'Like I never left:' Brewers' Sogard, Broxton grateful 'to come back to what feels like home'

`Like I never left:` Brewers` Sogard, Broxton grateful `to come back to what feels like home`

PHOENIX -- Home is where the heart is, and for a couple big leaguers, their hearts never seemed to leave Milwaukee, even when they played elsewhere.

Saydee Sogard made it official on social media in December, with an announcement her father, Eric Sogard, was back with the Milwaukee Brewers.

"My family and I loved our time in Milwaukee, and, you know, the second we heard they were interested, you know, we were very excited," said Eric Sogard.

He was a fan favorite when he arrived in Milwaukee in 2017.

"The fans were amazing, and Fan Fest, to me, always welcomed me back with open arms," said Sogard. "It's truly a second home for us."

Eric Sogard

After two seasons with the Crew, the Sogards left their Milwaukee home for stops in Toronto and Tampa Bay.

Keon Broxton left the Brewers after the 2018 season.

"It's nice to come back to what feels like home," said Broxton.

In 2019, Broxton bounced around, playing for three different teams in the big leagues.

"It's definitely a different experience going to different organizations, and experiencing how they operate, and how they work," said Broxton. "It's definitely a different feel. I'm grateful and thankful for the times I had to share last year, and move around a lot. It's definitely an adventure, but yeah, to come back here and see these nice faces, it's nice."

Keon Broxton

With a warm welcome, spring training began in comfortable surroundings -- with Broxton and Sogard where they want to be.

"Almost feels like I never left, in a way," said Sogard. "It's a special group of guys. A lot of guys I stayed in touch with even when I was gone, so I'm happy to be back."

"I spent a couple of years here and got to build a lot of relationships with the coaches, and fans, and the team, as well, so it's nice to be back in a comfortable environment, and be able to critique my craft," said Broxton.

Keon Broxton

The familiarity of the Brewers organization allowed them to open spring training without distractions -- focused solely on baseball.