(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s other baseball teams are on board with the latest plan to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee.
The nine members of the Northwoods League, a summer collegiate baseball league, all signed a letter as part of the Home Crew coalition that encourages lawmakers at the Wisconsin Capitol to come to an agreement to pay for updates and renovations at American Family Field.
The teams released the letter Wednesday.
“Milwaukee is a Major League city, and it is vital to keep baseball in Wisconsin for the next generation,” the teams said in their letter. “Having a Major League Baseball team in our state means more than baseball, beer, brats, and tailgating. Thousands of families across the state rely on jobs that American Family Field creates.”
The Northwoods League includes the La Crosse Loggers, the Lakeshore Chinooks, the Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders, the Wausau Woodchuck, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, the Madison Mallards, the Kenosha Kingfish, the Green Bay Rockers, and the Eau Claire Express.
There are 23 teams total in the league from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ontario, Canada.
The latest plan at the Wisconsin Capital would have taxpayers spend $600 million dollars on American Family Field over the next 27 years. The Brewers’ owners would pay $100 million over the same time frame and keep the club in Milwaukee through 2050.
Some Milwaukee Democrats and conservative groups in the state question the wisdom of using taxpayer dollars to pay for the ballpark.
The Northwoods League teams aren’t taking a position on who should pay for the ballpark, or how much they should pay. Instead, the teams say it’s good for the entire state to have the Brewers in Milwaukee and have a strong baseball foundation in Wisconsin.
“Since its inception, the ballpark has generated more than $2.5 billion in economic impact for the state – supporting families, sustaining jobs, and fueling countless small businesses. Leaders on both sides of the aisle must come together to support a bipartisan solution that keeps the stadium one of the best in baseball,” the letter states. “Our communities are better because of baseball. Wisconsinites are passionate about baseball, whether it’s the Northwoods League, Little League, or the Major League. We can’t imagine a summer without our Milwaukee Brewers.”
Omar Shaikh, chairman of the Home Crew coalition, said the support from the state’s minor league teams shows this is not just a Milwaukee issue.
“Northwoods League baseball is an integral part of Wisconsin summers, and we’re proud to add the names of these leaders to our efforts to support a bipartisan solution to funding American Family Field,” Shaikh said. “Those supporting our coalition are leaders in communities from every corner of Wisconsin.”
