Since MilwaukeeScoop.com launched in late 2009, we have utilized social networking to spread the word about the benefits of using Milwaukee Scoop to plan great things to see and do in Milwaukee. We have grown to over 600 followers on Twitter, with new followers everyday. And our Facebook fan page is approaching 800 fans and is rapidly expanding. We welcome you to join us on both Twitter and Facebook and follow along with all the news and updates from MilwaukeeScoop.com.

We also want to remind you to utilize Twitter and Facebook to communicate with us — our readers have been our best contributors to the Milwaukee Scoop listings. Dozens of the listings have been reader-submitted, reviewed by Milwaukee Scoop and added to our site. We hope this trend of user participation continues to grow, as this will further solidify our listings as the best in Milwaukee!

Our forums are also a great way to communicate with us — and with other Milwaukee fans across the country! Our sports forums have drawn very positive reviews, and we are utilizing the forums to discuss Milwaukee Scoop’s listings and to provide website support. So sign up and join the chat. Like everything else on Milwaukee Scoop, it’s free!

Thanks for reading. We look forward to providing you with more of Milwaukee’s best in the future.

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We are excited to introduce our newest feature at MilwaukeeScoop.com — forums.  Since our site launched last fall, we have had great interactions with many Milwaukeeans, local businesses and Milwaukee tourists alike.  In an effort to make communication and interaction even better at Milwaukee Scoop, we have launched a new message board feature.

At least to start, we have opened up three sports forums — Brewers, Bucks and Packers.  We have also launched two forums related to MilwaukeeScoop.com — a forum for you to discuss our “Best of Milwaukee” listings and make suggestions, as well as a forum to ask general support questions.  We are open to suggestions for new forums in the future, so feel free to suggest!

We hope you enjoy this new feature.  If you know a Wisconsin sports fan — let them know about forum.milwaukeescoop.com!  The more sports fans who know about our new Sports forums, the better the conversations will be.  Our forums are moderated, so name calling and blatant personal attacks will not be tolerated.

Additionally, our site has a new design and we have launched three new “Best Of” categories: Milwaukee fish fries, Bay View bars and night life, and salons & spas.  We hope you enjoy the new changes, and hope to hear from you in our new message boards!

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A heated debate recently among Wisconsin sports fans has surrounded the contract situation of Milwaukee Brewers’ star first baseman, Prince Fielder. Fielder will be in the second year of a two-year, $18 million contract in 2010. Following the 2010 season, Prince will be arbitration eligible one more time before becoming a free agent in 2012.

The contract question will continue to linger because as time passes, Fielder’s trade value decreases as he gets closer to free agency. Many feel, probably Brewers’ General Manager Doug Melvin included, that the team needs to discuss the prospects of a long-term contract with Fielder’s representation now. But the chances of such a deal are long at best, as agent Scott Boras is known for rarely allowing his clients’ free agent years to be bought out. Boras’ tactic: let all 30 teams bid when the player becomes a free agent rather than accepting the current team’s bid against nobody.

Whether or not it is feasible for the Brewers to convince the Fielder/Boras tandem to make a deal before 2011 ends is anyone’s guess — but an educated guess would assume no, unless the Brewers really showed them the money. But can the Brewers show Prince the money? How much can they actually afford to offer one player?

Below is an estimate of the Brewers player salary situation from 2010 through 2015. The figures are based on published salary amounts for the players, and does not take into account performance bonuses. Yovanni Gallardo’s 2010 salary is an estimate and Corey Hart’s contract is assuming he loses his arbitration case on Thursday. Also, the Brewers are still on the hook for $7.15M to Bill Hall and $1.4M in total buyouts for Braden Looper and David Weathers (not represented in the chart below).

Milwaukee Brewers Salaries

Position Players

One thing working in the Brewers’ favor are young/cheap position players. Casey McGehee will not be arbitration eligible until 2012, while Alcides Escobar will not be eligible until the 2013 season. Depending on when Mat Gamel makes the big leagues for good, he will not hit arbitration until 2013 or later. So the left half of the infield will be cheap for at least the next two/three seasons. Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart have another year of arbitration eligibility before becoming free agents in 2012 (the same time as Prince). But the Brewers have minor leaguers who could potentially replace the pair by 2012 (Brett Lawrie, Lorenzo Cain, among others) and offer cheap 2B and RF alternatives without losing much talent-wise.

Center field is a question mark heading into 2010. Carlos Gomez was part of the J.J. Hardy trade and should, presumably, get most of the playing time in center. Jim Edmonds may be a platoon option if Gomez falters. Should Gomez succeed and project as the Brewers CF of the future, he will be arbitration eligible the next two seasons before becoming a free agent in 2013.

Ryan Braun is the surest bet the Brewers have all the way through 2015 with the contract he signed in 2008, and provides the lineup with superstar punch with or without Prince in the mix. And the catcher position will likely be filled by a young prospect (Lucroy/Salome) in the next year or two.

