Miller Park roof hotline

[ilovebeer]

You can call 1-800-774-8587 to see if the roof will be open or closed. For night games you check check after 12pm and day games at 10am.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

I thought I saw someone tweeted that the roof would be open tonight per the hotline...it was closed. Is that you Betancourt?

[Baldkin]

What does swinging at the first pitch sound like on a roof hotline?

[danzig6767]

I have a question about the roof. Why does the team so often close the roof way before any potential rain comes through?

 

For example, i almost went to the game with my kid tonight and thankfully i didn't, but besides how bad the game went, the team had the roof closed all game long on a very hot/humid night even though it never rained. It looked to be stifling hot in there. Yea, a potential storm was reported, but it wasn't supposed to hit for awhile after the game started, if it even came at all. So if the roof only takes 10-15 minutes to close, why not wait until near the last minute to close the roof, especially on a very humid night like tonight? It's not as if a bit of rain got in before the roof fully closed, the game would need to be canceled.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I totally agree. I've been at games multiple times already this year where this happened. It's really stupid, and defeats the purpose of the roof. When Miller Park first open the roof was touted for how fast it could close in case of rain. So it makes no sense to have it closed when there's a chance of rain. Just close it right before the rain comes. Especially on hot summer days and nights.

[mtrebs]

What does swinging at the first pitch sound like on a roof hotline?

It sounds like a pop-up to shallow right field.

[GB93]

I was at the game with my kids last night. It was brutal for the kids. I was really pissed when it started closing right before the 1st pitch. It really ruined the experience for my kids. That and 2 hits over 5 innings, but that's another story.

I think the policy is if they close it during the game it needs to be ok'd by each manager and not at a half inning. But why close it when it is sprinkling in Madison? Do the Brewers need to hire a meteorologist solely for this reason?

[davego]

Leave it open. Even if it takes 20 minutes to close the thing, it would take a monsoon to make the field unplayable

[Patrick425]

PrinceEatMeat[/b]]I totally agree. I've been at games multiple times already this year where this happened. It's really stupid, and defeats the purpose of the roof. When Miller Park first open the roof was touted for how fast it could close in case of rain. So it makes no sense to have it closed when there's a chance of rain. Just close it right before the rain comes. Especially on hot summer days and nights.

Yeah, they usually are over cautious about closing the roof when there is a threat of rain. However, June 8th of this year was an exception. I'm not sure if anyone remembers that game and/or date. It's was stifling hot and the roof was closed for the first inning or two. Then they opened it, but not completely all the way. Then we got a text from our neighbors in Waukesha stating that the weather was getting pretty nasty out there. I pulled out my phone and looked at the radar and sure enough there were some nasty storms coming. They kept getting closer and closer an the roof was still open. We started to think that maybe the roof was stuck or something (since it was never fully opened). It even started raining a little before they finally started closing it in the 5th or 6th inning.

 

[PrinceEatMeat]

PrinceEatMeat[/b]]I totally agree. I've been at games multiple times already this year where this happened. It's really stupid, and defeats the purpose of the roof. When Miller Park first open the roof was touted for how fast it could close in case of rain. So it makes no sense to have it closed when there's a chance of rain. Just close it right before the rain comes. Especially on hot summer days and nights.

Yeah, they usually are over cautious about closing the roof when there is a threat of rain. However, June 8th of this year was an exception. I'm not sure if anyone remembers that game and/or date. It's was stifling hot and the roof was closed for the first inning or two. Then they opened it, but not completely all the way. Then we got a text from our neighbors in Waukesha stating that the weather was getting pretty nasty out there. I pulled out my phone and looked at the radar and sure enough there were some nasty storms coming. They kept getting closer and closer an the roof was still open. We started to think that maybe the roof was stuck or something (since it was never fully opened). It even started raining a little before they finally started closing it in the 5th or 6th inning.

Yeah, I was at that game. That's another situation where they should've left the roof open the whole time until the rain came. Instead they closed it, opened it, and closed it again. That proved that it's definitely easy to do, so not sure why it wasn't just open the whole time.

[JoeHova]

Is it just me or is the heat and humidity in Miller Park when the roof is closed something of an unspoken scandal? MP is totally unbearable to me if the roof is closed and the temperature is anywhere north of 70 degrees or so. It's the least comfortable ballpark or arena I've ever been in (if the roof is closed). There is no air circulation whatsoever. Can't they spring for some ceiling fans or a bunch of those big state fair barn fans or something?

[trwi7]

Is it just me or is the heat and humidity in Miller Park when the roof is closed something of an unspoken scandal? MP is totally unbearable to me if the roof is closed and the temperature is anywhere north of 70 degrees or so. It's the least comfortable ballpark or arena I've ever been in (if the roof is closed). There is no air circulation whatsoever. Can't they spring for some ceiling fans or a bunch of those big state fair barn fans or something?

 

It's not just you. In fact I refuse to go to any game where there's even a remote possibility of the roof being closed because it's that uncomfortable in there. I don't know if Attanasio and company are completely oblivious to how brutal it is in there in summer (or even spring) with the roof closed but they need to figure it out.

[Invader3K]

I remember one game earlier this season when the night started with the roof closed. It was incredibly humid in there. We had seats on the field level, and were sweating like crazy. Finally they opened the roof around the fifth inning and there was a pretty loud cheer from the crowd. I agree it would be nice if they could do something to improve things.

[PrinceEatMeat]

If the roof is closed in hot weather I usually just go sit in the RF loge bleachers if I don't have great seats. Get a nice breeze out there, and it's way cooler. Just did that last night.

