MILWAUKEE – With a month to go until Spring Training gets underway, the Brewers officially commemorated their 2011 National League Central Division Championship.
A crew from Pablocki Sign Company of Milwaukee lifted a banner marking the accomplishment into place in the left field area of Miller Park, where it hangs alongside those marking the Brewers' three previous post-season appearances.
In 1981, Milwaukee won the second-half American League East crown in a strike-split season. A year later, the Brewers won their first outright division title and American League pennant before losing the World Series to St. Louis in seven games.
Another 26 years would pass before the Brewers returned to the playoffs, when they clinched the 2008 National League Wild Card on the final day of the regular season and lost to Philadelphia in the National League Division Series.
The 2011 Brewers won a franchise record 96 games and advanced to the National League Championship Series, falling in six games to the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.
"It's a great sign that both Spring Training and Opening Day are coming at us fast," said Brewers vice president of communications Tyler Barnes. "It's also a reminder of how much fun 2011 was and we look forward to hopefully installing a lot more of these banners in the coming years."
The Brewers open Spring Training on Feb. 18 at Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix. The regular-season opener is Friday, April 6 against the Cardinals at Miller Park.
