A few Brewers things for which I'm grateful this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is about turkey, drinking, family, friends, and football. On Brew Crew Ball, we can also make it a little bit about baseball, in between our food comas and strangely rooting for the Bears. Here are a few Brewers-related things that I'm thankful for -- how about you?

• I'm thankful for Mark Attanasio. A decade ago, the Brewers were at the bottom of the league as far as spending goes. Since then, they've brought in free agents like Aramis Ramirez, Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza and Jeff Suppan. They signed an MVP player to a long-term contract that makes it fairly likely he will spend his whole career as a Brewer. Some of these things have worked out better than others, but the Brewers have an owner who is OK with spending. They don't have to deal with a Dick Monfort or a Jeffrey Loria. They aren't being talked about for relocation like the Athletics or the Milwaukee Bucks. Mark Attanasio is pretty great.
• I'm thankful Ryan Braun seems to be getting healthy. The Brewers need him to be back to close to his old self for them to have a good shot at competing next year, and hearing him say he's felt better than he has in years is a good sign. Even besides baseball, his thumb being pain-free is something that's good to hear for him as a person who has to live everyday life.
• I'm thankful for Carlos Gomez and the fun and passion he clearly has when playing the game. He's a frustrating player at times, but he's my favorite player to watch because you never know what's going to happen. He'll rob home runs and trip jogging in center field. He'll steal second and force a bad throw to take third then take home when that throw gets away from the defense. But he'll make dumb outs on the basepaths at other times. He'll swing and miss in majestic ways, then hit a home run into the second deck. Carlos Gomez is amazing and a treat to watch.
• I'm thankful for Jonathan Lucroy. The Brewers had not had a longterm solution at catcher in a long, long time before Lucroy came along. Now, they have a player who was fourth in MVP voting this past season, and on a ridiculously great contract. He's a stand-up guy, and a leader of the team, and someone everybody can root for.
• I'm thankful for Miller Park. I don't get to go much anymore since I've moved to New York, but Miller Park is (relatively) reasonably priced and a great place to take in the game. Both the facilities and the atmosphere are top notch.
• I'm thankful for all of you, the people who read Brew Crew Ball. Whether you're here for the first time, check in once a month or week, stop by daily or constantly keep it open in a tab. This sounds like pandering -- and it is, a bit, maybe -- but that doesn't mean it's not true. When I say that the people who read BCB are what makes it exist, I'm not lying. I enjoy writing and I love baseball, and this gives me a way to merge the two. But without readers, without the discussions in the comments, without engaging with you all here and on Twitter and on Facebook -- without all that, I wouldn't be doing this. You make it fun and worthwhile, so thank you for coming by.

Happy Thanksgiving from myself, JP, Derek, Jordan, and everyone else at BCB!