It's the home opener Monday for the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. The game against the New York Mets starts at 1:10 p.m.
It could be a lively season and there'll be plenty more discussion this spring of a possible $290 M state funding package for long-term maintenance at the ballpark.
Meanwhile, there are on-field developments of interest. For one thing, there are rule changes for Major League Baseball —including new limits on the defensive shifting of players.
Unlike the past several seasons, you won't see the third baseman over in shallow right field as Brewers star Christian Yelich recently noted for news reporters.
"It's really that line drive to right field that hits the third baseman in the chest is the one that sucks. So, we'll see how it plays out. See if it helps out, see if it doesn't, and check back in with you in a few months," Yelich said.
The other rule changes are adding a pitch clock and limiting pick-off attempts — plus the bases are a little bigger.
Brewers reporter Adam McCalvy of mlb.com says the bottom line is to create more action.
"It's trying to create a brand of baseball that a lot of us, who have been watching for a long time, remember and recognize. In Spring Training it was jarring how quickly the games moved," McCalvy tells WUWM.
McCalvy says Brewers fans should also watch closely for signs of more intensity and urgency that could determine who's playing and managing next year.
"You've got a manager, Craig Counsell, going into the final year of his contract, and several core key players, with essentially two years to go. I'm talking about Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Willy Adames, Eric Lauer — those players have two years before they get to free agency," McCalvy said.
Teams often will try to trade potential free agents if the club is not contending midway through the season. That's in order to get more value in return, rather than simply losing them to a higher bidder.
All this, as Gov. Tony Evers (D) and Republican legislators, discuss more state help for the Brewers in return for the team promising to stay in Milwaukee longer.
Sometimes, politicians vote on financing packages depending on the baseball team's success. For now, the Brewers are 2-1 after taking a weekend series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs.
