Brewers Organization Compensates For Braun's Breach

Very cool move on the Brewers organization's behalf, as they offered to give food and concession vouchers to all attending fans forced to suffer through the last two months of the 2013 season, worsened with the news about Ryan Braun's suspension:

Challenged by the news of Ryan Braun's suspension and a disappointing season, Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is reaching into his wallet.

The team announced Monday that each fan who shows up with a ticket to any of the team's 12 home games in August will receive a $10 voucher that will be good for food, beverages, tickets or merchandise.

"We were finalizing something like this to give back to our loyal fans just as news of Ryan's suspension hit," said the team's chief operating officer, Rick Schlesinger. "Mark decided he wanted to make a dramatic impact that would cost more money."

Despite a 43-61 record, the Brewers have drawn relatively well this season, bringing in an average of more than 31,000 fans per game. Based on those calculations, the vouchers will cost the team more than $3.6 million if they are all used.

Although it is close to the roughly $3 million the team won't have to pay Braun, Schlesinger said that wasn't the intention.

"This is an investment in our fans and an investment in our brand, to do what we can do to mitigate a trying summer," said Schlesinger, noting that this is the first initiative under the team's Fans First campaign.

Schlesinger said the aim of the promotion is to be completely transparent with fans. He said the Brewers will not raise any prices and are allowing fans to combine vouchers that they accumulate throughout the month.

Yahoo! Sports' Big League Stew is more direct in linking Braun's suspension to the Brewers organization's noblesse:

To be more specific, each fan who spins the Miller Park turnstiles during the month of August will receive a $10 voucher that can be used at the stadium's concession stands. With 12 home dates in August and an average expected attendance of 30,000, that's a roughly $3.6 million hit the Brewers are taking with this "Fans First" promotion— or more than the $3.1 million they would have had to pay Ryan Braun had he not been suspended for 65 games after getting caught up in the Biogenesis scandal.

In taking this action, the Brewers have touched upon an existential truth in the fair state of Wisconsin: Nothing says "you're loved and appreciated" like free bratwurst and beer.

Very cool call, Mr. Attanasio.