By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Jun 02, 2010 at 9:04 AM

Here at OnMilwaukee.com, we take pride in being Milwaukee experts. Since it is literally our job to eat, sleep and breathe all things Brew City, we get many questions from our readers.

This is where we answer them.

In the "Ask OMC" series, we take your questions -- big or small -- and track down the answers. Send your query to askomc@staff.onmilwaukee.com. Be sure to include your name and location, and we will consider it for our next installment.

The question today comes from Ross B. in Franklin, who writes:

"I was watching a Brewers game a few weeks ago -- the team was on the road and I don't remember where -- and I saw what appeared to be a can of PAM cooking spray in the dugout. Am I crazy? If not, what do they use that stuff for?"

It's an interesting question, Ross. In fact, a few other observant fans noticed it and Fox Sports Wisconsin announcers Brian Anderson and Bill Schroeder even made reference to the can of PAM during a recent broadcast.

A lot of people wondered if players were spraying it on bat handles, using it on caps or pants as a way of throwing spitballs -- or making omelets to stave off mid-game hunger pangs.

It turns out that none of the above is correct.

"It's not for cooking and it's definitely not on the bats," outfielder Corey Hart said. "We have a lot of other stuff for that -- pine tar, spray and what we call a ‘sticky stick,' but (cooking spray) is not something that you would put on there."

So what, exactly, is the purpose?

Players spray it on the bottom of their shoes.

"It keeps the dirt and grass from sticking to your spikes," veteran outfielder Jim Edmonds said before a recent game. "When you play a night game or a game when the grass is wet, stuff can stick to your spikes. That's what it's for.

"At some parks, they water the infield too much and the dirt can clump up in your spikes and make them feel heavy. That's what the cooking spray is for. We don't really have a problem with that at home (at Miller Park), but I remember we used it in Pittsburgh and maybe in San Diego, but those teams must have provided it because I don't think we travel with it."

If you see a player spraying something on a bat handle, it's most likely a Stickum product, and quite possibly one made by Mueller, a sports medicine company based right here in Wisconsin, in Prairie du Sac.