Brewers On Deck Event, January 30th

[RyDogg66]

I was wondering if anyone has an idea what time it starts and if it is a good idea to go. I was thinking about taking my kids (4 and 6) and my Dad with me.

[patrickgpe]

i went the first year (the winter after we went to the playoffs) and while it wasn't a bad time, I skipped out last year and won't be going this year. It was nice when it was free at Miller Park. Just not sure if its worth the 10 or 15 bucks to get it, having to find a parking spot, waiting for the place to open. There was a nice rummage sale that i got a few deals on. I got my picture taken with a few brewers. The autograph lines are long and you have to pay.

[reillymcshane]

The only guys that aren't going to be there are Fielder, Loe and Bettencourt.

 

Nice that Greinke is showing. I heard he doesn't like these kinds of things.

[miggs721]

This year, looking forward to getting there at a normal time with my wife of just over 2 months, and trying to get 2 Greinke autos....I got Braun enough and I'll go for the $10 dollar and free guys....can't wait

[crewcrazy]

The autograph procedure sounds pretty complicated:

 

Recipients of autographs for a few select Brewers players (to be announced at a later date) will be chosen through a random selection process. Numbered coupons to be entered into the random selection process will be available the day of the event only and will be distributed beginning at 9 a.m. at the Frontier Airlines Center. Coupon distribution will be available up to an hour before each designated autograph session.

 

Fans will receive one coupon per event admittance ticket and can use their ticket to enter the random selection process for any one of the select Brewers players. There is no cost for coupons to enter the random selection process; however, those holding coupons that are chosen must pay $25 at the respective autograph stage to collect their player signature.

 

Winning coupon numbers will be announced over the public address system and posted at the respective autograph stages one hour prior to the player’s autograph time. There will be 250 winners for each autograph session.

 

Players and staff not included in the random selection process will sign 250 autographs each at prices ranging from free to $10. The autograph opportunities are for signatures on photo cards provided by the team; the Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia.

 

A schedule of autograph sessions, including which players will be included in the random selection process, will be announced approximately one week prior to Brewers On Deck.

 

All autograph proceeds benefit Brewers Community Foundation. Please note that cash is the only acceptable form of payment for all autographs.

[miggs721]

they will be signing more than player cards....thats for sure!!!

[Bikeage77]

Ya know, I like going to this event, however, each year they say how thankful they are for how supportive the fans are. Yet, when it comes to an autograph session and giving back, they are constantly finding new rules and regulations to make it more and more difficult for fans to get a signature. If you really want a player, show up 5 hours early and get it. If a guy decides to do that and then pay 25 bucks just to turn it around and sell it on eBay for 40 or 60 bucks, fine. He just worked for 3 bucks an hour.

 

I'll be going as I already have a ticket, but this could be the final year.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I agree with Bikeage....If you want an auto of a certain player put the work in. Get up, get there early, and wait, wait, wait.

 

Why can Twinsfest bring in Molitor (ok I understand that), but also Yount and Fingers will be there signing also. Yount and Fingers can be booked at Twinsfest, but the Brewers can't bring them into On Deck?

[molitor fan]

This is why collectors drive me nuts - they ruin events like this. Screw getting a freaking autograph if your are older than ten and just allow the fans that want to talk baseball with these players and get pumped up for the season enjoy having 30 past, present and future players there. I knw the collector contingent find this to be non-sensical to them, but their attendance at these events, and the Brewers catering to this faction hampers true contact with Brewer players as entities other than commodities. I remember getting to talk baseball, truly talk baseball, for two hours with Jim Powell and Cecil Cooper at an event with a grumpy Chad Fox and an addled Ray King several years back at a poorly attended Appleton event, and it was a tremendous memory. If the autograph hounds were kept away from an event like this I wonder if this on-deck event could be something just as spectacular for true fans on a grander scale.

[RyDogg66]

They should just make a rule that nobody over the age of 15 can get an autograph. That would solve a lot of problems. I just made plans to go, drive down from Oshkosh, but now I am wondering if that was a bad idea...I just want my kids to have a good time and see some players.

[hawing]

I think there's overlap between the "autograph seeking" audience and the "true fan" audience. However, molitor fan's post above helps me solidify the question that I've had since the On Deck event moved from MP to downtown and became pricey:

 

I don't share the excitement for autographs that many of you here possess; so is the event worth my while? Since it moved away from the park, we have been reluctant to buy tickets in advance, because if it's snowing or icy between Madison and Milwaukee on the 30th, we're out $30, and if it comes down to it, I'd rather spend $40 on a sure thing. But I wonder what about the event makes it worth $40 (plus parking). I'd have to score a lot of rummage sale/vendor deals to make up for that. (For those of you who have cased out the rummage sale in recent years, how does it compare to the December clubhouse sale?)

