The Brewers' winning ways have also translated to success outside of Miller Park, where bars, restaurants, hotels and even the city, itself, are reaping the benefits of high-caliber baseball.

Saturday's 7-1 loss to the White Sox at Miller Park marked the Brewers fourth national television appearance of the season and they'll make their fifth on Monday, when they take on the Indians in Cleveland. In all, the Brewers , the team is scheduled for seven national broadcasts this season on Major League Baseball's network partners, FOX and ESPN.

That kind of exposure is great for the team, which is located in one of professional sports' smallest markets, but it's also a great way for the city – and those who promote Milwaukee – to gain some free advertising.

During last season's National League Division Series, Games 3 and 4 brought TBS' cameras to the city. According to numbers from Nielsen, an average of 3,439,500 people watched each of the four games between the Brewers and eventual World Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

To be fair, a large percentage of those viewers were likely from the Milwaukee and Philadelphia markets, but those that did tune in were able to catch, aside from the action on the field, images of the city. To people like Amhaus, that's money in the bank.

"It's a huge plus," says Spirit of Milwaukee president Dean Amhaus. "Any time you get the name out to a wider audience is always helpful. From out standpoint, developing that visibility has no-cost."

Amhaus points to Miami, where the Marlins struggle to draw fans to Landshark Stadium. Fans tuning in to see the Brewers' recent series against Florida saw nothing but empty organ seats.

"People are seeing a winning team," Amhaus says. "A winning team reflects a winning city. When people see that huge fan base out there; that's a very positive message being sent about Milwaukee."

In addition to the economic benefit, Amhaus sees a resurgence in "hometown pride." Brewers apparel is a hot-seller and, as the team's play improved, more and more people wanted to wear the colors. Milwauekeans traveling on vacation are more inclined these days to leave the Green Bay Packers hats and jackets at home in favor of something with the Brewers' – especially the "ball-in-glove" logo, one of baseball's best-sellers – identity.

"They're wearing it with a level of pride; that is very important," Amhaus says. "There's a notion of pride for Milwaukee. It's been turning around. The Brewers help. They wear it with pride. They're proud.

Miller Park – and Milwaukee – have already proved to be a popular destination for fans of the Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins, who have filled the area's hotels and restaurants when their teams come to town. That's especially good for bar owners, who have seen a jump in popularity when the Brewers are on TV over the last few seasons.

That, too, helps put Milwaukee on the map. Amhaus says fans of other teams that come from Milwaukee for games get to experience Milwaukee's dining and entertainment options and often come back to take in more of the sights at a later date.

"Those fans are coming to town and spending money," Amhaus says. "They also come away with, from our branding standpoint, a taste of the"new Milwaukee; a place that's vibrant and exciting. They'll take that message back to Chicago or Minneapolis or wherever and they might decide, they want to come back again."

The locals are helping too. The growing number of sellouts at the ballpark has left bar owners enjoying the overflow crowds. Many offer shuttles for those with tickets to the game and various drink and appetizer specials for those without.

At Zim's Sports Bar, 770 N. Milwaukee St., manager Melissa Bruss has seen business increase steadily over the last few years as the Brewers started the climb back to relevance. On what were once quiet weeknight, she's seeing larger crowds stopping in after work to catch the game.

"We see more people wearing Brewers stuff on non-game days," Bruss says. "They want to talk about the Brewers more then they used to. It's almost catching up to the Packers in how much people talk about them."

It's not just bars, hotels and other service-based busniesses feeling the boost; retailers carrying Brewers gear can't keep product on the shelves while grocers and liquor stores are stocking up on tailgate staples.

In many ways, the Brewers are finally fulfilling the promise of Miller Park and are becoming something of an economic catalyst for the region.

"You can get a lot of different economists to debate the impact of a baseball stadium, but from my perspective, if you get a full house, you're employing a lot of ushers and concession workers," Schlesinger says. "We keep expanding our front office, so I think there's definitely job creation."

"The ballpark has a real impact on the economy and especially when you're looking to draw people from more than just the local region, sports is a great way to do it."