'I try not to take it for granted': Matt Erickson reflects on long baseball career with Timber Rattlers, Brewers

GRAND CHUTE – As an Appleton native, former manager of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and current member of the Milwaukee Brewers coaching staff, Matt Erickson has unique perspective on baseball in Wisconsin.

Erickson, who is entering his 16th season with the Brewers organization, will serve as infield coordinator on new manager Pat Murphy’s coaching staff in Milwaukee this season.

The 48-year-old Erickson was at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Wednesday as one of the featured guests for the second annual Fox Communities Credit Union Hot Stove Banquet.

During the event, Timber Rattlers CEO and managing partner Rob Zerjav announced that Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium has been named Ballpark of the Year for 2023 by Ballpark Digest, a Minnesota-based publication that has covered baseball stadiums and people in baseball since 2002.

“I live here, born and raised here, have an appreciation for baseball and the community,” Erickson said during a media session before the banquet. “Rob and his staff have done a wonderful job just continuing to make this place a wonderful place to come watch baseball.”

Erickson was asked about a variety of topics pertaining to the Brewers and the Timber Rattlers, as well as the impact his father Bruce, a legendary coach and teacher who passed away last June, had on baseball in the state.

On the continued enhancements at Fox Cities Stadium

“I know my kids love it. My girls were out here the first night the slide was open. We got pictures sent to me in Milwaukee of them coming down the slide. They’re all about the fan experience as well as providing a wonderful facility for our players and player development. And that was since Day 1, since the first year the Brewers came into this organization and I was the hitting coach, I guess back then in 2009, and then managed for a few years, a decade. But it’s the one constant thing. Rob and his staff continue to do what he can to provide a first-class facility for player development and also for the fan experience, and it just continues to get better year in and year out.”

On his 16 years with the Brewers organization

“I try not to take it for granted. I’ve truly been blessed in my profession, not only to obviously wear a Brewers uniform as a player but also for them to come into my hometown as an affiliate in A ball and start my coaching career here and then be able to continue that through the years, trying to develop players and the last few years obviously being part of the big-league staff and helping at the highest level.”

On what fans can expect from Pat Murphy, who replaces Craig Counsell

“Murph and Couns are close. They have a long history. Couns was pretty close to the vest. He had a definite outline and a plan, and he stuck to it. I think Murph, you might find little surprises from Murph. He’s been around the game a very long time at many different levels. Obviously tremendous success at the collegiate level and now he’s been a significant part of the Brewers’ success for almost a decade. I have a great relationship with Murph and look forward to continuing to work with him this season.”

On Counsell’s surprising departure to the rival Chicago Cubs

“I was a little shocked, there was no doubt about it. I think, like most people, thought there was a chance that he would move on. I know the Mets were a team that popped in most people's minds with David Stearns being there. But Chicago was a little bit of a surprise. But happy for him and his family. He’s done some great things in Milwaukee, and Chicago has been a team that is looking to do a little bit more, and they definitely got a great manager.”

On the ceiling for top Brewers prospect Jackson Chourio

“We have a lot of young, talented guys right now in our system and Jackson is one of them. I, unfortunately, haven’t been able to see Jackson play a whole lot. But I did get one whole week last year in Biloxi to watch him and it’s a real thing. The ceiling is there. The consistency at the big league level? We’re going to have to wait and see. But at 19 years old, he’s a guy that has a ton of tools and I’m excited to see where that development takes us. Hopefully it’s this year. If not, we’ll continue to try to develop him and I think there’s big things out of him in the future for sure.”

On the difference between coaching at the minor league and major league level

“It’s a little bit different here at the A ball level, where winning isn’t always the priority. We’re all competitive. It matters for sure. But you get rid of the losses a little bit quicker because you know you’re expected to make some mistakes and try to help them overcome that adversity and get better as players and people. But when you get to the big leagues, the biggest thing the last two years is when you’re in a big league dugout, you feel those wins and losses. So every time that we get to shake hands on the field, there’s a lot of time and effort put into that and obviously there’s a huge financial investment at that level, not only for the business side but from the team side. So you learn to enjoy those wins a little bit more.”

On new Timber Rattlers manager Victor Estevez

“I’ve been fortunate to work with Victor for several years now. I don’t know exactly how many. A great person. A great human being, first of all. And has had some nice success in the last couple years as a manager. His team in Carolina had some success. I know he managed winter ball this year and continued to get experience in high pressure situations in the Dominican Republic. This team that you’re going to have this year from an infield standpoint is going to be very exciting. I know last year Carolina, the low A club, as far as infield components are concerned, they were the No. 1 infield in all of baseball, including the big leagues, in defensive runs saved. So there’s some talented, talented infield defenders that will be in Wisconsin Timber Rattlers uniforms this year.”

On Zerjav’s leadership and success with the Timber Rattlers

“Rob has been amazing. He’s done everything. He’s sold hot dogs here. He’s sold tickets. I think he’s had every job that there is in this ballpark. When you have somebody that’s that committed and has a great understanding of what everybody does and the value that everybody has within the ballpark, I think you have a tremendous boss to work for. I can’t echo enough the things that he’s done for this community in professional baseball. And it just continues to get better. The fan experience here has been amazing over the years.”

On the passing of his father and the legacy he left on baseball in the Fox Valley

“First things first, he was a great father. Outside of the game of baseball, he was a teacher, an educator. As a father, he showed some love, too, when things weren’t going right. A lot of times you’d hear the big bark from him when you came out to the ballpark, but a tremendous communicator and listener behind the scenes of not only my sister and I as his kids, but also the players that have played for him. From a baseball standpoint, obviously there’s a foundation of lingo in the Valley that I remember when I was growing up that you couldn’t go by a Little League park or any park or baseball field in the city, where you didn’t hear some of the verbiage that he said at practice. … His verbiage man, it rang throughout the Valley. I miss him, man. No doubt about it.”