Longterm Effects of a Brewer Collapse

[DougJones43]

First, let's just get this out of the way. The sky is falling, I need to step off the ledge, blah blah blah. Okay, there. Now that those comments are out of the way, please avoid taking this thread in that direction. Stick to the topic at hand, as a purely hypothetical scenario.

 

This season has generated more excitement about baseball in Milwaukee than had been seen in a very long time. 3+ million fans attended games this year. If the Brewers continue their September tailspin and miss the playoffs, what will the longterm ramifications be? Will it take a long time to generate that kind of excitement again? Will the "same old Brewers" mentality return to the state of Wisconsin? I would imagine people would become very guarded and suspect about believing in this franchise until they actually reached the playoffs, but maybe I'm wrong. Maybe people will be excited the team was so close.

 

What do you think?

[trwi7]

I think the attendance will take a big time nose dive and the fans won't come back until they actually make the playoffs.

[TheCrew07]

I don't know how Yost would keep his job.

[bucks2281]

I've been an avid supporter of the Milwaukee Brewers for as long as I can remember -- when it wasn't cool to be a Brewers fan, I was still watching this team, attending games, etc. At the beginning of the 2005 season, I felt like this franchise was on an upswing -- and 2008 was the climax year. I could live with what happened in 2007 -- I didn't feel like that team had the pitching to get the job done. And it provided the fanbase with a treasured taste of success. We're currently immersed in this "climax year." The Sabathia trade, play of Ryan Braun, sweep in St. Louis, sellout streak, etc. have provided for a helluva year. But I can't handle another collapse; I let my guard down in a big way. If they fail again, I know I can't invest the time, money, energy, passion, etc. in a 2009 season that simply doesn't look as good with a lesser rotation, and three potentially very strong division foes.

 

The general population is extremely excited about the Brewers. After the Sabathia trade and the bolstering of the record, I think most expect and demand a postseason run -- this is why I was upset after Melvin didn't acquire another arm for the BP by the deadline. Honestly, if this doesn't work out, I see a great deal of the fanbase, including many of us on brewerfan.net, who will be just plain burned out. I expect season ticket sales/renewals to decline -- I've heard posters here say the same thing. I don't blame them -- I won't be attending as many games next year if they screw this up! This is a monumentally important year for the Brewers ... if they fail, I foresee the "Same old Brewers" mentality returning around here. Interest will decline. Now's the year, Brewer fans!

[DougJones43]

If they fail again, I know I can't invest the time, money, energy, passion, etc. in a 2009 season that simply doesn't look as good with a lesser rotation, and three potentially very strong division foes...Honestly, if this doesn't work out, I see a great deal of the fanbase, including many of us on brewerfan.net, who will be just plain burned out.

This pretty much sums up how I feel. The Brewers will always be my team, but I might start following a little more "casually" if the teams falters this year. Maybe the offseason would re-energize me and change my mind (as it has in the past), but I'm not so sure this time.

[dlk9s]

One of the hard things about failing to make the playoffs (if the collapse continues, obviously) is that the season is so long. Other leagues have similarly long seasons when it comes to time, but when you're clinging to hope each and every game out of the 162, it is mentally exhausting as a fan. Every game, day after day. The hopes get built up so much, the light is at the end of the tunnel, and then nothing. It would be hard to think about having to then go back to square one and watch the team win games, lose games, maybe build a lead, lose the lead, build the lead, etc., all over again.

 

I feel different with football (I don't care about the NBA as much, and in the NCAA, you can still make the tourney with a "good" season) because, while each individual game means more, there are only 16 games to worry about. Plus, you don't have prolonged slumps by good teams in football, which is something that can make a baseball season that much more frustrating.

 

Hopefully, we'll outplay the Phillies by 2 games the rest of the way and see what happens in the playoffs.

[SeriesFinale]

A good segment of the casual rats will jump right off the sunken ship, especially if they sign neither Big Ben or CC, and I can't say I particularly blame them.

 

Me, I'm stuck with this albatross around my neck, and I'll be watching this team stink and/or underachieve to my grave. But just once, just once...

[bklynbrewcrew]

I will always be a Brewers fan no matter how many times this team chokes, but I admit that I am losing my enthusiasm as a fan. If this team continues to fall apart and misses the playoffs I will be devastated and will have a hard time regaining any sense of enthusiasm for 2009 and beyond. If this team cant make the playoffs this season after trading for CC then I just dont think they ever will. If this team keeps Ned Yost and lets CC and Sheets walk I just dont know how I can bring myself to watch them next year even though I know I will. I am just sapped of energy from watching this team play and falter down the stretch. The long term ramifications of this team missing the playoffs will be an extreme drop of attendance and I cant blame any fan for that. Enough is enough!

