Rob Zerjav is a Wisconsin native and has been a Milwaukee Brewers fan for as long as he can remember.
And for the last 30 years, he has been a fixture with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers front office, including serving in the role of team president since 2002.
The Timber Rattlers, and their predecessors, have been affiliated with a number of Major League Baseball teams, but have been the Midwest League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers since September 2008.
Zerjav has seen countless Brewers prospects come through Grand Chute on their way to Milwaukee, which makes the team’s trip to the World Series this year extra special for the Green Bay native and everyone in the Timber Rattlers organization.
“It means everything,” Zerjav said. “The [Seattle] Mariners had some fantastic teams when they were winning 100 games every year and just couldn’t get it over. That would have been great, too, to be a part of that for the Mariners to go to the World Series. But, like I said, growing up, born and raised in Green Bay, lifelong Brewer fan, all my childhood idols were Brewers and then to become an affiliate and have over half the team played for us in Appleton, it would be truly special.”
Zerjav took some time last week to talk about the Timber Rattlers’ role in helping the Brewers make it to the World Series this season, Appleton native Matt Erickson's contributions to the team and the culture of winning that has been instilled throughout the organization.
What’s the excitement level been like out at Neuroscience Group Field during this postseason run for the Brewers?
“Everybody is excited. We’re all Brewer fans. But the fact that there’s so many former Timber Rattlers on the team that are contributing. You look at the starting lineup and it’s just, ‘Yep, he played here two years ago, he played here five years ago.’ It’s exciting because you kind of know these guys and they’re a part and we’re a part of the Brewers organization. So everybody at the ballpark is just so excited. ... Everybody in this area just loves the Brewers and I honestly think everybody in the whole state is probably just as excited. But, yeah, everybody at our ballpark, everybody on our staff, just through the roof. The fact that they’re going to the World Series is amazing.”
How special is it to see these players that were Timber Rattlers see their dreams come true with the big league club?
“It’s really special, especially when you’ve got guys that were just here two years ago. You know, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, they were on our team that went to the [Midwest League] championship for us just a couple of years ago and to see them now in the World Series, it’s hard to even comprehend. From Jackson Chourio to Garrett Mitchell and then [Sal] Frelick and [Jacob] Misiorowski and [pitching coach Jim] Henderson. Then even back to [Aaron] Ashby and Brice Turang. Our social team has done a great job just pushing all the video that we had of them and all the things. It’s kind of neat to see them when they’re kind of kids. A lot of people were joking when we showed Aaron Ashby on some of the video clips. They’re like, ‘Man, he has hair.’ So, yeah, it's really neat that tie that we have to the Brewers and it again goes back to 2008, when we made this decision [to become a Brewers affiliate], how right it was.”
You’ve seen a lot of prospects come through Appleton. Did you get a sense these players were a little different or maybe a special group?
“I think maybe it started when David Stearns came in and Matt Arnold came with him and then Matt Arnold being in charge. I think from a culture standpoint, a winning culture standpoint, when we first became a Brewers affiliate, it almost was, ‘Well, you guys are player development. Winning is great, but we don’t really care at the minor league level. We want to get these guys ready to go to the big leagues.’ I think even the players back then thought that their goals were, ‘I want to get to the big leagues and once I make it to The Show, that’s it. I made it.’ The players like a Brice Turang, Cooper Pratt, you could just see that it was almost more about ‘we want to win’ and you go back a couple years ago with the team that went to the championship for the Timber Rattlers. They were all in. You know some teams will be, ‘Hey, it’s the end of the season. I want to go home. I have flights planned. I don’t want to go to the playoffs.’ Our guys were just, ‘No, we want to win. We’re about winning.’ I think that culture shift happened and I think Matt Arnold embraced that and it’s about winning at every level. Obviously player development is important, but instilling a winning culture and you see it now, you see it at every level. The Brewers are competitive at every level. They’re going to championships. Biloxi this year almost won the championship at the Double-A level. And you see at the major league level. ... You could see that these guys have that sense of when the stage gets big. Obviously Chourio, when he was with us, I mean, he was just a man amongst boys and he was just a kid. To see him succeeding isn’t a huge surprise. But the fact that he is a burgeoning superstar is just so cool. And Misiorowski is going to be the Cy Young winner. When he was pitching for us, obviously the fastball was there. The control was the thing. Can he get that in check? And obviously he has. So just so many great stories. Even David Hamilton, he was such a good ballplayer for us way back when. He gets traded. Now he’s back. Just, you know, really special stuff.”
Did you see the relationships forming with this group of players and sense that something special was building?
“I think for sure. I remember Brice Turang when he was with us, I think he was 19 but he was the leader of the team. He wasn’t a vocal leader, but just the guys rallied around him. You could just sense that he was important to that group. Same with Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara when he was with us, just good, good people and good teammates. Garrett Mitchell, the list goes on and on. Misiorowski was with us for, honestly, just a couple of weeks. But they’re getting familiar with each other in spring training. I think the Brewers have done a great job with that, too, where the minor league guys get into a lot of spring training games. They get to know the major league guys down there. So it’s not just complete shock and awe when you go to the big leagues. I’m sure it still is in some way, shape or form, but the players are like, ‘OK, I know him, I met him already. I know the coaching staff. I met them in spring training. I was in some big league games.’ They all just get along. The culture that they’ve instilled at every level is really important and I think that’s why they are doing what they’re doing right now.”
Matt Erickson was with the Timber Rattlers for a long time. How fun is it to see him in the third base coaching box for the Brewers on a team that’s headed to the World Series?
“I’m just so happy for Matt. Our friendship has been there for, I don’t know, it has been 18 or so years now and to see him do so well. I’m sure he messed something up this year, but to be almost perfect at third base and then the work he puts in with the infielders too, how good they are. I’m so proud of him and so happy for him to see him succeeding being from Appleton and his Wisconsin roots. The Timber Rattlers are home for him. Then you look at all the other coaches. [Pitching coach] Chris Hook and Jim Henderson, there’s just so many of the guys on their staff that got their start or coached in Appleton. It’s just really, really cool.”
Will you or any other Rattlers staff be able to go to the games in Milwaukee or on the road for the World Series?
“We’re working on it. The sweep [against the Dodgers], I don’t think anybody thought it was going to happen. So I think the Brewers are kind of getting their ducks in a row. They’ve been very kind to our organization, so we’ll see what they’re willing to offer. But I think every single person in the state of Wisconsin is interested in going and there’s only so many tickets. I’ll be happy to support them and watch every single minute on television. But if there’s a chance to get down there, it would be great for some of our staff to be able to take that in.”
And now for the most important question: If the Brewers win the World Series, do you get World Series rings?
“I'm going off of what other major league teams do with their minor league teams. Definitely a handful get rings. The Brewers have never [won the World Series] before, so who knows? Who knows what their plans are? But the thought has crossed my mind and I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. But that would be truly special. As a kid growing up as a Brewer fan as far back as I can remember, being affiliated with them, it’s kind of a dream come true. And now they’re going to the World Series and we’ve played our small part in that. A World Series ring would just be icing on the cake.”
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Timber Rattlers helped Brewers stars build 'winning culture'