Between the Athletics saga (Oakland or Las Vegas?) and the Rays' seemingly decades-long pursuit of a new home, Major League Baseball has two ongoing ballpark issues. Now, there might be a third entering the fray. Commissioner Rob Manfred is reportedly -- via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- in Milwaukee and will hold a press conference in which he urges major, long-term renovations to American Family Field (formerly Miller Park).
The worst-case scenario here, and it's a bit eye-popping, would be the Brewers being forced to move away from Milwaukee.
The Journal Sentinel report indicates that the renovations -- upgrades to seating areas, concourses and gathering spaces -- would cost an estimated $428 million over the course of the next 20 years. The current lease with the Brewers and American Family Field runs through 2030 and such an agreement would extend the lease through 2043.
This franchise started in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots and moved to Milwaukee after just one season. They've been the Brewers from 1970-present and played in Milwaukee County Stadium from 1970-2000. American Family Field opened as Miller Park for the 2001 season and the Brewers have been there ever since. It has a fan-shaped retractable roof that can close in less than 10 minutes. There have been a few changes to the ballpark, but nothing really major since adding a much larger and updated video board to center field prior to the 2011 season.
The best guess here is Manfred is helping ownership push the government to provide a lot of tax-payer funding to keep the ballpark as up to date as possible. The threat of moving the Brewers for the time being is merely that: A threat. It would be a bridge neither the Brewers nor Major League Baseball wants to cross and wouldn't even be a serious discussion for years.
