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Ultimate Standings: Brewers are good at brats -- bad at winning

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Milwaukee Brewers

Overall: 72
Title track: 113
Ownership: 60
Coaching: 87
Players: 97
Fan relations: 82
Affordability: 25
Stadium experience: 21
Bang for the buck: 59
Change from last year: -49

Here's one way to sum up how things have gone in 2015 for the Milwaukee Brewers. Last year, they ranked 23rd across the four major sports, while the lowly Milwaukee Bucks ranked 120th. This season, the Bucks (up 55 spots to No. 65) actually jumped them. The Brewers experienced the largest drop for any baseball franchise (from fifth to16th) -- and fifth-largest overall in all of sports. What's behind that fall?


What's good

The Brewers consistently receive high marks in stadium experience (21st in 2015) and affordability (25th). The stadium experience begins in the parking lot, which is cheap ($11) and features tailgating that rivals any NFL franchise. The stadium itself is always clean, most concessions are affordable and promotions -- such as the venerable racing sausages and new conquering hero Hank the Dog -- are much beloved. Despite its small market size and inconsistent on-field results, the team's ability to consistently draw 2.5 million-plus fans is a testament to the stadium experience.


What's bad

The club's lowest rankings came in title track (113th) and players (97th), both down dramatically from 2014. The title track ranking reflects both the team's current standing and its lack of a recent championship; the Brewers haven't reached the World Series since 1982, and the city hasn't won a baseball title since the Braves outlasted the Yankees in 1957. The low ranking in the players category is largely tied to this year's poor performance and low win total; nearly the same cast ranked 42nd in 2014's survey.


What's new

Milwaukee's baseball club declined at least 10 spots in every category surveyed, with the hardest hits being felt in the on-field categories. Timing wasn't a friend, either -- Brewers fever crested in the summer of 2014 prior to the team's September collapse, and it had bottomed out by early summer this season, when the Brewers had the worst record in baseball. The good news? This is a resilient baseball market, and this year's survey results represent a near-worst-case scenario.

Next: Chicago Cubs | Full rankings