[BrewCrewForever]

I'm in this for the long haul. I have watched them stink for so long I won't let me self not be along for the ride when they do get to the promised land. When that is? Well I hope this season. But they better pull their heads out of their behinds and start getting it done. And oh yeah if they don't go the playoffs this season, Yost is as good as done.

[Fatter than Joey]

Stick to the topic at hand, as a purely hypothetical scenario.

 

In this scenario -- the Brewers would have botched 90%+ (according to BP), odds of making the playoffs -- in back to back years -- I am not sure that this has happened in the history of MLB.

 

If it does, the only remedy would be to fire the clowns responsible, Melvin, Yost, Gagne, etc.... I think if MA took a strong stand and "cleaned house" people would give the Brewers the benefit of the doubt.

[jeffy]

To the casual fan, this will be a team that collapsed near the end of the season last year and at the very end of the season this year. Then they will see the team not sign Ben Sheets or CC and not understand why. Attendance will take a big drop...maybe 2 million next year, more or less depending on how competitive the team actually is. Then again most of the fans are now more interested in how the Packers and Badgers are doing, so maybe it does not have as much of an effect as I anticipate.

 

Presumably Ned Yost will be fired, though who knows...maybe they'll try to sell it as the team did well and ending up with 90 wins (or whatever) would have been enough to make the playoffs in most years, but the league and division was just too tough this year.

 

This is looking like an instant replay of last season for this division in another way too...it appears the Cubs may limp into the playoffs and lose in the first round, again.

 

I like watching baseball too much to stop, but I could think about paying for MLB extra innings and adopting a new team. It would have to be an NL team, anyone have any suggestions for a team that is on the rise? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Invader3K]

If it does, the only remedy would be to fire the clowns responsible, Melvin, Yost, Gagne, etc.... I think if MA took a strong stand and "cleaned house" people would give the Brewers the benefit of the doubt.

I agree. Melvin and Yost would both have to be gone. This is basically the end of the "window of opportunity" set up by Doug Melvin & Co. If the team fails again this year, it's going to be really rough moving forward.

[cnycerveceros]

I'm surprised to see so many people saying what I'm thinking here. I've followed the Brewers since the late 80s, and this team right now is very hard to watch. It's hard to be a fan right now, but I admit that's mostly an emotional thing because objectively they are still in the wildcard by multiple games, and even if they play .500 the rest of the way it will be the best Brewer record since '92 (right, or no?). Personally, I sort of emotionally divested after the Cubs series, and I've been watching much more detached than I did through July.

 

I was thinking last night probably would be a night that would make somebody working in the Brewer marketing office squirm. Wisconsin will always be football first, and a lot of people watched an exciting Packer game, beating a huge rival that many have said can win the division, all in the context of maybe the most nationally talked about sports story of the last two months (Favre). Then, that game got over and people flipped over to watch the Brewers blow a 3 run lead against a cellar dweller in the middle of what right now looks like another collapse. You add in that fan favorites Sheets and Sabathia won't be back next year, Prince isn't performing like last year, and that Ned makes even casual fans scratch their heads, and it starts to become a tough product to sell. Of course, this comes on the heals of 3mil in ticket sales, and if they can overcome the current struggle and make the playoffs, then none of it matters.

[brewers4eric]

If we collapse this year and miss the playoffs, I'll be right back again next year. After all, I drove three hours to watch Ruben Quevado pitch against Bartolo Colon back in 2002. The true masochists among the three million will be waking up to smell the tailgate again in 2009.

[Pedro]

I will always be a Brewers fan; I don't think I could change that part of me, even if I wanted. However, as I've mentioned previously, if the team fails to make the playoffs this season, I will not be renewing my season tickets for next year. I've had season tickets since 1994, so it's not like I haven't given the franchise a fair shake or I am a bandwagon fan. But, they haven't been good stewards of the dollars and time I've invested in them. I do believe under Attanasio, they are committed to reaching the playoffs, but if it doesn't happen this season, management is going to have to prove to me they have the skill and knowledge necessary by actually making the post-season before I commit to season tickets again.

 

All that being said, I do wonder -- assuming the 2008 collapse manifests itself completely -- what moves the Brewers could make in the offseason to really get me fired up about 2009 and change my mind. I can't think of anything realistically right now that would have that impact.

 

I am curious to see what kind of impact this will have on the fan base as a whole. I still find it incredible that the Brewers will draw three million this year based on nothing more than an 83-win previous season and a tenuous hold on a wild card spot. I would imagine a very substantial decline next year.

