Bobbleheads.
How can anyone be mad at what happens on the field when they're clutching one of the more popular giveaway items in sports? Tonight, the team will give away dolls featuring bench coach Robin Yount, only the most popular player in team history. Next year, fans will have a say in the freebies passed out at Miller Park. Voting will take place at the team's Web site -- www.milwaukeebrewers.com -- to select the next four players to be immortalized into Bobblehead legacy.
As a guide, you can choose from the following list of seven players: Chris Capuano; Francisco Cordero; Prince Fielder; Bill Hall; J.J. Hardy; Kevin Mench; and Rickie Weeks.
If I were Cordero, I would say "Thanks, but no thanks." Look what happened to former closer Derrick Turnbow when he became a souvenir ... in fact, he blew the game on his own Bobblehead night. It's a curse!
The team nominees are fine, but I've come up with some alternative ballot choices:
Corey Hart: This guy is becoming the next fan favorite, if Ned ever plays him on a regular basis. To save on cost, use the Richie Sexson Bobblehead as the mold.
Tomo Okha: Think of the demand in Japan.
Dale Sveum: Two versions of the Brewers third base coach: current and clean shaven, and the Easter Sunday model with arms raised in the air to commenmorate his historic home run.
Mike Maddux: The Brewers pitching guru would look sharp, complete with wristwatch and hand up in the air, about to clench the non-throwing shoulder of his struggling pitcher during a mound visit.
Mark Attanasio: The stylish glasses, the tennis shoes with the dress pants, cash sticking out of the back pocket. Nice Bobble for the office.
Doug Melvin: Check with Doug to see if he wants his likeness sans mustache or back over the lip. In the GM's hand, a roster of Texas Rangers players.
Marcus Hanel: The Brewers bullpen catcher is a Racine native and a great guy who works as hard as anyone in the organization A local face deserves some props.
Bernie Brewer: He may get shoved aside in favor of the Racing Sausages, but Bernie deserves better. This is a way to show the big guy we still love him. Comes complete with snap-on slide.
Rally Rabbit: Ah, no. Never!
The team has also paid tribute to Brewers players throughout the clubs history. Select one of these old timers and maybe we can convince the Brewers "suits" to add your favorite blast from the past.
Sal Bando: One of the Brewers' first big free agent signees, Captain Sal deserves a Bobblehead, complete with cheesy Oakland A's mustache and thick thighs and calves.
Glenn Braggs: Just to see the Man-ster's chest blown up bigger than a normal Bobblehead, this could look cool.
Mark Brouhard: The hero of Game 4 of the 1982 ALCS, Bro the Bobble would be a keepsake for all of us who were there on that rainy day.
Rob Deer: A fan fav, super-size the toy bat Deer is holding...at times it looked like he was swinging with a Wiffle Ball bat.
Ruben Quevedo: Sponsored by McDonald's, Taco Bell and several custard stands, I can already picture the extra packaging needed to fit all of the Ruben Bobble into the box. Note to Brewers: use Joey Meyer empties if you run out.
Mike Hegan: The first Brewer to ever hit for the cycle, Mike was also a sportscaster on WTMJ-TV. One thought: baseball cap and pants, but also wearing a 70's sport coat with NBC peacock patch and mic in hand.
Teddy Higuera: Popular pitcher could have dollar signs on uniform instead of numbers. Some fans ... still bitter.
Brooks Kieschnick: Easy one. Glove on one hand, bat in the other.
Pete Ladd: And you thought the Turnbow Bobblehead with real hair was hip. Ladd's clown-red locks, mustache and huge feet would be a hot ticket. I'd line up overnight for the Big Foot Bobblehead!
Sixto Lezcano: On the base of the Bobblehead, extend the O's all the way around...a tribute to PA Announcer Bob Betts intro "Sixtooooooooooooooooooooooooo..."
Mike Matheny: Comes with squirt action blood over the backstops face. I can still see that play...
Don Money: An Milwaukee infield staple, the Money Man could also have 100 commemorative Bobbles in his minor league manager garb at Beloit and Huntsville.
Tommy Harper: An original Brewer and fourth all time in stolen bases, Harper in a Seattle Pilots uniform would be a collectors item, and tribute to the franchise roots.
Gary Sheffield: Do it. Then, set up trash barrels for fans to throw them out seconds after they enter.
Don Sutton: He helped the Brewers get to the World Series, and the grey permed curls sticking out of the cap would make son Daron chuckle.
Jeffrey Leonard: With the "00" number, and one flap down on the pose...I like it.
Jeffrey Hammonds: They could make it like a piggy bank; you put lots of money in and never get any out.
Pete Vuckovich: Even the kids would love a Vuke Bobblehead. Tattered cap, a face full of facial hair, baggy uniform.
Rick Manning: Comes in Gorman Thomas box.
Ned Yost: This would be the 1980-'83 version, complete with porn-star mustache and sideburns.
Bob currently does play-by-play at Time Warner Cable Sports 32, calling Wisconsin Timber Rattlers games in Appleton as well as the area high school football and basketball scene. During an earlier association with FS Wisconsin, his list of teams and duties have included the Packers, Bucks, Brewers and the WIAA State Championships.
During his life before cable, Bob spent seven seasons as a reporter and producer of "Preps Plus: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel High School Sports Show."
And the joke is, Bob has a golf shirt from all four Milwaukee television stations. Sad, but true: Bob has had sports and news anchor/reporter/producer stints at WTMJ, WISN, WDJT and WITI.
His first duty out of college (UW-Oshkosh) was radio and TV work in Eau Claire. Bob spent nearly a decade at WEAU-TV as a sports director and reporter.
You may have heard Bob's pipes around town as well. He has done play-by-play for the Milwaukee Mustangs, Milwaukee Iron, and UW-Milwaukee men's and women's basketball. Bob was the public address announcer for five seasons for both the Marquette men and women's basketball squads. This season, you can catch the starting lineups of the UW-Milwaukee Panther men's games with Bob behind the mic.
A Brookfield Central graduate, Bob's love and passion for sports began at an early age, when paper football leagues, and Wiffle Ball All Star Games were all the rage in the neighborhood.
