The Milwaukee Brewers have had the most successful period of their history under the leadership of owner Mark Attanasio. The California billionaire bought the Brewers in 2004 from the family of former Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig. Since then, Milwaukee has made the postseason six times, including in five of the past six years.
Over the years, Attanasio has been criticized by Brewers fans despite the team’s regular season success. Milwaukee, of course, has not had a World Series winner since the Braves won the title all the back in 1957. The Brewers have not been to the World Series since 1982. In other words, the city is hungry for another championship.
The Milwaukee Brewers Are Not Known for Big Spending Under Mark Attanasio
While the Brewers have experienced more success than they ever have with Attanasio at the helm of their franchise, they have rarely been able to retain star players that they develop or spend money on big-name free agents.
Most recently, the Brewers traded away 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes because they had no intention of trying to sign him to a contract extension. Burnes, of course, will be one of the biggest names on the free agent market in 2025 and will command a very high salary.
But Burnes is not the only example. In 2022, Milwaukee traded away closer Josh Hader ahead of the MLB trade deadline even though he had another season of club control left in 2023. Many point to the effect the trade had on the clubhouse as a reason why the Brewers missed the playoffs that year.
When Prince Fielder became a free agent following the 2011 season, he signed with the Detroit Tigers for nine years and $214 million. Milwaukee never came close to matching that kind of money.
In free agency, the Brewers always wait for the star players to be signed before negotiating with the remaining pool of available players. Sometimes it works out, other times it does not.
Milwaukee Brewers Owner Mark Attanasio Faces a Lawsuit Accusing Him of Stealing Sand
Milwaukee’s tendency to not spend very much money has given Attanasio the reputation of being a cheapskate. The latest news out of Los Angeles will not do much to help him avoid that label.
According to Jack Flemming of the Los Angeles Times, the Brewers owner is being sued for allegedly stealing sand from a Malibu beach. “A lawsuit filed last week alleges that Mark Attanasio, billionaire businessman and owner of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team, has been using excavators to dig up sand from Broad Beach and carry it back to his house as part of an ongoing construction project,” Flemming wrote.
Per the article, Attanasio’s legal team claims that the billionaire has permits for his construction project and that the sand they have taken is in accordance with those permits.
The lawsuit was filed by another billionaire, James Kohlberg, who claims the sand is public property and should not be taken for private use.
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