2008 Woodie Awards
Unnecessary Roughness:
Brewing a disaster
Corey Kempf
Issue date: 11/20/03 Section: Sports
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On September 6, 2003, the Milwaukee Brewers underwent a front office overhaul with hopes of ending the team's losing ways and to prevent turning their brand new ballpark into a ghost town. Later, team President and CEO Wendy Selig-Prieb and General Manager Dean Taylor were out in favor of newcomers Ulice Payne, Jr. and Doug Melvin. A month later, a new manager was hired in the form of Ned Yost. However, even after an improvement of 12 wins from the year before, the franchise is now in danger of imploding.
After Payne fired a number of people in the front office and replaced them with proven winners from other ball clubs, things began backfiring. Several speculations and accusations flew throughout the organization and tension rose between Payne and his colleagues.
Last week, Payne's frustrations went public when he spoke out against the team's plan to cut payroll by close to 25 percent. He became a figure of trust for the fans, saying that the cut worried him because it would more than likely mean the Brewers' two superstar players, Richie Sexson and Geoff Jenkins, would be gone. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, several letters were sent praising Payne, along with a public outcry supporting Payne on Milwaukee radio stations.
However, the team's board of directors was upset with Payne's comments and is now on the brink of receiving permission to buy out the remainder of Payne's five-year contract and let him go.
General Manager Doug Melvin has been a spokesperson for the organization in attempting to quell the uproar over the possible firing of Payne and the reduction of payroll. He issued two statements on the Brewers website addressing his plans to deal with the cut in payroll.
Following the General Manager meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, Sexson is now being regarded as the biggest trade prospect in the league, and Melvin says a trade involving Sexson could happen. Melvin praised the team's minor league system in one of his statements, which focused on standout players Corey Hart and Prince Fielder, two players capable of filling positions left by Jenkins and Sexson.
After Payne fired a number of people in the front office and replaced them with proven winners from other ball clubs, things began backfiring. Several speculations and accusations flew throughout the organization and tension rose between Payne and his colleagues.
Last week, Payne's frustrations went public when he spoke out against the team's plan to cut payroll by close to 25 percent. He became a figure of trust for the fans, saying that the cut worried him because it would more than likely mean the Brewers' two superstar players, Richie Sexson and Geoff Jenkins, would be gone. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, several letters were sent praising Payne, along with a public outcry supporting Payne on Milwaukee radio stations.
However, the team's board of directors was upset with Payne's comments and is now on the brink of receiving permission to buy out the remainder of Payne's five-year contract and let him go.
General Manager Doug Melvin has been a spokesperson for the organization in attempting to quell the uproar over the possible firing of Payne and the reduction of payroll. He issued two statements on the Brewers website addressing his plans to deal with the cut in payroll.
Following the General Manager meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, Sexson is now being regarded as the biggest trade prospect in the league, and Melvin says a trade involving Sexson could happen. Melvin praised the team's minor league system in one of his statements, which focused on standout players Corey Hart and Prince Fielder, two players capable of filling positions left by Jenkins and Sexson.