Miller Park bonanza ended quickly, report says

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The financial bonanza that the Milwaukee Brewers expected from the opening of Miller Park faded fast, a newspaper says, citing financial reports it obtained.

As a private entity, the Brewers do not disclose details of their finances, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Sunday on the records it obtained independently of the team.

According to the report, the retractable roof ballpark that opened in 2001 resulted in an attendance boost to 2.81 million fans, and nearly $110 million in operating revenue came pouring in, which was enough to raise the player payroll, address the huge debt the team was carrying and start beefing up minor-league operations.

The team reported a profit of $6.7 million in 2001, despite another losing season.

But in 2002, attendance dropped to 1.97 million and team owners were called upon to make a capital contribution of $11.7 million, the newspaper said.

Home gate revenue -- the sum of ticket sales, suite rentals, advertising, concessions and parking -- declined from $77.3 million in 2001 to $62.2 million in 2002, a decrease of more than $15 million, the reports show.

Yet, the team stayed committed to a higher payroll and more money for player development. The Brewers spent nearly $76 million on payroll and other baseball expenses in 2002, an increase of $3.6 million from the previous year.

Then in 2003, attendance dropped again, to 1.7 million, and the team opened the season with a drastically lower payroll of $40.6 million to meet expected financial losses.

Plans call for cutting the payroll lower next year, to perhaps as little as $30 million.

The Journal Sentinel said the financial reports -- including profit and loss statements, expenses and spending -- give a picture of a team that increased spending on its baseball operations, including team payroll, but had little to show for it as the losses on the field piled up.

Robert J. Quinn, the Brewers' chief financial officer, told the newspaper that the numbers appeared to be accurate.

The team's finances came into the media spotlight two weeks ago when Ulice Payne, then president and CEO of the Brewers, confirmed plans for the payroll cut and said he was concerned about it.

News of the plans stirred the anger of fans, taxpayers and elected officials who recalled how the team had said building a new stadium was a necessity for the future of the franchise, with the expectation that it would lead to development of a competitive team.

Payne and the Brewers board of directors soon were negotiating on termination of his contract, which was finalized Friday.

Quinn said some of the criticism has been unwarranted.

"When I hear the comments that fans feel they were lied to and betrayed, there's a difference between lying, and trying and not working," Quinn said. "The plan just didn't work."

He also said he believes the Brewers can be a competitive franchise and win more fan support.

"I don't buy into the argument that our numbers reflect the smallness of the market," Quinn said. "Are we in a small market? Yes. But do we have the fans who have shown they will support the team? Absolutely.

"We can turn the corner. We will see fan support for the club."