Luke Marks
Mr. Reuter
Economics
May 19th, 2014
MKE Brewers, Hank the Dog, and the Economy and Stuff
Currently leading the NL Central Division and also within the top five of the MLB standings in 2014 the Brewers are doing very well this year. It is safe to say that the Milwaukee Brewers are gaining more and more attention with their ongoing performance. A new addition to the team small dog, who is now like a second mascot to the team, has brought all sorts of attention as well. As the Milwaukee Brewers progress throughout their season, like any successful franchise will continue to attract an audience and construct a consistent fan base.
In 1998, the Brewers agreed to move from the AL division to the NL division in order to balance scheduling. Shortly after the team moved from County Stadium to Miller Park, they created the signature Miller Park retractable roof; which gave the fans the advantage to enjoy the game no matter what weather condition.
Now the Milwaukee Brewers currently have a $565 million team value and a $197 million revenue and of March, is ranked #25 on Forbes MLB Team Valuations (Forbes). This was an investment that gave the franchise an opportunity cost from omitting any game cancellations and or losing fans based on weather conditions. Another addition to the stadium is the new JumboTron, being the fourth-largest scoreboard in Major League Baseball with price tag north of $10 million. (McCalvy). As you can see, these investments do cost Wisconsin counties some money. According to, espn.go.com, relating on the history of Miller Park, it goes to say that, “Construction began in October 1996, with the ballpark funded by a sales tax in five counties. The Brewers contributed $90 million to the project, including a 20-year naming rights deal with the Miller Brewing Co.”. The Journal Sentinel predicts that, “Depending on the rate of return, the tax could end in 2014 or stay in place until 2017 or 2018, the Miller Park stadium district board was told Tuesday.” The end of the tax for the stadium and its finances are based on what is in debt from construction. The Journal continues on to note: “Through 2008, a total of $292.6 million has been collected through the sales tax. As of Jan. 1st, $284.4 million is still owed.” Overall, these addition to the famous Miller Park is something all Brewers fans can be proud of.
Wisconsin being known for brewing beer and drinking it (ranked 5 in beer consumption) Brewer games sure can get loud attracting a diverse crowd. From drunken old baseball fanatics to little children wanting to see the new mascot Hank the dog. Bernie the true mascot of the Brewers is now old news to everyone this season. The small dog, which walked into the spring training park in the beginning of the 2014 season, attracted much attention in the Brewers community. For a team/franchise to adopt a pet really gives people hope as you see in the video link below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jdCsy_rZXM. WSAW writes in an article called “Hank ‘The Ballpark Pup’ Attracts Dozens to MIller Park”, that “Hank the dog Hank-themed merchandise is on sale with 20 percent of proceeds going to the Wisconsin Humane Society. Any donated dog toys will go to area shelters.” (WSAW). The merchandise sold at Miller Park has certainly hit a home run on the finances and GDP of the Milwaukee Brewers. According to a Sports Business Daily article on the Milwaukee Brewers merchandise. MLB reported that sales, “Overall of Brewers gear are up 12% over last year, while New Era reported that sales of Brewers caps are up 130% from July of last year through July '11. The Brewers have approximately 130 different sponsors and are already talking with sponsors about possible postseason plans.” It continued to say that the Milwaukee Brewers will “...set a record in terms of gross revenue for sponsorships.” (SBD).
The Brewers are continuing to make the right decisions financially with a definite influence to all fans. Many have faith for the Brew Crew this year, for the record is still strong. Whether it is with Hank the Dog, the merchandise sold, or the construction of Miller Park; this successful franchise will continue to attract a consistent fan base if they continue to do well as a team and as a business. Overall, the Brewers are continuing to progress through their 2014 season. Play ball!
Works Cited
"Milwaukee Brewers." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 19 May 2014.
I didn't know that Miller Park now had a dog mascot, but that's cool and creates more fans wanting to go to the game. Not to mention, the Brewer's are having a great season so far with all the wins so who wouldn't want to go to the game? What else makes Miller Park one of the best MLB fields is the retractable roof which allows fans to go to the game whether it's raining or sunny and this isn't an option for many other baseball fans. The amount of money that has been put into building this park is an extremely large amount that will have to be paid back throughout a long period of time considering the park still owes $284.4 million.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see the Brewers have so much success, both on the field and financially, despite being one of the lower valued teams (25 of 30). Despite the argument for the tax money back in 90's, the tax has paid off very well for the area. Now seeing Hank revitalize the Brewers brand is a great thing for the Brewers, who just went through two painfully average seasons.
ReplyDeleteI agree it is nice to see the Brewer's do something productive, but it is also true that their #25 on Forbes MLB Team Valuations is not that great of a feat. However seeing Hank the dog bring in some new revenue is a nice sight to see, i'm sure that Bernie and the Racing Sausages were doing a fine job, but this new mascot will draw in a new crowd with people who love animals. Hopefully if the Brewers can continue to well, the dog and the team will continue to prosper.
DeleteI agree Critter. The Brewers are just getting out of their recession and hopefully not hitting a peak just yet. With the Brewers doing so well, they get much more publicity and it's finally positive. Hank is helping this sector out a lot. Once people start talking, word will spread like wildfire. Now everyone is getting interested in their local MLB team bringing in huge amounts of revenue.
DeleteHank the Brewers dog... I once got a picture with him! It is (I admit) kind of weird that the brewers would just bring in a stray dog like that. To make something out of nothing not usually heard of in this world. The Brewers have indeed made something out of nothing with The Humane Society springing into action. Helping animals find a home while benefiting the Brewer's wealth and the wealth of the economy around them is truly an amazing thing.
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered if "Hank the Dog" was really just found as a stray. The timing in which Ryan Braun's falling out regarding his drug use and the finding of this dog was very well timed. Think about it; a very well tamed, well mannered, cute dog just happens to be found at the same time as Braun's return? This dog was used as something everyone could talk about instead of Braun's mistake therefore bringing in more revenue and helping the economy by adding this adorable mascot and auctioning who would buy him... and so on. It's a great way to turn the attention on something more light and kid friendly so bravo to the Milwaukee Brewers. Just something I thought was interesting and a good way analyze this with an economic standpoint...
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this topic because I absolutely love baseball and the Brewers. I didn't realize that Hank was bringing in so much attention and money and I find it awesome that when items are purchased with Hank's name on it, that 20% of the proceeds go to WSAW. That is awesome! And I can only imagine what kind of money the Brewers are bringing in now. With them being number one in our league and number one (well now number two overall in every league), and bringing in Hank the dog, that would obviously bring in more support from the communities. It is by far a breakthrough for the Brewers this year after two rough seasons and I'm glad that they are finally getting on the right, positive track.
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