The Milwaukee Brewers don't win very often on the field, but their organization has worked hard to put on a winner July 5-9 when the All Star Game comes to town.
You're looking at a lot more than just a baseball game when All Star Weekend arrives. A FanFest, highlighting baseball history and featuring many interactive displays and other attractions, draws thousands. It will be held at the Midwest Express Center in downtown Milwaukee all four days.
The Futures Game, pitting some of the top prospects in the game, will be played Sunday night, July 7. On Monday, July 8, a home run hitting contest takes center stage.
Then, the game itself will be played Tuesday night. A sellout crowd already is assured.
The Brewers have been preparing for the event for months. Back in January, when few people were thinking of baseball, Scott Jenkins, who is in charge of operations for Miller Park, was busy with plans.
"There are quite a few things, even though Major League Baseball puts a lot of it on," Jenkins said. "We have to build a special section to accommodate the extra media that comes in for the game.
"Several other areas of the park will be used for gatherings and other things that go on during the four days. Plus, we want the field and everything to be working right."
There has been a lot of publicity about noise in the pivot of the roof, but the problem actually has been rectified for weeks. Jenkins said he feels confident the roof will work fine, although he also hopes the weather is beautiful so the game can be played under the open sky.
In addition to concerns about the roof, some players said they might boycott the All Star event as a negotiating technique in their growing labor dispute with owners. Of course, there also are security concerns in this post September 11 era.
Commissioner Bud Selig and others have dismissed the boycott rumors as coming from only a few of the more radical players. Security will be beefed up, as it has been at every big sports event since the terrorists' attacks. But, fans should still be able to have the freedom to enjoy themselves, according to the Brewers and Major League Baseball officials.
Lynn Sprangers, a former TV journalist and public relations for the Milwaukee County Executive and Greater Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau, was hired by the Brewers to primarily coordinate and promote the All Star Game.
"Nothing in recent memory is going to be as big (for Milwaukee)," Sprangers said. "Unequivocally, yes, we are ready for it. We have the beautiful ballpark. We have the convention center.
{INSERT_RELATED}"The city has so much to offer, and it sometimes takes outsiders to notice that rather than people who live here every day."
Brewers' president Wendy Selig-Prieb believes all the work will be worth it. "The last time baseball's stars gathered in Milwaukee was 27 years ago," she said.
"This summer's All Star Game will write a new chapter in the All Star history of Milwaukee and Wisconsin, which is storied in terms of the Braves and Brewers representatives in the game since 1953, and the hosting of the event in 1955 and 1975.
"We look forward to the All Star Game with great enthusiasm. This five-day celebration of baseball will build lasting memories for fans throughout the Upper Midwest and will showcase Milwaukee and Wisconsin to a worldwide audience. It will bring a tremendous focus to Miller Park as being world class in every way."
Each of the events has a corporate sponsor. John Hancock Insurance sponsors the Fanfest, which will feature more than 40 activities and include former and current players signing autographs.
Radio Shack sponsors All Star Sunday, which includes the Futures game and a celebrity softball game. Teams representing the USA and the World will play at 4:30 p.m. in the Futures Game.
Dave Concepcion, the former Reds shortstop, will manage the World team. Paul Molitor will manage the U.S. team. Could Molitor as a manager in Miller Park be a preview of things to come?
Celebrities who have committed to the softball game include NASCAR drive Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ray Allen of the Bucks, rocker Meat Load, Bradley Whiteford of NBC's West Wing, Olympic gold medalist Jim Shea and baseball "legends" Ernie Banks, George Brett, Paul Molitor, Ozzie Smith, Tony Gwynn, Don Mattingly, Harold Reynolds. Gorman Thomas, John Kruk, Dave Winfield and Rollie Fingers. That game starts at 7 p.m.
Clarinex sponsors All Star Workout Day on Monday, which features the Century 21 Home Run Derby, which starts at 7 p.m.
Of course, the highlight of the weekend itself will be Tuesday's game. Millions will watch the game on TV around the world.
The All Star Weekend is sandwiched between two big annual events in Milwaukee - Summerfest and the Greater Milwaukee Open golf tournament, which starts two days after the game.
Gregg Hoffmann is a veteran journalist and author of "Down in the Valley: The History of Milwaukee County Stadium." Hoffmann also is the prime author of "Milwaukee's Mid-summer Dream," which is available via OnMilwaukee.com and the Milwaukee Brewers. A story by Hoffmann on Milwaukee baseball history also will appear in the official 2002 All Star Game program. Look for special daily BCRs on OMC during All Star Weekend.
