Five Reasons I Am Thankful To Be a Milwaukee Brewers Fan

Today being Thanksgiving and all, it has made me think about what I am thankful for. Of course, I'm thankful for friends, family, not having to eat horrible school food for a couple days, and the Brewers.

Here is why I am thankful for the Milwaukee Brewers.

5. Chicago Cubs

Even if the Brewers have a rough year, they still aren't the Cubs!   

4. Jack Zduriencik

Billy Beane Version 2.0. Although he is no longer the Brewers' Scouting Director, Zduriencik is perhaps the biggest reason the Brewers are where they are right now. Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Yovani Gallardo, Corey Hart, Mat Gamel, Alcides Escobar, Matt LaPorta, and Angel Salome are just a few of the players he brought into the organization.

I'm curious to see what he can do now in Seattle. Good luck and thank you Jack!

3. CC Sabathia and the 2008 Playoff Push

The Brewers went into the 2008 season with high hopes after finishing only two games behind the Cubs in the N.L. Central. Prince Fielder was coming off a monster year, Ryan Braun lit it up after being called up in May, and Ben Sheets was somewhat healthy.

The Brewers were playing well going into the dog days of summer but the rotation needed a boost. Thanks to Jack Zduriencik and his incredible drafting skills, the Brewers were able to flip Matt Laporta, Rob Bryson, Zach Jackson, and Michael Brantley to Cleveland in exchange for the big lefty.

Sabathia was lights out once he came over to Milwaukee and did whatever the team needed him to do. The combination of CC and the huge walk-off blasts by Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder in the final two weeks of the season made it a September to remember.

The Brewers went on to win the Wild Card but lost in four games in the NLDS to the eventual World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies. 

2. Ryan Braun

After having a monstrous rookie season in which he took home the N.L. Rookie of the Year award, Braun came back and led the Brewers offensive assault in 2008. He also switched positions in the offseason and, while he misplayed a few balls, had no errors on his record and played an above average left field.

The icing on the cake is the eight-year, $45 million contract extension he signed in May meaning he will be a Brewer until 2015 (and hopefully longer). 

1. Mark Attanasio

The day the Selig's sold the Brewers was one of the happiest days of my life. After watching the team suck from the day I was born until recently and lose all their good young players because ownership didn't want to pay them, Attanasio was a breath of fresh air.

He showed a commitment to winning from day one and since then the team has become a respectable, playoff-contending team. Jeff Suppan, Mike Cameron, Eric Gagne, and David Riske are a few of the free agents he has signed since 2005. The performances of these free agents have been so-so, but what these signing showed me is that he is willing to put money into the team.

Ten years ago, the Brewers would be trading their Ryan Brauns and Prince Fielders and letting their CC Sabathias walk away without a serious effort to sign them long term. Today, Braun has already signed an extension, they have had talks about extending Prince, and they have offered CC the largest contract in club history.

Thank you, Mark Attanasio, for helping to raise the Brewers from the division cellar into a real contender!