Pitchers

The pitching is a different story, as the team tries to recover from a couple bad contracts (Jeff Suppan and David Riske). Pitching has also been hurt by a lack of home grown talent. Only Gallardo, Manny Parra and Mitch Stetter were drafted by the Brewers — whereas there will be at least 5 home-grown position players (likely more) on the opening day roster. Home-grown, and guys with low service time in general, are a team’s cheapest options because their contracts are team controlled for six years. Thus the reason Yovanni will be making about $425K versus Suppan’s $12.5M. Free agency allows all 30 teams to offer, and the sky is the limit when a player hits the open market.

A lot will be riding on the young pitchers for the Brewers — especially in the minor league system. Gallardo and Parra will be arbitration eligible next season (2011), possibly leaving the Brewers without any “pre-arbitration” pitchers on their staff, aside from Stetter. By our estimates, the Brewers have already invested over $50M to pitchers in 2010 — almost 2/3 of their payroll. Without the development of young arms, or trades to bring them in, the Brewers will have to continue investing a great majority of their payroll in pitching. And that would leave a Prince contract out of the question.

The Verdict

Theoretically, the Brewers should not have a problem paying Prince in 2011, his last year of arbitration, if he is not traded before then. The Brewers will see $24.15M come off the books between Suppan, Hall and Riske alone ($2.25M in buyouts will need to be paid).

But we would be remiss if we did not mention that several players will receive raises in 2011, including Braun, Davis (team option), and others through arbitration. And depending on how 2010 goes, Yovanni could receive a substantial raise for 2011 through arbitration.

The Brewers won’t want to wait until the middle of the 2011 season to trade Prince. He is too valuable on the open market, and would presumably net the Brewers some of the young pitchers they need to fill out the pitching staff for the future if they trade him before the 2011 season. However, if the Brewers feel really good about the young pitchers they have coming in 2011/2012 and beyond, maybe they feel confident that a strong offer can be made to Fielder and Boras. Nevertheless, it will likely take over $20M/year, meaning committing over 25% of the annual payroll to one player. And the contract length Boras would request likely makes the risk even higher for a small market team like the Brewers.

To say the least, if Prince Fielder is deemed unaffordable for the Brewers the hole at first base would be significant. But the hole in the payroll could be more significant if he is signed, and it would leave Doug Melvin with zero margin for error when signing other players. So while the Brewers might have the ability to offer Prince a “signable” long-term contract now — it is unlikely they will take the ultimate risk and actually present it.

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One of the key features of MilwaukeeScoop.com is the ability for users to suggest listings to be featured on our site.  In the past, you could either send us an email at suggestions@milwaukeescoop.com or send us a tweet on Twitter (@MilwaukeeScoop).  These options are still available.  But this week we released the easiest option of all.

You can now submit suggestions using the forms on the homepage and each of the four main subpages (attractions, entertainment, dining, and night life).  This is a simple way to have your business or your Milwaukee favorites reviewed for inclusion in Milwaukee Scoop!  Dozens of our listings have been added via user suggestions, so it does pay to suggest.

We give you the option to suggest (1) a new category or (2) a new listing.  A new category can be requested within any of the four subpages (attractions, entertainment, dining, or night life).  A category is something like “brewery tours” or “museums.”  But our most popular suggestions are our listing suggestions.  A listing is something like “Lakefront Brewery” or “Sprecher Brewing Company” within the brewery tours category.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at suggestions@milwaukeescoop.com for a speedy response.

Thanks for making Milwaukee Scoop a great site with all your great suggestions.  We look forward to hearing even more from our most important source for great Milwaukee information — the Milwaukee Scoop readers.

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Milwaukee is known by many as the beer capital of the world. What may not be as apparent is that Milwaukee has some of the best burgers in the country. And on top of that, some of the trendiest burger joints.

Sobelman’s in the Menomonee Valley has proclaimed their burgers to be Milwaukee best burgers — a title that is hard to refute considering their delicious burgers. But several other Milwaukee area burger joints give Sobelman’s a run for it’s money. As we try to uncover the very best, lets look at Milwaukee burgers in two categories — restaurant/bar burgers and fast-food burgers.

Fast Food Burgers

We would be remiss if we failed to mention the many impressive fast food burger options. And we’re definitely not talking McDonald’s/Burger King here.

Beginning with a Milwaukee staple, Kopp’s Frozen Custard is arguably Milwaukee’s most popular “fast food” burger. It’s big, it offers all the fixings, and frozen custard alone can draw the masses to Kopp’s. How many fast food restaurants give you the option of around a dozen toppings?

Also worth consideration as Milwaukee’s best burger are Solly’s Grille on Port Washington Road and Bella’s Fat Cat on Kinnickinnic Avenue and on Oakland Avenue. Solly’s burgers have been a North Shore favorite for 73 years — their butterburgers are literally dripping with buttery-flavor. And Bella’s Fat Cat was once proclaimed Milwaukee’s best burger by Shepherd Express for their large, juicy burgers.

Culver’s, the North Point Snack Bar and Robert’s are also candidates on the fast food side.

