Baseball in Milwaukee is finally looking up again, as Brewers fans packed into a frigid Miller Park on Thursday night to hear about the development of young players and the future of the team. General Manager David Stearns and Manger Craig Counsell answered various questions from fans at the town hall style event, Inside the Brewers.
Inside the Brewers gave fans the chance to ask Stearns and Counsell anything they wanted to. Fans sat down on the third base side and were then able to line up in order to ask their question. Questions also streamed in from Twitter and Facebook, as the event was shown live on the Brewers website.
GM David Stearns is now entering his second full year with the team and has been making loads of improvements and changes to the roster. Manager Craig Counsell just finished his second season with the team and is looking to improve the club’s record any way possible. Both addressed the fans at Miller Park, and made it clear that they were not going to be happy until the Brewers are in the playoffs.
The goal of the Brewers future was very clear from the beginning: Get to the World Series.
“I just can’t imagine what it’s going to be like when we get to the World Series,” said Stearns.
Figuring out how the team accomplishes that is what Stearns and Counsell are trying to figure out.
“As an organization, we strive for better than 73 wins,” said Stearns in his opening remarks. “This time last year we said we were going for the long term, and now one year later we are still going for the long term.”
Counsell was also very adamant about building a strong foundation, and using the tools the Brewers have at their disposal to get to more wins.
Questions poured in from fans about the Brewers prospects. The Brewers have a wide array of young prospects waiting to make a move to the big leagues. Stearns has been acquiring these prospects ever since he became the GM.
“We want to challenge them and we want them to experience failure at some level, and we want them to know how to handle that,” said Stearns. “If we continue to acquire more prospects we will be where we want to be in the future.”
Minor League Catcher Jacob Nottingham was specifically named, Counsell saying that he has very high hopes for Nottingham.
Hernan Perez, Jonathon Villar, and Orlando Arcia among others were praised by Stearns and Counsell. All three players are under the age of 25 and played pivotal roles in the Brewers’ game plans last season. Craig Counsell also stated his love of players that are versatile and can play multiple positions, saying that positional utility is valuable and that it makes you a better team.
Ryan Braun was a hot topic of discussion as well. Braun could possibly be wearing a new jersey soon, but Stearns said that in order for Braun to be traded it would take a significant return to move a player of his caliber. However, Stearns did say that the Brewers did take a serious look at every offer they were given.
In the end, this event came down to how the Brewers can prepare for the future.
“Every decision is questioned and dissected,” said Counsell. “We’re building the foundation. And it’s a good one. It’s the right one. And I’m excited about the future.”
The Brewers play the Colorado Rockies on Opening Day 2017, Monday April 3rd at Miller Park.