Friday night, an overzealous Brewers fan strolled into Miller Park with her sign asking Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun to marry her. It was a typical sign except for one small detail. The fan decided to put her actual phone number on the sign. So after 200 prank calls and 600 text messages, she realized it was a bad idea and turned her phone off.
Word of the sign debacle eventually reached Braun in the Brewers clubhouse and he made his way to a phone and called the fan. Even though the young lady's voicemail was full, it just shows how great of ambassador Braun is for the Milwaukee Brewers.
I've praised the Brewers for making drastic moves for making their product better. They've added pieces when they've needed them for a playoff run, and when they see a weakness, they go fix it. However, I think the biggest move is signing Braun to a 5 year, 105 million dollar contract extension that will keep Braun as a Brewer until 2020 at the earliest. (The Brewers and Braun have a mutual option for 2021.)
Not only did the Brewers secure a really good player for the majority of his career, but they also locked up a great person as well. Braun gets it. The phone call was just a small sample of how he goes out of his way to please Brewer fans.
He also enjoys playing in Milwaukee. The Brewer fans are some of the most passionate in baseball, and if Braun continues to play at the level he's played at so far in his career, they could be looking at building a statue for him right outside of Miller Park someday.
The money is wisely spent, whereas I'm not sure if it would have been if they decided to sign Prince Fielder to the monster contract he is commanding. The Brewers now find themselves with a great ambassador to their team and hopefully, a future hall of famer who decided to stay in one spot rather than heading towards the bright lights of a bigger market.
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