Restaurant/Bar Burgers

This is where Milwaukee gets creative. Many new (and some old) Milwaukee bars offer some sort of burger on its menu. And in recent years, some bars and restaurants have distanced themselves from the competition.

Sobelman’s, opened in 1999, proclaimed their burgers the best in Milwaukee. And who could argue — with about a dozen to choose from (the “Sobelman Burger” is the most popular) and some excellent side choices, Sobelman’s will leave every customer satisfied.

But as Sobelman’s continues to grow in popularity, so do several other burger joints downtown. Water Street newbie, and Twitter masters, AJ Bombers has solidified it’s place among Milwaukee’s favorite burgers with unique deals (Free Birthday Lunch Wednesday, Free Parking for Bucks Games, etc.), friendly service, peanuts, decor, and loaded burgers. AJ Bombers also has the advantage of a Water Street location, where late night bar hoppers can enjoy a post-midnight snack.

Similar to AJ Bombers, Stack’d Burger Bar opened up in the Fifth Ward in the summer of 2009. Stack’d has a nice beer and extensive wine selection, but the majority of compliments are for the burgers. The unique burger selections include the German Stack, the Gobbler, and the Fahgettaboudit burger. But our favorite is the build-your-own: choose your roll, meat, cheese and toppings from over 20 different choices. (Tip: try the pretzel roll!) Stack’d and AJ Bombers also offer a variety of vegetarian options that will please the non-traditional burger eaters.

If you’re into the more classy establishments, Elsa’s on the Park has long been a favorite in the Cathedral Square neighborhood. The Wicked Hop in the Third Ward offers a half-pound black angus burger to die for with plenty of toppings.

And we certainly don’t want to forget a Milwaukee legend since 1936. Hooligan’s on North Avenue has the best bar food in Milwaukee year after year, and it starts with their burgers. It’s also great for catching a big sporting event or people watching on the outdoor patio in summer.

So what do you think? Who has the best burgers in Milwaukee? We think the debate gets more heated with each passing year. But whether you enjoy old favorites like Kopp’s and Hooligan’s or prefer newbies like Sobelman’s and AJ Bombers, we can all be certain of one thing — Milwaukee does not lack variety or creativity when it comes to burgers.

Check out our best of Milwaukee burgers here.

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We have been anxiously counting down the days till Christmas here at Milwaukee Scoop. One of our favorite pages is our Christmas lights page, and there’s no better way to get into the holiday season than to check out great Milwaukee-area Christmas lights. If you have yet to check out our list, you can see it here.

In addition to our recommendations, there are many other Milwaukee-area Christmas light displays that are worth your while. Drive up Wisconsin Avenue and marvel at the lights and decor, stop by Zeidler Park on Michigan & 4th St, or take a slow ride through the Miller Valley…all while listening to your favorite Christmas tunes on 99 WMYX or 95.7 WRIT (both are currently all-Christmas music). If you are close to Water Street, be sure to check out the huge Christmas tree inside the City Center between the Intercontinental Hotel and the Pabst Theater, as well as M&I Bank’s great decorations inside.

Enjoy a few snapshots of our favorite Christmas lights from 2009, and have a very Merry Christmas!

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One of the great features of MilwaukeeScoop.com is the ability for our readers to quickly reference some of Milwaukee’s best attractions, outdoor activities, sports, restaurants, bars, etc. We connect you right to the source with helpful info like the company’s website, address/phone number, a brief review, Facebook/Twitter sites, and more.

However, while we open up our site to suggestions from you, there has not been a true public forum for discussion between our readers and Milwaukee Scoop. With the advent of our new blog, we are hoping to change that and open up the board to discussions, critiques, compliments and criticisms (whatever…within reason!). Your participation will surely help make MilwaukeeScoop.com a more enjoyable experience for us and the rest of our readers.

Please feel free to voice your opinion. And don’t be afraid to make a suggestion that can make Milwaukee Scoop even better. We are always listening.

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Welcome to Milwaukee Scoop’s brand new blog! We are excited to introduce our blog, along with several changes across MilwaukeeScoop.com.

The most obvious enhancement, aside from this blog, is to the layout of our website. We have an official Milwaukee Scoop logo (complete with our signature “Lake Michigan waves”), XML news scroller outlining some of our most popular pages on Milwaukee Scoop, and our Twitter feed. We have been hard at work on the cosmetics of the site, and we are very excited to introduce our design.

Since MilwaukeeScoop.com launched in September of this year, we have promised to bring you some of the best attractions, entertainment, dining and night life in (and around) Milwaukee. Our pages continue to expand with the help of our readers and we look forward to extending that relationship via our new blog. As we always say, our recommendations are inspired by the people of Milwaukee — and the more you engage with us, the more accurate our recommendations will become.

So continue to visit our site and send us your recommendations via email (suggestions@milwaukeescoop.com), Twitter, Facebook, or comment on our new blog! Enjoy MilwaukeeScoop.com, and enjoy the great city of Milwaukee.

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