When the results of the All-Star "Final Vote" came out yesterday, I was a little surprised by the winner in the National League. Figuring that David Wright had everything on lock being a very good player in the country's biggest media market, I was almost shocked to see Corey Hart earn the spot. My brain immediately cried, "Bud Selig conspiracy!" That was until I found this article about the surge in Brewers' popularity that's happened since the CC Sabathia trade. Check it out: The results have been dramatic, Brewers' executives say. Since the trade was announced, the Brewers have sold about 70,000 tickets, about three times the normal rate. That's a testament to Sabathia's presence and the franchise's commitment to a playoff push.
In fact, the Brewers say that by the time the current 10-game home stand ends on Sunday, it will mark the most successful home stand in Milwaukee baseball history: More than 400,000 will have visited Miller Park.
The most successful home stand in Milwaukee baseball history? The Brewers' bandwagon is growing almost as fast as the Cubs' at this point. This surge is almost certainly what got Corey Hart into the All-Star game and has the Brewers on pace to pass the 3,000,000 mark in attendance this year for the first time ever. In 2003, the last full year of the Selig family's ownership of the club, they only drew in about 1.7 million.
