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Brewers hoping springtime fun turns into regular season wins
From "The Gas House Gang" to "The Fun Bunch," fun has been a key ingredient to a team's success. Brandon Cruz goes Beyond the Game as the Brewers hope to recapture that this season.
PHOENIX - The sign that greets fans as they arrive at American Family Fields of Phoenix might as well say the word "fun" because the Brewers always seem to be having fun there as they get ready for the season.
Recently, that’s led to a lot of success, and they’re hoping for the same in 2023.
"We have a great clubhouse here," said Owen Miller. "I mean, the clubhouse is unbelievable."
Even being one of the newest members of the organization, Owen Miller is as comfortable as any longtime veteran in the Brewers clubhouse.
"[I] love all the guys, talking with the guys," Miller said. "Everybody’s been great so far. Just a really good organization so far."
A lot of the credit goes to guys like Rowdy Tellez.
"What is it like to have everyone talking to you again," asked FOX6's Brandon Cruz.
"Outside of, like you, it’s been great," said Tellez. "But it’s good man. It’s good to be back in the clubhouse. You kind of have those withdrawals after a little bit."
His sense of humor isn’t only at the expense of members of the media. Teammates, like Brice Turang, are fair game as well.
In the middle of answering a question, Turang was interrupted by a nearby Tellez.
"Take your hood off," Tellez said.
"Who’s coaching you with the media right now," Cruz asked Turang.
"Yeah, Rowdy, for sure," said Turang.
"He has a way with the media," said Cruz. "Have you been learning from him that way?"
"No, he just yelled at me from across the room," Turang said.
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"Rowdy’s right next to my locker," said Miller. "I’ve seen his ways a little bit. It’s all good stuff. So, he’s been really good so far."
"It is a family here," Tellez said. "It’s fun. These are your brothers. You spend almost three quarters of the year with. Just the little banter in the clubhouse, like the little things that go on in here. Kind of like, you asked if I had time for you and I immediately said no, straight-faced. So, I think just the little things. You know how we always are."
They are always loose, especially in the spring, and it’s what has Tyler Naquin enjoying his new surroundings.
"It’s a good group of guys," said Naquin. "You know, nobody’s too high or too low. It’s just kind of good attitudes, and it’s just good respectful guys over here. That goes a long ways as a teammate especially whenever you’re together for six and a half months."
Their connection stretches past the season and continues throughout the offseason with group texts as well as fantasy football.
"Oh yeah," said Adrian Houser. "Unfortunately, I didn’t make the playoffs. So, yeah, a little sour subject for me."
In 2022, Lorenzo Cain arrived to camp and was given his championship chain.
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This season, he’s gone, but what about the chain?
"I think LoCain has that at his house, probably hanging up on the wall somewhere, I would imagine," Houser said. "There’s a trophy, and it’s in the clubhouse up in Milwaukee and I think the winner this year was actually Walker McGiven. So, one of the coaches. So, kind of sour."
Now, they’re replacing fantasy football fun with fun on the field and the start of a new season.
And if recent history is an example, that means a successful run into the fall.
"Oh yeah, for sure," said Turang. "When all the guys get along you want to play for each other. You want to win for each other. You give it everything you’ve got. When you do that, good things happen."