"Everyone loves a winner!" Brewers success means fans are spending money



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Milwaukee Brewers have a 19-7 record and are leading the NL Central! Not only do they lead the NL Central -- but the Brewers have the best record in baseball! The Brew Crew is hot -- just one month into the season, and fans are responding to the team's success by buying up merchandise and game tickets.

The Brewers on Monday, April 28th got the "W" over the St. Louis Cardinals after 12 innings -- for a final score of 5-3.

Even though the Brewers are out-of-town, there was still plenty of activity at Miller Park on Tuesday, April 29th, as fans came for lunch at Friday's and to stock up at the Brewers' Team Store!

Brewers officials say the team's success has fans spending money.

Sylvester Rodriguez stocked up Tuesday at the Brewers' Team Store.

"We got some items for my son and his wife. They live in South Korea and we`re gonna ship it to them. He`s a big Brewers fan and she is too," Rodriguez said.

Whether the hats and jerseys wind up in South Korea or South Milwaukee, Brewers officials say they're selling at a pace the team has rarely seen.

"We`re seeing really healthy, robust sales compared to last year and at this point, I think we`re even ahead of where we were in 2011, which was the last playoff year," Brewers COO Rich Schlesinger said.

Schlesinger says it all began in Spring Training, when a little white dog became a national sensation.

"Hank is adorable! I hope I get to meet Hank sometime," Kasey Heidecker said.

"The kids really love him so we`re buying a T-shirt for a friend of ours," Sue Williamson said.

The team says it has made an effort to offer more items that appeal specifically to women.

"The biggest growth in our retail business has really been in the women`s items - 46% of the attendees at our ballgames are women," Schlesinger said.

"I have a few sweatshirts that are specifically cut for women and they`re nice and small so they`re perfect," Heidecker said.

Brewers officials say merchandise sales are 30% higher than they were last April. Both fans and team officials agree the biggest reason for a surge in merchandise and ticket sales is wins.

"If we`re in contention all season, that 30% number should grow significantly," Schlesinger said.

"When you win, you sell things. Everyone wants to be on the bandwagon. Everyone loves a winner," Rodriguez said.

Through the first month of the season, the Brewers have the eighth-best average attendance in Major League baseball. If that holds, it will be the best the Brewers have finished in that category since 2011 -- the last time the team reached the postseason.