Memphis Grizzlies

At the time the Grizzlies had a losing record and West brought in TNT analyst and former coach, Mike Fratello as Hubie's replacement. Simon was arrested, charged, and fined for disorderly conduct. In the 2004-05 season Hubie Brown stepped down as head coach citing health reasons. Block suffered only a scraped knee. The Grizzlies made the NBA playoffs for the first time in team history in the spring of 2004 as the sixth seed in the West, but lost in 4 games to the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round. During the Brewers' "Sausage Race," in which four contestants wearing sausage costumes have a footrace on the field, Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Randall Simon leaned over the dugout railing and hit college student Mandy Block with a bat. During the 2002-03 season Hubie Brown was named coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, and won the NBA Coach of the Year Award in the next season. One of the most memorable events of the 2003 season occurred at Miller Park on July 9th.

West received the 2003-2004 NBA Executive of the Year Award. However, on January 16, 2004, Selig announced that he was putting the team up for sale, and had retained a New York firm to handle the deal. In September of 2004, it was announced that the Brewers had reached an oral agreement with Los Angeles investment banker Mark Attanasio to purchase the team for US$180 million. The team named Jerry West as general manager of the team in 2002. Wendy Selig-Prieb, Bud's daughter, is now CEO. The team relocated to Memphis for the 2001-2002 season. The Selig family's ownership of the Brewers is the longest continuing ownership in the majors now. The fact that he was an American from suburban Chicago always fueled those suspicions. Therefore, it was decided to have a 16-team National League and a 14-team American League.

Many people believe that Michael Heisley had purchased the team with the sole intent to move the franchise. In turn, this would have required that single interleague games be scattered throughout the season. In 2001, despite earlier promises from owner Michael Heisley to remain in Vancouver, he moved the franchise to Memphis, ending Vancouver's six-year experiment with professional basketball. Making both leagues equal in size would have meant that each league would have 15 teams, an odd number. The fact that the Grizzlies were not competitive didn't help matters. Major League Baseball wished to keep interleague play in designated blocks during the season. Ownership of the team was transferred a few times, but nothing could stem the tide. The team was moved from the American League to the National League in 1998 during baseball's realignment in order to make sure that each league had an even number of teams.

After the NBA lockout, the attendance numbers at Grizzlies games began to drop, and the team began losing money. (The city had also had a major-league team by that name around 1900, plus a minor-league team with the same name in the first half of the 20th century.) The team had six days to remove the Pilots logos from team uniforms and replace them with Brewers logos. In the lockout-shortened season, the Grizzlies would only win 8 games. The team was renamed the Brewers to honor Milwaukee's beer-brewing traditions. However the 1998-1999 season would bring the Grizzlies back to last place, despite drafting guard Mike Bibby with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft during the offseason. The trucks carrying the team's equipment were sent to Salt Lake City, Utah from Arizona, where they were to receive instruction whether to continue to Seattle or Milwaukee. In 1997, the Grizzlies drafted Antonio Daniels with the 4th pick who was largely seen as a bust but the team saw some improvement as it finished in 6th place. The team was still in spring training as the Seattle Pilots.

Despite his solid play, the Grizzlies continued to struggle, again having the worst record in the NBA. The team was purchased on April 1, 1970 by an ownership group headed by Milwaukee auto dealer Bud Selig. In 1996, the Grizzlies would draft Shareef Abdur-Rahim as the 3rd overall pick. Much of the story of the Seattle Pilots' only year in existence is told in Jim Bouton's classic baseball book, Ball Four. The first season for the Grizzlies was typical for an expansion team, and they finished with the worst record in the NBA that year. The Brewers were part of the American League through the 1997 season, after which they switched to the National League. The Grizzlies were initially composed of players taken from other teams via an expansion draft, and were joined by the Grizzlies first draft pick: Bryant Reeves. They are in the Central Division of the National League.

Both teams were symbols of the NBA's growth, and were the first NBA teams to play in Canada, since 1946-47's Toronto Huskies. The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Vancouver Grizzlies inaugurated in the NBA in 1995 alongside the Toronto Raptors. Arizona Brewers
Helena Brewers. The President of Basketball Operations is former Los Angeles Laker and Hall of Famer Jerry West. Brevard County Manatees
West Virginia Power. The current head coach is Mike Fratello, replacing Hubie Brown (who resigned in November 2004); the team is owned by Michael Heisley. Huntsville Stars.

The Memphis Grizzlies are a National Basketball Association team based in Memphis, Tennessee. Nashville Sounds. Lorenzen Wright. National League
. Shane Battier. Pitching strikeouts: Ben Sheets, 264 (2004). Mike Miller. Pitching wins: Mike Caldwell, 22 (1978).

James Posey. Strikeouts: Jose Hernandez, 188 (2002). Jason Williams. Hitting streak: Paul Molitor, 39 games (1987). Bonzi Wells. Stolen bases: Tommy Harper, 73 (1969). Pau Gasol. Triples: Paul Molitor, 16 (1979).

Michael Dickerson. Doubles: Robin Yount, 49 (1980). Bryant "Big Country" Reeves. Hits: Cecil Cooper, 219 (1980). Hubie Brown (former coach). Runs: Robin Yount, 121 (1980). Mike Bibby. Runs batted in: Jeromy Burnitz and Richie Sexson, 125 (1998 and 2001).

Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Home runs: Gorman Thomas and Richie Sexson, 45 (1979 and 2001). Batting average: Cecil Cooper, .352 (1980). 44 Henry Aaron. 42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout baseball).

34 Rollie Fingers. 19 Robin Yount.   4 Paul Molitor. Rollie Fingers (1981).

Rolaids Relief Man of the Year