 

So far, since it ceased to be a ballpark event, we've bypassed it, despite being die-hard fans who aren't shy about spending on the Brewers. That doesn't mean it's a failed event; just not aimed at the hawing household.

[RockCoCougars]

I've never been to this thing, but it doesn't sound like anything I would enjoy. Huge crowds and autograph seekers 'camping out', lines, etc. It makes me long for the good old Winter Caravan days when there were usually at least three active players at each stop around the state along with club officials/announcers, etc. Do they even do these anymore, or does Melvin or one of his assistants make these luncheon stops/press junkets around the state, maybe dragging someone like Jerry Augustine along?

[Invader3K]

No, they haven't done those things in years as far as I know, RockCo.

[Bikeage77]

They should just make a rule that nobody over the age of 15 can get an autograph.

 

Well, that'd be one way to really bring down the attendance.

 

Molitor Fan, what would make this event better for you? For two hours each player will have a 5 minute conversation with fans? This isn't speed dating. Thats what the Q&A session is for.

 

They already moved the Autograph Fridays to 14 and under, having collected autos from players since I was in middle school, collecting Brewers memorabilia has become my only hobby. I'd like to think that because I am older now that I can still partake in it. I don't plan on getting a team ball signed. I think people that line up at 3am for Black Friday are nuts, so I don't go. But those that put in the effort to show up at that time should be given an edge for showing up early.

 

Now it looks like I'll have a better chance of just waiting until the day after the event to bid on whoever's signature on eBay, doing exactly what the Brewers are trying to prevent.

[Bikeage77]

RyDogg, they have a ton of kids opportunities where they can interact with the players. Last year Vaughn and others were in a kids zone playing games and teaching them various things about the game. I'm sure they'll have a blast.

[Vgmastr]

No, they haven't done those things in years as far as I know, RockCo.

 

They haven't done the Winter Caravan since Attanasio bought the team. IIRC, he put the kibosh on it because he wasn't comfortable with his players driving all over Wisconsin roads in the middle of winter. It's really disappointing, because I used to go every year, those were so much fun. I remember one year we got there early and we were waiting in the lobby while they were setting up the banquet hall. The place was empty, there was no one there yet. Ray King walked in, saw my Brewer jacket, and came up and said hi. You just don't get that with the On Deck event.

[molitor fan]

bikeage, thanks for replying, and I recognize that you are in that overlap group that hawing referenced. I guess the best way t answer your query is that I wuld enjoy an event that would be as Rydogg suggested, without autographs. Yes, it would bring attendance down, but as someone that is a Brewer nut that could not give a jiggy abut getting an autograph or collectible.....well, hey, for me I would love a chance at that. I will say that as a Brewer fan that lives in North Carolina (and one with time on his hands since 5 inches of snow have produced 5 days off from school here in Charlotte), I cannot go to the event in any case. I just believe that the fan focused event has gone by the wayside in favor of the autograph seeker and I think that is unfortunate.

[Dmiles23]

This is why collectors drive me nuts - they ruin events like this. Screw getting a freaking autograph

It's a charity event... and I'm pretty sure they are trying to raise as much money as possible for the charity. I'm sorry, but collectors aren't ruining events like this. They are the ones that make events like this. If it weren't for the people collecting autographs, this event would not happen.

[logan82]

If this event isn't good enough for the Hawing clan it isn't good enough for me.

[RockCoCougars]

No, they haven't done those things in years as far as I know, RockCo.

 

They haven't done the Winter Caravan since Attanasio bought the team. IIRC, he put the kibosh on it because he wasn't comfortable with his players driving all over Wisconsin roads in the middle of winter. It's really disappointing, because I used to go every year, those were so much fun. I remember one year we got there early and we were waiting in the lobby while they were setting up the banquet hall. The place was empty, there was no one there yet. Ray King walked in, saw my Brewer jacket, and came up and said hi. You just don't get that with the On Deck event.

That's what I thought- for sure a disappointment- but I guess it just reflects how the game and players have changed. Back in the 'old days' (which isn't really too far back) when probably at least half of the team actually (gasp) wintered in Wisconsin, it wasn't uncommon to see guys like Molitor, Hisle, Gorman, Caldwell and even Robin. in remote outposts such as LaCrosse. For a small fee, it was a meal, a fun evening of Brewer's baseball talk, and get this- the autographs were free. I believe that even the 'out of staters' were required to come back for a few of these. Back then, I think they used to take a bus and there were usually somewhere in the ballpark of 3-5 active players at each stop. I guess when you have a shiny new stadium, you don't need to do these things to draw attendance/fan interest. Too bad.