[pitchleague]

I don't go to games often, due to living in AZ, but a few years ago we went to a night game against the Astros (Johnny Estrada hit a grand slam and Damian Miller hit a walk-off Jack, as called by Jim Powell, the next afternoon, in case you're trying to date this. Anyway . . . ) and we sat in the terrace box seats that are on our season ticket plan. With the roof closed and no air circulation, it was completely terrible to sit through--worse than sitting in the cold at Lambeau or a rain delay at County Stadium. I had to leave my seat several times because, with exercise-induced asthma, I just couldn't breathe. I had to get out of there. It's probably the closest I've ever felt to "dying."

 

Like others have said, some fans or something. Or, um, how about install some actual air conditioning throughout the ballpark? It's not like you'll use it as much as the folks in Houston or Phoenix do but it'd be nice on those brutally warm and humid (that's the main thing, really, is the humidity) days and nights.

 

Heck, maybe they could put install some windows on the 1st base and or 3rd base side walls of windows above the upper deck that open up and create some air flow. Or would that create a huge draft that would blow balls out to the bleachers even more? I'm no physicist so I don't know.

[owbc]

The ballpark was designed so that A/C could be added at a future date. They do blow air through the vents when the roof is closed, but it doesn't do anything since it was never designed to blow directly on the fans. The reason that the A/C issue has not been addressed is because there were always other more serious problems that needed to be fixed. I imagine that it will be added in the next 5 years or so.

 

I guess I really do not know anything about the Brewers' long-term plan for Miller Park. Will there still be money available from the stadium district for repairs after the tax expires? What is the expected lifespan of the stadium, 2050? 2075?

[jeffy]

We mostly avoid going when it's hot especially if there may be rain, even with the roof closed the Miller Park is so closed in that you don't get much breeze in many places. Also we usually sit on the club level, so at least you can cool off a bit on trips to the bathroom or to get a beer.

 

I always feel like they are looking for reasons to close the roof, rather than reasons to open it. (The exception being the game mentioned above, which I saw on TV and was amazed at how long they kept it partly open)

[Patrick425]

Another note in regards the game I mentioned in my previous post. An elderly lady sitting a few rows behind us actually passed out.

[Invader3K]

I guess I really do not know anything about the Brewers' long-term plan for Miller Park. Will there still be money available from the stadium district for repairs after the tax expires? What is the expected lifespan of the stadium, 2050? 2075?

I thought I remember reading that the stadium was designed to last "at least 50 years" before major renovations or replacement would be needed. Of course, that was quite a while ago, so I don't really know if that is still accurate.

 

There has been talk of extending the stadium tax to help with future costs or possibly to fund a new stadium for the Bucks, though recently that idea doesn't seem to have much traction.

[joepepsi]

I haven't been to a lot of games over the years since I live a few hours away. But my experience has always been the opposite of what the rest of you describe. If the roof is open at a hot humid game it's a horrible, stifling experience. The stadium is such a tall narrow cylinder that there is no breeze whatsoever. Even when it's pleasant outside.

 

4 or 5 years ago my daughter and I went to a game against the Twins. We sat behind the 3rd base dugout. Temps were in the low 90s at the 6:10 game time, and we could hardly breathe. Everyone was soaking in sweat in their seats. Early in the game they closed the roof with a storm moving in. Instantly you could feel a relief. I thought at the time they had AC because once the roof was closed we could feel a rush of cool air from the concession area. The rest of the game was quite pleasant.

[jeffy]

Heck, maybe they could put install some windows on the 1st base and or 3rd base side walls of windows above the upper deck that open up and create some air flow.

 

 

Yeah, I never understood why they did not design it so that some of those 1st and 3rd base windows could be opened, like the outfield panels. Would it really have cost that much to have had some sliding glass panels or something? That would have allowed for the possibility of some natural cross ventilation under most conditions. Having those open would help with roof open too, make it more like an open air ball park.

 

They also could have had windows that open in the lower levels, the windows in the brick part of the park. I believe that would open the field and loge concourses to outside air which could then flow into the seating bowl.

[bucksbeat]

I don't get to nearly as many games as I use to and I haven't gotten to a game that was affected by serious rain in a few years. I'm interested what the situation is with the leaking of the roof. I was watching a game a couple weeks ago and several camera angles while Brian and Bill were talking about the severe weather seemed to show water pouring from sections of the roof. Is that still an issue? I just remember the embarrassment of All-Star weekend, the first embarrassment, during the HR Derby when they showed water pouring onto the field.

 

I'd be out in right-center watching water pour onto the concourse or watching puddles form by the on-deck circle.

 

As far as them being too careful about the roof being closed when inclement weather is approaching I can see them doing it in case of failure. Meaning that if for some reason the roof should fail it would fail in the closed position and the games would be protected. Once the bad weather passed and the roof wouldn't open, no harm no foul, you can play with the roof closed on a nice day.

[PrinceEatMeat]

For anyone going to the game today, it'll be a prime example of what we've been talking about in this thread. About 85 and humid, and the roof shut for no reason for the majority of the game due to chance of rain. Its gonna be a sauna in there.

[Invader3K]

For anyone going to the game today, it'll be a prime example of what we've been talking about in this thread. About 85 and humid, and the roof shut for no reason for the majority of the game due to chance of rain. Its gonna be a sauna in there.

Yeah, kind of silly since it doesn't look like too much rain should hit Milwaukee either (at least according to my layman's reading of the radar).

[LaprilOne]

What were y'all talking about? The roof was wide open today. Did the hot line say closed?