By Adam Roberts – 2/17/2021

Throughout the week, members of the Brewers staff and roster are making their way down to Arizona for another spring training in the desert. They’ll be joined by another arm after he received an extension yesterday.

The Brewers are adding left-handed pitcher Brett Anderson. ESPN reports the one-year deal is worth 2.5-million-dollars, pending a physical. Anderson could make another one-million-dollars in incentives. The 33-year-old posted a 4.21 ERA in his 10 starts for the Brew Crew last season.

Pitchers and catchers have already reported to spring ball workouts, with the rest of the team set to arrive by tomorrow. The team plays its first spring game February 28th against the White Sox.

By Adam Roberts – 2/16/2021

Ever since the pandemic, something has just been a little off with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The magic of their run up until Game Three of the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals hasn’t been recaptured entirely since, and a nearly year-long stretch without fans at their home games likely is a big factor in that. Hopefully starting this week, even just a little bit of that magic, and also extra incentive to win, will be returning to Cream City.

Starting with tonight’s game against Toronto, the Bucks will be allowing fans back into Fiserv Forum in a measured approach coinciding with the team’s home stand beginning tonight. Tonight’s game will allow 250 fans in the north lower bowl of the stadium, with 500 allowed Thursday, 750 Friday, and eventually up to 1,800 for Sunday’s game against Sacramento.

From there, a lot will be determined by Milwaukee County and the Forum itself, but according to the Journal Sentinel if case counts don’t trend upward, the Forum may be allowed to host up to 25% capacity at some point this season.

Fans back at games will be a welcome change for the Bucks, who’s most recent road trip was a less than ideal 3-3 odyssey. As for me, I am still holding out for what plans will be unveiled at American Family Field this season. My Brewers itch is starting to form a rash!

By Adam Roberts – 2/15/2021

My last post was all about the hearts of Badger fans breaking over the men’s basketball team’s loss to #3 Michigan yesterday. But that doesn’t mean all area college basketball was doom and gloom.

Including games from Saturday and Sunday, area colleges went 5-1 in their games. The UWL men, ranked #14 last week, got revenge for their loss at River Falls with an 83-52 drubbing of the Falcons on the 12th while the women fell on the road 61-54. Meanwhile, Winona State swept action against Concordia-St. Paul Saturday with the women winning a nail-biter 68-67 and the men claiming victory more comfortably 77-58, and Viterbo won 66-54 and 82-66 respectively over Presentation College.

The 4-1 Eagle men next take on Stout up in Menomonie this Wednesday while the ladies will host the Blue Devils at Mitchell Hall. WSU next faces Upper Iowa while both Viterbo units are at Waldorf tomorrow night.

By Adam Roberts – 2/15/2021

After Giannis signed the supermax to stay with the Bucks this past offseason, the expectations for the team were instantly raised. To this point in the 2020-21 season, many would say those expectations haven’t been met.

Even before this recent three-game skid, continued yesterday with a 114-109 loss to Oklahoma City, people weren’t very bullish with how the Bucks have been playing this season. Whether it’s their outside shooting, Giannis’s aversion from shooting outside the paint, or the defensive struggles, some wonder if the team has veered off course, with others suggesting the team may already be outside of it’s championship window.

Of course, the team IS still 16-11 and would be the two seed against the Knicks of all teams if the season ended today. The Bucks will be in the Sunshine State to take on the road warriors from Toronto, who are playing in Tampa due to COVID concerns in their home country.

By Adam Roberts – 2/12/2021

The Carolina Mudcats, a Class Low-A minor league baseball team, have singed MLB’s new Professional Development License and will remain a member of the Milwaukee Brewers’ farm system.

There has been a ton of restructuring in minor league baseball over the last year, with the pandemic amplifying the change that was already going on, and it was uncertain how many of the Brewers’ affiliates would remain on for 2021. The Crew have minor league teams in Carolina, Appleton (Timber Rattlers), Biloxi, Mississippi, and Nashville with the return of the Sounds for this year.

In a press release, Brewers President of Baseball Operations David Stearns said “We are very pleased to have the Mudcats on board as one of our four affiliates in the new player development structure. We look forward to the 2021 season and hope to be able to welcome fans back to Five County Stadium to see our young prospects and enjoy the ballpark atmosphere.”