darren Sutton, as did third base coach Dale Sveum, and General Manager Doug Melvin.

Aside from missing my Brady Clark autograph, I still managed to leave the park happy. I arrived at the park clutching my new, special-ordered, #39 Capuano jersey with the hope of getting it signed. After missing Brady by mere feet, I went straight back to the end of the line, determined not to miss Chris. Happily, I made it to the front of the line with plenty of time to spare.

I was watching Chris while still waiting in line, and I was pleased to notice that he had a smile and a word or two for every fan who came in front of him. The most gracious and handsome of all Brewers looked very pleased when he saw the personalized jersey I presented for signing, and even took a minute or two to check it out, commenting "You don't see many of these," with a big smile on his face. When I told him I had special ordered it, he graced me with that same big smile and said thanks. Needless to say, I was quite twitterpated (thanks for the word Jodie!) when I walked away, newly autographed jersey in hand. I'm sure looking forward to seeing Chris in action when he takes the mound against Pittsburgh Tuesday night.

I never did find the silent auction that I had heard so much about. I walked around most of the field level, checking things out so I could report back to all my readers, but I couldn't find the auction. And as I mentioned earlier, the program offered no help. I can only assume that the auction was located on another level of the park. I hope other people managed to find it so some money could be raised for the Brewer Charities.

The new screens on the club level that were installed during the offseason were in full force today, and with any luck, will provide lots of distraction for the visiting teams. The old NL and AL scoreboards in the outfield were gone, left field now sporting a colorful new display screen and right field is the home of the new party area. I've heard that the area is sold out for every home game this season, and has been for some time now. All in all, the improvements around the park all looked fantastic. Of course, concession prices jumped a bit too. Guess those improvements still need to be paid for!

In other Brewer news, Derrick Turnbow will be wearing number 59 for the next three seasons. Turnbow and the Brewers finally came to terms on a multi-year contract that keeps Turnbow in Milwaukee through the 2008 season. The new contract replaces the one year deal that Turnbow signed recently, and buys out his first two years of arbitration eligibility.

Well that's it for now Brewer fans. Judging by the excitement of the fans today, it's safe to say that tomorrow will be one loud, fun Opening Day. In fact, tomorrow marks the first time since 1995 that the Brewers have opened a season at home, and the first time ever that Miller Park has hosted the season opener. I'll certainly be there to cheer on Doug Davis as he throws out his first pitch, and I hope to see all of you there as well! Less than 24 hours before baseball is officially back. Go Brewers!