[Electric Elf]

I think there's overlap between the "autograph seeking" audience and the "true fan" audience. However, molitor fan's post above helps me solidify the question that I've had since the On Deck event moved from MP to downtown and became pricey:

 

I don't share the excitement for autographs that many of you here possess; so is the event worth my while? Since it moved away from the park, we have been reluctant to buy tickets in advance, because if it's snowing or icy between Madison and Milwaukee on the 30th, we're out $30, and if it comes down to it, I'd rather spend $40 on a sure thing. But I wonder what about the event makes it worth $40 (plus parking). I'd have to score a lot of rummage sale/vendor deals to make up for that. (For those of you who have cased out the rummage sale in recent years, how does it compare to the December clubhouse sale?)

 

So far, since it ceased to be a ballpark event, we've bypassed it, despite being die-hard fans who aren't shy about spending on the Brewers. That doesn't mean it's a failed event; just not aimed at the hawing household.

It's really not worth it. I (foolishly) drove all the way from Minneapolis for it last year, expecting it to be a lot like TwinsFest. It wasn't. One of the things I enjoy about TwinsFest is that there are lots of things for adults to do that aren't getting autographs. When the Twins still played in the Dome they gave clubhouse tours (which, yeah, not expecting that in Milwaukee as the event's offsite) but they also had KSTP doing their radio show live for all 3 days and plenty of seating where you could sit and listen to the show. There were also kid Q&As. There was also a schedule for pictures with players, and pictures were free.

 

I wasn't that interested in autographs but knew that there were picture opportunities at On Deck so I didn't bring any cards/baseballs to be signed. This was a mistake as they didn't publish a player schedule. I wanted pictures with specific players, not just any players (and, no, I wasn't looking for superstars; just Narveson and Bush) but of course without a schedule I didn't bother. I got their autographs instead which wasn't really the same thing. The Q&A and "game shows" looked interesting but it was hard to hear them standing in the back. My mother can't stand for long periods of time so she really didn't enjoy it at all.

 

Sadly we missed out on TwinsFest tickets this year due to the venue change...doesn't mean that we're going to On Deck.

 

(PS there are quite a few people on the MN/WI border who are fans of both teams. Having TwinsFest and On Deck consistently on the same weekend is less than amusing. Also, they have a 3-day event, the Brewers only have the 1...)

[hawing]

No, they haven't done those things in years as far as I know, RockCo.

They haven't done the Winter Caravan since Attanasio bought the team. IIRC, he put the kibosh on it because he wasn't comfortable with his players driving all over Wisconsin roads in the middle of winter. It's really disappointing, because I used to go every year, those were so much fun. I remember one year we got there early and we were waiting in the lobby while they were setting up the banquet hall. The place was empty, there was no one there yet. Ray King walked in, saw my Brewer jacket, and came up and said hi. You just don't get that with the On Deck event.

Madison's Dug-Out Club, which used to sponsor/host the Madison stop on the winter caravan, still has an annual baseball banquet, which Doug Melvin has attended in recent years. Apparently, the 2011 banquet is this Monday, and Craig Counsell will be honored as a "Favorite Son" (though it doesn't actually state he will be in attendance). It's pricey to attend ($50 per head or $450 for a table of ten), yet I believe it has a history of selling out.

 

Weird that I didn't see this in the State Journal, since it apparently ran on 12/10/2010 and I typically notice anything Brewers-related in the paper since their mentions in Madison have become so rare.

 

Sorry for the tangent. Back to On Deck: I wouldn't say it's not good enough for the hawing party, just not a good match. I'd probably feel differently if we had kids, if we lived closer to Milwaukee, or if it wasn't $15-$20 per head. Unless the weather is top notch on the 30th and we are suddenly struck by the urge to get out of town, we'll probably save our money for 2011 concessions.

 

It sounds like part of the appeal of the Brewer events of yore was the relative spontaneity - the chance to shoot the breeze with Jim Powell (which would be uber awesome) or have Ray King walk up and say hi. Unfortunately, as MLB becomes increasingly big-business, I don't know how you retain that quality. A subset of the autograph-seeking audience may have contributed to the business vibe, but that should probably be another topic for another time.

[bobbledude25]

These things just get worse and worse every year don't they

[CWSOmaha]

I went last year and was disappointed on the autograph side. I thought there would be easier access but I should of known the autograph hounds would be out in full force. My plan was for a few autographs but that quickly changed when I saw the lines. I instead went the picture route and that was awesome. Got pictures with 12 players. I have a few of them on my desk at school and the kids who like baseball are always checking them out thinking their pretty cool. I had some great conversations with AxeMan and Josh Butler about college baseball and the College World Series. I told Axe I was out there when he played at Notre Dame and we got on the discussion about masters degree and me being a teacher. Greg Vaughn and I discussed the Hurricanes for a couple minutes. Am I going again, no, kind of hoping it would of returned to Miller Park.

[Principessa21]

So is anyone going? I was contemplating only because I'd like to get my picture with a few players, but it seems like the whole thing is a pain in the bum.