Brewers spring training, players cherish fan interactions

PHOENIX - Spring training is about preparation for the season ahead, but for many Milwaukee Brewers players, it also offers a chance to connect with fans in a way that doesn’t always happen during the regular season.

Those interactions often take place just before and after practice — moments where players sign autographs and chat with fans gathered near the field.

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"I think for me, I was a kid. So for me I want to be able to talk to everybody," said Jett Williams. "I mean, as a fan at one point I looked up to everybody and I was always like, how can I get in and see Elmer? What can I do? So like I said, we're still humans. We put our pants on the same way as everybody. So we're no different. We're just really good at baseball. That's pretty much it."

Players say those moments are important not just for fans, but for the game itself.

"They're our fans for a reason. This is kind of who we play for," Williams said. "So I think just going into every season and whenever you see somebody, hey, obviously there's going to be times where you can't sign. But for the most part, I try to go out of my way to sign for everybody and, with the time I have, so." 

"They don't even care who you are. They just get so pumped up that anybody came over to sign for them. And I remember being that kid," said Quinn Priester. "So it's always special when it is a little bit more relaxed, and it's not like, hey, before the game this, this, and that, you can go over and interact."

Players say the chance to interact with fans in a relaxed setting is one of the most rewarding parts of spring training.

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While fans can sometimes meet players during the regular season, opportunities are much more limited once games begin and schedules tighten.

Brewers fans will still have a couple chances to see the team in Milwaukee before Opening Day. The club is scheduled to play two exhibition games at American Family Field ahead of the start of the regular season.