[fondybrewfan]

I don't think a collapse this year would result in a Melvin firing. Yost no doubt about it, but I think Melvin is here for the long haul. I also think he will go out and do something stupid like sign Krod for 5 years or something like that since his "remodeled" bullpen has failed so miserably.

 

I will always be a fan but if they were to collapse this year I don't think I can get to excited for next year especially if CC & Ben are gone. This is their shot and they are completely blowing chunks right now and they know it. I was at the NFC Championship last year. The Brewers not making the playoffs would be even worse than that, simply because the expectations are so much higher this year for the Brewers than they were for the Packers last year.

 

Obviously we still have a 3 game lead, but I think the effects next year could be catastrophic: sharply lower attendance leading to less money to sign the young talent. If they do blow this thing I would not be suprised if their is a huge overhaul of the roster next year. The only starters who are safe next year IMO are Braun, Hart, Kendall, Gallardo, Parra, Suppan, and Torres. I could see a hypothetical situation where every other player on our 25 man roster is playing somewhere else next year. Not saying they will but their is a possibility

[lukevan]

Missing the playoffs this year would be really tough to take. I'm going to be a lifelong Brewer fan no matter what, but we need a payoff one of these seasons. I was too young to enjoy '82 and was disappointed with no playoffs in '87 and '92. I'm still fairly optimistic for the wild card this year, though.

 

If we miss the playoffs, I see Yost getting canned but not Melvin.

[Samurai Bucky]

I think the hammer is going to come down on somebody from Mark A... and it's going to come down hard.

[datrain711]

I'm an absolute baseball nut, but if the Brewers don't make it, I won't be able to watch the playoffs this year. Plus, I might not make it out to 30-35 games either. Not that I'll love the Brewers any less, I just might be mentally exhausted. When they lost 100 games I went to 40 that year, but those losses didn't really hurt at all.

 

Hopefully I won't have to worry about this predicament. However, they better find a way to get going again.

[Roderick]

If we miss the playoffs, I see Yost getting canned but not Melvin.

 

That will probably be the case, but I blame missing the playoffs on Melvin. I don't have a problem with putting together a retread bullpen during the summer and seeing what floats to the top. But if he is going to do that, he also has to realize that he has to replace the retreads that aren't any good (and in-season bullpen help is a premium). He hasn't. Once we traded for Sabathia, his next move should have been to add bullpen help. Right now Yost has no one in the pen that he can trust (assuming Shouse lefty only), and it hasn't been how he has used them - the relievers have all taken their turn at sucking.

[davego]

"If we collapse this year and miss the playoffs, I'll be right back again next year. After all, I drove three hours to watch Ruben Quevado pitch against Bartolo Colon back in 2002. The true masochists among the three million will be waking up to smell the tailgate again in 2009."

 

...wow. I was at that game too. Drove down from Wausau. Wanted to see the Expos and (Colon was totally on a roll)...I couldn't get anyone to go with me so I went alone. Then walking in from the 1/2 abandoned preferred lot, some guy just handed me a terrace level ticket. I went and sat in the last row of the lower level on the 3rd-base side (very alone)...sort of summed up that year and how I feel right now (and we are still up 3!). BTW, Ruben struggled that night.

[GrubFever]

I have been a Brewer fan for as long as I can remember. Season ticket holder since 97. And this season I have observed people that don't care for baseball watching every Brewer game. I take a dog for a walk at night and I can see and hear the Brewers on the TVs around the neighborhood and people are talking (finally) about this team. But if they collapse, this won't happen again for a long time. Wisconsin loves the Pack, but only likes the Brewers, unless they are winning. This season, a lot of people are invested in this team. If they get burned, I don't think they will be back. As for myself, for the first time this season, I just couldn't get into the game last night. It's like I know what is coming and don't want it to happen. Like when in a relationship you know it is going wrong so you avoid the phone calls and e-mails, just so the break up doesn't seem so bad.

[Fatter than Joey]

That will probably be the case, but I blame missing the playoffs on Melvin.

 

Agreed -- Melvin extended Yost, and if we have back to back 90+% "BP odds" seasons, I don't know how Melvin keeps his job, extending the guy who orchestrated the first collapse.

 

I think if DM got canned and a high-level GM was brought in -- people would give the Brewers another chance.

[bklynbrewcrew]

If the collapse ends without a playoff spot I would clean house and have Jack Z replace melvin as GM. He is more responsible for the success we have had than Melvin anyway.

[lukevan]

The firing of Yost (and hiring of a replacement) would have a much more dramatic effect on fans coming back than firing Melvin IMO. There is way more angst toward Yost amongst Brewer fans. Most Brewer fans laud Melvin for bringing in CC this year and give him credit for the farm system producing the kids. IMO if the Brewers miss the playoffs, firing Yost would be enough to bring the fans back again next season.